Offense - Texas Longhorns Every thing centers round the running perform of Colt McCoy, but it’s not necessarily exactly about his moving game. He’s a portable quarterback and with averages of 32 move efforts per game and 40 goes per game (some of they’re McCoy scrambling for yardage), Texas has one of the best amounts of run and move in the nation. And here is the key. As a protection, the sole probable way you are able to overcome Texas is to confuse the offensive line with various blitz plans, eliminate the run early, and contain McCoy when he gets flushed out of the pocket [pii_email_37f47c404649338129d6]. The expression, “You can’t end them, you are able to only aspire to contain them,” applies here.

Offense - Texas Technology Red Raiders Graham Harrell and Jordan Crabtree are probably the most dangerous couple in the entire league, with both people on the Heisman list, and deservedly so. Tech’s offense is 3rd in points per game, second in yards per game, 1st in move yards per game, and 1st in receptions per game. But Technology supporters have experienced offensive numbers like this before. Why is that Paul Leach Texas Technology team so particular is that although they simply run 25 occasions per game (3rd to last in the country), they are still putting up 138 speeding yards per game. It’s in that situation that lies the key to Technology earning that game. In the first half, if Texas Technology can keep the Texas protection honest with just a couple of excellent goes, the moving game will remain open good enough to keep the overall game close. Keep it close, and I really feel Texas Technology has the top of give with it’s principal power-offense.

Safety - Texas Longhorns The defensive top for the Longhorns could be the most readily useful they’ve actually had. Orakpo, Houston, Miller, and Melton (doesn’t that sound such as for instance a law firm?) have a mixed 25.5 discusses for loss causing a complete of 118 yards they’ve price opposite teams. Greater than that, but, if that team includes a weakness, it is the secondary. They simply have 5 interceptions on the entire year and have given up 335 moving yards per game. Given, they perform in the pass-happy Huge 12, but they have perhaps not confronted as principal a pair as Harrell and Crabtree. Pressure on Harrell will surely be essential, but getting through among the hardest offensive lines in football won’t be easy. If Harrell has time to move, his wide devices will find a method to get open and the Texas secondary will ultimately be exposed for what it is.

Safety - Texas Technology Red Raiders Texas Technology will not be able to end Texas like Oklahoma State did, but with an offense like the Red Raiders have, it could perhaps not matter. A couple of big prevents will undoubtedly be key. Since getting Texas to third down might happen seldom, stopping McCoy in these conditions will probably be huge. Watch for the Texas Technology secondary to essential on Jordan Shipley, Texas’ big-time wide device, particularly in the Red Zone. If they can support the devices, Tech’s traveler on McCoy better perhaps not lose containment or the insurance won’t matter. The Texas Technology secondary, by the way, has 14 takeaways on the season, good for 3rd in the country. If they can obtain a couple more against Colt “80% completion percentage” McCoy, they’ll maintain pretty good shape.

Special Groups: Texas definitely has the upper-hand in the punt game (if anyone actually punts), but I don’t think punting will probably be a element in that game at all. Field position will undoubtedly be determined more by the earnings than the sneakers, and almost certainly, kick earnings rather than punt returns. In the kick return category, both clubs from the Lonestar State are very nearly useless despite Texas having an improved kick return normal by four-tenths of a point. And so, small and special, until a punt or field stop occurs, particular clubs really shouldn’t be an excessive amount of a factor.

Key Matchups: DE Brian Orakpo vs. LT Rylan Reed This is THE matchup of the overall game, as no one this season has had the opportunity to stop Orakpo. But no one is Texas Technology, sometimes, and Reed is one of the best in the game. This really is the sort of fight that you usually hear announcers claim is won “in the trenches,” which, for those who might not get it, is a war metaphor. This would have been a mini-war in the center of a significant war.

WR Jordan Crabtree vs. The Whole Texas Extra It will require the entire secondary, functioning together, interacting completely, and continually in action to actually begin to contain what is maybe the very best skill the wide device position has actually seen. An announcer the other day compared him to Larry Fitzgerald, which I believe is apt…unfortunately for the Longhorns.

QB Colt McCoy vs. QB Graham Harrell However they are perhaps not straight fighting on the field, both of these amazing abilities can have a national stage in which to highlight their talents…and the winner might just wind up taking house the Heisman. Whatever quarterback victories that game definitely has the upper-hand in the race.

Ksquared Prediction: Here we move: two huge Huge 12 clubs, two good instructors, two giant offenses, and three Heisman candidates. Orakpo and the Texas D-line will need to get pressure on Harrell in order to end the Red Raider offense and the Technology senior mixture of McBath and Charbonnet should provide down an interception or two to keep McCoy on his toes. If sometimes quarterback completes over 75% of his goes and finds joints throughout the game, the other team will lose. However offense is the niche in that game, protection is the key. Since it precipitates the stretch to the last quarter, I expect Technology to be down by way of a touchdown roughly, but their pass-first identity will offer it’s purpose completely because they move their solution to a come-from-behind victory.