Texas has edge vs. Oklahoma: Other thoughts

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My slightly soiled tea leaves say No. 5 Texas' chances against top-ranked Oklahoma on Saturday are better than in recent seasons because of one player -- quarterback Colt McCoy -- and one coach -- defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.In Texas' nearly uncontested two-step last weekend at Colorado (38-14), McCoy showed early on why he's a playmaker Oklahoma must be wary of on every snap.Meanwhile, Muschamp, in his first season on the Longhorns staff after Mack Brown wised up and scrapped his co-coordinator system, rarely gave Colorado's offense a chance to get on track.Sure, other factors came into play -- a superior Texas defensive front vs. CU's patched up O-line, three errant Buffaloes field goals and multiple miscommunications, etc. But Muschamp simply is Brown's best hire in a long time.Perhaps healthier now than at any time in 2007, McCoy has produced 1,597 yards (1,280 passing; a team-best 317 rushing) and 20 touchdowns (16 passing) in five games.His falling, barely legal forward flip to running back Chris Ogbonnaya turned into mood-setting 65-yard sideline catch/run that staggered the Buffs."They're a different team than last year, but you can't really say one specific thing (about the offense) is better," Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy told the Austin American- Statesman."The one thing you can say is, Colt has gotten a lot better. He's moving a lot better . . . he's more accurate. That guy is a real good player. We're going to have a task ahead of us stopping him."OU's offense will have just as daunting a task moving against Muschamp's unit. Make it Texas 24, Oklahoma 17.HEADS UPWashington's sad state of affairs can be summed up in this Monday headline from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Huskies An Awful Mess With Ty Holding Mop."U-Dub's 0-5 start, the school's first since 1969, leaves coach Tyrone Willingham with an 11-30 overall record (6-23 in Pacific-10 Conference).In 14 team statistical categories kept by the NCAA, the Huskies rank no higher than 73 in any (pass offense). In the rest, they're 87th or worse, and the bleak numbers are not lost on new athletic director Scott Woodward, who contends there will be no midseason coaching move."You don't want to have your team orphaned," he said. "It's a bad situation. I don't think it's a great philosophy to make a firing in the middle of the season."As for a late-season move to save the 2009 recruiting class . . .TRYOUTS, ANYONE?Washington State is one win better (1-5) than its in-state rival. But things are hardly peachy in Pullman.With only three healthy quarterbacks, new coach Paul Wulff decided to call for QB tryouts. It attracted 29 hopefuls, each of whom took a physical and was covered by medical insurance.After a series of agility and passing drills and various other hut-huts, Peter Roberts (6-1, 190 pounds) from Woodinville, Wash., was chosen.Said Wulff: "We had probably 200 people watching, people overlooking from the library. We had a lot of fun with it, I'll say that, and we can use a little bit of that right now."SPITTING IMAGENo one seems able to identify the Nebraska player who allegedly spat on Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, but officials have had no trouble identifying the Cornhuskers as a penalty- prone team.The Big Red has a penchant for the Big Yellow, drawing 46 flags in five games (averaging more than nine a game), with eight for personal fouls. One of them was called on coach Bo Pelini for a sideline rant at a ref, but Bo says he knows better and his players better learn, too."We have to play more disciplined," he said. "That comes from me, the staff. I can't comment on officiating, but we need to play smarter. . . . We have to stress it and keep stressing it. It's hard to simulate in a practice. When it's an either/or moment, you learn to pull off and not take the shot. We're not always doing that."As for the alleged pre-game drizzle -- Daniel called the Huskers "the dirtiest team I've ever played" -- Pelini said the issue is dead after telephoning Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel. Or drying.TIDE ROLLS EARLYNo. 2 Alabama doesn't need any warm-up time. The Crimson Tide has outscored its opponents 88-0 in the first quarter and 147-20 by halftime.'Bama players attribute the hot starts to their first dozen or so plays being scripted according to what shows best in practice. Calls could change due to down and distance, but for the most part, the Tide is going with what works."(Coaches) see what we're hitting good because we're not going to put something in the (script) that we haven't really, really looked good on," quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "It comes together on that first drive."(Contact B.G. Brooks of the Rocky Mountain News at brooksb(at)rockymountainnews.com.)