Submitted by admin on Sat, 2005-10-08 05:00. ::
After five consecutive losses against Oklahoma, Brown's Texas Longhorns trek to Dallas today confident they'll win the 100th game in the Red River Rivalry. Many on both sides of the river believe if Texas doesn't win this one, it might be, oh, another 100 years before a better chance surfaces.
For the past month in Austin, hats and bracelets bearing the phrase "Operation Orange: Reverse The Curse" have been hot sellers, and the Longhorns bought in.
"I don't think we're going to have to answer that question this year," Texas defensive tackle Rod Wright said. "We plan on going in there and lifting a lot of weight off (Brown's) shoulders and walking out of that stadium with a smile on our face."
Oklahoma has lost against TCU and UCLA, but in a 43-21 rout last Saturday of Kansas State, some typical Sooners swagger might have returned. Also, after committing 14 turnovers in its first three games, Oklahoma was error-free against Kansas State.
Reflecting on the five-game losing streak, Brown says he "used to take (criticism) so personal. I'm not happy we haven't done better in this game. I feel like I've let our team and the school down. That doesn't mean I'm not going to get ready to coach it again."
Effusive Brian Bosworth, a former Oklahoma linebacker, believes "Mack is in Mack's head. I think he has a hurdle that he has to overcome. ... I don't think he believes in the players he has around him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be switching quarterbacks around like he did the first couple of years."
Penny Ante: ESPN commentator Mark May, a former offensive tackle with Pittsburgh, chirped last week often-rowdy West Virginia fans tossed pennies at Pittsburgh players because they couldn't afford nickels.
Happy (Valley) Again: It has been awhile since a game bearing the magnitude of today's has been played in Happy Valley, Pa., where some Penn State students have camped in tents outside the Beaver Stadium gates.
Penn State fans are just a few hoots short of delirious, but venerable coach Joe Paterno said, "I just don't want to put it out of proportion as to how it's going to affect what we have to do this season and what our future is."
Tom Bradley, Paterno's longtime defensive coordinator, also is advising caution. He has told players to "keep it in perspective and tend to their knitting. The same people patting you on the back were kicking you in the butt not too long ago."
Big Red Revenge: Nebraska has waited for this week, but defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove won't admit it. No. 15 Texas Tech, which humiliated the Cornhuskers 70-10 last season, visits Lincoln today. Cosgrove told the Omaha World-Herald he isn't interested in revisiting Nebraska's all-time worst loss.
"Really, I'm beyond that," he said. The Cornhuskers rank No. 2 in average points allowed (9.0), the Red Raiders are No. 1 in scoring offense (57.2).
ACC This: An Atlantic Coast Conference officiating crew worked Utah's 31-17 loss at North Carolina, and Utes coach Kyle Whittingham loathed the experience. "All I can say is I'm quite thankful we don't play with an ACC crew again this year," Whittingham said of the 12 penalties for 101 yards. In four previous games, Utah was flagged 23 times for 194 yards.
This solution was offered by MWC commissioner Craig Thompson: Use neutral crews. Said Thompson: "I don't belittle any of the 28 (bowls), but in a bowl game between two 6-5 teams, it's so blasted important we have a neutral crew. And yet, in a September game that might mean the difference between getting in a BCS bowl or not, we have one conference or go with the other."
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