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Texas' two-step plan: to fulfill its dream, Texas must beat Oklahoma—finally—and keep Vince Young upright all season

Sporting News, The, Oct 14, 2005 by Zach Bodendieck

Quarterback Vince Young ran off the turf at Missouri last week to the serenade of "OU! OU! OU!" The Texas faithful who made the trip north weren't as interested in celebrating--Texas had dismantled Missouri, 51-20, in its Big 12 Conference opener--as in looking ahead.

With a 4-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking, Longhorns fans have national championship dreams.

But they know better. It's too early. For one thing--one huge thing--there's still that business with Oklahoma.

Texas hasn't beaten the Sooners in the Red River Shootout since 1999. That run of five losses includes a couple of shellackings when Oklahoma piled up more than 60 points, and it includes last season's 12-0 debacle, the first time Texas had been shut out since 1980.

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"We owe them one," Texas senior offensive tackle Jonathan Scott said--before the season started.

Time to back up the talk. The Longhorns know a win still is no guarantee their season will be a success--anything short of an appearance in the national championship game won't stop the burnt-orange bleeding--but they know that another loss to Oklahoma will guarantee that any later success will come with a big asterisk.

And even with a victory over Oklahoma, Texas still will hear one nagging question until it runs out of the Rose Bowl with the national championship trophy: Are the Longhorns too reliant on Young, their stud quarterback and Heisman hopeful?

After Oklahoma, Texas still must face strong Big 12 teams--Colorado, Texas Tech and Texas A&M--that could exploit an over-reliance on Young. So could any potential Rose Bowl foe--Virginia Tech, maybe, or surely Southern California.

Or worse: What if Young is not around for Texas to rely on? Is any team in the country as dependent on one player as Texas is on Young?

The Longhorns' offense is pretty simple:

See Vince.

See Vince run.

See Vince throw.

See Vince run some more.

He was the team's leading rusher against Ohio State and Missouri, the Longhorns' biggest tests so far. And, going back to the Rose Bowl when Young ran for four touchdowns against Michigan, the lesson is pretty clear: When Vince runs, Texas wins.

"I think everybody on offense needs to be more involved," Young says. "There's no pressure on me. I'm just playing a game--being a quarterback."

But without Young? No one is, uh, invincible, so folks in Austin collectively knock on wood. Texas can plug in capable players at running back, receiver ... anywhere on offense or defense. Except at quarterback. "We're running the ball perfect, 300-some yards a week," Texas coach Mack Brown says.

Brown clearly is guilty of confusing execution with Young's individual brilliance. Or guilty of thinking his dual-threat quarterback always will remain a step ahead of those who might want to do him harm. Or both.

But Young can do that--make you overlook an inconsistency here, a problem there. Young can make any Texas fan forget there still are bumps to get over on the road to Pasadena.

* Texas' defense will face a smorgasbord of offenses in Big 12 play. Oklahoma will try to pound the ball. Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges will test the Longhorns through the air. Texas A&M will unleash its own dual-threat quarterback, Reggie McNeal.

Texas' defense has done a good job so far--check out the wins over Ohio State and Missouri--but altering its game plan to face three such varied schemes will be a test.

* Texas was able to overcome 14 penalties against Missouri, but that won't fly against better competition. It won't fly against Oklahoma.

The Sooners will swarm Young, daring him to beat them with his arm. It's a plan that has worked before, as Young and his teammates are painfully aware.

The Longhorns' offensive linemen must avoid false starts and other costly penalties. In fact, the entire team could benefit from a little more attention to detail.

Of course, nothing gets Texas' attention like Oklahoma. For the Longhorns--especially their seniors--the season starts over now. Nothing haunts Brown as much as his inability to beat the Sooners. And for Texas to have the dream season it expects, it first must avoid another Red River Shootout nightmare.

Notre Dame, Bama--everything old is new again

Give Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis credit: At least he didn't break out laughing while he was standing on the sidelines last Saturday night at Purdue.

No one would have blamed him. Weis had to be having a ball as he seemingly was pulling plays-curl, skinny post, counter, trap, something drawn up in the dirt-out of a hat against the overmatched Boilermakers.

Four quarters, 440 passing yards and a million muffled laughs later, quarterback Brady Quinn and Notre Dame were grinning after a 49-28 victory. Any remaining doubt about whether "luck" and "Irish" could be used in the same sentence again this season had been sponged up and wrung out with Purdue.

Notre Dame is 4-1, and No. 1 Southern California is next-October 15 in South Bend.

Texas' two-step plan: to fulfill its dream, Texas must beat Oklahoma—finally—and keep Vince Young upright all season

Sporting News, The, Oct 14, 2005 by Zach Bodendieck

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