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This herd's heard enough
03:49 AM CST on Friday, December 30, 2005
All the Longhorns finally arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and practice on Thursday began with – what else? – Vince Young dancing and encouraging Mack Brown to join him.
Nothing has changed. The players are still laughing and dancing and quietly stewing about all the hype being paid to USC on ESPN. What national championship team of the past 200 years hasn’t been beaten by this year’s USC team in the eyes of Kirk Herbstreit and Mark May?
More from ***BANNED-URL***
From the Scene blog
Rose Bowl section
Some Longhorns are tired of hearing it.
“We want to see what they say about us if USC is the best team of all time and we win,” said Texas defensive tackle Rod Wright.
When Texas defensive end Brian Robison was asked how sick he was of hearing about how great USC is, he replied, “Very sick of it.”
Quarterback Vince Young took the diplomatic approach.
“They’ve won 34 straight games and two national titles,” Young said. “They deserve all this talk.”
LONGHORNS Q&A
Q: What’s the mood of the team now that the players are back together for the first time since being dismissed for Christmas on Dec. 22?
Tina Martin, Austin
BROWN: The players seemed loose, relaxed and in good spirits at a team function at Disneyland with USC players on Thursday. Several players were wearing Mickey Mouse hands and laughing and dancing. Vince Young was certainly dancing in practice and said Mack Brown also danced a couple times. So I don’t think anything’s changed with this Longhorns team.
•••
Q: Did all the players report to Los Angeles? Any issues involving anyone? What about the criminal investigation going on involving Ramonce Taylor and Cedric Griffin? Will those players be affected?
Mark Buttons, Houston
BROWN: All the players got to Los Angeles ... eventually. A handful of players had travel snafus and missed the team meeting on Wednesday night, including Thorpe Award winner Michael Huff. Huff, whose father works for American Airlines, had his flight to L.A. canceled. He then was rerouted from Dallas to Phoenix to Las Vegas to Orange County, where he had to take a bus to L.A. He didn’t get in until 11:30 p.m., more than two hours after the team’s meeting at 9 p.m.
Mack Brown allows his players to travel on their own to bowl games and not take a team charter because they can make some money on travel. The NCAA allows players to price an unrestricted roundtrip ticket and then keep the difference if they can get the ticket for cheaper than that amount. For instance, if a player prices an airline ticket at $900 and can actually buy a ticket for only $300, he can keep the $600 difference.
The investigation into alleged assaults on Sept. 4 and Dec. 10 by the Austin Police Department continue, but there are no new developments yet. Ramonce Taylor and Cedric Griffin are practicing, expect to play and have already accepted any team punishment for being out late on Dec. 10, according to Brown.
•••
Q: I know Vince Young has said he will be returning to Texas next year, but he has made some comments that make me feel as though, if Texas were to win the Rose Bowl, he would not return. Who would take over if he didn’t come back?
Jonathan, Garland
BROWN: Young again wavered on his commitment to return to Texas next season. He told The Dallas Morning News two weeks ago the outcome of the Rose Bowl could have an impact on his decision and told ESPN on Thursday night he wants to sit down with his family after the Rose Bowl and talk about the decision. If Young doesn’t return, the race at quarterback is between Colt McCoy, Jevan Snead and Sherrod Harris. McCoy would have the edge because he redshirted this season. But Snead plans to enroll in January so he can go through spring practice. McCoy is more of a pocket passer, while Snead is the dual-threat quarterback along the lines of former Utah quarterback Alex Smith.
•••
Q: How much playing time do you think Jamaal Charles will receive in the Rose Bowl? Statistically, Charles is the best back, but he appears to be in a rotation situation, and he is not getting as many carries as his performance would warrant. Shouldn’t Charles get most of the touches in the national championship game?
Tom Fort, McKinney
BROWN: I don’t know how you can say Charles is the best statistically when his average (7.4 yards per carry) is virtually the same as Taylor’s (7.0). They have the same number of rushing touchdowns (11). Before starting the last four games at tailback, Taylor was a full-time receiver. I think they’re comparable. Both keep each other fresh. A shared load would be fine, and if someone gets the hot hand, stick with him.
•••
Q: How much would Texas have been in the running for Mitch Mustain, the quarterback prospect from Springdale, Ark., if Jevan Snead hadn’t dropped his commitment to Florida and committed to Texas?
Danny Eaton
BROWN: Hard to say. It appears Mustain appears will go to the wire with his decision after de-committing from Arkansas (where his high school coach has just been hired as the quarterback coach). Teams are less willing to wait on kids to commit. Notre Dame would appear to be a great place for Mustain with Brady Quinn leaving after next season. But Mustain has dragged his feet, and Notre Dame has a couple of quarterback commitments. Texas also didn’t want to wait, so the Longhorns are happy to have Snead and Sherrod Harris committed. Who knows where Mustain will end up? His mom still wants him to go to Texas.
•••
Q: Do you think Mack Brown's toughest challenge is getting his players and coaches through the national championship media circus? And will he seek advice from anyone with experience – Super Bowl coaches or others – on how to accomplish that?
Duff, Dallas
BROWN: The media circus isn’t going to worry the Longhorns. What’s going to worry the Longhorns is if USC comes out with a game plan Texas hasn’t even thought of and the UT coaches can’t adjust. Brown took offense at a reporter’s question when she asked if he would seek advice about how to handle all the hype leading up to the game. He said, “We’ve been to 13 straight bowl games, so we’ve been doing this for awhile.”
•••
Q: Living on the West Coast, I've had many opportunities to watch USC games. What stands out most is that when Matt Leinart is pressured or sacked, he gets rattled. I would love to see a lot of blitzing. What's your take on the defensive scheme Gene Chizik will use?
Mark Spinks, Seattle
BROWN: Several coaches, including former Texas co-defensive coordinator Greg Robinson and former graduate assistant Major Applewhite, said the key for Texas will be to hit and rattle Leinart. Robinson said when Leinart is confident and not getting disrupted, he’s a killer. When he’s getting hit and flummoxed, he can make mistakes. Applewhite said, “You’re not going to confuse Leinart. So you have to hit him, push the pocket back in his face and make him uncomfortable.” Since Texas doesn’t have the consistent pass rush with four men, it will probably mean some blitzes. It’s a high-priced gamble that will have to pay off for Chizik.
•••
Q: If Texas plays more nickel (five defensive backs), whom do you see playing the roles of the defensive backs and which linebackers will be left out ?
Tom, Grand Prairie
BROWN: I think you’ll see Rashad Bobino coming out the most. Robert Killebrew and Aaron Harris are too strong against the run and are needed to stop LenDale White. Michael Huff can call the coverages in the secondary to make sure he ends up on Reggie Bush in pass coverage instead of Killebrew.
•••
Q: I don't think Vince Young and company will have any trouble putting up points on the USC defense. Will the UT defense show up? The weakness of the unit has been its run defense. Do you think Gene Chizik will employ any special schemes to slow down Bush and White?
Nick, Corpus Christi
BROWN: Chizik will need the game plan of his life coupled with the best adjustments he’s ever made. USC’s offense has never really been stopped. While Texas was held to 25 points at Ohio State, USC’s lowest output of the season was 34 points at Notre Dame. Fortunately for Chizik, USC doesn’t run any option, which gave Texas trouble against Texas A&M. Chizik will play more nickel and hasn’t shown much nickel this season. With safeties and corners who are interchangeable (Michael Huff and Cedric Griffin), it will help give Matt Leinart some new looks.
•••
Q: Will Vince Young flame out at the Rose Bowl as he did at Texas A&M because he is trying to do too much to prove the critics wrong?
Barbara Ogle, Ft Myers, Fla.
BROWN: Young has been asked repeatedly in Los Angeles already about trying to do too much in the Rose Bowl and he keeps saying the same thing: He’s willing to be patient and punt if necessary, relying on the UT defense to get the ball back for the offense. That doesn’t sound like a guy who’s determined to run or throw for a touchdown on every play.
More newsletters...
This herd's heard enough
Not a holiday week to remember
Finishing first is second nature to Young
Heisman snub could help the Horns
Promising Young delivers
More...
03:49 AM CST on Friday, December 30, 2005
All the Longhorns finally arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday night and practice on Thursday began with – what else? – Vince Young dancing and encouraging Mack Brown to join him.
Nothing has changed. The players are still laughing and dancing and quietly stewing about all the hype being paid to USC on ESPN. What national championship team of the past 200 years hasn’t been beaten by this year’s USC team in the eyes of Kirk Herbstreit and Mark May?
More from ***BANNED-URL***
From the Scene blog
Rose Bowl section
Some Longhorns are tired of hearing it.
“We want to see what they say about us if USC is the best team of all time and we win,” said Texas defensive tackle Rod Wright.
When Texas defensive end Brian Robison was asked how sick he was of hearing about how great USC is, he replied, “Very sick of it.”
Quarterback Vince Young took the diplomatic approach.
“They’ve won 34 straight games and two national titles,” Young said. “They deserve all this talk.”
LONGHORNS Q&A
Q: What’s the mood of the team now that the players are back together for the first time since being dismissed for Christmas on Dec. 22?
Tina Martin, Austin
BROWN: The players seemed loose, relaxed and in good spirits at a team function at Disneyland with USC players on Thursday. Several players were wearing Mickey Mouse hands and laughing and dancing. Vince Young was certainly dancing in practice and said Mack Brown also danced a couple times. So I don’t think anything’s changed with this Longhorns team.
•••
Q: Did all the players report to Los Angeles? Any issues involving anyone? What about the criminal investigation going on involving Ramonce Taylor and Cedric Griffin? Will those players be affected?
Mark Buttons, Houston
BROWN: All the players got to Los Angeles ... eventually. A handful of players had travel snafus and missed the team meeting on Wednesday night, including Thorpe Award winner Michael Huff. Huff, whose father works for American Airlines, had his flight to L.A. canceled. He then was rerouted from Dallas to Phoenix to Las Vegas to Orange County, where he had to take a bus to L.A. He didn’t get in until 11:30 p.m., more than two hours after the team’s meeting at 9 p.m.
Mack Brown allows his players to travel on their own to bowl games and not take a team charter because they can make some money on travel. The NCAA allows players to price an unrestricted roundtrip ticket and then keep the difference if they can get the ticket for cheaper than that amount. For instance, if a player prices an airline ticket at $900 and can actually buy a ticket for only $300, he can keep the $600 difference.
The investigation into alleged assaults on Sept. 4 and Dec. 10 by the Austin Police Department continue, but there are no new developments yet. Ramonce Taylor and Cedric Griffin are practicing, expect to play and have already accepted any team punishment for being out late on Dec. 10, according to Brown.
•••
Q: I know Vince Young has said he will be returning to Texas next year, but he has made some comments that make me feel as though, if Texas were to win the Rose Bowl, he would not return. Who would take over if he didn’t come back?
Jonathan, Garland
BROWN: Young again wavered on his commitment to return to Texas next season. He told The Dallas Morning News two weeks ago the outcome of the Rose Bowl could have an impact on his decision and told ESPN on Thursday night he wants to sit down with his family after the Rose Bowl and talk about the decision. If Young doesn’t return, the race at quarterback is between Colt McCoy, Jevan Snead and Sherrod Harris. McCoy would have the edge because he redshirted this season. But Snead plans to enroll in January so he can go through spring practice. McCoy is more of a pocket passer, while Snead is the dual-threat quarterback along the lines of former Utah quarterback Alex Smith.
•••
Q: How much playing time do you think Jamaal Charles will receive in the Rose Bowl? Statistically, Charles is the best back, but he appears to be in a rotation situation, and he is not getting as many carries as his performance would warrant. Shouldn’t Charles get most of the touches in the national championship game?
Tom Fort, McKinney
BROWN: I don’t know how you can say Charles is the best statistically when his average (7.4 yards per carry) is virtually the same as Taylor’s (7.0). They have the same number of rushing touchdowns (11). Before starting the last four games at tailback, Taylor was a full-time receiver. I think they’re comparable. Both keep each other fresh. A shared load would be fine, and if someone gets the hot hand, stick with him.
•••
Q: How much would Texas have been in the running for Mitch Mustain, the quarterback prospect from Springdale, Ark., if Jevan Snead hadn’t dropped his commitment to Florida and committed to Texas?
Danny Eaton
BROWN: Hard to say. It appears Mustain appears will go to the wire with his decision after de-committing from Arkansas (where his high school coach has just been hired as the quarterback coach). Teams are less willing to wait on kids to commit. Notre Dame would appear to be a great place for Mustain with Brady Quinn leaving after next season. But Mustain has dragged his feet, and Notre Dame has a couple of quarterback commitments. Texas also didn’t want to wait, so the Longhorns are happy to have Snead and Sherrod Harris committed. Who knows where Mustain will end up? His mom still wants him to go to Texas.
•••
Q: Do you think Mack Brown's toughest challenge is getting his players and coaches through the national championship media circus? And will he seek advice from anyone with experience – Super Bowl coaches or others – on how to accomplish that?
Duff, Dallas
BROWN: The media circus isn’t going to worry the Longhorns. What’s going to worry the Longhorns is if USC comes out with a game plan Texas hasn’t even thought of and the UT coaches can’t adjust. Brown took offense at a reporter’s question when she asked if he would seek advice about how to handle all the hype leading up to the game. He said, “We’ve been to 13 straight bowl games, so we’ve been doing this for awhile.”
•••
Q: Living on the West Coast, I've had many opportunities to watch USC games. What stands out most is that when Matt Leinart is pressured or sacked, he gets rattled. I would love to see a lot of blitzing. What's your take on the defensive scheme Gene Chizik will use?
Mark Spinks, Seattle
BROWN: Several coaches, including former Texas co-defensive coordinator Greg Robinson and former graduate assistant Major Applewhite, said the key for Texas will be to hit and rattle Leinart. Robinson said when Leinart is confident and not getting disrupted, he’s a killer. When he’s getting hit and flummoxed, he can make mistakes. Applewhite said, “You’re not going to confuse Leinart. So you have to hit him, push the pocket back in his face and make him uncomfortable.” Since Texas doesn’t have the consistent pass rush with four men, it will probably mean some blitzes. It’s a high-priced gamble that will have to pay off for Chizik.
•••
Q: If Texas plays more nickel (five defensive backs), whom do you see playing the roles of the defensive backs and which linebackers will be left out ?
Tom, Grand Prairie
BROWN: I think you’ll see Rashad Bobino coming out the most. Robert Killebrew and Aaron Harris are too strong against the run and are needed to stop LenDale White. Michael Huff can call the coverages in the secondary to make sure he ends up on Reggie Bush in pass coverage instead of Killebrew.
•••
Q: I don't think Vince Young and company will have any trouble putting up points on the USC defense. Will the UT defense show up? The weakness of the unit has been its run defense. Do you think Gene Chizik will employ any special schemes to slow down Bush and White?
Nick, Corpus Christi
BROWN: Chizik will need the game plan of his life coupled with the best adjustments he’s ever made. USC’s offense has never really been stopped. While Texas was held to 25 points at Ohio State, USC’s lowest output of the season was 34 points at Notre Dame. Fortunately for Chizik, USC doesn’t run any option, which gave Texas trouble against Texas A&M. Chizik will play more nickel and hasn’t shown much nickel this season. With safeties and corners who are interchangeable (Michael Huff and Cedric Griffin), it will help give Matt Leinart some new looks.
•••
Q: Will Vince Young flame out at the Rose Bowl as he did at Texas A&M because he is trying to do too much to prove the critics wrong?
Barbara Ogle, Ft Myers, Fla.
BROWN: Young has been asked repeatedly in Los Angeles already about trying to do too much in the Rose Bowl and he keeps saying the same thing: He’s willing to be patient and punt if necessary, relying on the UT defense to get the ball back for the offense. That doesn’t sound like a guy who’s determined to run or throw for a touchdown on every play.
More newsletters...
This herd's heard enough
Not a holiday week to remember
Finishing first is second nature to Young
Heisman snub could help the Horns
Promising Young delivers
More...