The Fake Lonnie Finch

Also, ESPN deal with SEC was for $2 billion over 15 years; their deal with Texas is $300 million over 20. The SEC deal, any way you slice it, is still more lucrative and holds wider appeal.

I doubt ESPN tries to stop the SEC/A&M for the sake of Texas. The SEC as a television product is a proven product. Longhorn Network is currently nothing more than a bag of magic beans.

Baseball doesn't make money. Besides, is there a baseball power in the MWC now that TCU is gone? To me, the Super Conferences will pick apart the Big 12-2/Minus 2 based on (1) football, and (2) basketball. I think Kansas goes to the Big East on the power of its hoops program. K-State, like Oklahoma State to OU, goes where KU based on in-state politics. I realize whatever the Super Conferences do, we're likely not to move soon, but it's fun to dream. It's also fun to watch a BCS AQ cannibalize itself. When you get down the bare bones of it, those whole will have been caused by the fact that Texas couldn't get along with anyone - from the old SWC or the Big 12 or the Minus 2. They never could just leave well enough along. The only questions, really, was who would jump first. Nebraska did, and ended up in a conference suited to it. Colorado went to a conference with schools in a state where it has traditionally recruited well (Cali). SEC is a good regional fit for A&M. OU is a good lead for a Pac-14 or 16 East. The scramblers will be Iowa State, Baylor, and Mizzou.

Yes...because ESPN, in bed with Longhorn Network, would be rushing out information to cut its own throat, right? ESPN will be as much in denial as everyone who thinks the Big 12-2/Minus 2 is somehow staying together past the 2011 season. I think we have an outside chance of going to the MWC. Yes, it's a longshot - but, not as much of a longshot as when we were at Fouts with Dickey and Dodge at the helm. MWC 2012 will be minus TCU, will pick up Fresno State, Nevada, and Hawaii. Not exactly huge TV markets. We'd have to press our DFW angle. A longshot, yes. But, hey...three years ago we were dreaming about a new stadium and real coaching staff. People really do win on MTV...sometimes.

I think Baylor would try to get an MWC invite - if MWC were given the BCS AQ to replace Big 12-2/Minus 2. I think they'd be our competition if MWC looked to Texas again. It's why we need to fill the stadium and win now...and, hope they flame out this year. There will be big changes in the off-season for college football again. The dissolution of the Big 12-2/Minus 2 is the final step towards the Super Conferences they've been wanting to form for the better part of a decade.

Money. They already tried it last summer. So, it's not as if the notion is alien. OU is a national draw. Also, the conference title games in the bigger conferences were money-makers. The Pac-12+ would be adding championship game TV money on top of reaching into Texas for TV and the built in national draw of OU. Look, for those of us who grew up on traditional rivalries, it's sickening. But, we're also not living in the 20th Century anymore. Notre Dame made the first move with NBC. BYU and Texas are out there trying to grab bigger slices of the pie. Unfortunately for them, it looks like other schools would just as soon move to a different pie than give their rights up to them and ESPN.

That's with current scheduling, which had most schools with four OOC games. If the Pac-12, SEC, Big East, and Big Ten end up with 14 or 16 teams, their money schools will still want six home games. No one is going to lay down and give up a home game for Texas. This is where Texas and ESPN didn't do their homework. Currently, Big 12-2/Minus 2 schools are already down to 3 OOC games. Texas is locking itself out...or, being locked out.

It's a good fit. They had a long rivalry with LSU they can rekindle. They're already signed up to play Arkansas for a decade or so, so that piece is already in place. They'd be in the SEC West. So, it's not inconcevable at all that they could compete right out of the box with Arky, Ole Miss, Miss State. It's actually a good regional fit for the Aggies. Makes much more sense than being in a conference with Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Mizzou. The school that will lose alot if this happens is Texas. Outside of the OU and A&M games, they've usually got nothing to offer schedule-wise. A&M would be joining a conference that already has excellent football. If OU goes Pac-12, they'll likely have little sister Oklahoma State along for that rivalry, plus old Big 8 nemesis Colorado as well.

Problems keep popping up around Longhorn Network. Out today - ESPN trying to force Texas Tech to have its game with UT televised on Longhorn Network, or threatening not to show it at all; Hance told them to stick it where the sun don't shine. Also, ESPN/Longhorn offered to televise Tech OOC games...on the Longhorn Network. I'm starting to wonder is ESPN and Longhorn Network realize that there are cities in America other than Bristol and Austin. Also, I can't figure out why Longhorn Network thinks its Big 12-2/Minus 2 brethren will simply roll over and give its television rights for non-UT games up to them. Whatever the case, it appears Texas A&M is done, and Tech will likely announce to Pac-12. Interesting also is that Tech hired one of Joe Castiglione's (OU AD) former charges as their AD. OU and Tech working behind the scenes to complete the screw of Longhorn Network/UT? Meanwhile, on hornfans.com, their delusional fans are talking up SEC teams leaving the SEC to join the Big 12-2/Minus 2! Really! It's going to fun to watch it all go down (in flames). And, hoping against all hope we can win a bunch this year to leap into the MWC as it is given BCS AQ status. Keep your fingers crossed.

Some Big 12 boards are blowing up with news that A&M folk are meeting with SEC folk today to nail down the move. Source say OU is not part of the deal, but will go to the Pac-12 with some others in the conference. KU to the Big East, possibly K-State with them. The reality of all football season beginning in 2012, is that there are no more BCS AQ-level conferences with multiple Texas teams - unless Baylor and Tech both end up in the Pac-12 (or 16...or however many it will be). C-USA will have SMU, Houston, and Rice. Tulsa is a nice regional there. But, for whatever reason, C-USA doesn't excite me. I think what I'm really hoping is that our new stadium and winning quickly under McCarney will get the attention of the Mountain West. Maybe I'm reading this whole thing wrong, but it looks like the MWC has the best chance of becoming the conference to replace the Big 12-2/Minus 2 Conference as a BCS AQ conference. The travel is further, and it goes against what I've wanted in the past (more regional conference mates). But, it didn't hurt TCU to be the only Texas school in the MWC. It'll be interesting to see the fallout. It'll be interesting to see whether Texas tries to make up with the Pac-12 after leading them down the path last year, or if they try to squeeze the Big 10+2 play again. They will die if they go independent because there will be fewer OOC games for all BCS AQ conferences. This post has been promoted to an article

Agree. Although, FIU hasn't changed coaches since their bowl game like Ball State had. I still say the Belt is the Belt. We hung with Troy to the end with a really beat up team. I don't see any reason we don't hang with FIU. The Belt is what it is. No sense in pretending otherwise. FIU, and everyone else, is beatable week in and week out.

If they hadn't changed the color after Dickey, none of this would be an issue. For years, it was the dark green. Now, it's all of these different shades. Even the Nike hat I bought at the stadium a couple of weeks ago is a different shade than the new (McCarney) and old (Dodge) and older (Dickey) uniform colors. It's like Nike figured, "What the hell...it's green. They don't even know what color Green they want to be. This will do for this hat." We want to be big and grow up - and facility-wise we have. It's time to go ahead and do so with colors and logos. If we are to shed completely the mid-major image, we won't redesign every time there's a coaching change. Can anyone imagine a coach or athletic director being hired by Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, USC, Ohio State, etc. and changing the logos and colors? No. And, the reason is, those programs are bigger than any athletic director or coach. Establish a logo - a real logo - and one color and be done with it forever. Please. If we're going to sit at the grown up table, we have to act like grown ups.

Defensive drills look more aggressive, urgent. Hope that's a good sign. Jarrod Lynn's a stout kid. Looks like a fullback more than a linebacker.

http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/2NsWY7RYWEi6ea-1sCxvEw/football-fall-08/stats-michael-ladner.htm http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/64552487.html

Mike Ladner. Here's game flim of him. Returning a kickoff? Yes. Playing fullback - blowing a guy up pretty good at 1:18 on a block. I'd say 70% of the film is him playing fullback, the final 30% is him on defense. On the defensive side of the ball, you notice that once a guy runs into him, he stops. Of course at 5-11, 280, he's a fireplug in the mold of Booger Kennedy and Baltimore's Kelly Gregg. He looks real athletic. Maybe he was overlooked because his film emphasized him of offense too much, and there are too many teams using fullbacks for option anymore. Either way, he looks pretty dadgum athletic. If this is the quality of walk on we'll be getting again, the future will be good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkTHX56g2Ew

I'll bet you $50 we win.

In the era of cell phone camera/video, it's probably necessary. Experienced coaches know what they are seeing on the field as the game is being played. That's where the best earn their money - they get their players to adapt...or force the opponent to adapt. That's where Dodge killed his chances. He hired no one who knew how to quickly read what an opponent was doing and adjust. It shouldn't be a problem for this crew. You can argue that since everyone has game film of everyone else, practices should be open. However, coaching staffs, I think need the privacy to throw in tweaks and trick plays from week to week. What may work against FIU may not work against Houston, Alabama, etc. Each week/school will have it's own weaknesses to be exploited. The coaches need to be able to develop to tweaks in practice without people filming on their cell phones and posting it all over the place. Yes, they could send it directly to the opposing coach. But, these days when everyone with a cell phone and internet access is trying to be a sports journalist, sometimes a coaches worst enemy may be his school's own overzealous fans. Gotta lock it down these days. And, this new stadium is perfect for practicing so that its hard to see the field through the gates. It'd be hard to spy on this team in this stadium.

Okay...so, now can we go market to the Mexicans? I mean, print up a few posters in Spanish and take them to the local Fiesta and Carnival stores.

McCarney says "You have no chance, zero chance if we're not more physical in the trenches than North Texas has been for many years. You know it and I know it." This...all...day...long!

I plus thee one...with the following caveat... I respect the hell out of Boise State for what they've done. HOWEVER. Their uniforms sucks. Their logo sucks. Their shade of blue sucks as the main color. I like that they beat BCS AQs. But, their uniforms and logos just suck it. Worm and Son of Worm are 164% better than that crappy Bronco on top of the word Boise State. No logo in FBS screams I-AA louder than that. SOW would be great. Wish we had it. But, for now, I'm giddy that we've got green helmets again. Baby steps. F'ing baby step, people. If they'd put UNT on the helmet, I'd sell my car and buy into one of those $12,000 suite packages tomorrow. The UNT finally and permanently on the helmet is my dream fantasy. But, for now, just be thankful for the return of the green helmet.