Take 10: Bowl on line for Horns
American-Statesman columnists Kirk Bohls and Cedric Golden address 10 hot-button topics about Texas, the Big 12 and national college football:
1. Which Texas will we get on Saturday?
Bohls: The real one. No way Texas goes backward after the monumental upset of 10th-ranked Oklahoma. Yes, Kansas State always plays Texas well and usually walks off the field a winner, but the Longhorns have momentum, confidence, home-field advantage (well, kinda, despite 14,000 unsold tickets) and the fact that the Wildcats are coming off tough, back-to-back losses to TCU and OU. Call it Texas 31-21.
Golden: The Texas that knows it won’t play in a bowl game if it loses. The Horns gave away their last two home games, and the result was a 1-4
hole after the TCU blowout. The Wildcats are there for the taking, and Texas won’t choke this one away. Horns win 21-17. 2. Which Longhorn has come the furthest after six games?
Bohls: Malik Jefferson. The freshman linebacker continues to impress week to week. He’s a star in the making.
Golden: Connor Williams. The left tackle had some real growing pains early in the season but has settled into a nice groove protecting Jerrod Heard’s blind side. 3. Which are your favorite and least favorite college helmets?
Bohls: My favorite has always been the Texas white helmet with the Longhorn logo. Classy, simple and instantly recognizable. Honorable mention to Kansas State’s and Arizona State’s. My least favorite is the hideous head wear of Maryland.
Golden: I’ve always been a sucker for Michigan’s striped maize and blue helmet. My least favorite would have to be Ohio State’s decal hell. Too busy. 4. Would you hire Mack Brown if you were the AD at any school with an opening?
Bohls: Absolutely. Sure, he’s 64, but he’s a proven coach and a terrific recruiter, and he knows how to run a program. His 244 career wins rank 28th all time and are more than Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler and Steve Spurrier have. Mack would be perfect for South Carolina, Virginia or Maryland, but I can’t see him at USC.
Golden: Of course, I would. Mack is a winner,
and he always ran a clean program at Texas. Schools like Maryland and South Carolina should give him a call. 5. Who’s on your Mount Rushmore of college football broadcasters?
Bohls: My top four, in order, are the ultimate pro Keith Jackson; the engaging, funny Brent Musburger; the guy you’d want on the bar stool next to you, Verne Lundquist; and Ron Franklin, who has the best voice in the business. Barely missing the cut — the underrated Lindsey Nelson, the voice of the Cotton Bowl as well as Notre Dame, and solid Sean McDonough.
Golden: Brent Musburger is my favorite, followed by Keith Jackson, Dick Enberg and Verne Lundquist. 6. How far away is Texas A&M’s program from Alabama?
Bohls: Still pretty far. Of course, the Tide is a notch (or two notches) above everyone else. The disparity is totally on the defensive side. The Aggies and Ole Miss are equal in talent, but the Aggies historically have played well on the road in the SEC. Expect a close game and a narrow A&M win to keep its title hopes alive.
Golden: I believed last week would be a program-turning win for Kevin Sumlin, but the Aggies just haven’t met the challenge of elite competition since Johnny Manziel left. The Aggies are still a year away, because I believe LSU’s Leonard Fournette will do to them in a month what Derrick Henry did last week. 7. Pick one team that’s not in the top 10 that can reach the CFP.
Bohls: Iowa is 7-0, though none of its wins is impressive. It has an easy path to the Big Ten title game with games remaining against Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue and Nebraska, with only the Hoosiers and Cornhuskers on the road.
Golden: Houston. The Cougars are on a nice roll at 6-0 behind the exploits of dark horse Heisman candidate Greg Ward Jr. The Coogs face only one dangerous opponent (Memphis) in their last six games.
8. Is there any way both Baylor and TCU make the playoffs?
Bohls: Highly doubtful. Baylor has to go unbeaten to atone for its suspect nonconference schedule. For both of them to get there, it would take a competitive game in their showdown the day after Thanksgiving as well as two-loss champions in the SEC and Pac-12.
Golden: I don’t see it. They play each other on Thanksgiving weekend, and that’s really late for a team to take a loss and expect to remain in the top four. 9. Pick an upset special this weekend.
Bohls: I’ll reluctantly take Western Kentucky with its senior gunslinger Brandon Doughty to take out complacent LSU. Doughty ranks third in the nation with 387 passing yards a game and has completed 74 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Golden: Give me Washington State over Arizona. 10. Is the Bill Snyder era coming to an end?
Bohls: Yes, sadly. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is his last year, although I want him to coach forever, and I hope he does. He’s the best coach ever who never won a national championship. He’s the Bud Grant of college football.
Golden: It is. He put K-State on the college football map, but nothing is forever. I can see him hanging them up after this season and going into administration or working more closely with the charities he supports.