RANKING THE TEXAS DIVISION 1 SCHOOLS
Texas State moves up and Texas A&M manages to maintain their rank with an ugly win
Oct 3, 2019, 6:45 am
RANKING THE TEXAS DIVISION 1 SCHOOLS
Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
It just keeps getting worse and worse for Rice. I don't know where the bottom is but honestly it seems like they don't know where it is either. Bad times all around for the Rice program as they travel to UAB and probably collect another beating.
They travel this week to UTEP and honestly, I don't think a change of fortunes is in the cards. UTEP is playing pretty good football and traveling from San Antonio to El Paso is enough of an excuse for these guys to throw in the towel this week.
The losing can stop and finally a chance to get right, UTEP has been playing tough opponents and not playing terrible. This is a game the team has to be looking forward to, an opportunity to turn around this recent slide and start playing some winning football again.
Well they didn't save their season last week after a loss to Houston, so they're off this week and that's about all the good news they get.
Well last week I asked how they would handle success and game planning for a game they should win against Nicholls, they handled it well and got another W. This is the foundation they can use to keep building a successful season. Having the week off after two wins is a good thing and a bad thing, but hopefully Texas State can make the most of it.
Everyone knew a loss was coming against Oklahoma, but how will they bounce back and handle Oklahoma State will be the deciding factor for this team this week. Teams lose, it happens to most teams in a college football season, but good teams find a way to put losses behind them and focus on the next opponent. Quiet the noise and bring the thunder.
Well all the redshirt drama aside, they won against North Texas and have this week off. Sitting around after a loss is always demoralizing, sitting around after a win is always a little easier. Hopefully this week can be a calming week for the program and the team.
I really wanted to move TCU over SMU after this Kansas win but with the games this week, I felt like I could wait one more week and see how everything shakes out but I do like what TCU is doing. I know SMU beat TCU two weeks ago but I like this win over Kansas. They are doing good things and playing good football again.
SMU just keeps on rolling, there doesn't seem to be any team they can't handle right now. They're playing really good football and there's no telling how high they can go this season. But I should mention, that TCU is nipping at their heels and I say how high could they get but I don't know that I could reasonably move them over A&M, right?
Hey they beat Arkansas! But they looked awful doing it. How many heart attack games are these guys going to play this year? I want to buy into A&M and that they are at least the number 2 program in the state but I'm not sure I can right now. They're off this week so lets see if they can get their minds right and make a real push back at Baylor.
They didn't look great against Iowa State but at least it was a win and A&M didn't look good against Arkansas either. Baylor goes to Kansas State and is looking at needing a good, strong win to get some distance from A&M. Can't wait to see how it all turns out.
Coming off a bye, they go to West Virginia who can give people trouble, I think because of the travel. Let's see how Texas comes out of the bye week, are they going to be sluggish or are they going to explode out of gates and establish some dominance? Let's see.
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The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!