FROM THE REAL ART SPORTS DESK
TEXAS, LSU GO TO 4-0, MOVE UP TWO SLOTS IN RANKINGS

From the AP via ESPN:

QB McCoy nearly perfect as Texas embarrasses Arkansas

It came at the hands of another near-perfect performance by McCoy, who put up five touchdowns and has Texas (4-0) coasting into its Big 12 schedule after a 52-10 romp over Arkansas that ranked among the biggest blowouts ever in the historic rivalry.

The loss was the worst in the series since a 52-0 Texas shutout in 1916 and the fourth-most lopsided meeting between the schools.

It was an embarrassing rivalry debut for Petrino in a series famous for close games. In the previous 10 meetings between Texas and Arkansas, the average margin of victory was fewer than nine points.

But the Razorbacks (2-2) left Austin as another overmatched opponent for Texas, which have now outscored opponents 198-36 this season.

"This is the best we've played since the national title year," said Texas senior offensive lineman Cedric Dockery, recalling the 2005 season. "It shows up on the scoreboard and in the win column."

More here.

Okay, this game was frustrating. Well, not the game itself, but the way I watched it. As usual, I woke up Saturday afternoon only to find that Texas/Arkansas was already well underway on the local ABC affiliate. The good thing was that Texas was up by twenty eight points. "Cool," I thought, "I'll watch a rip roaring rout in the second half." And a rout it was. Texas had extended its lead to forty two points midway through the third quarter. I was loving it! And that's when ABC decided that the game had ended and switched over to ESPN coverage of a game I didn't really care about.

All told, I only got to see a little more than half a quarter of play. That's the thing about living outside my home state: you've really got to relish those televised Longhorn moments when you get them. I mean, yeah, I do get to see a lot of Texas ball out here in Louisiana, but that's only because they're so nationally prominent. Lord help me if I was a Baylor fan. Well, Lord help me if I was a Baylor fan in any case, but the point is that I'm not living in Longhorn country, and television executives know it.

Texas/Colorado may or may not be shown here next Saturday, which is a drag because I'm sure UT/OU will be shown here, and I'm still quite afraid that my next Longhorn TV fix will be watching Mack Brown once again be outcoached by Bob Stoops. Yeah yeah, I'm finally ready to admit that the 'Horns really are playing well this season, but they still haven't played anyone as good as or better than they are yet. What's going to happen?

I'm trying not to think about that. For now, I'm just going to enjoy this number five ranking Texas has fallen into, just as I'm enjoying LSU's number three ranking.


Texas quarterback Colt McCoy attempts to elude Arkansas defensive
end Jake Bequette during a second-quarter option play in an NCAA
college football game, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008, in Austin, Texas.
(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Speaking of LSU, again from the AP via ESPN:

No. 5 LSU stays unbeaten with scrappy win over Mississippi State

Scott surpassed 100 yards rushing for a fourth straight game, leading No. 5 LSU to a 34-24 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday night.

"We played a very physical defense and ... matched that physicality or exceeded it," Miles said. "I think we can run the football against any opponent."

The Bulldogs turned in a feisty performance in a bid to add another surprising result to a week highlighted by upsets of No. 1 Southern California, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Florida.

Mississippi State trailed by only 10 during much of the fourth quarter, but Scott's 27 carries for 141 yards kept LSU (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) moving and the clock rolling.

And

However, LSU starting interior defensive linemen Ricky Jean-Francois and Charles Alexander both were shaken up in the first half. Alexander briefly returned in the fourth quarter, Jean-Francois did not, but remained on the sideline in uniform.

More here.

Okay, I got to see this one, just as I get to see every LSU game here in Louisiana, sometimes twice because of rebroadcast on local stations, and it was exciting. Kind of exciting in the way that the Auburn game was exciting, and that's a problem. While a member in good standing of the SEC, which is accompanied by a certain level of respect if only just because, Mississippi State is no Auburn. LSU should have beaten the shit out of MSU and they didn't. My thinking is that the loss of Jean-Francois and Alexander is what opened the game up for the Bulldogs; fortunately, the two dominating defensive linemen were only out for that game. On the other hand, inconsistency and sloppy play is a problem that has plagued the Tigers during the Les Miles era, and I wonder how we're going to do the rest of the season--maybe we'll convincingly beat number two Alabama, rubbing Sabin's nose in it, but lose to, say, 0-2 South Carolina.

It would be just awful to lose to a bunch of game cocks.


LSU wide receiver Demetrius Byrd (2) breaks away from Mississippi State
defender Tay Bowser (28) in the second half of an NCAA college football game
on his way to scoring a touchdown in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008.
Byrd scored on the play and LSU defeated Mississippi State 34-24.
(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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