I could write this article solely on the abysmal football performance on Thanksgiving, but that would just dredge up more feelings of disappointment, and I have tried to put behind me this past week.
Instead of describing every technical problem I saw on the field, I will instead focus on the largest problem I saw: fear. Swoopes played scared. I can’t say I’m entirely surprised; it’s not as if his season has been spotless and TCU is a highly ranked team. What did surprise me was the effect that it had on the team’s performance as a whole. This game would’ve benefitted from a leader taking charge, and Swoopes was unable to fill that roll against the Horned Frogs.
The absence of a consistent presence like Jaxon Shipley really affected the way Swoopes chose his routes. The Shipley brothers have been known for their ability to make plays and be a safe choice for the throw, but Jaxon’s injury sidelined him, and it shook up our quarterback’s playbook.
But I digress, that game is behind us, and we will move forward into our bowl game with Arkansas, Coach Strong’s home state.
Twitter this week has been chock full of comments on the SEC’s decision to select Arkansas instead of Texas A&M for the bowl game against Texas. The SEC has been decidedly mum on the subject, but it was no secret that the conference was not keen on the inter-state matchup. There has been a plethora of ideas about why Arkansas was selected over the Aggies, but it seems to me that the SEC was protecting its own skin.
A loss to the Longhorns would damage the SEC’s reputation. They pride themselves on being the “biggest and baddest†conference in NCAA football. If the Aggies were to lose, it would reflect on the original decision that they made to leave the Big 12 in the first place for a “more challenging†conference. The friends that I follow that attend A&M have stayed mostly quiet on the subject, though many would’ve liked to see the old rivalry renewed.
The Big 12 conference has attracted its share of controversy this week: The coaches blatantly say in the official Big 12 commercial that the teams are battling to name “one true champion.†Then, for some reason, the conference decided to name two. …What?
Their choice is something that I am ridiculously confused about. The lack of a championship game for our conference screwed us in the end, and many believe (including myself) that it was the cause of our sudden disappearance from the college playoffs.
As an avid supporter of my conference, I am extremely saddened that we aren’t represented in the first college playoff. It’s hard to choose a team to root for when they aren’t yours, but Oregon has my vote. Plus, I’m incredibly sick of Alabama and Florida State.
In other playoff news, Texas volleyball is competing against Colorado State for a trip to the quarterfinals. This will prove to be the most difficult team that Texas has faced yet in the race to the championships. Colorado State is an impressive team, and the matchup should make for an exciting match.
It makes me proud to see the Longhorns excel in sports other than football. As we regain our football prowess, we can still appreciate the work ethic and athleticism of other athletes, such as basketball and volleyball.
The last week of school has passed, and students have crammed themselves into the PCL. We are huddled around Starbucks and notecards – nights are long, and I am, quite frankly, exhausted. Tickets for the bowl game are on my Christmas list, but I will be just as happy sitting in front of a fire with a cold beer, cheering on my Longhorns.
