As a diehard Texas fan, it's near impossible to allow the tragedy of last night's BCS Championship game to go without mention. So for those fine readers looking for da hoop scoop, you can skip to the next post or ponder who will be the next miscreant to punch Snooki in the face on Jersey Shore like the rest of America.
Many pundits claim that Alabama was too strong and physical for Texas so it wouldn't have mattered if Colt McCoy had played or not. Those assertions carried more weight before the game actually started during the interminable pregame hype. Texas was coming off back to back uneven performances against Texas A & M and Nebraska while Alabama was busy sending Urban Meyer to an early retirement in dominating fashion. Everyone was quick to point out Colt McCoy's struggles against the stout defenses of Oklahoma and Nebraska. The offensive line could not possibly withstand Alabama's front seven since they gave up nine sacks to Ndamakung Suh and co. in the Big 12 championship. Yet no one seemed to mention the Tide's own houdini acts escaping with their lives against both Tennessee and Auburn. If not for two blocked field goals against the Vols, Bama would have been preparing for Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl rather than a BCS title game date.
None of that mattered once the game started. From the first snap, it was clear that Texas would not be a pushover. The Longhorns dominated the first 5 minutes of the game on both sides of the ball. Alabama's first series resulted in a Mark Ingram stuff at the line for no gain followed by a false start penalty. On 2nd down, quarterback Greg McElroy dropped back to pass and was instantly met in the backfield by senior defensive end Lamar Houston for a sack. The pressure was just as fierce the next play forcing an incomplete pass. After Saban's boneheaded call for a fake punt on 4th and 23, the Horns took over at the Alabama 37 and quickly showed the vaunted Bama defense who was boss. McCoy completed two short passes and an outside run by Tre Newton quickly put the Horns on the Bama 11 yard line.
Then McCoy got hurt which changed the game entirely.
After DJ Monroe's reverse got Texas to the one yard line, Alabama held on 3 straight downs for a field goal. Would they have succeeded against one of the most decorated players in Texas history instead of a fresh faced rookie who hadn't thrown a pass since November in garbage time? They sure hadn't shown any ability to stop Texas up to that point. It seems clear that the Longhorns offense was not intimidated by Alabama's defense and was equally as powerful if not more so.
The pro-Alabama crowd would argue the running game of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson would have still overwhelmed Texas. While the Tide demonstrated the power of their running game to the tune of over 200 yards rushing, this was not an unstoppable offense. McElroy was sacked four times in the first half alone and was under constant pressure. Alabama did gain big chunks of Pasadena green on the day but they also punted and were stifled often. Their passing game was virtually nonexistent as All American Earl Thomas and the rest of Texas's secondary blanketed the Bama receivers like an orange Snuggie.
McElroy completed six passes for 58 yards the entire game. SIX! That's only 6 more than Paris Hilton completed. Julio Jones one of the best WRs in the SEC was held to just one catch on the night. Obviously, the Tide make their mark with their running game but such ineffectiveness in the passing game would have hurt them considerably in a shootout with the full force of Texas's offense.
On the other hand, Texas was able to score two touchdowns behind a backup quarterback with zero experience. The primary reason was Alabama could not cover Biletnikoff finalist Jordan Shipley to save their life. Despite being the obvious target and first read on every pass, Shipley continued to get open time and again. He burned the Bama secondary on two deep patterns for touchdowns and was a thorn in their side all game. He finished with 10 catches for 122 yards and 2 TDs - with a freshman quarterback at the helm. Imagine what Texas could have done with all their weapons in place and a healthy gunslinger like Colt McCoy.
The sad truth is we'll never know what would have happened and anyone who says otherwise is on the sauce. Colt McCoy is the heart and soul of the Texas Longhorns period. He has the most wins of any QB in college football history and his accuracy is unparalleled. Take a player of that magnitude away from any team and everything changes. All the game plans and preparation are thrown out the window when you lose your quarterback. The Longhorns offense became predictable and anemic instantly and the Alabama defense took advantage of the raw Garrett Gilbert. They were forced to scale everything back in the playbook to the simplest of plays. Alabama realized how difficult it was for the Longhorns to move the ball and thus slammed on the brakes too. They knew the only way Texas could comeback was if Alabama turned the ball over. So they were content to run the ball and play field position and defense. This decision while also very questionable seemed to be foolproof with Texas having zero offense. It almost backfired as Texas mounted a furious comeback and the kid Gilbert was surprisingly effective in the 2nd half.
In the end, Alabama made the plays it had to and is deserving of the national championship (Boise anyone?). But let's just remember with 6 minutes left in the game, Texas had climbed to within 3 points at 24-21. Alabama needed a drive or at least a few first downs to put the game away. They were unable to move the ball though and forced to punt. When it really counted, Alabama failed against the Texas defense. Thus, with 3 minutes left in the game, Texas had the ball and a chance to win the game. All with a backup quarterback! Put Colt McCoy in that situation and just possibly it's raining orange and white confetti today.
The saddest part of it all is not that Texas lost. The Longhorns are a juggernaut program and will be in the national spotlight again next year and for years to come. But for Daniel Colt McCoy, this was his last chance at winning a national championship. In his tremendous four year career he grew from a raw freshman who had never even left the state of Texas to one of the most prolific signal callers in history. He had overcome a subpar sophomore season in which he threw 18 interceptions to bounce back and set the single season record for completion percentage in his junior year at 77.6%. McCoy had patiently waited an entire year after the BCS snub in 2008 to Oklahoma. He'd done everything in his power to win a national title and light the orange tower in Austin reserved for when Texas finishes #1. It would all culminate in this game. Then five plays into it and it's all over for him. He was forced to watch helplessly, unable to do anything to lead his team to victory and cap off his amazing career. After the game in his interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters, he was so visibly shaken he could barely speak. Yet he still showed the class and poise of a champion congratulating Alabama on a win he could not prevent.
No comments:
Post a Comment