Greg Davis Gets Creative

At least according to Orangebloods.com columnist Chip Brown. It turns out Mack Brown is actually one of the main reasons Texas has looked vanilla on offense in some big games in recent memory.

From the article:

anyone has wanted to push the envelope offensively, it's Davis, who drew up game plans for converted slot back Hines Ward to play quarterback at Georgia in 1995. Ward stepped in when the team's top two quarterbacks went down with injuries. Ward ended up setting a school bowl game record by completing 31-of-59 passes for 413 yards in the Peach Bowl that year.

If anyone's been tapping the brakes, it's Brown. What you've seen on offense at Texas the last 10 years is what Brown is willing to permit. Brown's philosophy has essentially been to opposing defenses, "You know what we're going to run, but we have better talent and we will out-execute you."That was reiterated by former UT quarterback Major Applewhite, who helped pull off one of Brown's three signature wins at Texas - at Nebraska in 1998 (at Ohio State in 2005 and USC are the others).

"Greg has plenty of creativity," Applewhite said. "As a coordinator, having been one, you can get as crazy as you want to get. But when you've got great players, you've got to toe the line on that. If you've got great players, you can beat most of the teams if you execute.

"But we're going to add wrinkles as we need to feature our players, as Coach Davis has done. But at the same time, we do a good job recruiting, and we need to trust our scheme and what we do and execute and not just be a team with a bunch of gadget and trick plays. I think we can line up and beat people, but we also have those wrinkles to add some multiplicity to what we do."

Brown has final say over each play called by Davis.

"Greg and I discuss every game plan," Brown said. "I hear every play, and one of the things I can do because he's tough and not sensitive at all - if I don't like something he's doing I can tell him and he'll listen. He's got an opinion about it, and if he doesn't like it he'll tell me. But if it needs to be changed, he'll change it."

I'd have to think there have been more than 3 signature wins under Brown, but that's just me...


The Will Muschamp factor

The Pirate Leach Recruits Jamaica

At least, he has thought about it. Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach watched the Olympics and 100M and 200M sprinter Usain Bolt win gold medals in both events.

Here are Leach's comments on the Carribbean country...

I got to be honest, I've been thinking about recruiting Jamaica since I saw that stuff," Leach told hosts Andrew Siciliano and Krystal Fernandez. "I've been to Jamaica and let me tell you something ... here's the extent that I've thought about that subject, there's approximately 2.8 million people in Jamaica, which is approximately the size of the state of Iowa or Kansas, or the city of Houston.

"It's almost like the country of Jamaica is sitting there saying, 'If you would have just told us that this was important we could have won a lot of this stuff a long time ago.'

Thanks to Wizard of Odds for this find off the Dallas Morning News Blog..

The Cotton Bowl continues its upgrades and I got to be honest.

They look good.

Manny Mania

You know I'm not a big fan of Dan Shaughnessy or any of the Boston media for that matter. His article about Manny Ramirez and his agent Scott Boras is pretty interesting.

Manny is still mashing for LA, but his effort is being questioned during his last days in Boston.

It's a shame but that's life when you are dealing with any of Scott Boras clients. It will be interesting to see how Boras client Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez end up doing with their new teams assuming both the Dodgers and Angels make the playoffs.


I'm still rooting for Manny to do well and unfortunately cannot say the same for Teixeira.

Hell, his new manager Joe Torre even managed to get him to cut his hair recently.

Opening Week Lines - Early Looks

You know, it's almost too good to be true but the college football season is only 2 weeks away. It's funny with college football because there might not be a ton of great nonconference games anymore as the big conference schools don't like to schedule against each other very often. It doesn't really matter though because I can watch any game and can't wait to get this season started.

My early guess as to the best game of the first week is not until Monday night with Fresno and Rutgers two prominent up and coming programs in years past square off with good talent on both squads.

I have a handful early leans as to games I've already identified at first glance. Keep in mind that I usually don't play very heavy early in the season and I stay away from big spreads for the most part. I will most likely play quite a few games at a similar level. If things go well early, I may load up on 1 or 2 games that I really like opening weekend. The key thing to remember is not to overextend yourself early in the season and not put too much money at risk opening weekend.

With all that said, I like these plays early:

@Buffalo -3 over UTEP : I like what Turner Gill is doing with the Bulls and UTEP has a long road trip right off the bat. Still thinking about this one...

@Stanford +3 over Oregon St.: When the lines initially came out, this line was closer to 6 which I really loved but I still think 3 is good value. Oregon St. really loses a lot and Stanford has a lot of key personnel coming back from an improving team that didn't do a lot last year outside of the gigantic upset (biggest upset in NCAA history by number of pts. -- +41) of USC. Take the Cardinal

Utah +3.5 over Michigan: This line opened closer to a TD so I'm going to have think about this one before I pull the trigger. Still, Michigan has a lot to think heading into this one with ghosts of Appy St. still dancing in their head.

W. Michigan +14 over Nebraska: I'm still not sold on Nebraska and W. Michigan is no slouch. Still thinking about this one.

@Kent +10 over BC: Notice the MAC trend. I think the conference makes some noise opening weekend but this is more a despise BC pick than anything else.

East Carolina +10 over VT (in Charlotte): VT normally takes a while to get rolling and ECU is riding high after a huge bowl win over Boise ST. Even with the big loss of Chris Johnson, I'll take the Pirates on a neutral field to cover the number.

Fresno +5.5 over Rutgers: I think Rutgers is going to be good without Ray Rice, but Fresno is hungry this year and will use previous nonconference road game experience to make this game a war.

It's almost time gentlemen!

Rest of the lines:

Thu 8/28 127 UTEP +3 -103
04:00 PM 128 Buffalo U -3 -107

Thu 8/28 129 Vanderbilt +3 -103
04:30 PM 130 Miami Ohio -3 -107

Thu 8/28 131 NC State +11.5 +103
05:00 PM 132 South Carolina -11.5 -113

Thu 8/28 133 Wake Forest -12.5 -105
05:00 PM 134 Baylor +12.5 -105

Thu 8/28 135 Oregon State -3 -109
06:00 PM 136 Stanford +3 -101
Thu 8/28 137 Troy -6.5 -111

04:00 PM 138 Middle Tenn St +6.5 +101
NCAA Football - Fri 8/29


Fri 8/29 145 Temple -7 -105
04:00 PM 146 Army +7 -105

Fri 8/29 147 SMU +3 -101
05:00 PM 148 Rice -3 -109

NCAA Football - Sat 8/30

Sat 8/30 149 Utah +3.5 -109
09:00 AM 150 Michigan -3.5 -101

Sat 8/30 151 Syracuse +12 -105
09:00 AM 152 Northwestern -12 -105

Sat 8/30 153 Memphis +8 -105
04:00 PM 154 Mississippi -8 -105

Sat 8/30 155 Ohio +10 +101
11:00 AM 156 Wyoming -10 -111

Sat 8/30 157 Akron +26.5 -105
11:00 AM 158 Wisconsin -26.5 -105

Sat 8/30 159 Western Michigan +14 -114
11:00 AM 160 Nebraska -14 +104

Sat 8/30 161 Washington U +13.5 -102
12:30 PM 162 Oregon -13.5 -108

Sat 8/30 163 Tulsa -14.5 -101
01:00 PM 164 UAB +14.5 -109

Sat 8/30 165 TCU -6.5 -111
03:00 PM 166 New Mexico +6.5 +101

Sat 8/30 167 Mississippi St -8.5 -101
04:00 PM 168 Louisiana Tech +8.5 -109

Sat 8/30 169 Boston College -10 +107
04:00 PM 170 Kent +10 -117

Sat 8/30 171 Oklahoma State -6 -106
04:00 PM 172 Washington State +6 -104

Sat 8/30 173 No Illinois +8.5 -112
04:00 PM 174 Minnesota U -8.5 +102

Sat 8/30 175 Bowling Green +12.5 -105
04:00 PM 176 Pittsburgh U -12.5 -105

Sat 8/30 177 Hawaii +34.5 +100
04:00 PM 178 Florida -34.5 -110

Sat 8/30 179 Virginia Tech -10 +101
04:30 PM 180 East Carolina +10 -111

Sat 8/30 181 Illinois +8 +103
04:45 PM 182 Missouri -8 -113

Sat 8/30 183 Michigan State +5.5 -105
05:00 PM 184 California -5.5 -105

Sat 8/30 185 USC -19.5 -105
05:00 PM 186 Virginia +19.5 -105

Sat 8/30 187 Alabama +5 -105
05:00 PM 188 Clemson -5 -105

Sat 8/30 189 Idaho +27 -108
07:00 PM 190 Arizona U -27 -102

Sat 8/30 191 Utah State +12.5 -105
07:00 PM 192 UNLV -12.5 -105

Sat 8/30 193 Western Kentucky +21 -105
09:00 AM 194 Indiana -21 -105

Sat 8/30 195 Ul Monroe +26.5 -105
11:00 AM 196 Auburn -26.5 -105

Sat 8/30 197 UL Lafayette +10.5 -112
04:00 PM 198 So Mississippi -10.5 +102

Sat 8/30 199 Florida Atlantic +23 -105
04:00 PM 200 Texas -23 -105

Sat 8/30 201 Florida Intl +37 -115
04:00 PM 202 Kansas -37 +105

Sat 8/30 203 Arkansas State +20.5 -105
04:00 PM 204 Texas A&M -20.5 -105

Sat 8/30 205 North Texas +24 -102
04:10 PM 206 Kansas State -24 -108

NCAA Football - Sun 8/31

Sun 8/31 207 Kentucky +4.5 -103
12:30 PM 208 Louisville -4.5 -107

Sun 8/31 209 Colorado -11.5 -105
04:30 PM 210 Colorado State +11.5 -105

NCAA Football - Mon 9/1

Mon 9/1 211 Fresno State +5.5 -110
01:00 PM 212 Rutgers -5.5 +100
Mon 9/1 213 Tennessee U -7 -101
05:00 PM 214 UCLA +7 -109

Hottest Woman on Television

Sure, Hollywood actresses get all of the buzz, but many Americans are unfamiliar with one of the best looking woman gracing the airwaves currently.

Unless you have been watching TV in France or scouring youtube, this name will mean nothing to you... Melissa Theuriau.

Now, I am a happily married man but I have been familiar with Ms. Theariau for quite some time. And I think it's time you should get to know her as well.

Here is Melissa's Wikipida page...

Mellissa doing the News













Theuriau Youtube



So now you know, and the news has never seemed so interesting.

College Football

For whatever reason, my blog seems to be getting a lot more hits recently and it certainly isn't about content or layout change. Which by the way, I plan on updating the layout now that I have an Apple Computer and hopefully will be able to give the blog a facelift.

But somewhere I am getting hits because Erin Andrews is searched on the internet, A LOT....

College Football is the no question #1 sport followed on this blog and I will make sure to update more during the season this year. There will be links, recaps, and picks against the line hopefully weekly. I am studying for Level I of the CFA exam so this hopefully will be the beginning of bigger and better things.

For now, here are some links to college football sites out there that are worth checking out....

If you go to one website during college football season, it should be this one...

The Wizard of Odds

Best Texas Fan Site on Web

Sunday Morning QB


Every Day Should be Saturday - A little SEC slant but fantastic during the season




And oh yea, the obligatory Erin Andrews link as well..






Erin Andrews backlash in Chicago???, Say it ain't so!

Week 1 lines are out. I will have my early analysis shortly...