Fellow Horns,
I'll never be able to re-watch that game. Simply too painful. So my thoughts below are based solely on my live viewing experience. Sat in Section 126 row 7. I've attended 20 of the past 21 years now. I'm running on just a few hours of sleep but I need to get this out.
1. An All-Time Loss. This is one of the worst, most painful, gut-wrenching losses of the past 25 years. Probably top 5 most painful. Right behind 2001 Big XII Champ Game, 2008 Tech, and 2009 Bama. Probably worse than 1999 A&M, 2001 OU, 2018 West Virginia, and 2018 Big XII Champ Game. It's one thing to lose a close, hard-fought game that's toe-for-toe most of the way. Or to be blown out and have your hopes dashed early and decisively. Or to make an epic comeback only to fall just short. But to collapse after such a huge lead and first-half domination against your hated rival, well ... there's a very special place within one's soul reserved for that type of misery. And that desolate place, a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth, was fully realized yesterday.
2. False Hope. We remember all-too-well Texas blowing a 21 point fourth quarter lead against Kyler Murray in 2018. So most Texas fans around me weren't comfortable with the 28-7 or even 38-20 leads. I certainly wasn't. We had the big lead and the offense looked nearly unstoppable, giving reason for optimism and hope. But what made me most optimistic was the benching of Rattler. Whether the defense played well, or Rattler just played poorly, or both, this was a GREAT sign early in the game. You have a huge lead, your offense looks extremely potent, maybe unstoppable, and now OU's resorting to BACKUP FRESHMAN QB? "Okay, cmon", I'm thinking to myself, "surely, surely, SURELY Texas can't blow this NOW, with OU resorting to their backup QB." We're going to finish this thing and get the win. Right? SURELY! Wrong. Unbelievable. I'm still in disbelief.
3. The Third Quarter. Though the collapse wasn't fully realized until the fourth, the third was a disaster and set the tone for the end of the game. Texas looked bad. Where were the half-time adjustments? What happened to all gas no breaks? Where'd the (until-then) serviceable offensive line go? Why couldn't our defense get off the field? Texas had ample opportunity to put more distance between itself and OU and squandered just about each and everyone chance it got. You could feel the tide turning in the third.
4. The Offense Goes Catatonic in the Second Half. Time after time the Texas defense did just enough to get off the field, hold OU to a field goal, etc. But the offense would simply three and out or stall quickly, giving the ball back to OU and putting our gassed defense right back on the field on a very HOT day. I'm seeing lots and lots of blame allotted to the defense on the board. But for the first 25 minutes of playing time of the second half, Texas fielded THREE POINTS. THREE POINTS!! Are you kidding me? What the hell happened? How is it possible to look so completely different between two halves? It was like an entirely different team came out to play the second half.
5. Absurd Conversions. I'm still in disbelief at some of those conversions OU made. Take away just one of them and Texas likely wins the game. The controversial third down sideline catch that should have been overturned (honest question, what if the receiver re-established himself though?). The 4th and 1 TD run in the first quarter. The 3rd and 6 from the Texas 17 or so where Caleb drops the snap, Texas gets pressure, but he somehow finds wide open receiver in back of Texas endzone. The 3rd and long hail mary type pass where their receiver and our DB are locked arm and arm - until the very precise last moment when the ball's falling, when OU receiver pushes away to make the catch. The 3rd and 20 TD conversion toe-tap (no call holding here?). I mean it was just insanity.
6. A Game of Inches. All the big breaks in the second half went OU's way. Whether it was the overturned strip fumble recovery, or the third and long toe-tap TD for OU with toe an inch inbounds, or the toe-tap incompletion for TX with toe an inch out of bounds. Texas couldn't catch a break. OU caught them all. If any one of those plays goes Texas' way, we likely win the game. I honestly think the strip-fumble play was the ultimate turning point in the game.
7. For Heaven's Sake - Fair Catch the Kick. Even before the kickoff fumble, everyone was in disbelief that Texas was trying to return the kicks. After OU cut the lead to 8, I was baffled when Texas tried to return the ball, only to be STUFFED at the 15 or so. OU had all the momentum and their crowd was roaring. TAKE IT AT THE 25!! Making Texas start at the 15 instead of the 25 was a BIG DEAL and may have made all the difference. We all know what happened next - Texas went backwards and ended up punting from its own endzone, ultimately setting up the game-tying TD. And yet, even after that, for some ASININE reason the COACHES didn't tell Xavier Worthy to fair catch the next kick. Low and behold, utter catastrophe. Complete and utter CATASTROPHE. Fumbled kickoff. That's the ballgame, folks. If Texas takes the ball at the 25 right there with a tie ball game, I give us a 50/50 shot or better of winning the ballgame. Never had the chance. Complete disaster.
8. Texas Ties the Game. I'm not taking any moral victories from this calamity, but for Texas (and especially Xavier Worthy) to storm down the field and tie the game like that, was a proud moment. Win or lose, they didn't give up. You like to see that.
9. To the Victor Go the Memories and the Momentum. One of the saddest aspects of this loss is that all of those special plays made by Texas will be completely forgotten and rendered meaningless. Bijan's insane runs, especially that huge one to the 2 of the Texas side of the field, Worthy's dazzling catches and multiple TDs, Casey's nearly record-setting day, the numerous turnovers by the Texas defense. What could have been Longhorn legend and lore, highlights and epic moments to relive and enjoy from time to time, are instead tragic reminders of a scarring defeat.
Additionally, imagine (at your own risk) how excited everyone would be today and all week had we held on to win the game. Imagine how raucous and fun DKR would be next weekend against OSU. And the following weeks as long as we kept winning. We'd be top 10, media coverage, Bijan heisman, recruiting momentum, etc etc. It was all there before us. ALL OF IT. And Texas let it slip through their fingers like a handful of sand. Winning a game like that makes ALL THE OTHER GAMES so much more fun. It's about MOMENTUM. And we let that slip away. Terribly painful to ponder what could have been. What WAS, until it WAS NOT.
10. No One to Blame. Part of what makes this defeat so devastating is there's no clear villain or culprit or reason on which to pin the loss and be angry. I'm not nearly as angry as I am just downright heartbroken. The refs were generally fine, other than the first quarter out of bounds conversion and a holding miss or a few. Our coaches had a great game-plan for the first half, and sure they didn't make necessary halftime adjustments, but did they need to make major adjustments after the first half dominance? The offense stunk it up in the second half but blew the roof off in the first and ultimately scored 48 points. The defense couldn't hold OU to a punt in the second half but forced several turnovers in the first and held OU to FGs multiple times which was HUGE. Our fans were loud and stayed until the end. OU made great plays when they needed them, and they got lots of big breaks, but that's just part of the game. And good teams tend to get the breaks.
11. Storming the Field? Did OU fans storm the field after the win? Someone showed me footage but I'm staying away from this game on the web so haven't verified. If so, that's just unacceptable. Neither team should EVER storm the field in this series, no matter the circumstances or how the game unfolds. Let alone when the winner is top 10 and beating a 21st ranked opponent who they've beaten 3 times in a row previously. I don't care if it's the biggest comeback in the series. This rivalry and these schools should be above that. Texas is, anyway. OU, I guess maybe not so much. If this actually happened, I'm shocked. FYI, I left right before the Eyes (I know, I know, but I sung while walking down the ramps). I just couldn't be there any longer.
12. Redemption is Technically Possible. Dare I say it? While I don't believe it will happen, redemption is technically possible. COMPLETE REDEMPTION. But there is only one way. And we all know what that is. Beat OU in the Big XII Championship game. That's it. Not a good bowl game. Not beating Baylor or OSU or anyone else in the Big XII Championship game. Not 10 wins. BEAT OU IN THE BIG XII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. PERIOD. If that happens, this game is avenged. And technically, that's still on the table. Will it happen? Doubtful. But, there's a chance.
13. Aggies Big Win. I was all out of cares by the time this happened. The Texas loss took me about as low as possible. It simply was not possible to go any lower, to be any more upset. I was numb. So part of me was glad for the upset and the chaos. But today I'm starting to remember why I was cheering for Bama.
14. Taking a Step Back Emotionally. I know many here can relate to this. As another poster mentioned, many of us need to take a step back, emotionally. It's losses like these - that only come around every few years and are accompanied by that special, deep, unwavering despondency and pain - that remind me of this. Part of me wants to abandon my attendance streak at the cotton bowl. It's such a beatdown physically, mentally, and emotionally. But I can't abandon our Horns. So I'll keep going. But, and this may be wishful thinking or unrealistic, I plan to meditate before each game. Keep emotions in check and put the game in perspective before, during, and after. Now this comes with some compromise, forfeiting a bunch of emotional excitement and adrenaline, which is oh so fun and to which we're all addicted. But that emotional engagement comes with a price. Losses like these are a reminder that BALANCE is better.
Hook em and Texas Fight.
WTA
I'll never be able to re-watch that game. Simply too painful. So my thoughts below are based solely on my live viewing experience. Sat in Section 126 row 7. I've attended 20 of the past 21 years now. I'm running on just a few hours of sleep but I need to get this out.
1. An All-Time Loss. This is one of the worst, most painful, gut-wrenching losses of the past 25 years. Probably top 5 most painful. Right behind 2001 Big XII Champ Game, 2008 Tech, and 2009 Bama. Probably worse than 1999 A&M, 2001 OU, 2018 West Virginia, and 2018 Big XII Champ Game. It's one thing to lose a close, hard-fought game that's toe-for-toe most of the way. Or to be blown out and have your hopes dashed early and decisively. Or to make an epic comeback only to fall just short. But to collapse after such a huge lead and first-half domination against your hated rival, well ... there's a very special place within one's soul reserved for that type of misery. And that desolate place, a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth, was fully realized yesterday.
2. False Hope. We remember all-too-well Texas blowing a 21 point fourth quarter lead against Kyler Murray in 2018. So most Texas fans around me weren't comfortable with the 28-7 or even 38-20 leads. I certainly wasn't. We had the big lead and the offense looked nearly unstoppable, giving reason for optimism and hope. But what made me most optimistic was the benching of Rattler. Whether the defense played well, or Rattler just played poorly, or both, this was a GREAT sign early in the game. You have a huge lead, your offense looks extremely potent, maybe unstoppable, and now OU's resorting to BACKUP FRESHMAN QB? "Okay, cmon", I'm thinking to myself, "surely, surely, SURELY Texas can't blow this NOW, with OU resorting to their backup QB." We're going to finish this thing and get the win. Right? SURELY! Wrong. Unbelievable. I'm still in disbelief.
3. The Third Quarter. Though the collapse wasn't fully realized until the fourth, the third was a disaster and set the tone for the end of the game. Texas looked bad. Where were the half-time adjustments? What happened to all gas no breaks? Where'd the (until-then) serviceable offensive line go? Why couldn't our defense get off the field? Texas had ample opportunity to put more distance between itself and OU and squandered just about each and everyone chance it got. You could feel the tide turning in the third.
4. The Offense Goes Catatonic in the Second Half. Time after time the Texas defense did just enough to get off the field, hold OU to a field goal, etc. But the offense would simply three and out or stall quickly, giving the ball back to OU and putting our gassed defense right back on the field on a very HOT day. I'm seeing lots and lots of blame allotted to the defense on the board. But for the first 25 minutes of playing time of the second half, Texas fielded THREE POINTS. THREE POINTS!! Are you kidding me? What the hell happened? How is it possible to look so completely different between two halves? It was like an entirely different team came out to play the second half.
5. Absurd Conversions. I'm still in disbelief at some of those conversions OU made. Take away just one of them and Texas likely wins the game. The controversial third down sideline catch that should have been overturned (honest question, what if the receiver re-established himself though?). The 4th and 1 TD run in the first quarter. The 3rd and 6 from the Texas 17 or so where Caleb drops the snap, Texas gets pressure, but he somehow finds wide open receiver in back of Texas endzone. The 3rd and long hail mary type pass where their receiver and our DB are locked arm and arm - until the very precise last moment when the ball's falling, when OU receiver pushes away to make the catch. The 3rd and 20 TD conversion toe-tap (no call holding here?). I mean it was just insanity.
6. A Game of Inches. All the big breaks in the second half went OU's way. Whether it was the overturned strip fumble recovery, or the third and long toe-tap TD for OU with toe an inch inbounds, or the toe-tap incompletion for TX with toe an inch out of bounds. Texas couldn't catch a break. OU caught them all. If any one of those plays goes Texas' way, we likely win the game. I honestly think the strip-fumble play was the ultimate turning point in the game.
7. For Heaven's Sake - Fair Catch the Kick. Even before the kickoff fumble, everyone was in disbelief that Texas was trying to return the kicks. After OU cut the lead to 8, I was baffled when Texas tried to return the ball, only to be STUFFED at the 15 or so. OU had all the momentum and their crowd was roaring. TAKE IT AT THE 25!! Making Texas start at the 15 instead of the 25 was a BIG DEAL and may have made all the difference. We all know what happened next - Texas went backwards and ended up punting from its own endzone, ultimately setting up the game-tying TD. And yet, even after that, for some ASININE reason the COACHES didn't tell Xavier Worthy to fair catch the next kick. Low and behold, utter catastrophe. Complete and utter CATASTROPHE. Fumbled kickoff. That's the ballgame, folks. If Texas takes the ball at the 25 right there with a tie ball game, I give us a 50/50 shot or better of winning the ballgame. Never had the chance. Complete disaster.
8. Texas Ties the Game. I'm not taking any moral victories from this calamity, but for Texas (and especially Xavier Worthy) to storm down the field and tie the game like that, was a proud moment. Win or lose, they didn't give up. You like to see that.
9. To the Victor Go the Memories and the Momentum. One of the saddest aspects of this loss is that all of those special plays made by Texas will be completely forgotten and rendered meaningless. Bijan's insane runs, especially that huge one to the 2 of the Texas side of the field, Worthy's dazzling catches and multiple TDs, Casey's nearly record-setting day, the numerous turnovers by the Texas defense. What could have been Longhorn legend and lore, highlights and epic moments to relive and enjoy from time to time, are instead tragic reminders of a scarring defeat.
Additionally, imagine (at your own risk) how excited everyone would be today and all week had we held on to win the game. Imagine how raucous and fun DKR would be next weekend against OSU. And the following weeks as long as we kept winning. We'd be top 10, media coverage, Bijan heisman, recruiting momentum, etc etc. It was all there before us. ALL OF IT. And Texas let it slip through their fingers like a handful of sand. Winning a game like that makes ALL THE OTHER GAMES so much more fun. It's about MOMENTUM. And we let that slip away. Terribly painful to ponder what could have been. What WAS, until it WAS NOT.
10. No One to Blame. Part of what makes this defeat so devastating is there's no clear villain or culprit or reason on which to pin the loss and be angry. I'm not nearly as angry as I am just downright heartbroken. The refs were generally fine, other than the first quarter out of bounds conversion and a holding miss or a few. Our coaches had a great game-plan for the first half, and sure they didn't make necessary halftime adjustments, but did they need to make major adjustments after the first half dominance? The offense stunk it up in the second half but blew the roof off in the first and ultimately scored 48 points. The defense couldn't hold OU to a punt in the second half but forced several turnovers in the first and held OU to FGs multiple times which was HUGE. Our fans were loud and stayed until the end. OU made great plays when they needed them, and they got lots of big breaks, but that's just part of the game. And good teams tend to get the breaks.
11. Storming the Field? Did OU fans storm the field after the win? Someone showed me footage but I'm staying away from this game on the web so haven't verified. If so, that's just unacceptable. Neither team should EVER storm the field in this series, no matter the circumstances or how the game unfolds. Let alone when the winner is top 10 and beating a 21st ranked opponent who they've beaten 3 times in a row previously. I don't care if it's the biggest comeback in the series. This rivalry and these schools should be above that. Texas is, anyway. OU, I guess maybe not so much. If this actually happened, I'm shocked. FYI, I left right before the Eyes (I know, I know, but I sung while walking down the ramps). I just couldn't be there any longer.
12. Redemption is Technically Possible. Dare I say it? While I don't believe it will happen, redemption is technically possible. COMPLETE REDEMPTION. But there is only one way. And we all know what that is. Beat OU in the Big XII Championship game. That's it. Not a good bowl game. Not beating Baylor or OSU or anyone else in the Big XII Championship game. Not 10 wins. BEAT OU IN THE BIG XII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. PERIOD. If that happens, this game is avenged. And technically, that's still on the table. Will it happen? Doubtful. But, there's a chance.
13. Aggies Big Win. I was all out of cares by the time this happened. The Texas loss took me about as low as possible. It simply was not possible to go any lower, to be any more upset. I was numb. So part of me was glad for the upset and the chaos. But today I'm starting to remember why I was cheering for Bama.
14. Taking a Step Back Emotionally. I know many here can relate to this. As another poster mentioned, many of us need to take a step back, emotionally. It's losses like these - that only come around every few years and are accompanied by that special, deep, unwavering despondency and pain - that remind me of this. Part of me wants to abandon my attendance streak at the cotton bowl. It's such a beatdown physically, mentally, and emotionally. But I can't abandon our Horns. So I'll keep going. But, and this may be wishful thinking or unrealistic, I plan to meditate before each game. Keep emotions in check and put the game in perspective before, during, and after. Now this comes with some compromise, forfeiting a bunch of emotional excitement and adrenaline, which is oh so fun and to which we're all addicted. But that emotional engagement comes with a price. Losses like these are a reminder that BALANCE is better.
Hook em and Texas Fight.
WTA
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