Mack Brown spent the first 10 minutes of his Monday press conference picking apart the way a certain national ranking system is calculated, how it's not always fair and how it should be fixed.
We are, of course, talking graduation rates.
"There's never been much serious discussion about that,'' he lamented.
Obviously, discussing the flaws of how the football programs' graduation rates are calculated was not the most pressing formula on the Texas coach's mind, but it was a pretty good distraction from what was.
Monday the Longhorns were scratching their heads wondering how they could beat Baylor 41-0 and drop a spot in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, from No. 4 to No. 5 (Here's a hint: Don't lose to Oklahoma). OU stayed in front of the Longhorns despite losing at Texas A&M and Washington State leapfrogged both teams, much to the consternation of the Longhorns.
Any extended spasms of self-pity, however, can't last if the Longhorns are to get a chance to back into the national championship game. Saturday they visit Texas Tech, one of two teams (OU is the other) that still control its Big 12 South Division destiny. With games against Texas and Oklahoma left on the schedule, the Red Raiders are in position to reach the Big 12 Championship game in Houston on Dec. 7.
"At the beginning of the season this is all you ask for with two games left,'' said Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury.
Texas can't be sure if it envies the Red Raiders for that control, seeing as how that if events fall in line to their favor playing the North Division champion could actually be an obstacle to their national title hopes. Or a plus, depending on what happens over the next three weekends.
One thing is clear. The Longhorns need to win at Lubbock on Saturday and then come home to beat Texas A&M, which stunned former No. 1 OU behind the heroics of freshman quarterback Reggie McNeal, on Nov. 29.
Like last year, when the Longhorns bounced back from its annual loss to the Sooners only to fall to underdog Colorado in the Big 12 Championship game and lose a shot at the national title, the Longhorns are back in the scoreboard-watching business.
To get a spot in the national title game, the Longhorns would be helped this week by the following:
No. 4 Oklahoma losing to Baylor. This cannot happen in even the most surreal parallel dimension.
The Longhorns will also looking for the little, unlikely touches, too. A loss by No. 9 Southern Cal at home against Arizona State would rob WSU of its .2 quality win deduction. A win by No 12 Kansas State over Nebraska could vault the Wildcats into the top 10 and give UT a better strength of schedule and the all-important quality win deduction.
These are things that can help Texas, but the biggest thing will be in containing a Tech offense that is one of the most potent in the country. Kingsbury has hung around the periphery of the Heisman Trophy picture and has the stats (3,982 yards, 35 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, .686 completion percentage) if not the wins (Tech is 7-4) to make a serious run.
The Tech offense, which Brown describes as an "air option," is unlike any the Longhorns have seen this year. Texas has been able to limit the damage caused by mobile quarterbacks (Seneca Wallace of Iowa State, Ell Roberson of Kansas State and, to a much lesser degree, Jammal Lord of Nebraska).
Kingsbury, though, will test the Longhorns speed and discipline in a different way. The senior will employ a variety of short routes and screens to get his receivers operating in space against a UT secondary that has picked a very good time to get healthy for the first time this year.
"It's all about making the sure tackle,'' said Texas cornerback Nathan Vasher. "They have to beat you with the big play."
Stopping the Red Raiders from making the big play isn't the only obstacle the Longhorns face. Jones Stadium is a place where the locals fling frozen tortillas and generally make the opponents feel as welcome as another West Texas dust storm.
"As soon as you step off the bus,'' said UT end Cory Redding, "You know what time it is."
No clocks required. What time is it? It's time to put up or shut up time for the Longhorns. You don't need to be a college graduate to figure that one out.
Around the Big 12
Baylor
Fired Baylor coach Kevin Steele looks like a cinch to wind up with fewer overall wins than shutout losses. With games left against Oklahoma and at Oklahoma State, Steele has won nine games in four seasons but has been shut out 10 times, four of them this season. Steele's departure is the 13th coaching change in the Big 12's seven seasons. Only Texas A&M's R.C. Slocum and Kansas State's Bill Snyder were head coaches at their respective schools when the conference was formed.
Colorado
Colorado needs a win this Saturday at home against Iowa State or Nov. 29 at Nebraska to clinch its second straight North Division title. … Junior halfback Chris Brown has seven straight 100-yard games and leads the nation in rushing (161.7 yards a game) but Coach Gary Barnett is upset that isn't enough to get him among the Heisman Trophy leaders. "The guys at ESPN have more control over who wins the Heisman than anybody,'' Barnett said. "I don't think it would do too much for me to talk about Chris Brown. It's whomever the guys in the national media, who have access to more voters, (want). It's the guys on Thursday night (ESPN games), whoever they decide and want
is who gets it."
Iowa State
Iowa State's Cinderella run is alive in name only. Though the Cyclones can still claim the North Division title if Colorado and Kansas State lose their last two games, a highly unlikely scenario, they are out of both polls for the first time since Sept. 17. … Coach Dan McCarney's name has come up as a possible replacement for Bobby Williams at Michigan State, though that's considered a longshot. … Troy Blakenship has replaced Tony Yelk, who has had three punts blocked, as the Cyclones' punter.
Kansas
Kansas's woes at quarterback just keep getting worse. Jonas Weatherbie, who replaced Bill Whittemore, who replaced Zach Dyer, has been lost for the season with a torn ACL. Whittemore remains out with a knee sprain, which means the Jayhawks will go with either Dyer or Brian Luke against Oklahoma State this week. Dyer came out of training camp as the starting quarterback but lost his job to Whittemore, who was clearly KU's best player before hurting his knee. Coach Mark Mangino is leaning toward going with Luke, who's been unimpressive in limited play this year, though Dyer is back practicing on offense after moving to safety in September.
Kansas State
Kansas State cornerback Terence Newman said he's only at 85 percent because of an undisclosed leg injury. … The Wildcats' kicking woes continue. In the lopsided win over Iowa State they had a PAT blocked, the seventh time that's happened this season. … Halfback Darren Sproles's main asset is his speed and it's showing up in more than just in the way he runs. Against ISU he broke the 1,000-yard mark on his 103rd carry, the fewest any Wildcat back has needed to reach that level. Sproles also notched his seventh 100-yard game, tying Josh Scobey's school record.
Missouri
Missouri's nine turnovers are the fewest in the nation. … Mizzou has now lost 18 straight games against ranked teams, but has come close three times this year, leading in the second half against Oklahoma, Iowa State and Colorado before falling. … Quarterback Brad Smith needs 95 yards rushing in the Tigers' last two games to join Clemson's Woody Dantzler as the only I-A quarterbacks to throw for 2,000 yards and run for 1,000 in the same season. Dantzler did it last year.
Nebraska
Embattled Nebraska defensive coordinator Craig Bohl, blamed for NU's slide this year, has gotten support from former All-America lineman Jason Peter and former defensive coordinator Charlie McBride, who both told the Omaha World-Herald that Bohl is doing a good job. There's speculation that fired Baylor coach Kevin Steele, who coached linebackers for the Cornhuskers from 1989-94, could return to replace Bohl. … Rush end Chris Kelsay remains day-to-day with a hamstring injury. Kelsay did not dress for the Kansas game, but the Cornhuskers got encouraging play from 300-pound nose tackle Titus Adams, who showed unexpected quickness at end in an eight-play cameo
against the Jayhawks.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma redshirt freshman Kelvin Chaisson will replace senior left guard Brad Davis, who broke his fibula. It's uncertain if Davis will be back in time for the Sooners' bowl game. … OU coach Bob Stoops got a chance to meet President George W. Bush, who knocked on the Sooners' locker room door before their game at Texas A&M, where his father, George H. Bush, has his presidential library. The two shook hands. … OU's secondary gave up four touchdown passes against A&M, one more than it had in its previous eight games. … Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops' name has come up as a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Michigan State.
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is expected to regain the services of Seymour Shaw, who missed three games with a broken bone in his lower leg. Tatum Bell, expected to be the main running back in the preseason has replaced Shaw, who injured the leg against Kansas State, in the lineup. The Cowboys will be without fullback Tim Burrough, who had surgery to repair a bone chip in his wrist and will likely not return this year even if the 4-5 Cowboys qualify for a bowl game. … OSU is 0-4 on the road this year and is 7-20 all-time in Big 12 road games, but the Cowboys will travel to Kansas this week with a good chance to end that streak.
Texas
Texas redshirt freshman Kendal Briles has gotten well and not a moment too soon. Briles was leading in the race for the free safety spot before suffering a severely sprained ankle in the preseason. He returned against Oklahoma only to dislocate his shoulder on his first play, a kickoff return. Saturday against Baylor he came on in relief of hobbled starter Dakarai Pearson and had two interceptions. Briles' return is timely not just because the Horns need him in their dime coverage package that figures to see plenty of action against Tech but because the Red Raiders' running backs coach is his father, Art Briles. … UT may have to continue to rely on a makeshift defensive line. Tackle Marcus Tubbs (calf) and end Kalen Thornton (ankle) are both listed as questionable, though Tubbs has said he will play against Tech.
Texas A&M
Texas A&M freshman Reggie McNeal has been named the starter for this week's game against Missouri at Kyle Field. McNeal was only expected to see spot duty against the Sooners last week but threw for four touchdowns, three of 40 or more yards, and becomes the third different player (Mark Farris and Dustin Long) to start at quarterback for the Aggies. McNeal ran for 89 yards against OU, giving a run game that averaged only 117.2 yards a game heading in and ranked 10th in the Big 12 a boost. A&M, with increased production from Joe Weber, ran for 185 yards.
Texas Tech
It's been a good week for Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury. Lubbock police recovered the helmet stolen after a game a few weeks ago and arrested a 20-year-old man for the theft. The man had allegedly taken the helmet from a young kid who was holding it after a game and hid it at his house. When a guest showed up to a Halloween party the man was hosting dressed as Kingsbury with a sign that read "Have you seen my helmet?" the man retrieved it and showed it around. Another guest took a photo and then showed it to police, who made the arrest. Then after the Red Raiders trouncing of Oklahoma State a group from the Boys and Girls Club of San Antonio, about a half hour south of his home in New Braunfels, presented him with a four-foot high homemade Heisman Trophy.
Around the WAC
Boise State cracked the Top 25 for the first time in the school's seven seasons in Division I-A. The Broncos are 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today poll and are the top team also receiving votes in the AP Poll. They'd be ranked if the AP followed the ESPN/USA Today rule of not allowing teams on probation to be ranked (Alabama is 10th). … Louisiana Tech's road record fell to 0-6, which doesn't make the Bulldogs' hopes of scrambling for a bowl berth likely. Tech needs to win its last three to qualify, but that would include a road game against league leader Boise on Saturday. … Fresno State coach Pat Hill said he'd like to give the Bulldogs' practice schedule some consistency, something they haven't been able to accomplish this year because of five games on Thursday or Friday night. His possible solution: 6 a.m. practices … Hawaii moved to the national league in passing despite taking the week off. The Warriors, who are averaging 398.9 yards a game in the air, will try to win at Rice for their first ever win over the Owls. … UTEP starting left tackle Ariel Famaligi saw his string of 34 straight starts snapped when he didn't make the trip last week to Nevada because of a violation of team rules. The Miners have lost 14-straight road games. … Boise held Rice to only 152 yards rushing and 232 yards total offense, both season-lows, last week but the Owls have something to look forward to - with the league's unbalanced schedule the Owls won't have to play the Broncos in 2003 and 2004. … SMU should get a late-season boost from the return of three players from injury against UTEP. Senior cornerback Kevin Garrett (knee), sophomore fullback Derron Brown (ankle) and senior wide receiver Johnnie Freeman (mouth) are all expected back after missing a combined eight games. … San Jose State safety Gerald Jones got his school-record tying eighth interception on the final play against Tech, but dropped three others. Not that anybody noticed. Only 6,391, lowest crowd of the year at Spartan Stadium, saw it. … Nevada's Nate Burleson caught a school-record 19 passes against UTEP to set the WAC single-season receptions record of 117. … Tulsa will likely be without its leading passer, Tyler Gooch, and receiver, Montiese Culton, against San Jose State. Gooch is still bothered by headaches after suffering a concussion against Rice on Nov. 2. Culton is bothered by a high ankle sprain.
Mark Wangrin covers college football for the San Antonio News-Express.
