Texas vs Alabama Predictions

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
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<p>Didn't want to hijack that other thread any further.</p>

<p>I think most of us agree that Alabama is a better, more fundamentally sound team. I just don't see how some folks, esp. UT students, are giving us just a small shot at winning. All we really need to do is show up.; if we decide to do that we'll be fine. </p>

<p>I think it's VITAL for us to score on our opening drive to set the tone. If we don't, huge advantage for Bama. When I said we have a better shot, I meant we had a better shot than a small shot from leeznons post. </p>

<p>So, yes, Bama is much more talented and better on paper. I don't care. We have studs too, and the best leader on the field.</p>

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<p>Ha! Well, like someone once said, “too bad football is not played on paper!” I don’t have a prediction, but I feel pretty confident it is going to be a heck of game. What a season it has been for both these teams. Can’t wait.</p>

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<p>As a student of course I want UT to win. But as a football fan I’m not gonna act like a homer and say that UT is gonna win just because I’m a student. I’m gonna tell you who’s the better team, regardless of the school I attend, and Alabama has been the better team this season.</p>

<p>I’m predicting a 27-13 game because I’m not convinced that our offense can score against the best defense in the nation.</p>

<p>I disagree that we have “the best leader on the field” (I assume you’re talking about Colt). I think McElroy, Ingram, Arenas, Cody, McClain, & Jones are just as good leaders. And by leader I’m talking about a vocal leader who can change the momentum of a game in harsh situations not just someone who wins a bunch of games, that doesn’t define a leader. For example, McCoy has won more games than Vince Young but is he a better leader than Vince? No!</p>

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<p>We won’t score two touchdowns? Ouch. I’ll say 27-21 Texas. </p>

<p>5th year senior, 4 year starter, most wins ever, Colt is the best leader. I won’t even debate that with you. When you say harsh situations do you mean like we need a game winning drive after a terrible offensive day? Because Colt just did that against Nebraska. Yes with help, but he finds ways to get it done. </p>

<p>If Muschamp can find a way to contain Ingram, McElroy is not going to beat us with his arm. We’ve played against much better passers this year.</p>

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<p>Alabama was a much better team than Utah last year also. That didn’t help them. </p>

<p>I’m not as convinced as everyone else seems to be that Texas is outclassed by Alabama.I predict a Texas victory, 35-28.</p>

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<p>Alabama had two squeaker games. They are not invincible. I’m not as confident as I was in '06, but we have a shot. No score prediction just yet.</p>

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<p>anieo: Being the best leader shouldn’t be based on the number of wins a player has. You should call Colt a great winner, not a great leader. Basing a leader on number of wins means that David Greene is the second best leader in college football history LOL. Colt isn’t even the best leader in college football now, that belongs to Tim Tebow (I hate Tebow but he is). Ray Lewis is arguably the greatest leader in football history because he’s a leader, not because he’s won the most games.</p>

<p>Colt is a great quarterback/great winner but he struggles the most with his leadership. He even admitted last year that his biggest improvement needed to be with his leadership. A leader is born, it comes natural, it’s not something that can be learned. Yes McCoy’s leadership has improved but calling him the best leader on the field is crazy, it could be argued that Shipley is Texas’ best leader. And yes Colt helped with the win over Nebraska, but serious luck was involved (Nebraska blew that lead by giving up like 55 penalty yards, I think McCoy only had like one 15 yd play and it was a dump off to Shipley who did the rest). Some people would argue that McElroy driving 79 yds vs Auburn shows much more leadership than Colt showed against Nebraska.</p>

<p>Like I said basing a leader on wins is ridiculous, leadership doesn’t = wins. McElroy is undefeated as a starting quarterback, he’s 29-0. Does that mean he’s a great leader or great winner? There’s a huge difference. He just happens to have started for great teams.</p>

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<p>Leeznon, that’s the second time you’ve put words in my mouth. I never said he was the best leader in CFB. I also never said winning is the ONLY thing that determines a leader. You make pretty good football points, but your reading is just terrible. UT huh? </p>

<p>Winning is a big part of being a leader; it’s not the only part. Is Tebow still the best leader in CFB if his record is 0-12 this year? I could be wrong, but under your philosophy he would be. Colt has been very vocal this year to his teammates, even intense at times. But much of Colt’s leadership comes through his presence. </p>

<p>McElroy’s 79 yard drive against an unranked team is more impressive than Colt’s against Nebraska. Is it more impressive than Colt’s drive in the Fiesta Bowl? I can’t help it that Nebraska screwed themselves in penalty yards on that last drive. But guess what, McCoy still needed more yards - and he got them. </p>

<p>So please, take this post and twist it around and add some more stuff to it. I’m curious as to how it turns out.</p>

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<p>LOL stop getting all upset and taking it personally. Just because I say “anieo”, doesn’t mean I’m singling you out, I’m just responding to you. Btw I love how you try and insult me, RUDE.</p>

<p>I wasn’t putting words into your mouth. I knew that you said he’s the best leader on the field, not in college football history, I quoted you in an earlier post… I knew what I was saying. I’m just showing you that winning isn’t the most important thing in determining a leader, I’m just making points. And sure winning is a part of being a leader obviously, but it’s more about “stepping up” when needed, being a vocal leader, and taking control of games. For example, Lebron James is an unbelievable leader because he’s clutch, is vocal, and takes control of games. He wins many games, but doesn’t have the most wins.</p>

<p>And I find it strange how you make fun of my reading especially when you infer that I believe McElroy’s 79 yd drive was more impressive. I don’t feel that way at all! I said “Some people would argue that…”, I wasn’t including myself. And I NEVER said anything about McElroy being a better leader than McCoy. I said “McElroy, Ingram, Arenas, Cody, McClain, & Jones ARE JUST AS GOOD LEADERS”. </p>

<p>With that said, I think McElroy, Arenas, McClain, & Jones are equal leaders to McCoy. But I think Ingram & Cody have been better leaders than McCoy so far. And everything that I’ve said so far is mostly based on this years performance. EX: Ingram’s amazing performance vs Florida and Cody’s 2 blocks against Tennessee.</p>

<p>Also, I understand that McCoy got it done versus Nebraska but HE didn’t do anything! Especially considering that he had like 1 completion that drive! That argument would have more validity if it were a longer drive with more than one easy completion. It would be valid if HE threw a game-winning touchdown, not one check down throw with over a minute left on the clock. This is a team sport, stop putting so much emphasis on the quarterback and give equal credit to the whole offense. THEY got it done. IMO, Hunter Lawrence and Jordan Shipley showed more leadership than McCoy on that drive. Lawrence with the clutch field goal & Shipley with the field goal hold and the yards after the catch, gaining 15yds. I think McCoy was extremely rattled that game and it showed on the last play of the game, almost holding the ball too long. And don’t forget that if Suh hadn’t pressured McCoy on that play, then Texas would have lost. </p>

<p>And I don’t feel like I’m twisting your posts around, not intentionally at least. I just interpreted your words wrong, thinking that you meant winning was the only thing in determining a great leader. Not trying to be a personal attack, but I feel that your previous post kinda twisted my words around because I never said anything about McElory being a more impressive leader than McCoy.</p>

<p>Like I said before, I think Colt is a good leader just not the best on the field, or even in college football. We’ll see who’s the best leader & team on the 7th.</p>

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<p>And if you wanna talk/debate/argue about ALL college football stuff then go here: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/773756-college-football-discussion-09-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/773756-college-football-discussion-09-a.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>It’s better that we talk there and get more opinions from other people, from other schools, with no bias.</p>

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<p>JUST SOME FACTS: I’ve heard people say that Alabama has struggled just like Texas this year, true both teams have had ups and downs. BUT Alabama struggled against teams with the 4th most difficult schedule. Texas struggled against teams with the 30th most difficult schedule!</p>

<p>And anieo: I’m not saying that McElroy’s 79 yard drive vs Auburn was more impressive than McCoy’s win over Nebraska but this makes for a fun/interesting argument… McElroy went for a game winning 79yd TD drive against Auburn (an unranked team that went 7-5 with the 14th hardest schedule), McCoy threw 1 drive winning pass against Nebraska (a 9-4 team with the 47th hardest schedule). So even though Texas played the higher ranked team, Auburn was arguably the better team. This topic could definably be debated. </p>

<p>*Sorry for so many posts in a row, I love college football talk.</p>

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<p>Ya you could argue that Auburn was a better team and thus a “better win” than Nebraska if you choose to evaluate a team based solely on their strength of schedule ranking and throw out every other factor, like national ranking, team defense (Nebraska = #2 in the country), and oh ya, WINS. I guess you could make that argument, but it would be stupid. </p>

<p>As for trying to say whether or not certain players or leaders, please show me the statistic that you’re using to determine a player’s leadership value. I’m assuming you’re not actually on either the Texas or Alabama football teams so how would you know how much leadership a certain person actually displays? From watching a broadcast on tv? From listening to whatever Lee Corso and Jesse Palmer tell you? As a television viewer we only see a tiny fraction of what’s actually going on, and that’s only of the actual action on the field, not anything behind the scenes during practice or in the locker room. There’s no way for a fan to say ‘he’s not as much of a leader as so-and-so other player’. </p>

<p>Lastly, any one who supports their team, especially a current undergrad, but then tries to be pragmatic and say we won’t win ISN’T A TRUE FAN. I don’t care if our 3rd string is playing the Indianapolis Colts next week, I’m still going to say that we will win because I believe in our team and its players. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fair-weather bandwagoner who’s never paid for a ticket to the Alamo Bowl and is probably from out-of-state.</p>

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<p>My Auburn argument is a pretty valid argument IMO. I was trying to show that both Auburn and Nebraska are good teams and that McElroy’s last drive was equally or better than McCoy’s drive vs Nebraska. I think its a pretty good argument because McElroy’s performance was statistically better than McCoy’s but against a slightly worse team than Nebraska however, they had only 1 loss more but with a much tougher schedule. It just depends on how you look at it and I think it makes sense.</p>

<p>I see Ray Lewis, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, & Barack Obama on TV. By watching them on TV, the public sees how outstanding these leaders are. Yes we see a tiny fraction of what’s going on but we see enough to determine how they are as leaders. We see them on TV as well as other competitors, but in that time we can see a difference in their leadership abilities. You’re telling me that these leaders aren’t better than most? I disagree. I definitely think that the public can tell the difference between leadership capabilities from watching television.</p>

<p>Questioning my fan-hood is a low blow… I disagree with your outlook on being a “fan”. First of all I am a TRUE FAN. It’s not like I’m saying we CAN’T or WON’T win, I’m saying that as a FAN OF SPORTS (someone who isn’t going to favor a team because of bias, a true fan of the game) I don’t think that we WILL win because based on the hard facts, we don’t look that great compared to Alabama. Of course I will ALWAYS root for my favorite team no matter what, but I’m speaking as a SPORTS FAN, not a UT HOMER right now. That’s my whole thing, I never try to be bias and always try to look at it like a sports analyst. I do this because I’m sharing football knowledge with people and showing them that they should be more open-minded and reasonable.</p>

<p>I don’t acting like a fan “believing our 3rd string” team can beat the Colts because… it is crazy! Sure you should ROOT for our team but thinking that way means that you have inadequate football knowledge & know little about football. There is a huge difference between rooting for you’re team and being IGNORANT. That’s like an A&M fan saying that they will win 100 straight games versus UT, it’s plain ignorant. It’s also like a UT student saying that next year UT will be better academically than Harvard, it’s plain ignorant. And its ignorance like that which reflects poorly on the organization you’re supporting.</p>

<p>“any one who supports their team, especially a current undergrad, but then tries to be pragmatic and say we [win every game even against the Colts] ISN’T A TRUE FAN”. THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A HOMER, NOT A FAN. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!</p>

<p>A fan is someone who will always root for their team, but is also REASONABLE and can have an interesting football conversation without favoritism toward a team. A homer is someone who always says that their team will win and/or is better than all opposing teams.</p>

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<p>Lol if you don’t think your team will win, you = not a true fan. I think we will go undefeated EVERY SINGLE SEASON WE PLAY. I hate surprises, so anything less is a disappointment to me.</p>

<p>Let’s be like aggies and think we’ll win a national championship each year.</p>

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<p>If everyone thinks that way then what’s the point of posting a thread about this game in the UT section? LOL. If everyone thinks like that then everyone on this thread would say UT’s gonna win and it would defeat the purpose of discussion. Haha if everyone thinks that way then I’m moving to that other college football thread cause it’d be pointless to debate.</p>

<p>Like I said, there’s a difference between being an ignorant homer and a fan. Let’s not be like ignorant aggies and think we’ll win a national championship every year because that makes you look stupid. The players/coaches on the team don’t even think that way. Why would anyone wanna be like an aggie? Ew, I never expected to hear a longhorn say that.</p>

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<p>Alabama is a great team, one of the best defenses if not the best. Longhorns have no running game, but a great passing game, to be honest, every time I’ve seen McElroy, hes struggled, except for the Florida game where he dominated. Yeah I’m rooting for the longhorns, but its going to be a great game and the longhorns have to bring their best game.</p>

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<p>Leeznon, alot to respond to, I’ll do my best. Apologies on the rude comments, just want to make sure we respect each other’s post.</p>

<p>Agree to disagree on the leadership topic. As far as the Lebron example, I think McCoy is clutch, vocal (not as vocal), and can take over games (Texas A&M). I was being serious when I said McElroy’s drive against Auburn is better than Colt’s against Neb., I don’t think that’s debatable. I do feel Colt’s drive in the Fiesta Bowl was more impressive. And I agree Colt didn’t do much on the Nebraska drive, it was one measly check down pass. The fact is, though, he needed more yards and he got them: the end. </p>

<p>I’m checking stats for Ingram’s “amazing” day. 4 yards a rush, 76 yards receiving on one screen pass. meh. But if you want to crown him, crown him. </p>

<p>Longhorn Life, you’re right that I really have no idea who any leader is on any team. It could be the towel boy for all I know. But I’ll ask for rationality. Basing decisions off educated guesses using the information around can be acceptable. You don’t need to be at a crime scene to convict someone. </p>

<p>Everyone, I agree with leeznons homer post; homers belong in college station. And I think TXHorn was just being sarcastic about his a&m remark.</p>

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<p>Yeah I agree with your second paragraph. I think Colt has shown flashes of leadership, but I still want him to show more so that he can lead us to victory. </p>

<p>I still think Ingram was amazing vs Florida because he almost had 200 all-purpose yards of offense (6.3 yards per play, rushing and receiving) & 2 TDs versus one of the best defenses in the country in the second biggest game of his life. And he’s only a sophomore, so I think he played amazing under the circumstances. (And BTW Gerhart should have won the Heisman, not Ingram.)</p>

<p>Yeah I completely disagreed with what Longhorn Life and TXHorn said about the leadership and fan topic. Here is a video of an Aggie who is a big homer and thinks the Aggies are the best team in the country LOL: [YouTube</a> - Aggies will win National Championship next January.](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3g-qk6ldU]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3g-qk6ldU) That guy is a homer, not a fan. He’s an idiot it’s pretty funny. That video is a perfect example of how a sports fan should NOT act because people need to be realistic.</p>

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<p>Wow. Honestly, I think that guy may actually have some type of mental disorder. Someone posted that he would be perfect on the office, agreed! Great link. </p>

<p>That 6.3 comes from one play. That outlier really skews the distribution. But considering the Florida defense it wasn’t a bad day for him. Wish I would have had a chance to see Gerhart play, let’s just say I’ll be looking forward to Stanford/Oklahoma game.</p>

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<p>Really?</p>

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<p>I could understand a fan of the team saying we’re unlikely to win or that we’re considered underdogs, but to flat out say we won’t win? You may be a fan of the sport but you’re certainly not a fan of the Texas Longhorns, at least not enough to believe in the team. I can’t wait til you send your first-born child off to school for the first time, “hey honey, I wish you would have fun on your first day of school, but the consensus opinion is you won’t.”</p>

<p>The whole idea of being a TRUE FAN is that you support your team no matter what. If they win, lose, are favored, are underdogs, you always support your team, and while it may seem like a negative connotation you do so blindly regardless of past performance or future expectations. Anything else is fair-weather. </p>

<p>As for your (weak) arguments against Colt and the Longhorns, especially questioning Colt’s leadership:</p>

<p>The quarterback is without question one of the most important positions on a team and the position that requires the most leadership. As the captain of offense the quarterback calls every play and controls the pace of the game and distribution of the ball. Even a run-oriented team like Navy needs a strong presence at QB to handle the ball and manage the game; the Wildcat offense may someday evolve to a point that decreases that role but that is not the case today. </p>

<p>Aside from simply occupying the most important position on the field, Colt is the focal point of the Horns offense, an offense that by the way is ranked #4 in the nation. You reference David Greene, the Georgia QB that Colt passed on the all-time win list as an example of a QB who was a winner but not a leader. While one could easily make the argument that Greene was a great leader there is an important difference between him and Colt. While Greene was at UGA they were primarily a run-oriented team (463 rushing attempts vs. 363 passing attempts in his senior season). He was also strictly a pocket passer whose job was to distribute the ball. </p>

<p>The difference is that Colt is the focus of the #4 ranked UT offense. Shipley may be the #1 receiver but he couldn’t catch a ball without Colt putting it there, Colt has over 2,000 yards of passing NOT to Shipley. He’s also still the leading rusher on the team with over 500 yards. He’s accounted for over 72% of the entire UT offense with over 4000 yards; for comparison, that’s more than 28 other D1 teams put up all season. </p>

<p>When it comes down to it, here’s the difference: Alabama showed they can win without Ingram (Auburn). Nebraska was able to win games without Suh (see Kansas or OU where he made a minimal impact). Texas cannot win without Colt McCoy. Even when he underpreformed (OU, Nebraska) he still did enough to get his team the W. With Colt this year our team would have been fighting for a spot in the Cotton Bowl.</p>

<p>Compared to the guys you mentioned (all professional athletes and one amateur basketball player), no Colt is not in that category of ‘leaders’ (if that’s what you define as a leader). He doesn’t scream a lot or do 1000 commercials or dirty bird dances and intros through smoke machines. He doesn’t fist pump every time he makes a pass, he doesn’t give speeches, he makes sure to thank God every time he gets a chance. But he wins ball games and carries his team on his back while doing it. Of the 4 athletes you mention only Kobe Bryant has multiple championships (and only the latest one was w/o Shaq). Manning has 1, Ray Lewis has had more murder charges than super bowls, and as great as he is, Lebron has never won one. </p>

<p>What other way is there to evaluate leadership that the performance of that player’s team who are supposed to be the recipients of his leadership. If/When Colt and UT win in Pasadena it will be impossible to say he’s not the best leader in college football.</p>