In what may have been the best football game of the season (at any level), the Texas Longhorns overcame two eleven point deficits in the first half and an eight point margin in the second to defeat the number one team in the nation, the rival Oklahoma Sooners. Despite Sam Bradford's five touchdown passes, the Sooners were unable to run the ball and their defense became tired, allowing Texas' ground game to establish some control late in the game. A terrific contest, and one that carries serious ramifications for all of the Big-12 elite teams as the conference series is now underway.

College: Oklahoma Conference: Big 12 Columnist: Adam Bendiksen

Game Notes

Jermaine Gresham 18 6' 4.5" 264 4.80 TE 2010 -- Perhaps the top TE prospect for the 2010 draft, but good enough to come out this April. Big, fast and athletic, he's a natural receiver who can both run over and by opponents. Not used much as a blocker in the Sooner's spread offense, and would definitely benefit with another year in school. GRADE: Positive

DeMarcus Granger 96 6' 2.0" 307 5.22 DT 2010 -- Complete player who's still suffering the effects of a recent knee injury which could have kept him out the rest of the season. Both quick off the ball and strong at the point, he shows up versus both the run and pass, but is clearly not back in form yet. Good instincts and active, should he stay in school for his senior season he could top the DT list. GRADE: Positive

Auston English 33 6' 2.5" 241 4.70 DE 2010 -- Tough, smart, try-hard guy never stops hustling and makes a lot of plays. Good instincts, nice quickness and decent technique. Strong for his size and uses his hands well. Must be an OLB on the next level, but looks like his skills may translate, and he has another year to mature. GRADE: Somewhat Positive

Phil Loadholt 79 6' 7.8" 337 5.30 OT 2009 -- Huge, massive lineman plays LT in college but will be a RT in pros. Good feet for a man his size, but not good enough to handle elite speed rushers at the next level. Surprisingly good athlete carries his weight well, shows some quickness and the ability to get low and cut. Smothers bull rushers and even runs a little. GRADE: Positive

Duke Robinson 72 6' 4.0" 335 5.20 OG 2009 -- Most dominant guard in the nation has had some issues which have led to decreased playing time this season, though he was in this entire game. Ideal for a man-blocking scheme, he has size, power, short-area quickness, and the ability to pull and trap. Understands blocking schemes and can handle all the different pass rushes. Only thing holding him back is him. GRADE: Neutral (based on issues)

Nic Harris 5 6' 2.2" 232 4.65 S 2009 -- Big, strong, reliable in-the-box safety who breaks down well and is an efficient tackler. Makes quick reads and gets there in a hurry. Smooth athlete with good speed. Not as comfortable in deep coverage or when he must turn and run, but appears to have the tools to be coached up. GRADE: Positive

Sam Bradford 14 6' 3.3" 208 4.80 QB 2011 -- Super Sophomore might hear his name called first on draft day in 2011 if he chooses to finish out his days in Norman. Has everything you want in a QB including size, athletic ability, arm strength, poise, accuracy and leadership ability, and also is a fine person off the field. Can rocket the ball or throw with touch. Only negative is a somewhat erratic delivery, but keep in mind he still has two more years to mature. Threw five touchdowns in this loss. GRADE: Very Positive

Gerald McCoy 93 6' 4.8" 299 5.00 DT 2011 -- Joins Bradford as another potential future top-five pick. Naturally large frame but is still very lean; just starting to grow into his body. Extremely quick and explosive, and displays good strength and technique for a player so young. Understands football and makes a lot of plays both in the run game and pressuring the QB. Sky's the limit. GRADE: Very Positive

DeMarco Murray 7 5' 11.5" 198 4.50 HB 2011 -- Young talent still feeling the effects of a knee injury. Has all the tools including athletic ability, balance, vision and acceleration, but at this point isn't much of an inside runner. Can break arm tackles but prefers to bounce plays outside or cut them back as opposed to taking on contact, possibly due to the injury. Must get bigger and stronger and run with more attitude, but has time to develop. Very good kick returner. GRADE: Somewhat Positive

Juaquin Iglesias 9 6' 0.7" 201 4.53 WR 2009 -- Smooth, graceful athlete who displays good hands and a desire to run after the catch, but dances too much and goes to the ground quickly to avoid contact (not necessarily a bad thing in the NFL). Decent kick returner. Must hit the weights and toughen up, but natural ability is there. GRADE: Somewhat Positive

Jon Cooper 50 6' 1.5" 289 5.00 C 2009 -- Small, scrappy lineman doesn't display much power at the point and can get bounced around, but has strong hands and tends to stick to his blocks. Very quick player who blocks well in combination, can block on the second level and is adept at cuts. Fits a zone-blocking scheme, but must work hard to get stronger. GRADE: Neutral

Lendy Holmes 11 5' 11.0" 193 4.50 S 2009 -- Versatile player can also play corner. Fine instincts and decent speed place him frequently around the ball, though he was very quiet this game. OK tackler but not a big hitter, his most likely position is the true free safety slot. Not involved much vs. the run. GRADE: Neutral

College: Texas Conference: Big 12 Columnist: Adam Bendiksen


Game Notes

Tray Allen 56 0' 0.0" 0 0.00 OT 2011 -- Young prospect did not play in this game. GRADE: Incomplete

Roy Miller 99 6' 1.0" 300 5.10 DT 2009 -- Strong, tough, traffic-cop type DT who plays hard all the time. Good, not great athlete with solid quickness. Thick build and strong hands. Pushes the pocket and holds ground versus the run. Sheds well and makes tackles. Very good lead blocker as a short-yardage fullback, but dropped a touchdown pass. GRADE: Positive

Colt McCoy 12 6' 2.0" 209 4.85 QB 2010 -- Great college QB with tremendous intangibles. Makes quick, decisive reads and gets ball out quickly. Never gives and runs very well. Thin build and a weak arm. Has another year to develop, but despite his successes, his arm just doesn't appear to be NFL caliber. GRADE: Somewhat Negative

Henry Melton 37 6' 2.0" 265 4.7 FB 2009 -- Athlete moved to DE. Runs well, but very raw on defense and not built like a FB. Aggressive. Versatility a plus, but must be special teams headhunter to make it in NFL. GRADE: Somewhat Negative

Cedric Dockery 55 6' 3.0" 320 5.30 OG 2009 -- Big, strong lineman with a lean, chiseled physique. Plays low with natural leverage. Athletic and runs pretty well. Tends to overextend in pass protection, but all the tools are there. Absorbs bull rushes very well. GRADE: Somewhat Positive

Sergio Kindle 2 6' 3.0" 239 4.70 LB 2010 -- 'Tweener type who can play OLB and down at end. Very strong for size, he sets the edge well but needs to use his hands better to disengage. Disappears for stretches, then makes a few plays in succession. Pursues hard. Improving player who should stay in school. GRADE: Somewhat Positive

Brian Orakpo 98 6' 3.2" 263 4.65 DE 2009 -- Great player who will be chosen early in April. Really has come on. Has it all: quickness & burst, speed, athletic ability and great strength for his size. Very strong, chiseled physique on a pass rusher's frame. Can rush inside and turn the corner. Strong at the point and sheds blocks quickly. Makes plays versus run and pass, and never quits. May be best in nation. GRADE: Very Positive

Adam Ulatoski 74 6' 7.0" 310 5.30 OT 2010 -- Finesse-type blocker who prefers to short-set in pass protection and relies on positioning in run game. Can run OK but misses targets and gets eaten up by power players. Has OK feet but shoddy technique against speed rushers. Not a natural knee-bender. Needs a lot of work. GRADE: Negative

Blaine Irby 19 6' 2.0" 240 4.70 TE 2011 -- Did not play in this game, but has fine athletic ability and makes tough catches as a receiver. GRADE: Incomplete

Ryan Bailey 39 6' 1.0" 205 4.90 K 2009 -- Made all his kicks, but didn't display much of a leg. GRADE: Neutral

Rashad Bobino 44 5' 10.5" 238 4.70 LB 2009 -- Overaggressive senior relegated to backup duty. Not disciplined, but fast, athletic and explosive. Kamikazee on kick coverages, which will have to be his ticket to the NFL. GRADE: Somewhat Negative

Quan Cosby 6 5' 10.5" 205 4.50 WR 2009 -- Not ideal size or long speed, but a fine prospect with great athletic ability, hands and body control. Catches everything, turns upfield quickly and has fine run-after-catch ability. Fearless and a fine blocker. Jumps well and is explosive. Tremendous concentration. Might not be a #1, but an ideal #2. GRADE: Positive

Lamarr Houston 33 6' 1.0" 275 4.80 DE 2010 -- Strong player with good speed and strength at the point, but struggles to disengage. Plays hard. Needs another year of seasoning. GRADE: Neutral

Roddrick Muckelroy 38 6' 1.0" 230 4.60 LB 2010 -- Fast, aggressive player who makes plays all over the field. Not big and must be shielded from blocks, and sometimes overpursues. Hits hard, tackles well and excels in pass coverage. Should stay in school, but displays the skills to make the jump to Sundays now. GRADE: Positive

Jared Norton 11 6' 2.0" 242 0.00 LB 2010 -- Took over starting MLB from Bobino and was solid. Thick, physical player is strong at the point and is generally around the ball. Doesn't make many plays and must learn to disengage better. Raw, but skills are there. GRADE: Neutral

Ryan Palmer 13 5' 9.5" 190 4.40 CB 2009 -- Tough, strong player was rarely tested in this contest. Gave up a TD on a short, contested pass, but was generally avoided. Need to see more. GRADE: Incomplete

Jordan Shipley 8 5' 11.5" 195 4.50 WR 2009 -- Undersung player will suit up on Sundays. Cosby gets the ink, but Shipley is in the same category. Not the biggest or fastest, he nevertheless displays great football skills and an understanding of the passing game. Very quick and explosive in and out of cuts, and turns upfield in a flash to gain yardage. Sells fakes very well, goes over the middle and catches everything. Very dangerous with the ball in his hands. Fine, fearless kick returner. Ideal slot receiver on the next level. GRADE: Positive

Other Player of Note: Manuel Johnson appears to be the most explosive player in the Sooner's arsenal, and seems to have added strength and size to his frame. He only seems to run WR screens, though, and is very raw. His athletic tools should land him in a camp next sumer. LB Ryan Reynolds, a team captain, suffered yet another knee injury in this game, and Oklahoma's defense wasn't the same afterward. Only a junior, lets hope he recovers. Junior LB Keenan Clayton is on the come. For Texas, senior RB Chris Ogbonnaya has been impressive. Though not overly fast or explosive, he has fine vision and runs with good body lean and power. Very tough to bring down, and prefers to do his work inside, which is suited to the NFL.

Is Ogbannaya a RS senior, or...?

Also, obviously everyone is going to be dissecting this game until the cows come home, but from a scouting standpoint the most important question I think we need to ask is "why couldn't OU run the ball?"

There are some possibilities. Help us sort them out, would you, Adam?

1. Loadholt and Robinson are over-rated, and/or just over-rated as run blockers.
2. Murray is over-rated, or still struggling more than most thing to become fully healthy.
3. Everybody (or a major somebody) involved in the OU rushing attack just had a woefully sub par day.
4. The UT front 7 is better than we thought.
5. It was just a freak of a coincidence/emotion/game atmosphere, a bad moon, a voodoo curse, who know?

I don't think Robinson's overrated, just distracted. Doesn't always seem to bring it. Perhaps that's part of his reduced playing time. Loadholt suffers what most giant linemen do as run blockers: can crush a man over him but can't adjust on the move or stick to blocks long on more athletic, slanting & moving opponents, which is why he'll be a man-scheme RT in the pros. Also, in both Oklahoma games I've scouted this year, they as a team seem reluctant to run, preferring to put the ball in Bradford's hands. As a result, I've yet to see their line in sync as a run-blocking unit. Maybe that's because Murray is still feeling the results of his injury, despite what he says. He just doesn't like to run inside or lower his shoulders, which kills an offense against a good defense, which Texas has. Orakpo appears to be a great player and around him is a very good group. Muckelroy might elevate to elite status next year, but for now they're a sound, tough, deep group that doesn't give up. Can't wait to watch more of the Conference matchups in coming weeks!