The Longhorns Break The Hex
October 8, 2005 – 6:49 pmIt finally happened. Not since my freshman year of college has Texas beaten Oklahoma in the annual Red River Shootout. The class that came in behind me went through their collegiate years without ever seeing the Longhorns beat the Sooners. That all changed today.
Vince Young looks great. His Heisman Trophy status is certainly improved as a result of his play today. I enjoyed seeing Vince tear up a defense without much use of his legs. He was content to sit back, throw across the middle or down the sideline, and let his backs and receivers do some of the hard work. Billy Pittman put on quite a show in the receiving corps, and Jamaal Charles looked very sharp before his ankle injury.
I am a bit disappointed that ABC cut away from the game halfway through the third quarterer to show Minnesota-Michigan, at least out here on the West Coast. I don’t remember the network cutting away when we were getting our butts handed to us the last five years, but as soon as we put a licking on the Sooners, I don’t get a chance to watch.
I understand cutting away to Minnesota-Michigan in the sense that it was a close game and Michigan has a big following. But the Wolverines are toast, shells of their former selves on the football field. It’s not ridiculous to claim that they’re lucky to have an even record (3-3) at this point. And of course they lost to Minnesota, a team that before today had beaten Michigan twice since 1967. It was bound to happen eventually, but there really is a sense of pouring on after early season losses to Notre Dame and Wisconsin.
Regardless, the Longhorns have rid themselves of the OU hex, and it is on to taking care of business the rest of the season. The games with Texas Tech and Texas A&M are looming large in the march toward the Big 12 championship game.