College Bowl Preview (Part II)
By Corey Hunter
Valero Alamo Bowl
Texas Longhorns Preview:
Dec 7, 2013; Waco, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns running back Malcolm Brown (28) and tight end Geoff Swaim (82) celebrate Browns touchdown catch against the Baylor Bears during the game at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Baylor Bears defeated the Texas Longhorns 30-10 to win the Big 12 championship. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Longhorns represent one the country’s most enigmatic teams. They entered 2013 with such high hopes for not only a Big 12 title, but also a glimmer of hope for a national title run. However, Texas stumbled out of the gate losing two of its first 3 games. Then, when all had seemed lost in Austin, head coach Mack Brown made a change at defensive coordinator, and the Longhorns reeled off an impressive six-consecutive wins, including a dominant performance over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
Texas once again held out hope that it could at least win the Big 12. Those hopes were nearly dashed as the Longhorns were soundly defeated by Oklahoma State. However, as luck would have it, Texas entered the final game of the regular season with a chance at the title. All the Longhorns needed was a victory over the high-flying Baylor Bears. Alas, it was not meant to be, as Texas was defeated by Baylor in that game.
After the loss, Mack Brown decided, or some could look at it as him being forced, to retire as the head football coach at Texas. Perhaps a change at the top was necessary. Prior to 2010, Texas had won double-digit games for eight-straight seasons. Since then, it has failed to reach that elusive mark.
Oregon Ducks Preview:
Nov 23, 2013; Tucson, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Arizona defeated Oregon 42-16. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Just like Texas, Oregon entered the season with not only conference title hopes, but national title dreams as well. And, like in previous seasons, the Ducks had those national title dreams shot down by Stanford. Also like Texas, Oregon had a second shot at winning their conference title, and just like Texas, those hopes were dashed with an unexpected late-season loss. This is the first season since 2008 that Oregon has failed to reach a BCS bowl game.
Sophomore quarterback Marcus Mariota returned to lead the Ducks this past season and was having a Heisman-like year until late season losses derailed those hopes. Mariota delivered a phenomenal sophomore campaign as he threw for nearly 3,500 yards and an eye-catching 30 touchdowns against only 4 interceptions.
The Oregon Ducks run a very high-tempo offense that runs plays at an alarming rate. They feature no less than four players that have rushed for at least 580 yards and have scored at least eight touchdowns a piece. Josh Huff has recorded over 1,000 yards receiving and hauled in 11 touchdowns. At its peak, Oregon has one of the most potent offenses in the land.
Bowl Outlook:
This may be one of the most highly-anticipated bowls of the season. How will the Longhorns play in head coach Mack Brown’s final game? How will the Oregon Ducks play after stumbling down the stretch when a national title shot was within their grasp? Of course no one knows the answers to these questions, but the results will be revealed on the gridiron, as it should be.
Both teams could use a victory in a game like this to catapult themselves toward the 2014 campaign. Texas would like nothing more than to become a player on the national scene again and Oregon would like to once again be thought of as a national title type of team.
Look for Texas to come out and play with a lot of gusto early on. In fact, I see them even holding a halftime lead in this game. In the second half I expect Oregon to assert their dominance over Texas and eventually win the game. Vegas has installed Texas as a 13.5-point underdog and by game time I expect that point spread to drop. Either way, I’ll take Texas to cover the spread but not get the outright victory in what I imagine will be a more high-scoring type of game which has become a staple of the Alamo Bowl.
Score: Texas – 33 Oregon – 42