Stream-of-Consciousness Notes
2010 BCS Championship - Texas vs. Alabama
By
Pete Fiutak
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2009
BCS Championship Stream-of-Consciousness Notes
-
2010
BCS Championship Stream-of-Consciousness Notes - 2nd
Quarter
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2010
BCS Championship Stream-of-Consciousness Notes - 3rd
Quarter
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2010
BCS Championship Stream-of-Consciousness Notes - 4th
Quarter
Pregame
- I'm in the minority on this, but this game should've
been played a few days ago. Rose and Sugar on the
first, the Fiesta on the second, the Orange on the
third, and the BCS Championship on the fourth. The
extra time doesn't mean more drama or more build up,
it gives the NFL playoffs and the baseball Hall of
Fame announcement a chance to take over part of the
spotlight.
- Who is saying Alabama is going to win big? Every
analyst is saying the exact same thing. It's going
to be close, it's going to be low scoring, and
Alabama will probably win, unless Colt McCoy goes
crazy and carries the Longhorns to the title. I
wouldn't be stunned if this is a wild shootout with
both offenses opening it up a bit. I would be
stunned, though, if this is a dull blowout.
- Considering they're both uber-powers, I like both
teams and both programs. It's never fun to root for
Goliath, but the sports info types at both schools
are great, McCoy is genuinely a good guy, the Bama
players are solid, and while there will always be
obnoxious fan bases to get annoyed by, these two
aren't quite as insufferable as those at other
powerhouses.
- Mark Ingram walking in with his headphones on.
What's playing? "Sunshine, lollipops and
rainbows/Everything that's wonderful is what I feel
when we're together ... "
- Wow, Roger Clemens showed up with the Texas
baseball hat specifically made to fit his gigantic
chemically-enhanced head.
- Mack Brown: "No one remembers second. No one
remembers who loses." Uh, yeah they do. It's easy.
It's usually a team that begins with the letter O.
- Why isn't anyone in the college football media
thumping that corporate boob Bill Hancock, leader of
the BCS. Five-part question. 1) If you're so
concerned about academics as the reason why you
don't want a college football playoff, then why do
you allow December bowl games? 2) Are you aware that
there's no school on Christmas or New Year's Day,
when you could easily hold the first and second
rounds of an eight-team playoff? 3) If you're that
worried about injuries, then why do you let every
other division have a playoff? 4) Why do you feel
the need to flat-out lie, when we'd all believe,
although not necessarily accept, that you don't want
a playoff because it might hurt the job security of
college administrators and the relevance of the
bowls? 5) Can I have a follow-up question when you
don't answer the first four?
- Alright, time to put 'em on the glass. Here's what
I think will happen. 1) Trent Richardson will emerge
as the star for Bama with Ingram held in check, 2)
Rolando McClain will make 15 tackles, 3) Nick Saban
will look grumpy, 4) Colt McCoy will have finish his
career as a true college football legend by coming
up with a brilliant final drive for the Texas
national championship.
- Do any of the players actually know who Keith
Jackson is other than being the dude who hocks
Gatorade?
First Quarter
Alabama on the 30
- Interesting. Bama wins the coin flip and takes
the ball.
- Start off running Ingram. Show the Horns you're
not afraid ...
- ... and then hand off to Ingram, get stuffed, and
be slightly afraid.
- False start, Bama. The Tide was supposedly tight
this week, and it looks like it in the first two plays.
- Lamarr Houston blows past All-America guard Mike
Johnson for a huge sack. 3rd and 23.
- Take a knee and punt.
- Or just throw it away. Nice call taking the ball
first.
- We're less than two minutes into the game and I
cant'
- Moronic. Simply moronic. Believe in your defense
and don't go all Boise State. Bama panics and goes
for the fake punt, it's easily snuffed out for a
turnover. Alabama, act like you can actually win
this game because you're better.
- Gideon, all is now completely forgiven for the
drop against Texas Tech last year.
Texas on the Alabama 39
- McCoy hits Shipley for a short gain.
There won't be any yards after the catch, so McCoy
has to accept the 3-to-5 yard gains.
- Short pass to Malcolm Williams. Third and short.
- Texas wants to show that it can be physical, and
it just blew Bama's defensive front off the ball for
a first down.
- This just feels like a heavyweight fight early.
Thank God we don't have to deal with Cincinnati in
this game.
- Yeeeessshh. If Tre Newton gets going and is able
to get the running game going, Bama is in big, big
trouble.
- And that's the last option we'll see McCoy keep.
He got POPPED. It looks like he hurt his shoulder
...
- ... McCoy is on the sideline ...
- ... Colt, you do NOT lead with your throwing
shoulder when going into the line.
- Garrett Gilbert, your table is ready.
- Come on ESPN/ABC. It's okay to put Tiger Woods in
your Masters promos.
- That just screams separated shoulder on McCoy.
- Offensive line and defense, this game is on you.
- End around to D.J. Monroe for a huge gain to get
down to the one ...
- ... Gilbert sneaks it in, but penalty flags are
flying. Neither team appeared to be set.
- Illegal formation on Texas and personal foul on
McClain for unnecessary roughness.
- Graham is a big-time talent, but this is sad at
every level if McCoy can't play. McCoy deserves a
better fate than this.
- The Tide D is PUMPED, but it's getting beaten up
up front.
- But not on that play. Lorenzo Washington came up
with a huge play against Cody Johnson on the one.
- Third and goal. Two down territory. With McCoy
out, you HAVE to try for the touchdown now when you
get the chance.
- Gilbert throws it through the end zone as McCoy
goes into the locker room.
- Bad coaching move No. 2 in this game. Texas, if
you really do have the be-all-end-all defense, you
have no problems with Bama possibly having the ball
on the one. You're not going to be able to get the
offense rolling with Gilbert and you have got to
give this a shot for seven. But instead, Brown goes
for the field goal.
Texas 3 ... Alabama 0
Texas on the Alabama 30
- Alabama isn't just playing tight,
it's playing dumb. Texas gets the squid kickoff
after Julio Jones doesn't go after the ball.
- Run the normal offense and throw the ball. Show
right away that Gilbert can actually throw a little
bit.
- Two straight running plays. The tempo has slowed
considerably. Buy time until McCoy can get shot
up/get the shoulder popped in.
- Everyone else will have to pick up their games.
Dan Buckner dropped a pass right in his hands, but
he wouldn't have gotten the first down anyway.
- Hunter Lawrence 42 yarder ....
- Good. However, Alabama made two critical,
devastating mistakes and it's only down six.
- Take a deep breath, Bama, run the offense, gt a
few first downs, and play some football.
- McCoy has his pads off.
Texas 6 ... Alabama 0
Alabama on its own 40
- Texas, act like you can actually
stop Javier Arenas and kick it off next time.
- Texas gets fantastic coverage from the secondary,
Greg McElroy isn't decisive, and he gets sacked
again. Sam Acho gets the sack.
- Someone needs to get fired if they don't realize
there's a certain Heisman winner to hand off ...
- Ingram rips off 12 yards over the left side. He
shows excellent speed. That's the quickness he
showed earlier in the year.
- Sacked again. The Tide O line's ability to pass
protect was a question mark, and it's failing
miserably.
- McElroy isn't picking this up at all, but his line
isn't providing any help.
- Trent Richardson in the Wildcat. Why in the world
would you run this on 2nd and long?!
- Texas obviously doesn't believe McElroy can play.
They're selling out to get to him and the Bama
receivers aren't helping the cause.
- McCoy's right shoulder is being X-rayed.
Texas on its own 20
- Texas, you can't win the national
title with six points. You have to let Gilbert throw
now, or else ...
- The Tide defense will pin its ears back and will
stuff the run, like it did the first two plays.
- And you can't do that, either. McClain is WAY too
smart to try to run a little screen like that.
- Very, very nice punt from Justin Tucker to get it
out of bounds and deep. Arenas isn't going to get a
chance.
- Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the college
football equivalent of the four corners stall from
Texas.
Alabama on its own 42
- Alabama (clearing throat ... ahhhhem,
ahhhhhhem) ... RUN MARK INGRAM UNTIL TEXAS STOPS
HIM.
- Ingram gets the carry and he gets eight yards.
Easily.
- Ingram gets the carry and he powers the ball for
another big game. Easily.
- Ingram is on the sideline. Now you run Roy
Upchurch and Trent Richardson until Texas stops him.
- McElroy finally gets time, all the time in the
world, and finally Julio Jones shows up.
- Right now, the Texas coaches need to be furiously
reworking the offensive game plan. Alabama is going
to score, and Texas needs to figure out something
that Gilbert can do.
- I'm going to make this mistake and I won't catch
it. I want to call him Garrett Graham.
- Ingram gets the carry and he rips off a big gain
to get close to the goal line, getting tripped up at
the last second. Easily.
- Entertaining first quarter, but it stinks that
there's this big No. 12 cloud hanging over the game.
First Quarter Score: Texas 6 ... Alabama 0
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