College Confidential

Texas A&M climbs to 5th in final AP poll, marking best finish since 1956; Texas lands at No. 19 #TAMU, #Longhorns

Texas A&M capped its record-setting, inaugural football season as a Southeastern Conference member with another milestone today: the Aggies climbed to No. 5 in both post-season polls, the school’s top finish in the final rankings since 1956.

Only once in the history of the football program, when the Aggies won the 1939 national championship, has A&M finished higher in The Associated Press’ final rankings than Tuesday, when A&M (11-2) shared the fifth spot with Georgia (12-2). The Aggies also finished fifth in the coaches’ poll.

Both of A&M’s previous Top 5 finishes in the final polls came during undefeated seasons: 1939 (first, 11-0 record) and 1956 (fifth, 9-0-1 record). Tuesday’s placement marked the first time for A&M to crack the Top 10 in the final rankings since 1994, when the Aggies finished at No. 8, and stood as the school’s 12^th career finish in the Top 10.

A&M, a 41-13 winner over Oklahoma in last week’s AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, joined Texas as the only teams from the Lone Star State to land spots in the final polls.

The Longhorns (9-4) climbed to No. 19 in the AP poll, breaking a two-year absence from the final rankings, on the strength of a 31-27 victory over No. 20 Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl. Texas finished 18^th in the coaches poll.

No Big 12 team cracked the Top 10 in the final polls, with Oklahoma (10-3) placing 15^th in both polls and Kansas State (11-2) finishing 12^th in the AP poll and 11^th on coaches’ ballots. By comparison, the SEC had five schools ranked in the Top 10 of both polls, led by No. 1 Alabama (13-1), a 42-14 winner over Notre Dame in Monday’s BCS National Championship Game.

A&M’s season included a 29-24 victory over the eventual national champs in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Nov. 10. The Aggies finished 4-2 against Top 25 opponents this season.

Twitter: @Jimmy_Burch

 _ Jimmy Burch

 

Texas OG Hopkins to miss bowl game because of stress fracture in leg

Texas offensive guard Trey Hopkins will miss the team’s Alamo Bowl game against Oregon State because of season-ending surgery to repair a stress fracture in his lower right leg, team officials announced today. Texas trainer Kenny Boyd said four Longhorns who were limited or injured in the team’s Dec. 1 loss to Kansas State are expected to be cleared for bowl practices and the Oregon State game: defensive end Alex Okafor (ankle), running back Joe Bergeron (shoulder), defensive tackle Ashton Dorsey (concussion) and kicker Anthony Fera (hip).

_ Jimmy Burch

Drama building with OU in danger of losing BCS berth to N. Illinois, which would create major shuffling of bowl matchups

The voters in the coaches poll have spoken. But what they have said by placing Northern Illinios at No. 16 in today’s poll that will be used in compiling the final BCS standings remains open for discussion.
And the final word will not become public until tonight’s release of the final BCS standings (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

The bottom line is that Oklahoma (10-2) would be bumped from an at-large BCS bowl berth if Northern Illinois (12-1), the MAC champ, finishes 16th or higher in the final BCS standings. If that happens, the Sooners _ who envisioned playing Florida (11-1) in the Sugar Bowl on Saturday night _ would wind up in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, with an anticipated matchup against LSU (10-2) or Texas A&M (10-2).

The situation is fluid and two BCS analysts, CBS’ Jerry Palm and ESPN’s Brad Edwards, have switched their bowl projections today. Both took Oklahoma out of the BCS mix in favor of Northern Illinois (12-1). But both cautioned that the margin will be razor thin. The Huskies will climb in the computer rankings based on their victory over Kent State (11-2) in the MAC title game. But the impact of voters in the coaches poll and the Harris poll figure to be crucial.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops did his part to help his team, voting the Sooners at No. 6 and Northern Illinois at No. 24 in today’s final coaches poll. The ballots of voters were released on the USA Today website. Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren voted Oklahoma 11^th and his team at No. 14.

If Oklahoma does not wind up in the Sugar Bowl, the omission would cost the Big 12 a $6.2 million windfall and would create a reshuffling of the league’s bowl slots. It would sent Texas to the Alamo Bowl to meet a Pac-12 foe (likely Oregon State), with lots of guessing on bowl placements after that. The Big 12 also would need to find a spot for one of its bowl-eligible teams (likely Iowa State) in a game that is not contractually tied to the Big 12.

The SEC slots are being solidified, with Georgia expected to play Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. That means A&M’s likely bowl destination will either be the Cotton Bowl against OU or the Chick-fil-A Bowl (in Atlanta) against Clemson.

Nothing, as this juncture, has been announced by the SEC in terms of bowl berths. But officials at the Capital One Bowl have announced Nebraska as the Big Ten representative in that contest.

Other Big 12 coaches joined Stoops in voting up the Sooners and voting down Northern Illinois. Baylor coach Art Briles placed Oklahoma at No. 6 and Northern Illinois at No. 19 on his ballot. West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen had OU at No. 9, with Northern Illinois at No. 24. The ballot of Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville mirrored where both teams finished in today’s coaches’ poll: OU at No. 11 and Northern Illinois at No. 16.

Kent State coach Darrell Hazel, whose team lost to Northern Illinios in the MAC title game, voted Oklahoma at No. 11 and Northern Illinois at No. 17 on his ballot.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

No. 9 Texas A&M dropped from BCS bowl mix while No. 11 OU, No. 18 Texas remain #TAMU, #OU, #Longhorns

Texas A&M, the No. 9 team in the latest BCS standings, has been removed from consideration for an at-large berth in a BCS game.

The Aggies (10-2), who feature Heisman Trophy candidate Johnny Manziel at quarterback, were not one of four Southeastern Conference teams listed Tuesday among schools still under consideration for BCS bowl berths distributed by BCS officials. But the 21-team list includes No. 11 Oklahoma (9-2) and No. 18 Texas (8-3), as well as No. 17 Kent State (11-1), No. 20 Boise State (9-2) and No. 21 Northern Illinois (11-1).

Eliminating A&M from the BCS pool of potential participants, which still includes four SEC schools ahead of A&M in this week’s BCS standings, means the Aggies’ post-season destination likely will be the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla. or the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington. Those bowls have the first two choices among SEC teams after the league’s BCS slots are filled.

A&M, a first-year SEC member, is being squeezed out of the BCS mix because the pool of league teams includes No. 2 Alabama (11-1) and No. 3 Georgia (11-1) _ the participants in Saturday’s SEC championship game in Atlanta _ as well as No. 4 Florida (11-1) and No. 7 LSU (10-2). The SEC can send only its champion, plus one at-large team, to BCS games and the Aggies lost to both Florida and LSU this season.

No. 1 Notre Dame (12-0) already has secured a berth in the BCS National Championship Game, where it will meet the winner of Saturday’s Alabama-Georgia contest on Jan. 7 in Miami.

Champions from six conferences receive automatic berths in BCS games, with each league down to two title contenders: SEC (Alabama, Georgia), Big 12 (Kansas State, Oklahoma), Pac-12 (Stanford, UCLA), ACC (Florida State, Georgia Tech), Big Ten (Nebraska, Wisconsin) and Big East (Louisville, Rutgers).

Non-champions from those leagues can be selected for at-large berths, along with teams that remained in the BCS at-large pool announced Tuesday. The at-large list of teams included No. 5 Oregon (11-1) and No. 14 Clemson (10-2), along with Texas, Florida, LSU, Boise State, Kent State and Northern Illinois.

With no Big East team included among the Top 25 in this week’s BCS standings, the opportunity exists for Boise State, Kent State or Northern Illinois to receive an automatic berth in a BCS game if that school wins its conference and places among the top 16 in Sunday’s final BCS standings.

Twitter: @Jimmy_Burch

_ Jimmy Burch 

Texas QB Ash among players considered questionable for K-State game because of injuries #longhorns

Texas quarterback David Ash (ribs), receiver Marquise Goodwin (thumb) and defensive end Alex Okafor (ankle) are listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Kansas State because of injuries sustained in last week’s 20-13 loss to TCU, team trainers announced Sunday. In addition, three players have been ruled out for the K-State game: offensive tackle Kennedy Estelle (shoulder), running back Jeremy Hills (leg) and linebacker Demarco Cobbs (knee). Hills and Cobbs sustained season-ending injuries against TCU.

_ Jimmy Burch

Where is TCU going bowling? My guess is back to San Diego or Houston but final week could alter destination for many

So where is TCU headed bowling? Wish I could tell you. Too much is still riding on the outcome of the final week of games, especially the Horned Frogs’ regular-season finale against No. 11 Oklahoma at 11 a.m. Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium.
The outcome could affect where the Horned Frogs (7-4, 4-4 in the Big 12) are headed in the postseason. If TCU upsets the Sooners, and incidentally, wins its first Big 12 game at home, Oklahoma's hopes of earning a BCS bowl berth would be dashed. The Sooners (9-2, 7-1) could still win the Big 12 title and earn a Fiesta Bowl appearance with a win and a No. 6 Kansas State loss to No. 18 Texas. If Oklahoma loses, then they’ll likely play in the Cotton Bowl.
If the Frogs lose to Oklahoma, they appear headed to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. That's if San Diego isn't sick of TCU. The Frogs have played in three Poinsettia Bowls, also in San Diego, since 2006, including last year. The Meineke Car Care Bowl in Houston would likely be attracted to TCU, expecting more Frogs fans to travel to Reliant Stadium for the Dec. 28 game against a Big 10 team. The Frogs have played three bowls in Houston since 2001, the last coming in 2007.
Of course, more than conference finish comes into play when bowl representatives are looking to fill the matchups. If TCU wins Saturday, then the Frogs would finish ahead of Texas Tech (7-5, 4-5) and would seem to be in line for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. And if Baylor wins its third consecutive game by beating Oklahoma State Saturday then the Bears would potentially finish in a four-way tie with TCU, Tech, and West Virginia at 4-5. If that happens, then all bets are off on bowl positioning, at least for the middle-tier bowls.
The bowl matchups will be announced Dec. 2.

Here’s how I project the Big 12 standings finishing, with the favored team (Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia) winning Saturday, with bowl destinations and bowl payout (per team) for each bowl:

	Projected standings	Projected bowl	Payout per team (in millions)
Kansas State	11-1, 8-1	BCS Fiesta (Glendale, Ariz.)	$17
Oklahoma	10-2, 8-1	BCS Sugar (New Orleans)	$17
Oklahoma St.	8-4, 6-3	Cotton (Arlington, Tex.)	$3.625
Texas	8-4, 5-4	Alamo (San Antonio, Tex.)	$3.175
Texas Tech	7-5, 4-5	Buffalo Wild Wings (Tempe, Ariz.)	$3.350
TCU	7-5, 4-5	Holiday (San Diego, Calif.)	$2.075
West Virginia	7-5, 4-5	Pinstripe (New York City)	$1.8
Iowa State	6-6, 3-6	Heart of Dallas (Cotton Bowl)	$1.1
Baylor	6-6, 3-6	Meineke Car Care (Houston)	$1.7
Kansas	1-11, 0-9

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs 

Texas deep snapper Boyer, a former Green Beret, receives college FB spirit award #Longhorns

Texas deep snapper Nate Boyer, who received a Bronze Star for his service with the U.S. Army Special Forces Unit while stationed in the Middle East, was selected today as recipient of the Disney Spirit Award, given annually to college football’s most inspirational figure.

Boyer, a former walk-on, joined the military after high school and spent six years in active duty in the Middle East before joining the Longhorns’ football team and earning a scholarship in August. Boyer, 31, is a sophomore and a former Green Beret. He will receive his award as part of The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 6 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas deep snapper Boyer receives honor, to be recognized during Armed Forces Bowl week in FW

Texas deep snapper Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret Staff Sergeant and Bronze Star recipient as part of a military special forces unit, has been selected to receive the inaugural Armed Forces Merit Award, officials announced today.

The honor, presented by the Football Writers Association of America in conjunction with the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, recognizes an individual or group that has brought distinction and recognition to their military service and the sport of football.

Boyer will be presented with the award Dec. 7 at Texas’ annual football banquet and his accomplishments will be recognized during bowl week leading into the Dec. 29 contest at Amon G. Carter Stadium matching a Conference USA school against an opponent from the Mountain West.

Boyer, a native of Dublin, Calif., joined the U.S. Army in 2004 and chose to enroll in college after finishing his second tour of duty in the Middle East in 2009. After learning that Texas had no deep snappers on its 2012 roster, Boyer _ who did not play high school football _ began practicing the craft and was awarded a scholarship by coaches before the season.

 “In 37 years of coaching, I am not sure I have ever come across a more amazing story like Nate,” Texas coach Mack Brown said in a statement. “Through his tenacity, he made the team and won the respect of our coaches and his teammates alike. It is obvious that he has taken the skills he learned as an outstanding young solider and used them to reflect an image of someone who is determined to succeed despite all challenges.”

_ Jimmy Burch

Oklahoma officials say college football "truly lost an icon" with the death of Darrell Royal, former Texas coach and OU player

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said today that college football has “truly lost an icon” with the death of former Texas coach Darrell Royal, an All-America football player for the Sooners in 1949 before crossing the Red River to become a legendary coach for the Longhorns.
Royal built a 167-47-5 record in 20 seasons at Texas, where he won three national championships (1963, 1969, 1970). In 23 seasons as a college coach, which also included stops at Mississippi State and Washington, Royal never experienced a losing record.

Both Castiglione and Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops weighed in with thoughts about Royal’s passing:
 
Castiglione’s statement: “The University of Oklahoma joins the rest of the nation in celebrating the life’s work of Darrell Royal,” said OU vice president for intercollegiate athletics and director of athletics, Joe Castiglione. “We’ve truly lost an icon – a champion, an innovator and an educator. As an All-America player at the University of Oklahoma, he represented his home state with a unique versatility that we still celebrate today. Without question, he left an even more indelible mark on collegiate athletics during his distinguished coaching and administrative tenure at the University of Texas, where he made on immeasurable impact on the University and the countless individuals he touched.” 

Stoops’ statement: “Coach Royal will always have a special place in the hearts of Sooners’ fans as an unbelievably talented player. From a coaching perspective, I have great admiration for his many accomplishments, his great players and his championship teams, and especially appreciate the fact that he never suffered a losing season in 23 seasons as a head coach.” 

_ Jimmy Burch

Former Arkansas coach Broyles says he will "always treasure" his friendship with Darrell Royal

Former Arkansas football coach Frank Broyles said today he will “always treasure” his relationship with longtime friend Darrell Royal, the former Texas coach who has died at 88. Broyles and Royal were coaching rivals during their days as competitors in the Southwest Conference but remained close friends off the field and into their retirement years.

Below is the full text of Broyles’ statement, released today:

            “I am deeply saddened by the passing of my longtime friend Darrell Royal. Although our teams were rivals on the field, Darrell and I enjoyed a close friendship that carried far beyond football. Our families vacationed together in the off-season and we enjoyed many memorable moments together that I always treasure.    
                “Darrell was one of the greatest football coaches our sport has known. His record and many accomplishments speak for themselves, but his influence on college football, the University of Texas and the impact he had in the lives of thousands of young men who played for him is impossible to fully measure.
                “In the final years of his life, Darrell faced his battle with Alzheimer’s with the same courage and dignity he displayed throughout his career. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Edith, his family and the many friends and colleagues who have been a part of the extraordinary life and career of Darrell Royal.”

 _ Jimmy Burch