Yearly, Texas and Texas A&M give faculty soccer consultants motive to consider within the recruiting rankings. The Lonestar State sustains so many applications exterior of its two bell cows that the idea is the colleges with first dibs needs to be perennial nationwide title contenders. You then watch them play, and it makes you surprise how a state so obsessive about soccer is that this dangerous at it.
The Longhorns had been fortunate to outlive a ferocious rally from Kansas State after Wildcat coach Chris Kleiman opted to go for the win on fourth and purpose from the four-yard line in OT and failed. Will Howard’s remaining try got here in a second of desperation, and UT escaped, 33-30.
The Aggies weren’t so lucky, lacking a game-tying area purpose on the whistle that will’ve despatched the competition to additional time. As an alternative, No. 10 Ole Miss hung onto the win, 38-35, and its prime 10 rating heading into Georgia week. Now, Jimbo Fisher’s crew is 5-4, and boosters in Faculty Station must shell out $125 million in whole buyouts if they need out of their take care of Fisher and his very costly workers.
We’ll get to that in a second, however I simply wish to ask UT followers one thing actual fast: Do you suppose Steve Sarkisian is the man? The Longhorns practically gagged up a 20-point lead at house in opposition to a crew with a obtrusive expertise hole. This solely a pair weeks faraway from letting Houston overcome a 21-point deficit, and needing one other pink zone cease to keep away from additional time.
After the debut of the Faculty Soccer Playoff rankings this week, Sark saved touting his crew’s win over Alabama as one of the best win within the nation, and I simply needed somebody to ask him about Houston. And even the Oklahoma recreation, that they’d no enterprise shedding. If not for Kansas State botching an additional level and a game-tying area purpose (from extra-point vary) within the fourth quarter, their playoff hopes could be kaput.
It doesn’t matter that the Longhorns’ ought to roll via the remainder of convention play. I don’t know if it’s profound vanity, however I’m beginning to assume that’s the case, as a result of there’s no different clarification.
So far as A&M is worried, Fisher’s crew is laughably gifted, even by SEC requirements, but fails to execute fundamental rules each fourth play. Sure, Max Johnson is the son of a recreation supervisor in each means doable, however there have been a number of second halves this season that Mark Sanchez’s unborn baby may’ve guided the Aggies to wins.
That’s to not make excuses for Fisher, as a result of he conjures up confidence in speaking heads solely. All I’m stating is Texas A&M by some means “examined” Alabama, Tennessee, Miami, and now Ole Miss with out actually making them sweat. (Lane Kiffin positively was sweating Saturday, however that’s as a result of he’s not present on confession, and talks a lot trash to Fisher that he would’ve wanted a go away of absence had they misplaced.)
I can not stress how a lot I’m going to benefit from the Texas-Texas A&M reunion subsequent season. These two deserve it. They’re mirror disappointments whose weekly flirtation with greatness and catastrophe is just matched by one another.