On College Football: Who would make 15-team super league?
What if college footballโs most powerful teams, the biggest of the big boys, tried to do what is happening now in European soccer, where a dozen of the wealthiest and most successful clubs are in the process of forming a 15-team Super League.
โUT needs rich donorsโ: Emails show wealthy alumni supporting โEyes of Texasโ threatened to pull donations
They blasted off emails to UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell, calling the image of the abandoned quarterback "disgusting," "embarrassing" and "disturbing." Ad"The Eyes of Texas is non-negotiable," wrote another graduate who said theyโve had season tickets since 1990 and whose name was redacted by the university. While those who emailed represent a fraction of the more than 540,000 UT-Austin alumni, their threats had some university fundraisers sounding the alarms. "'The Eyes of Texas' should not only unite us, but hold all of us accountable to our institutionโs core values. "I know this much," Sarkisian said, "'The Eyes of Texas' is our school song.
Alabama QB Mac Jones heads into Senior Bowl on gimpy ankle
The next game he plays is for his NFL draft stock, provided the Alabama quarterback's gimpy left ankle is good to go. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said the plan is for Jones to dress out and see how his ankle feels. โJust being in that room, I already learned so much about NFL football,โ he said. Mond started 44 games for the Aggies, Ehlinger logged 43 starts for the Longhorns,Mond led the Aggies into College Football Playoffs contention in his final season. I just wanted to come and kind of learn more about NFL football and learn a new playbook, which I thought I did a good job with.
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger entering NFL draft
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger scrambles during the second half of the team's NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)AUSTIN, Texas โ Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is passing on a fifth season with the Longhorns to enter the NFL draft. Ehlinger announced the decision in a video Sunday, a day after Texas fired coach Tom Herman and replaced him with Steve Sarkisian. โIโm so proud to have been your quarterback for four amazing years," Ehlinger said in the video. May God bless all of you, and hook โem.โEhlinger finished his Texas career with 11,436 yards passing and 94 touchdowns in 46 games, 43 of them starts.
Texas fires Herman after 4 seasons, hires Tide OC Sarkisian
The move comes just a few hours after Texas announced the firing of Tom Herman after four seasons with no Big 12 championships. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)AUSTIN, Texas โ Texas was tired of waiting for Tom Herman to deliver a Big 12 title and turn the Longhorns back into national championship contenders. Texas fired Herman on Saturday after four winning seasons, then hours later announced it was giving the job to the Alabama offensive coordinator. He will be Texasโ fourth head coach since the programโs last Big 12 championship in 2009. Of note, Sarkisian was a USC assistant when Texas beat the Trojans for the national championship in the epic 2006 Rose Bowl.
Texas overcomes Ehlinger injury, routs Colorado 55-23
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)SAN ANTONIO โ Texas has been tested all year, but losing senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger to a shoulder injury was an obstacle the Longhorns never anticipated. 20 Texas overcame Ehlingerโs injury to beat Colorado 55-23 in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Tuesday night. Ehlinger missed the second half after sustaining a shoulder injury in the second quarter. Thompson started the second half in place of Ehlinger and led Texas to a touchdown on its opening possession. Texas: The Longhorns found a capable replacement for Ehlinger in Thompson.
Ehlinger last captain standing for Texas vs Buffs in bowl
That leaves Ehlinger alone to try to put a final stamp on a bizarre season that may or may not be his last in college. โNo seniors have really been in this position to where theyโve been granted an extra year of eligibility,โ Ehlinger said during Texasโ bowl preparations. Ehlinger has been the full-time starter since 2018 and ranks second only to Colt McCoy in the school record book for passing yards and touchdowns. Now he has a chance to win a fourth consecutive bowl game, a rarity for a starting quarterback. He has two career kickoff return touchdowns, a punt return TD and a blocked two-point conversion return for another score.
Texas RBs pile up 311 yards, 6 TDs, clobber K-State 69-31
MANHATTAN, Kan. โ Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson combined for 311 rushing yards and six touchdowns and Texas beat Kansas State 69-31 on Saturday afternoon. Robinson scored on runs of 12, 30 and 75 yards Saturday. โI knew it would take time to learn to get a feel for the game,โ Robinson said. โCredit to Texas because they were ready to play today,โ Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. โIโm excited about that and for our players to send them out with another winning season,โ Herman said.
Texas heads to K-State with Hermanโs future in spotlight
MANHATTAN, Kan. โ The end of Charlie Strongโs tenure at Texas was probably sealed with a late-season loss to lowly Kansas. Four years later, Tom Herman's tenure could likewise be decided in the Sunflower State. And perhaps most importantly, Texas likely will sitting out the Big 12 title game again, regardless of what happens against the Wildcats and Kansas. โIf you truly love the game of football and you love your teammates and you love this program, and you're doing it for the right reasons, every game matters,โ Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger said. โIt's another opportunity to play the game you love.
No. 22 Texas' defense holds off West Virginia, 17-13
Texas stopped West Virginia on fourth-down passes into the end zone twice in the fourth quarter, enabling the No. Doege completed 35 of 50 for 317 yards for West Virginia (4-3, 3-3) but failed to throw a touchdown. Texas limited West Virginia running back Leddie Brown to 47 yards, 69 fewer than his average, on 15 carries. But the West Virginia offense failed to capitalize repeatedly on scoring opportunities. The game against West Virginia was a step forward coming a week after Texas beat then-No.
Ehlinger's TD pass helps Texas beat No. 6 Oklahoma St. in OT
Oklahoma State drove into Texas territory late in the first half with a 24-17 lead, but Ossai stripped him and Texas defensive tackle TaโQuon Graham recovered and returned the ball to the Oklahoma State 20. Sanders threw his fourth touchdown pass -- a 9-yard toss to a well-covered Wallace -- to give Oklahoma State a 31-20 lead. Oklahoma State got a final shot in regulation, getting the ball back with 1:13 remaining and no timeouts. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys dominated nearly every facet of the game and beat themselves with mistakes. Oklahoma State visits Kansas State on Saturday.
No. 6 Oklahoma St and Texas always seem close in Big 12 play
Some things to watch in the Big 12 on the last Saturday of October, when No. 6 Oklahoma State. The undefeated Cowboys (4-0, 3-0 Big 12) have allowed only 12 points a game, while the Longhorns (3-2, 2-2) are the Big 12's highest-scoring team at 45 points a game. The Horned Frogs and Bears were the only Big 12 teams that didn't get to play their nonconference games because of COVID-19 issues. 16 Kansas State is looking to open Big 12 play with five consecutive wins for the first time since 2014.
Ehlinger helps Texas beat Baylor 27-16 to end skid
AUSTIN, Texas โ Sam Ehlinger passed for an early touchdown, then ran for two more in the second half to lead Texas to a 27-16 win over Baylor on Saturday that snapped the Longhornsโ two-game losing skid. After the game, Texas players stayed on the field for โThe Eyes of Texasโ school song that had been embroiled in controversy. Ehlinger set up Texasโ first touchdown with a 42-yard completion on a leaping catch by Joshua Moore. After forcing a turnover on downs in the final minutes, Texas ran out the clock near the Baylor goal line. Most of the team left the field before the song after Texasโ first two home games and again in Dallas when Texas lost to Oklahoma, angering some fans.
Conflict raging over โThe Eyes of Texasโ school song
AUSTIN, Texas โ Losing football games is one thing at the University of Texas. A challenge to the hallowed school song is quite another. โStanding for โThe Eyes of Texasโ is a statement of something โ school spirit, loyalty, solidarity,โ University of Texas law professor emeritus David Anderson said. They first marched with coach Tom Herman from campus to the state Capitol, then led a group of students and athletes demanding the school drop โThe Eyes of Texas." โTo be clear, the UT System Board of Regents stands unequivocally and unanimously in support of President Hartzellโs announcement that The Eyes of Texas is, and will remain, the official school song,โ Eltife said.
Herman says no mandate for Texas players over school song
AUSTIN, Texas โ Texas coach Tom Herman said Monday there is no mandate that his players stay on the field for the post-game singing of the school song, an issue that has erupted into controversy among Longhorns fans. โNobody, from Chris Del Conte to myself to any other coaches, have mandated our players do anything,โ Herman said. Herman said Monday he continues to encourage players to sing or stay on the field to show appreciation for the school and fans, but will respect those who don't. The players were told over the summer they didn't have to sing the song. โI respect the hell out of our team and our team leaders for fostering that environment of inclusivity,โ Herman said.
Herman will sing โEyes of Texasโ and respect those who donโt
AUSTIN, Texas โ Texas coach Tom Herman said Monday heโll encourage players and staff to sing โThe Eyes of Texasโ after games, but will respect those who donโt want to join the long-standing school tradition that has become a flashpoint for fans. Herman addressed the post-game song after fan outrage bubbled on internet message boards following Texas' loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. Most of the team left the field but senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger was conspicuous by staying for the song with Herman and several coaches. I applaud them and respect that,โ Herman said. โA team that is divided, a team thatโs fractured ... they donโt play like that,โ Herman said.
Rattler TD pass in 4th OT sends OU past No. 22 Texas 53-45
The Oklahoma freshman threw a 25-yard scoring pass to Drake Stoops in the fourth overtime and the Sooners survived a late rally from No. It was just the second four-OT game in 25 seasons of the Big 12, joining Kansas State's 53-50 victory over Texas A&M in 2011. The Longhorns (2-2, 1-2) also left themselves little hope of playing for a Big 12 title, much less being part of the College Football Playoff conversation. โI was kind of surprised when I came out at first,โ said Rattler, who was tied for the Big 12 lead with four interceptions coming in. POLL IMPLICATIONSConsecutive Big 12 losses, the first for Oklahoma since 1998, sent the Sooners tumbling from No.
Red River rivalry in Big 12 even without State Fair of Texas
There is no State Fair of Texas this year because of the pandemic and both teams are coming off a loss, but this is still the Red River rivalry. The five-time defending Big 12 champions Sooners are 0-2 in league play (losses to Kansas State and Iowa State) for the first time since 1988. But Oklahoma has won eight of the last 11 against Texas, including the Big 12 title game in 2018. They all play Oct. 17, when the rest of the Big 12 teams will get that weekend off. ... Kansas State, which plays at TCU, is 2-0 in the Big 12 for the first time since 2014.
Max Duggan and TCU beat No. 9 Longhorns again 33-31
TCU quarterback Max Duggan (15) scores a touchdown on a run against Texas during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)AUSTIN, Texas โ Texas ran out of comebacks against Max Duggan and TCU. The Horned Frogs quarterback ran for the go-ahead score with 4 minutes left and the defense made it stand with a goal-line fumble recovery to beat No. After Duggan's touchdown, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger marched the Longhorns to the lip of the end zone. Griffin Kell kicked four field goals for the Horned Frogs.
Max Duggan and TCU beat No. 9 Longhorns again 33-31
AUSTIN, Texas โ Texas ran out of comebacks against Max Duggan and TCU. The Horned Frogs quarterback ran for the go-ahead score with 4 minutes left and the defense made it stand with a goal-line fumble recovery to beat No. He's now 7-2 against Texas since TCU joined the Big 12 in 2012. After Duggan's touchdown, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger marched the Longhorns to the lip of the end zone. Griffin Kell kicked four field goals for the Horned Frogs.
No. 8 Texas rallies to beat Texas Tech 63-56 in overtime
Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger scores a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech, Saturday Sept. 26, 2020, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Mark Rogers)LUBBOCK, Texas โ Sam Ehlinger threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Moore in overtime, sending No. 8 Texas to a wild 63-56 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday that saw the Longhorns rally with two touchdowns in the final 3 minutes of regulation. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders were on the brink of delivering second-year coach Matt Wells a signature win over a Top 10 team and big rival. The first two set up Texas touchdowns in the first half before the last one ended the game.
Ehlinger and No. 8 Texas open Big 12 play at Texas Tech
8 Texas (1-0) at Texas Tech (1-0), Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Texas needs a quick start in the Big 12 as the Longhorns chase their first league crown since 2009. KEY MATCHUPTexas quarterback Sam Ehlinger vs. the Red Raiders' frazzled secondary. The Red Raiders got torched by Houston Baptist's prolific passing game their first time on the field. ... Red Raiders linebacker Colin Schooler and Texas wide receiver Brenden Schooler are brothers.
Week 4 Preview: FSU-Miami has King in spotlight; SEC begins
Before Miami won easily last year, the โCanes and โNoles played five straight games decided by five points or fewer. A pandemic-altered college football season has helped put FSU-Miami in the spotlight again this weekend. The Big Ten and Pac-12 are still at least a month away, but the college football menu is starting to fill up. 7-6 โ Lane Kiffin's record in his one SEC season as coach at Tennessee. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Ehlinger leads No. 14 Texas romp over UTEP 59-3
14 Longhorns Saturday night after months of coronavirus disruptions and social justice demands and protests was that they finally got to take the field against UTEP. Ehlinger's final touchdown pass came on a 6-yard toss to walk-on Kai Money in the final seconds of the first half. Texas' original schedule had the Longhorns visiting defending national champion LSU this weekend, in a rematch of their 2019 classic. Texas didn't allow a sack in 47 pass attempts and the defense allowed only 233 total yards in new coordinator Chris Ash's debut. But they were overpowered at the line of scrimmage and overwhelmed by Texas' speed while Longhorns receivers zipped through and around the UTEP secondary.
No. 14 Texas eager to get to kickoff with opener vs UTEP
A quick look around the Big 12 justifies his trepidation. Get that far and Texas can at least start a season in pursuit of its first Big 12 championship since 2009. Texas' first Big 12 game is scheduled for Sept 26 at Texas Tech. The Big Ten and Pac-12 scrapped their fall seasons while the Big 12, SEC ad ACC push ahead. Texas has lacked a big-time edge rusher in the past and big things are expected of him.
Texas chases Big 12 title with Ehlinger and rebuilt staff
Tossed out were the offensive and defensive coordinators in favor of new assistants with past connections to Herman and the Big 12. 14 Texas will soon return to a Big 12 championship not won in more than a decade. Texas opens the season at home against UTEP on Sept. 12, then opens Big 12 play at Texas Tech on Sept. 26. Texas hasn't won a Big 12 title since 2009 with Colt McCoy. SCHEDULE SCRAMBLEThe Big 12 schedule change knocked out one of the marquee games of the season: Texas at LSU.
A lot on the line for rivals Oklahoma, Texas in Dallas
The stage -- the Cotton Bowl in Dallas -- is not far from the dividing line between the two states of Oklahoma and Texas. 12 Oklahoma is coming off a surprising loss to Iowa State in Norman and now faces Texas, the winner of two straight games and surprising leader in the Big 12. Texas currently is tied with TCU for first place in the conference and a win over Oklahoma would be huge for the program. 12 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) vs. Texas (3-2, 2-0) in Dallas, Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CT (ESPN)Line: Oklahoma by 8. Texas's surprise early lead in the Big 12 standings.