Huddle Up: Texas

Photo Attribution: US Presswire

Associate managing editor for the Daily Texan, former Sports Illustrated and MLB.com intern, and one time Grandland contributor Trey Scott joined me to talk about the Texas game this weekend.

1. OSU fans have heard a lot of David Ash talk the last two weeks. Compare him (realistically) to another Big 12 QB (past or present).

There were times last season he looked a lot like Garrett Gilbert: prototypical size with some running ability but only with horrid accuracy, a propensity for making bone-headed decisions, especially in the red zone, devoid of any poise. Ash is so much better this season, with numbers that rival any Colt McCoy ever put up in a three-game span (seriously).

Alas, that’s not a realistic comparison. This is a tough question because you have to predict Ash’s 2011 lapses will strike again, but it’s also hard not to get excited about what you’ve seen from him so far. I’m going to stretch this a bit, but how about Iowa State’s Bret Meyer? Big-armed and athletic but with an occasion interception problem. I don’t know, ask me again in November.

2. Finish this sentence: on Saturday night the Texas defense will ________________.

Be exhausted, drained, relieved to walk out of Stillwater with a win.

3. What is the current hierarchy of Big 12 coaches and where does Mack Brown fit in?

This ought to piss people off but I sometimes have a very hard time thinking of Mack Brown as a coach. He’s more of a figurehead, a great one at that. But very rarely do you hear him delve into any football philosophies; he’s more likely to deflect those questions to his assistants. That said, his ability to recruit[1. Trying to forget he didn’t see RG3 as a quarterback.] and media savvy nearly compensates for a lack of innovation.

1. Bill Snyder
2. Art Briles
3. Mike Gundy
4. Paul Rhoads
5. Gary Patterson
6. Mack Brown
7. Bob Stoops
8. Dana Holgorsen (love his offense but not jumping Brown/Stoops yet)
9. Tommy Tuberville
10. Charlie Weis

That’s a really great cast of coaches. I give Briles the nod over Gundy because his program was in much worse shape when he took over, then Rhoads over Patterson, Brown and Stoops because of the less-with-more/yearly upsets thing.

4. Are Texas fans more worries about facing J.W. Walsh or Wes Lunt?

Lunt. Whoever Todd Monken thinks is better, I’m more scared of. Plus, Manny Diaz’s defenses have done exceptionally well against dual-threat quarterbacks. His 2010 Mississippi State defense held Cam Newton to 206 total yards and Denard Robinson to 59 yards rushing.

5. Score prediction?

Texas 52, Oklahoma State 45

I don’t think either secondary has played up to expectation, so there will certainly be some points scored. Texas will also miss linebacker Jordan Hicks, who’s likely out with an ankle injury. He would have been a big help against the Randle-Smith rushing attack that nobody in Austin’s really talking about.

But at the end of the day, I think the Longhorns’ defense can get enough stops and I like the offense’s chances at grinding down OSU’s D and striking over the top for the big play.

Follow @trey_scott