| Texas Longhorns - Big 12 Preview |
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Wednesday, 29 August 2007
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 Expectation are high for the Texas Longhorns this year as anything less than a national championship will be unacceptable. Coming off a 10-3 campaign last season yhe Longhorns have question marks on the offensive line and the secondary. SportsBetting.com has made the Texas Longhorns 10 to 1 college football betting odds to win the 2008 BCS.The Longhorns are a shotgun passing team that will be using more of a power running game this year than in years past. Sophomore QB Colt McCoy came from nowhere to capture all the accolades last season throwing 29 TD passes and 2,570 yards. McCoy could be the most cerebral play caller in the NCAA with his ability to dissect defenses. Colt is has quick feet and an accurate arm that was displayed with his 68.2 completion percentage last year. Both running backs return from last season with champion sprinter Jamaal Charles, 6-1 200, being the feature back. Charles showed his dedication to football this off-season by electing to not run track to concentrate on football. Jamaal has NFL ability. The receiving corps has plenty of depth and one star player in Limas Sweed, 6-5 219. Sweed is a tough sure handed athlete that could be an NFL first rounder next season. Three starters departed from the offensive line but the team will reload with some more big boys. The Longhorns were burned by the deep pass last year but look for that to change with a new coordinator. Texas runs out of the 4-3 and will do a moderate amount of blitzing this year. Some good players are gone from the D with some big holes to fill in the secondary. The Longhorns have three stout tackles up front with two run stuffing bulls in Derek Lokey, 6-2 280, and Frank Okam, 6-4 320. DE Brian Orakpo, 6-4 250, has great tools and should be disruptive. The linebackers are athletic with the best being Roddrick Muckelroy, 6-2 230, that can cover and stack and shed very well. Sophomore Sergio Kindle, 6-4 240, is also a highly touted physical specimen. There are holes to fill at secondary but Safety Marcus Griffin, 6-0 202, has NFL first round ability. The team has game time experience at corner but don’t be surprised if some young DB’s with mega gifts get some playing time. On special teams returner Quan Cosby is a gamebreaker with some nice moves. Kicker Ryan Bailey is accurate and punter Trevor Gerland has a huge leg that can flip the field. This is a well balanced championship caliber Texas Longhorns team that should win the Big 12 and go to a BCS bowl. QB Colt McCoy will benefit from a better running game this season and the offense will be explosive. Brad Marchetti’s Opening Game Texas Longhorns Power Ratings: 20-80 Scale 20- Poor 30- Well Below Average 40- Below Average 50- Average 60- Above Average 70- Very Good 80- Great Coaching: 70 Quarterback : 70 Backs : 70 Receivers : 75 Offensive Line : 70 Defensive Line : 70 Linebackers : 65 Secondary : 70 Special Teams : 70 Alabama 100 - 1 Arizona 300 - 1 Arizona St 50 - 1 Arkansas 60 - 1 Auburn 100 - 1 BYU 300 - 1 Boise St 100 - 1 Boston College 200 - 1 California 40 - 1 Clemson 100 - 1 Colorado 200 - 1 Florida 8 - 1 Florida St 30 - 1 Georgia 35 - 1 Georgia Tech 75 - 1 Hawaii 300 - 1 Iowa 100 - 1 Kansas St 300 - 1 LSU 6 - 1 Louisville 20 - 1 Maryland 300 - 1 Miami FL 30 - 1 Michigan 8 - 1 Missouri 25 - 1 Nebraska 40 - 1 North Carolina St 300 - 1 Notre Dame 60 - 1 Ohio St 30 - 1 Oklahoma 12 - 1 Oklahoma St 50 - 1 Oregon 50 - 1 Oregon St 300 - 1 Penn St 40 - 1 Pittsburgh 300 - 1 Purdue 300 - 1 Rutgers 75 - 1 South Carolina 75 - 1 South Florida 100 - 1 TCU 100 - 1 Tennessee 45 - 1 Texas 10 - 1 Texas A&M 60 - 1 Texas Tech 300 - 1 UCLA 35 - 1 USC 5 - 2 Virginia Tech 30 - 1 Wake Forest 300 - 1 West Virginia 8 - 1 Wisconsin 30 - 1 Field (Any Other Team) 100 - 1                        |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 29 August 2007 ) | |||||||