Aggie Football 2000-2009

If you know me, you know I love numbers in sports. Sure they can lie, and sometimes they are for losers. But sometimes they tell the whole story. As I watched A&M get beat 44-20 by Georgia the other night, I was as upset as I have ever been as a fan. Then I realised why. I had seen this story many, many times. There are those who cover A&M trying to put a positive spin on this. They say it was a 24 point loss and you gave up 24 in special teams. So just fix that breakdown and you're done. Stop. Just stop.

With the decade at an end today, I took a look back at the past 10 years of Aggie pigskin. It better be headed somewhere, because the recent past is nothing special. Remember, these are not my opinions. These are the facts:

Record - 63-59 (52% win %) ; Record in the '90s - 94-28 (77% win %)
Losing seasons - 4
Season with a winning Conf. record - 3

Record vs UT - 2-8
Record vs OU - 1-9
Record vs TT - 3-7
Record vs OSU - 6-4
Record vs Baylor - 8-2

Record vs Ranked teams - 9-32

Games giving up 40 points in a loss - 29 (UT had 5 for comparison)
Average score in those games - 49-21
Number of those games with a one score margin - 2

Have I made a point yet? The Aggies are better than Baylor. They are almost as good as Ok. St. (who had 4 more wins and 2 more winning seasons in the decade) You are fooling yourself if you have them anywhere above that.

Now an opinion - I looked for big wins in the decade and found 5. that's it.

2000 - 26-10 over #8 K.St.
2002 - 30-26 over #1 OU
2006 - 12-7 over #10 UT
2007 - 38-30 over #11 UT
2009 - 52-30 over #21 TT

Please tell me if I'm missing one. I love my Aggies, and I always will. But I'm not ready to start counting moral victories after a 24-point loss. Maybe that's the big difference between me and some other Aggie fans. They know moral victories are all we have right now. I'm not ready to admit it.

TX/OU thoughts, numbers, and a pick

You know what they always say, “Throw out the record books”. And you know what I always say, “Always look at the record book in this one. Because it tells the story”. The late ‘80’s and early ‘90s of this series got people thinking that anything could happen. And of course it can. But the numbers tell you it normally doesn’t. This is the 33rd ranked matchup since the AP started in 1936. The higher ranked team has won 22 of the previous 32 games (69%). So almost 7 out of every 10, the “better” team wins. It’s the 8th time they’ll be 10 spots or more apart in the rankings. Texas is 3, OU is 20. In the previous 7 games, the higher ranked team is 5-1-1. UT won as the lower ranked team in 1958. Oklahoma has never won such a matchup as the lower ranked team. Also, just for you super nerds, this is the first time either team has been 20 or lower in a ranked matchup. Yes, I know. It’s a wonder my wife ever gave me the time of day. In the last 23 games, just the team with the better record is 10-5 (8 games they had the same record going in). So again, always lean towards the better team in this game.
Before we get to my thoughts on this year’s game, another interesting stat. This is obviously a match up of a 2 loss team and an undefeated. How many times has that happened in the entire series? Only 11 times out of 103 games (11%). In those 11, the undefeated team is 8-3. In the 8 wins, the average margin of defeat is 31-7. In the 3 wins for the 2 loss teams, they won by 3 points, 6 points, and 2 points. So what does that tell us about this game? It suggests that Texas will win a blowout or OU will win a close one.


Now to this game. I like Texas because of the defense and the way they match up with this OU offense. The closest thing the Sooners have seen to this level of run defense is Tulsa. Texas is #1 in the country against the run. Plus I don’t think Bradford, that O line, and those WR’s can score enough to beat Texas. On the other side, everyone is talking about Texas and slow starts, or the running game. Here’s what everyone is missing. OU’s defense isn’t great. It’s good. The best offense they’ve played, BYU, beat them. Texas has too many weapons and will be the biggest challenge OU has faced. The 47th best pass defense will give up plays to Colt and that passing attack.
Lastly, this game is all about the Texas O line for me. If they play well, ball game. If not, OU will be in it until the end. So keep these last 2 numbers in mind from the OU perspective: turnovers and running game. The last 23 games in the series, if you win the turnover battle, you win 78% of the time (18 of 23). Texas can’t have the turnovers deep in their territory that have plagued them this year. If OU can get an early lead, they can withstand a Texas charge. To ultimately win, though, OU must run well. If you outrush the opponent over the last 23 years, you win 70% of the Red River Shootouts. And with Bradford’s options in the passing game, a running game is critical for the Sooners.

Ok, one last weird number. The only team in the last 23 games to lose turnovers and rushing and win – ’90 UT (14-13). Shock the nation indeed.

Again, I’m taking Texas. I’m trusting my eyes and the numbers. The better team normally handles business is Dallas. UT – 35, OU – 13.

An OU sucks song

Found this on YouTube Longhorn fans. Enjoy:

Happy birthday Stacy Keibler

She's 30 today. Wrestling fans, remember the first time you saw her? If you like women from the waist down, and you don't know who she is, enjoy.

Also check out chickapedia's gallery of photos : LINK For me, she's one of the hottest women on planet Earth.

The joys of working on the radio

So yesterday I mentioned that my favorite moment of the NFL weekend is now Faith Hill in the black boots. If you have yet to catch the magic, here you go:



Wow, I can't miss it every week. Compared to that Hank and Frank Gifford are well... Hank and Frank Gifford. I love you Faith. You make me understand football even better. So after hearing my comments, an emailer named Casey sent me this shot of Carrie Underwood:


First of all, thank you Casey. I love it when the listeners get me. If you ever hear us saying anything that makes you think "Hey I should send Chad a picture of a hot woman", go with those feelings (thedrive@espnaustin.com ; chad@espnaustin.com). Secondly, Thanks to Shania Twain for bringing the black boots to country music. Remember the "Man I feel like a women" video? LINK That's where it started. No doubt there is a lot of crap in country music today, but the black boots are working. Miranda Lambert, can you hear me?

Quick thoughts on Carrie Underwood. How could Romo not make that work? Picking Jessica over her is like throwing to Sam Hurd covered by Champ Bailey...TWICE. And if A.I. had produced her and only her, it's still a success. She's so good, it's silly. And I'm a big Randy Travis guy, but when they sing "I told you so" as a duet, he just has a hard time keeping up. Not many can match pipes with Underwood. Much love Carrie.

Beware of the Mob

This Leodis McKelvin story is so sad I almost don't know where to begin. If you missed it, the Buffalo Bills corner and return man had his yard vandalized following their loss to New England. An obscenity and the score of the game were painted on his lawn. McKelvin was the guy that had the ball stripped which allowed the Pats to get the game winning TD. When I read the story, I thought of a recent Youtube clip I saw of an Alabama fan watching the Va. Tech game. Watch if you haven't seen it.

NOT SAFE FOR WORK


Clearly there is a funny element to this. But it's also scary. How easily the racial slur comes out of his mouth is bad enough. But, to even consider the "threat" about blowing the officials head off is a reminder of how far fans sometimes go. And before you dismiss it as a crazy Bama fan, think about what you and your friends do and say during games. If your friends secretly taped you, what would we all see and hear?
The key word is, and will always be, boundries. Just know where the line is and don't cross it. And I think it's safe to say vandalizing a player's yard crosses a line. At least, to my knowledge, the Bama fan just yelled and acted like an idiot in front of what looks like 6 people or so.
So know the boundries, shout your opinions on the web, and stay out of players' yards. I feel for McKelvin's family, friends, and teammates. His fame does not give anyone the right to do that. It's just wrong. There's an old saying that when you get more than 2 guys in a room together, the IQ of the room goes down exponentially with every additional guy. So don't let the mob mentality take you over. It's sports. It's entertainment. If we let it go too far, do you know what we become? We become soccer fans. People that make a game so important they'll hit, scratch, maim, beat, kill, riot, and throw their own bodily fluids at each other over the outcome of a 0-0 tie. We can never let college football and the NFL get to that point. Today is not just about Buffalo fans. We should all be ashamed and mindful of the boundries.

You should never do this to your dog...ever.

And let me be clear. The Steeler thing has nothing to do with it. This is animal cruelty no matter what team you like. This actually makes me feel sorry for a poodle. And that is sad.

Show today: Will Carroll at 4:40 talking baseball. 5:20 - Chip Brown to talk about UT basketball player J'Covan Brown being cleared to play & Steve Patterson(UGASports.com) to talk Georgia football. 5:40- Buy or Sell.Out at 6:00 because of Rangers @ Yankees. BTW, thanks to everyone for listening online at www.espnaustin.com

Thursday's show

4:00 Plenty of Longhorn football talk including the loss of D.J. Grant.
4:40 and 6:40 - 3 Things I think I think

5:00-Jason Suchamel talking Longhorn practice

5:20-Newie Scruggs (NBC 5 in Dallas) talks Cowboys
Pitino story - Howie Lindsey (Cardinalsports.com)
PGA - Beau Edge ("The Edge on Golf" Saturday 9-10 am on 1530)

6:20-USC,VT,and TT injuries.

Tebow on top

FL is #1 in the Coach's Poll. Texas is #2 with more first place votes than OU. The Orangebloods should be happy today. If you missed the Rolodex or Buy or Sell yesterday, they are in the Audio Vault at www.espnaustin.com

For those of you who like Buy or Sell, we'll try and have it online every day. Just sign in for free and you can listen to interviews, watch "The Sean and Chip Olympics", and our favorite sound.

You know it's football season when...

...you have a preseason poll to talk about. Today is the day the Coach's Poll comes out. Will Florida be #1? Do OU and UT get 1st place votes? Is Texas ranked below the OU team they beat last year? We'll find out today and be talking about it starting at 4:00. Also if you missed yesterday's Rolodex or Buy or Sell, there are in the Audio Vault at www.espnaustin.com Remember, sign up for free and you can listen to all the stuff.

Happy Birthday A.T.

4:20 today - UT Impact players - Vondrell McGee
5:20 - Rolodex
- Washington D.C. and a check in on Orakpo and Skins camp
- Chicago and if Henry Melton has made any noise
- St. Louis and an update on Chris Ogbonnaya
5:40 - Buy or Sell
6:20 - We'll check in with OU and FL as they begin fall practice.

Topic of the Day- What college and pro player do you think will have a break out year?

Plus, call the Driveby (512-542-3376) and wish A.T. a happy birthday.

The Magic Dancers...just because

Whoever chose their pants needs a raise. The Finals start Thursday, and Orlando will be a much tougher matchup for L.A. than Cleveland would have been. Kobe will earn every jewel in ring number 4 if he gets it.

The bad news, the bad news, and the good news

Clearly the first bit of bad news belongs to the city of Cleveland. What must that be like today? Your one hope for a title is all but lost, and that Lebron shot you were ready to bronze isn't worth the paper it was printed on. Remember that old argument about Lebron, the Knicks, being a global icon, etc.? It's back Cleveland. Throw in the Indians and Browns and, well, you know. Even if you want to claim Ohio State, you've got 2 national championship beatings to remember. Heck, if a certain official doesn't throw that silly pass interference flag, you'd have nothing to celebrate but the newest exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But at least they got to the final game. Sleep tight Cleveland and prey the King can save you.

The second piece of bad news is for all of us who wanted Kobe vs Lebron. If last night isn't a shot in the gut to all who believe the NBA is fixed, I don't know what is. Now Lebron has about a 5% chance to make the Finals, and David Stern can call Nike and cancel the new order of puppet commercials. Speaking of, Kobe and Lebron may end up being Dan and Dave. Sad thought, but that had lead up commercials, too. If you don't get that reference, check it out here. So if you're like me and you want that match up, let's hope Kobe wins tonight and Lebron pulls a miracle.

Now to the good news. It is real sports. Stan Van Gundy was right. It's not the BCS. It's decided on the court. And that is how it should be. If the Lakers and the Cavs don't get it done, then that's fine. It sucks, but that's sports. Real sports. Not the BCS. Not the WWE. It may be Magic vs Nuggets, but at least it's real. Remember what Mick taught us : "you can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need."

Oh, and by the way, if you only learn one thing watching the Lakers and Cavs, it's this: Scottie Pippen was great.

Where were you?

Where were you the night Lebron James got his signature moment? Where were you the night the Kobe v Lebron Finals match up went from doubtful to still possible? Where were you the night Hedo Turkoglu became Craig Ehlo? What a shot. That, my friends, is why you just can't beat sports. That's why I have a job. And what a way to start the NBA Conference Finals. Two one-point games, a two-point game, and a three-point game. Lebron's not the happiest man in America. David Stern is. I can't wait to see what happens next. And congrats to Lebron. That was a big step in the process of shutting up all his critics. You know those NBA commercials where they replay a famous playoff moment with no people in the seats then slowly blend them in? How long will it take for you to see that shot done that way? I bet it's already done. Happy Saturday and God bless the NBA Playoffs.

The Golden Age of Super Bowls

Wow, what a game. Again. If you are like me and root for the Cowboys, or maybe you are a Niners fan, yesterday wasn't fun. The Steelers now have 6 and are the class of the Super Bowl years. Congrats to the Black and Gold nation. There may be many that don't like you. But I can't imagine any that don't respect you.

But let's just step back for a second and talk Super Bowls in general. This is the greatest era of Super Bowls ever. Period. That is, of course, if you like close games at the end and lots of drama. Starting with Super Bowl 30(Cowboys/Steelers), 8 of the last 17 have been decided by 10 or less. Not bad, but it gets better. In 6 of the last 10, it's 7 points or less. That starts with the Rams stopping the Titans on the 1, and ends with last night and Santonio Holmes. But that's not it. In 5 of the last 8 Super Bowls, the margin of victory is 4 or less. Think about that for a second. There is no other 8 Super Bowl stretch that even competes with that. And now, for 2 straight years, people are saying it may have been the greatest Super Bowl they have ever seen. And you didn't laugh.

Lastly, 2 plays that will live forever. James Harrison, in my opinion, made the greatest play by a defender in Super Bowl history. Period. Put it all together, I don't think anyone comes close. Ty Law's pick 6 in SB 36 ended up being massive, but for a LB to do that is incredible. Then the Holmes catch. He made a tougher catch than Dwight Clark did for "The Catch" to win the Super Bowl. Was it a greater play overall than the Tyree catch from last year? I would say no. But was it the best catch in the history of the Super Bowl? Maybe. When you add it all up, no one has ever had to make that catch in that situation to win that game, and then done it. What a great time to be an NFL fan. I can't wait for next season.