The Fake Lonnie Finch

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"We are so far behind in the big picture with the football program that it will take us a while to catch up.” Cue the Darrell Dickey haters!

Why don't the female referees wear skirts so we can tell them apart from the other man referees?

You sure as hell wouldn't. But, other conferences have no problem with it. The Pac-12 won't budge on it - as was already reported. Neither will SEC or Big Ten. Face it...no one wants to play by Texas' rules. They've got a Frankenstein situation with their network. They can scream "capitalism", "markets", and whatever else they want. If no one wants to participate in their shenanigan, they can't be forced to do so. As this and other articles state, to keep OU on board they'll have to alter and share the profits of their network. Other schools not named Baylor just aren't going to do it. By the way, it's 1:41 in the afternoon. Someone remember to wake Baylor up from their nap, change their diapers, and feed them their bottle.

What was the biggest hang-up in the Pac-12's decision not to expand? Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott couldn't get Texas to agree to equal revenue sharing with the Longhorn Network. Scott worked hard to get the Pac-12 to agree to equal shares after an era in which UCLA and USC had an advantage. The 12 remaining schools didn't want rules for 15 and another set for Texas. Shocking.

That guy has too much of a long term relationship with OU. Surely, the other schools will balk at that. Although, he was also former Big 8 commish, so you could assume the worm turns big time and the former Big 8 schools simply outvote Texas, Baylor, and Tech on it. Still, if it's peace they want in the conference, surely it's better to go with a completely disinterested third party who wouldn't have the slightest prior affiliation with any of the schools.

It's like this - tickets at OU or UT would easily be in the $70-100 for throwaway games, and probably $100 or more for marquee games...and that's the cheap seats at those schools. And, parking? Compared to other schools, $10 is a bargain. When you canvass the marketplace (i.e., go to road games and have to pay their prices), you see that North Texas is a good deal in tickets and parking. I guess your problem is likely that the people you are inviting have no idea what the cost of a game is at other colleges is. They don't know the marketplace, so they don't understand the value of what they are getting. But, even so - and forgive me for being less than scholarly here - they should be able to look at Apogee then look across the highway at craphole Fouts and see with their own two eyes that they are going to be entertained into a better facility. The clean, functional bathrooms alone are worth the increase, believe me. Did you ever go to the loo at Fouts? My guess is, the cost of attending the Nutcracker didn't decrease when the Winspear opened in downtown Dallas. Just a hunch. By the way, an orchestra seat for the Nutcracker goes for just over $61...my wife likes the ballet and we got the e-mail today. Even if you can't stomach the music, if you're a leg man, ballet is the most tolerable of the arts your wife can drag you to. I'm just sayin'.

Believe it or not, Tulsa considers itself a basketball school...or, at least it's donating alumni do. And, the Reynolds Center is quite loud during basketball games. Football is different. The stadium is old, and although nicely renovated, they couldn't get the same kind of money donated for the stadium we could. The other problem is there are less than 3,000 undergrads at Tulsa. Yes, it is the smallest FBS school - freaking half the size of Abilene Christian and Dallas Baptist. So, passing fee for building a stadium would take 1,364 years to fund completely. My mom cheered at Skelly when she was in high school at old Tulsa McClain. And, they still, I believe, play the Jenks-Union high school rivalry games there...and, they sell out. Sad. TU can't ever sell it out, but Jenks-Union...it's mosh pit of nouveau riche families from South (Jenks) and Southeast (Union) Tulsa (like a 21st Century "The Outsiders" but without real poor people in the story...upper middle class fighting upper middle class...oh, and, S.E. Hinton still teaches a little Literature at TU). So, the thing is, it's not really difficult to overwhelm the TU crowd. My brother and I went up to the Tulsa-Boise State game a couple of years ago, and there was a surprisingly large and rambunctious Boise element in the stands. Tulsa considers its main rival to be Oklahoma State, and they live for the Tulsa-OSU basketball game. They once had quite a basketball and football rivalry with Arkansas. Although, that died off in the 90s, with only a few meetings since. Basically, it's crowd who will care if they are doing well, but they're not hard to discourage. They'll already be pretty skeptical with many of the stars out. If we go up there and hit them in mouth early, the fans will likely lay down. Besides, it'll be less than a month to tip off for the Canes. INTERESTING FACT: Tulsa has only one basketball player from Oklahoma...and, he's a walk-on.

Listen. I love you all; but let's talk reading comprehension. The title of the thread is "Tulsa Game Keeps Getting Easier." It doesn't say Tulsa will be easy. It says the game is becoming easier. And, then when you click on the link, a series of Tulsa injuries spells out why it is getting easier. Their starting QB will be out. The NCAA all-time leading all-purpose yards leader will be out. The two players who were supposed to be their starting cornerbacks will not be playing. See. Not easy, but easier. Easier than we had expected, say, when we were eating the roast beast around the Christmas Eve dinner table with the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl gently playing in the background...to the tune of Tulsa beating Hawaii 62-35. That Tulsa team is light years different than what our beloved Mean Green will face on October 1, 2011. Yes, it's true that few just walk into Chapman/Skelly Stadium and snatch victory away from the fiesty Golden Hurricane. In the Hawai'i Bowl game six of TU's touchdown were accounted for by players who will not be in uniform when we face them. That's a ton of offense and defensive weaponry gone (CB Flanders returned a pick for a TD in that game. He's won't be playing 10-1-11 because of academic issues...TU ain't so easy a school). So, Tulsa isn't easy, but they are, for sure, an easier prey than before fall practices began. Also, Indiana is not of the same ilk as Houston, and we moved well against the Cougars for a bit. It's not unlikely that the same will happen here. You ask, "what about away from vaunted Apogee?" I say, don't sweat it. This week it is our duty to be a raucous and disruptive as we were against Houston. If we can disrupt Keenum, we can do so to any QB who dares set foot on Apogee turf. They players will do their duty, we will do ours; and, victory can be had as a results - even if Jub doesn't believe in the Mean Green anymore.

I can't freak out over being shut out by Alabama. Watch college football. Florida State only scored 13 on Oklahoma. Why? Is Florida State's offense bad? No, they were playing one of the Top 5 defenses in the country. We were also playing one of the top five defenses in the country. We don't exactly have the horses to run like Florida State does, so we were not likely to score much on Alabama. Not many will run up and down the field on Alabama this year. I know this, though... I sat stuffing my toothy-cakehole with Sonic hot dogs and popcorn at Apogee a couple of weeks ago while our offense scored 17 in the first half against Houston. Indiana is not supposed to be as good as Houston...or, Alabama. South Carolina State rung up Indiana's defense for 161 on the ground, 19 first downs, and had a 100 yard receiver. We ought to be able to do at least that with the FCS-like talent Todd Dodge left behind. (That's sarcasm) So, unlike some of you who take our shutout to Alabama as a sign of bad on us, I wouldn't be surprised if we hang 30+ on Indiana and Tulsa as well. These are the game, plus the Sun Belt games, that I measure our growth upon. We didn't do poorly in the first half against Houston. I think putting together four quarters like that against Indiana and four more quarters like that and the first two quarters against Houston against Tulsa will give us ten good quarters of football against mid-majors we should aspire to be like, and so when Florida Atlantic props Howard Schnellenberger up on the sidelines for his farewell asskicking in Denton, we should be 2-3 going into the game and 3-3 after the game. Who among you can plausibly deny my enthusiasm?

Even if he were to play, it would be on a bum knee. That combined with TU's lack of receiving threat this year means...if we can stop the run (yes, I know, a reeeeeeeally big if at this point), the game is ours. http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/TU/article.aspx?subjectid=94&articleid=20110919_94_B8_CUTLIN483715 Oklahoma State had TU down 45-6 before putting in their reserves. Tulsa scored 27 on the OSU reserves.

-QB G.J. Kinne out 2-4 weeks with an MCL tear -WR Damaris Johnson out indefinitely with pending felony -WR Thomas Roberson out with since OU game injury -CB Lowell Rose out since OU game with concussion -CB John Flanders declared academically ineligible -LB DeAundre Brown out after foot surgery And, next up for Tulsa, a trip to Boise State. That should be good times for the Broncos. If we can pull out a win over Indiana, we could realistically roll up to Tulsa and win, then head into Sun Belt with a 2-3 record. I'm trying to make some positives out of Tulsa's negatives.

SIDE NOTE RE: Praising our defense- I was happy to see the three and outs versus the Bama first team. That's one of the things I was looking for. What I want to bring up is the final play of the OU-Florida State game. OU's linebacker pressured FSU's QB into making a bad throw that ultimately was the real last play of the game (OU took over on downs and took a knee three times). As that LB was coming off the field, OU's DC/LB coach Brent Venables stopped him and started yelling at him, pointing to the field, and gesturing to the kid what he could have done better on the play. It looked like he wasn't happy with the angle the kid took on the play despite the fact that his pressure forced a bad throw anyway. Why do I bring this up? Some mentioned Saban not being happy at points despite his team thrashing us. This all leads to a point I've made in the past: Great coaches are not satisfied with just getting by. Saban, Venables, any of the great head coaches or assistants, they never seem to be happy. They are always looking for teaching points. They understand that if they do not demand technically sound play, their players will develop bad habits. Venables' point to the kid was probably that a more experienced QB (FSU was playing a freshman at that point because the starter had been injured in the third quarter) could have beaten his angle. The bottom line is, we can be happy our defense did some nice things against Alabama. But, let's hope our coaches are staying in their ears and not just writing the game off as "we were going to lose anyway, so thanks for fighting for four quarters." Again, fighting is for boxers. Technically sound football is for football players and teams. Let's hope our coaches are instilling the discipline that other great coaches around the country demand of their squads.

Lance isn't the issue. Anyone can gash Indiana and Tulsa. South Carolina State did a fine job running against Indiana. Surely, no one on their roster is as good as runner as Dunbar - hesitant or not. All I've said is that these next two opponents are much farther down the food chain than the three we've faced. If not posting wins, we should be able to stay within 10 or both.

So, does Baylor sue itself now, for abandoning Texas football?

I know this - I've bought in. ULM punched TCU in the mouth today, but couldn't keep the pace. TCU isn't a traditional power, and could have blown its load already. Off the field, they may be really deflated in the Big East evaporating before they officially begin play there. If we draw 75% of what TCU does this season, it bodes well for the future. We talk about not taking advantage of the New Orleans Bowl years. TCU can't seem to capitalize on their Rose Bowl run - and, they are adding onto a stadium they've never been able to fill. Get your butts out in the seats Saturday for the Indiana game. Let's stay behind this thing. It can be better than what SMU and TCU have. The only variable now is time. Oh, and...do you believe in the Mean Green?

Tulsa lost G.J. Kinne with a knee injury in the first quarter of their trashing by Oklahoma State. They have nothing, really, without him and Damaris Johnson. They were down 45-6 before they began to score againt some of Okie State's second/third teamers. Indiana struggled to put South Carolina State away. SC State twice pulled to within 10 in the second half, and rolled up 19 first downs and had a 100 yard receiver, rushed for 161 at a 4.2 per carry clip. ---- Both the Tulsa and Indiana defenses can be gashed. Neither are stellar versus the run or pass. Tulsa will be devastated if Kinne is out for any extended time. As it is, they will be thrashed again next weekend at Boise State; so, they may be even more damaged when they face us. The toughest part of our slate is now behind us. If we aren't at least within 10 points of either of these next two opponents, the season is going to be tougher sledding than we most pessimistic among us could have believed. Indiana and Tulsa aren't good football teams right now. Tulsa has had a hell of a schedule to face. But, Indiana? Ball State, Virginia, and South Carolina State ain't murderers row. They limp away from those three dogs 1-2. If we can get some blocking for Dunbar, we can control these games. It sound crazy right now at 4:32 a.m. on a Sunday after losing another game. But, we've lost to possibly our league champ, possibly C-USA's league champ, and possibly the SEC national champ. Indiana and Tulsa will struggle to make bowl games this year. These are the opportunity games. This is where we see whether what we're paying for is having an impact early in the season.

Again, we have what we have: Our starting QB had offers from us and Eastern New Mexico. I and you - we - have to accept what is on this roster right now. It's very difficult to do. This thing was low when Dickey left. But, I can see now that it was gutted the past four years. I count Dunbar and Chancellor as two of the very, very few hits Dodge & Co. had in recruiting. If you watch other schools around the country, you have to realize it. At this point, I feel that if McCarney & Co. pulls out four or five wins, they're miracle workers.

The reason I hate games like this week is that, in building their program into a winner, Kansas State didn't schedule a bunch of money games. They went with I-AAs and common strength I-As at home. It worked. I just don't see - and probably never will - the benefit to the mindset of a team like ours scheduling a sure loss. Winning helps the confidence of a team, no matter who the opponent is. We were sky high after beating Ball State a couple of seasons ago. Ball State! We need more winnable games. Houston and Indiana are fine. Alabama, Texas, LSU, Arkansas, OU, etc. - not so much.

I don't care if we run the Wishbone Triple Option as long as we start winning somehow. And, burn every last damn redshirt now. Winning helps recruiting. Recruiting helps depth. Win. We're not at a point and time in college football history for a mutli-year rebuilding job like you could do in the 90s or early 00s.

Guys, Memphis is horrible. They were 1-11 last year, and have a realistic shot at going 0-12 this year. Their coach, Larry Porter, was a position coach at LSU. He'd never been a coordinator anywhere. Memphis made the mistake of kicking out a guy who had taken them to five bowl games in nine years - five of the six in school history. He'd taken the Tigers to bowls the two seasons prior to his firing in just past midway through the 2009 season. It was a stupid move by a basketball school that gives little to its football program. Schools like Memphis deserve to have their asses kicked for firing hard-working coaches dealing with few resources, but who succeed most of the time anyway. I hope Memphis does go 0-12. What happened to Tommy West at Memphis in 2009 reeks of Rocky Long's departure at New Mexico and Jeff Bowers at Mississippi State - unrealistic athletic directors taking very successful head coaches at their money-strapped programs and replacing them with garbage. (Yeah, I know Southern Miss still makes bowls...but, their records and fate are no better off without Bowers than it was with him. Stupid. Fedora's first three years at USM have been 7 wins, 7 wins, 8 wins - Bowers' last three years were 7 wins, 9 wins, 7 wins. Stupid. Bower was 20 wins from becoming the schools' winningest coach, and had led them to bowl season in his final six seasons, and they tossed him out. Stupid. They deserve the mediocrity that remains with them.)

Yes. Seneca Wallace was his best known JUCO signee.

Hey, the man said, "No excuses or finger pointing" after the first game. We should hold him to it. Look, I gave Dodge no quarter upon his hire because we had nearly the entire defense returning - and, the defense hadn't been the problem in 2005 or 2006. He wasted that badly. And, wasted experienced QBs for the sake of throwing his guy Vizza in there too soon. I love McCarney and was 111% for his hiring. But, he can't throw the players under the bus after two games. He'll lose his locker room if he does. Against FIU, they damn well shouldn't have been kicking the ball to T.Y. Hilton. And, in my opinion, there should have been more rotating of DTs in both games. We need bodies in there. No one on the roster was proven going into the season. Can't understand why Brooks and Thompson were not - and have not - been rotated in. Again, how much is there to lose when no returning DT really was an known impact player anyway? I said it during the Dodge Era, and I'll say it again now - somehow Kragthorpe at Tulsa and Graham at Rice took their prior coaches players and turned them around in one season. Stoops did it in the Big 12 with John Blake's players; Mack Brown with Mackovic's. Maybe guys aren't buying into McCarney the way those other school's players bought into Kragthorpe, Graham, Stoops, and Brown.

I'd say B- is good. Also, I'd say McCarney's opening slate is a bit more difficult that the other new Sun Belt coaches are facing. That doesn't change this week either.