Bitch Slapped in Norman

I believe I'm at a loss for words when trying to explain what happened last Saturday in Norman. The only saving grace was that I didn't have to be there in person. I not surprised at the fact that we lost as much as the way we Laid down and died midway thought the game. What is with our constant need to look so terrible when we are on national TV? How do you go from being in the game at the end of the 1st quarter 14-10 to being down 42-10 a quarter later? It is unexplainable. The Sooners play well at home, everyone knows that, and we are a young team; however, at some point the excuses have to stop. Our defense (or lack of a defense) was atrocious. The Sooners were able to rack up 640 yards of offense against what looked to be our JV defense. The Aggie defense (again, i use the term lightly) has the innate ability to make any player on the offense look like a Heisman Contender. We let a freshman QB pass for nearly 400 yards and 5 touchdowns - it's inexcusable. This OU team, although good, is not like OU teams of the past. This game reeked of the same stink that was shown against K-state and Arkansas. It showed an immature team that let some of the early mishaps effect our play the rest of the game. What happened to handling a little adversity? We have not shown improvement over the past couple of weeks. If anything, I'd say we have even digressed.

Looking back on the season there have been some bright points, but I'd venture to say there have been twice as many moments that leave you scratching your head. There better be a different team show up this week against Baylor otherwise we could be in for some major problems. Both teams are coming off embarrassing losses so it will be interesting to see how both teams respond.

A side note - i didn't see Bob Stoops taking a knee when they were beating us by 40 like we did when we were only up by around 30 against ISU.

Bowl Games in College Football - Are there too many?

Now that the Aggies are entering the last part of the season the stakes are raised as they try to reach the all important 6 win mark on the season to become bowl eligible. The Aggies, standing at 5-4, do technically have 3 shots to get that sixth win; however, anyone close to the Aggies knows the Baylor game is probably our only shot. Baylor, who is playing without their best player at QB, still is playing hard, but they are not nearly the team they were with Griffin in the backfield. Yes, OU is down this year and we do find ways to somehow beat Texas every now and then, but the odds are not in our favor of those two games. If the games play out like everyone expects, the Aggie Football Team will finish 6-6 and be bowl eligible.

This brings me to my question: Are there too many bowl games in College Football?

Ok, so having six wins does not guarantee you will receive a bowl bid, but, come on, does six wins in a season really justify a team making the division IA "post-season?" This is especially true now that most teams are scheduling complete "cup cake" games to start the season. When did we start celebrating mediocrity? I want the Aggies to do good and go to bowl games, but I also want them to deserve it. I don't believe a 500 record shows a team who deserves it. We have had one signature win against tech, who is not playing their best football this year, and I just don't think that alone is enough to make the cut. I understand it all comes down to money in the end; however, it's this type of thinking that gives you some of the ridiculous bowl games we've come accustom to today. Names like the "California Raisin Bowl" or "Meineke Car Care Bowl" (these are actual bowl games) have plagued college football for too long. It's not long before we end up seeing the Preparation H bowl or the Vermont Viagra Bowl, it's too much. Bottom line, receiving a bowl bid should be a privilege and a reward after a successful season. It should not be just another vehicle to make money.

Rivalry Games in College Football

In the spririt of this weekend's rivalry game, the Red River Shootout taking place in the beautiful city of Dallas, I started to think about some of the best rivalrys in college football. Most likely your opinion on this matter largely depends on where you grew up. Do you think someone who went to Navy would reference any other game except the Army-Navy Game? If you are from the left coast you might say the best rivalry game is when a team like USC matches up against a solid Notre Dame squad. Likewise, if you are from the mid-west you may site the Michigan-Ohio State game as the best rivalry in college football even though lately the Big 10 has been the red headed step child of the major conferences. It works that way anywhere you go. Ask any football enthusiast in the state of Alabama his or her thought on the question. If they don't respond Auburn-Alabama, I'd be shocked.

For me personally it's hard to argue against the Red River Shootout between Texas and OU. The two teams are always highly ranked and there are usually National Championship Implications on the line. As an alumni from TAMU it's hard to admit this with all of the TAMU rival opponents; however, I challenge anyone to dispute the greatness that takes place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.