• Longhorn Offense (weak) vs Sooner Defense (weak)
• Sooner Offense (strong) vs Longhorn Defense (strong)

Oklahoma Sooners #8
The Sooners had an impressive win over Florida State (17) this year, but the results in the other games make you scratch your head. In recent weeks the Sooners have squeaked out wins over Air Force by 3 and Cincinnati by 2. These are opponents that the Sooners usually blow out, but defensive struggles have kept that from happening. The Sooners are the favorite for this years Red River Rivalry, especially if they can get it together defensively.

Texas Longhorns #21
The Longhorns offense is definitely feeling the effects of losing several star players on offense to graduation. Teams always seem to struggle while they are breaking in a new quarterback, and it will take some time for Garrett Gilbert to mature as a passer. The running game hasn’t offered a safe haven for Gilbert to hide behind either, the team doesn’t appear to have an all purpose back to power the offense. However the Longhorns shouldn’t be completely written off in this game, if the Sooners struggle on defense look for Garrett Gilbert to gain some much needed confidence.

Texas – Oklahoma | Spread & Over Under
The University of Texas is looking to win their fifth Red River Shootout in the last six years, the Longhorns also hold a 59-40-5 series lead. However it looks like Vegas is choosing the Sooners to win this one by 3.5. History is on the Sooners side as well, the team holding a higher national ranking has been victorious in 9 of the last 10 Red River Rivalry meetings. That said bet cautiously this is a rivalry game.

Texas OU Game Information – TV Channel – TV Time – Kickoff

Texas – Oklahoma Day/Date: Saturday – October 2nd
Texas – Oklahoma TV Kickoff: 2:30 PM
Texas – Oklahoma TV Channel: ABC
Texas – Oklahoma Location: Cotton Bowl – Dallas, TX
Texas – Oklahoma Tickets: Red River Shootout Tickets at StubHub.com!

The summer of 2010 will officially be in the rear view mirror with the kick off of the football season this weekend. And what a summer it was for the Big 12. The conference was on life support, and then flat-lined, then was brought back to life, albeit minus a couple limbs. But that is for another time; there’s a football season to play.

The Big 12 is starting the 2010 campaign with three teams ranked in the top 10 of the preseason polls. And there are several others that hope to crash the party and make the final season of the Big 12 as we know it a special one.

Ah, yes, optimism reigns supreme in early September for nearly everyone. Despite the positive vibes coming from around the conference, this weekend will bring with it the reality that not everything is perfect. Here is a look at the Big 12 South and the questions each team needs to answer if they hope to turn that optimism into something real.

Baylor

1. Can they stop the run? Baylor finished last in conference last season in stopping the run, giving up 178.8 yards per game on the ground. Gone are the teams three leading tacklers: Joe Pawelek, Jordan Lake, and Antonio Jones. The trio combined for 282 tackles in 2009 and replacing them is not going to be an easy chore. The Bears return linebacker Antonio Johnson which is a big plus but they will have several talented, but inexperienced newcomers around him.
2. Can they sack the quarterback? Baylor finished last season with only 18 sacks on the year, good for 11th in the Big 12. It will help every facet of the defense if they can generate a pass rush.
3. Can defensive tackle Phil Taylor match the hype be brought to Baylor? Taylor brought huge expectations to Waco after transferring from Penn State but didn’t have the kind of impact most expected in 2009. Taylor appears ready to breakout, and if he does, question number one and two might be answered.
4. Can Robert Griffin stay healthy? For the most part, this is out of anyone’s control but Griffin’s injury threw a wrench into last season’s bowl plans. Keeping Griffin out of the training room will go a long way in determining the Bear’s improvement this year.

Oklahoma

1. Will the Sooner’s stay healthy? The Sooners were decimated by injuries a season ago. Gone were Jermaine Gresham, Sam Bradford, and countless lineman. Call it a fluke, but the Sooner’s need to hope the football gods are on their side in 2010.
2. Can the offensive line return to form? Again, injuries hit the offensive line hard. They had to patch together five healthy bodies on a weekly basis. Despite the injuries, the unit overall was still a disappointment. If they get back to their old form, and I’m guessing they will, they have the skill position players with the ability to rack up a lot of points.
3. Can they replace All-American Gerald McCoy? McCoy was selected third in the NFL draft and replacing him wont’ be easy. Defensive tackle Adrian Taylor is still nursing an ankle injury so they will be relying on a couple inexperienced tackles to start the season.
4. How much improvement will Landry Jones make? Jones was thrown into the fire after the Bradford injury but picked up valuable experience in the process. He had a few rough spots during the season, but got better late in the year. Landry’s continued development will be key for the Sooners.

Oklahoma State

1. Will the new offense go? Okie State brought in Dana Holgorsen from Houston to run a more wide open spread offense (Holgorsen worked under former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach from 2000 to 2007). Last season, Holgorsen’s offense at Houston lead the nation in yards per game averaging 563 yards per contest. It will be a different approach for OSU who led the conference in rushing in 2009.
2. Is Brandon Weeden the man at quarterback? My guess is yes, but the 26 year old former minor league baseball player will be making his first collegiate start when the Cowboys open the season.
3. Can a young offensive line keep the heat off of Weeden? In order for the offense to go, Weeden has to have time to dish the rock. Only one starter returns and it’s not All-American Russell Okung who is making a living in the NFL.
4. Can an inexperienced defense stop anyone? Orie Lemon is back at middle linebacker but he will be surrounded by several players seeing a college football field for the first time. Defensive coordinator Bill Young is good, but the freshman need to step up quickly.

Texas Tech

1. Can the Red Raiders run the ball? They have the running backs to do it with Baron Batch and Eric Stephens, but a change to a more balanced offense may take time to come together in Lubbock.
2. Can the defense hold up in the Big 12? Defense wasn’t always a focal point under Mike Leach but it will be under new coach Tommy Tuberville and defensive coordinator James Willis. Tuberville has said over the offseason they lack depth defensively. Can they withstand the rigors over the course of an entire season?
3. Who steps up on the defensive line to go with their anchor, defensive tackle Colby Whitlock? Texas Tech will attack much more than they have in the past in their new 3-4 scheme. Brian Duncan will move to the strongside linebacker position and may also line up at defensive end to help generate a push up front.
4. Can Taylor Potts lead the new Red Raider offense? Potts won a hotly contested quarterback battle over Steven Sheffield and will be the trigger man in Neal Brown’s spread attack. All of their top receivers return which should help Potts in making the transition in Brown’s new offense.

Texas

1. Can Texas get the running game going consistently? Texas was without a dependable running game a season ago causing Mack Brown to make a switch to a more traditional pro-style attack. The focus will be to pound the ball to help set up more play action passes. Will it work or will Texas revert back to their passing ways?
2. Which running back will step up? With the renewed focus on the ground game, Texas is looking for a back to step up and carry the load. Senior Cody Johnson will start the opener but Fozzy Whittaker and Tre’ Newton also will figure into the mix.
3. Can the freshman contribute? Texas hopes so as 13 true freshman were on the two deep depth chart released on Monday.
4. Who steps up at defensive tackle? The Longhorn defense doesn’t have many weaknesses, but if there’s one, it is at defensive tackle. There was a battle to see who would line up next to Kheeston Randall on the interior line. Junior Tyrell Higgins is listed first on the depth chart for the opener, but sophomore Alex Okafor was moved from defensive end to add depth and should figure into the equation as well.

Texas A&M

1. Can the Aggie defense stop anyone? The Texas A&M defense finished last in the conference in both scoring and total defense in 2009. New defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will bring an attacking 3-4 scheme to College Station to help shore up the Aggie defense to go with their potent offense.
2. How will the Aggies replace three starters on the offensive line? True freshman Luke Joeckel will start at left tackle and several other first time starters lineman will also see action. A&M is loaded as the skill positions but the offensive line doing its part is what will make the offense go.
3. What will be the impact of new linebacker coach Dat Nguyen? This is something I don’t think should be overlooked. Nguyen was the 1998 defensive player of the year for A&M and will bring a wealth of experience and intensity to a unit that will play a key role in the new 3-4 defense.
4. Can A&M solve their Red Zone woes on offense? Despite racking up major yardage last season, the Aggies sometimes stalled once they were inside of the 20 yard line. A&M ranked 87th in the country in their red zone offense and it has been a focus of camp this fall.

Image Credit: Bleacher Report

Spurs vs Mavericks odds

Dallas had beaten the Spurs six straight times at home before a 102-88 loss in Game 2 on Wednesday, and after going 12-of-14 from the field in Game 1 (along with making all 12 of his free-throw attempts), Dirk Nowitzki was held to a 9-of-24 shooting performance, notching 24 points, while Jason Terry provided a spark off the pine with a game-high 27 points. Now, the series switches to San Antonio, where the Mavericks have split their last 10 trips, but they can be encouraged by the fact that they won two of three there in the playoffs last year en route to a five-game romp of the Spurs, who surely won’t forget that. Rebounding will be a big factor in this series: the Mavericks won the battle by a count of 45-37 in Game 1, but the Spurs turned the tables with a 51-42 edge on the glass.

Texas Rangers

On the other hand, horse racing odds may be a bit more positive than looking at the Rangers over the past week. Heading into Thursday night’s series finale in Boston, the Rangers had lost six in a row and plummeted to last in the American League West. It began with a 3-2 loss in Cleveland last Thursday, then the Rangers were swept in the Bronx by the defending World Series champion New York Yankees as they were outscored 17-6 over the weekend. At least they kept it close in Boston, falling 7-6 in the first game on Tuesday before losing 8-7 in 12 innings of the second game, so they’ll be eager to avoid a total sweep of their road trip on Thursday night, when they send out C.J. Wilson, who is making the ninth start of his major league career.  The Rangers will return home on Friday for a four-game set with Detroit, followed by a three-game visit from the Chicago White Sox, and they’ll be watching the status of a couple players. Ian Kinsler has yet to suit up this year due to an ankle sprain, and he may make a rehab start sometime this week. Nelson Cruz has a hamstring problem, which would be a big blow to the lineup as Cruz is off to a flying start this year. However, Kinsler’s health is the key to Texas’ sports betting odds.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks ended the season on a five-game winning streak, which gave them the second seed in the Western Conference, and set up a date with San Antonio, who they beat in the season finale, although the Spurs didn’t dress Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili. The Mavericks took three of four from the Spurs this season, making it eight of their last 10 overall, and they’ll be out for a second straight playoff ousting of the Spurs as they rolled San Antonio in five games last season. NBA championship odds have the Mavericks at +600 to win the Western Conference, and +1200 to win the title, so they’ll be the favorites in this series, and they go in completely healthy. Caron Butler complained of a bad hip down the stretch, but it didn’t seem to affect his play as he dropped 20 points on the Spurs in a 96-89 win on April 14^th.

Texas Rangers

After losing two of three to Toronto in their season-opening series at home, the Rangers took two of three from Seattle, and followed up with two wins in a three-game set in Cleveland. But it gets tougher for the Rangers starting this weekend, and to say it gets tougher may be a bit of an understatement. The Rangers head to the Bronx on Friday to kick off a three-game set with the defending World Series champion New York Yankees, but the Rangers have actually won six of their last 10 in New York. Then the Rangers head to Boston for another series in which they should be an MLB betting underdog as they‘ll face the Red Sox, and they haven’t fared that well at Fenway Park, losing eight of their last 10 games in front of the “Green Monster”. The pitching matchup to watch during this swing through the American League East comes on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, where Rich Harden is still looking for his first win as a Ranger, but he’ll be taking on veteran Andy Pettitte, so it won’t be an easy task.  Second baseman Ian Kinsler attempted batting practice and fielding drills, but he looks no closer to returning to the lineup, and he would be a boost to a Texas offensive attack that has gotten off to a slow start.  It could be a tough week for sportsbook players if you’re planning on riding with the Rangers.

Have you ever looked at a major league on-deck circle?

I mean, really looked at one?

It looks like a garage sale. You see batting donuts, bat weights, extra bats and other items presumably designed to get a major league hitter ready for his next at-bat. One of the best hitters in Texas Rangers history, Rusty Greer, has taken to using a new tool to help teach hitting fundamentals, the RBI Pro Swing. RBI Pro Swing is a weight that fits over a player’s bat and gives “immediate feedback” on whether or not the player is getting the best power and contact out of their swing. According to Greer, the ideal swing in baseball is short and direct through the hitting zone, which RBI Pro Swing reveals with a quick, sharp sound. A long, sweeping sound from the weight means a longer swing through the zone, which is incorrect.

“My kids use it, and they’ve used it for awhile. Now they don’t use it every day, but when I feel like they need some tuning up, they use it,” said Greer. “It’s geared toward everyone, but I think the people it really benefits is your younger kids.” Greer says that those kids between the ages of eight and 14 benefit the most, because of their increased passion for baseball and habits that Greer says take a while to be broken if they’re the wrong habits.

RBI Pro Swing was created by Rick Miller, but it was Bobby Witt, former Rangers pitcher and friend of Greer’s, that got Greer involved. “Rick had come up with the RBI Pro Swing, and he was really looking for a hitter’s feedback on what the product might need or changes it might need to happen,” said Greer, “and so I just got involved with Rick, and through the course of time, began to kinda change – help him change some things.”

Greer currently coaches his kids’ teams along with a separate Little League team in addition to giving private hitting lessons. His aspirations run a little bit higher than that, however.

Last fall, Greer was one of a host of candidates interviewed by the Texas Rangers to replace the departed Rudy Jaramillo as the team’s new hitting coach. While he was not selected for the position, Greer was happy to get a call.

“I interviewed with them about their open job, and of course they ended up hiring Clint Hurdle, but I had a great opportunity with those guys and can’t thank them enough for giving me that chance,” said Greer.

Greer compiled a .305 lifetime average, highlighted by a .332 mark in 1996, and stated that coaching at the major league level would be a goal of his if the time was right.

For right now, Greer is focused on coaching the teams he has, with the help of the RBI Pro Swing. While the product wasn’t around in his native Alabama when he was growing up, Greer would not have turned the chance for help from the RBI Pro Swing.

“If I would have had access to something like this, then I definitely would have used it,” he said. “I believe it would have helped me. I would have definitely at least given it a try.”

RBI Pro Swing Homepage: RBI Pro Swing
Photo Credit: Daily Life

When it comes to March Madness odds, Dallas doesn’t have anything to worry about, which means more time to check in on the Mavericks and Stars, as well as the Texas Rangers.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are 47-24 as of Thursday as they head to Portland in the evening, and they have won seven of their last 10 games. But there may be a couple of problems with the players they brought in from Washington, as Caron Butler has been incredibly inconsistent, while Brendan Haywood wasn’t happy about coming off the bench against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. The Mavericks went with Erick Dampier, and if they can get Haywood to be on board with the tandem setup, Dallas will have a lot of size in the post as they attempt to battle the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs, as well as the Denver Nuggets.

Dallas Stars

As of Thursday, the Stars were nine points out of the final playoff spot in the West, and it’s not looking likely that they’ll make the postseason. On Thursday, they head to San Jose, who are one of the sports betting favorites to lift the Stanley Cup, then on Saturday they’ll be in Los Angeles to face the Kings, one of the biggest surprises in the league. Finally, next Monday, they’ll travel to Anaheim to take on the Ducks, who are further out of the playoff hunt than Dallas, but they’re still a tough team to play again. The Stars will also be without Mike Modano, who had his appendix removed just under two weeks ago. But even if the Stars don’t make the playoffs, Brad Richards deserves a pat on the back for the season he’s had. Through 71 games, Richards has 21 goals and 61 assists for 82 points, and he has his sights set on his career high of 91 points, set in 2005-2006.

Texas Rangers

We’re betting management of the Rangers weren’t banking on finding out manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine, and that must be worrisome for a team that took a chance on Josh Hamilton’s checkered past. The Rangers are 6-13 so far in spring training, so it’s hard to say what kind of effect this has on the team as they’re basically just figuring out roster spots right now, but it’s about to get serious as the regular season approaches. Other than the manager, all eyes are on Hamilton and Vladdy Guerrero, who came from the rival Los Angeles Angels in the offseason. The Rangers will be trying to make up for the loss of Marlon Byrd, and these two are the anchors of the lineup. Finally, Rich Harden’s health has to be an issue for the Rangers. Thinking Harden will stay healthy is like picking Texas’ odds on March Madness: they look good and could be great, but we won’t be surprised if Harden ends up on the disabled list.

Texas Stadium Statistics
Location: Irving, Texas
Opened: October 24th, 1971
Implosion: April 11th, 2010
Capacity: 65,675
Cost: 35 million (Cowboys Stadium: 1.15 billion)

Now that we have the boring statistics out of the way lets take a look at the odd facts that made Texas Stadium great. It was in Irving, which as the Dallas Cowboys names implies is close to Dallas. The iconic hole in the roof was not planned, Texas Stadium was actually supposed to be a dome. The hole came about because the roof supports could not handle the weight of a dome. The supports were not modified because back in the day when the public funding for a project ran out, you stopped spending. Cowboys linebacker D. D. Lewis is responsible for the famous quote, “Texas Stadium has a hole in tis roof so god can watch his favorite team play”.

As we have seen with the new Cowboys Stadium, Texas Stadium also played host to plenty events that were not Dallas Cowboys Games. Events such as Concerts, Pro Wrestling, College Football, Religious Gatherings, High School Football, and even a Major League Lacrosse game.

Texas Stadium was the place that I became a fan of football, and it will suck to see it go. I know the stadium is not as high tech or cool as the new Cowboys Stadium, but you could still watch the Cowboys play there and I was lucky enough to see quite a few games there. Texas stadium didn’t do big video boards or 3-D glasses, it did football.

Texas Stadium Wikipedia Page
Live Video of Texas Stadium Implosion Preparations

The Texas Longhorns look better on paper, but paper does not take into account their slide after being ranked #1 in the nation at one point to now not even having an AP rank. The Longhorns RPI rank is 29, and the finished their season at 24-9 going 9-7 in the Big 12. Texas made it to the 2nd Round last year and the Longhorns head coach Rick Barnes is 19-17 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons do not have an AP Rank and did not even receive votes, however the team was able to beat Gonzaga, Richmond, Xavier, and Clemson so don’t let that trick you into thinking that they are going to get blown out. The Deacons have an RPI rank of 39 and went 6-5 against the RPI top 50. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons made a first round exit last year and head coach Dino Gaudio is 0-1 in the NCAA tournament.

In my bracket I gave Texas the edge, but I can easily see this game going the other way. Texas looked like world beaters at the beginning of the season, but then crashed once after getting the #1 ranking. The Deacons have been good against the RPI top 50 so we know they show up in big games, should be a great 1st round game.

Texas Longhorns vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons | TV Channel – Tickets – Betting Spreads
Day / Date: Thursday – March 18 2010
Game Time: 8:35 PM Central Time
Location: New Orleans Arena | New Orleans, LA
TV Channel: CBS
Betting Spreads: Texas -5 | Wake Forest +5
Tickets:

Texas vs Wake Forest Tickets at StubHub.com!

Sportsbook: NBA: Dallas Mavericks (37-21, 4^th in Western Conference)

-       The Dallas Mavericks are scorching hot as they have now rolled off five victories in a row. A big part of their success has been recent addition Brendan Haywood. At the trade deadline, the Mavs traded Josh Howard and Drew Gooden and somehow got back Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Brendan Haywood. Howard is now out for the season with a torn ACL and the Mavs are looking like bandits. Brendan Haywood is one of the league’s premier defensive centers and Caron Butler is a guard/forward that can take over games all by himself at times. The Mavs were able to knock off the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday night 101- 96 behind 31 points from Dirk Nowitzki and 30 from Jason Terry. Butler did not play due to an allergic reaction to some medicine. Brendan Haywood had 11 points, nine rebounds and a whopping five blocks. The Mavs next game is Friday at Atlanta.

NHL: Dallas Stars (28-21-12, 68 points t-9^th in Western Conference)

-       The Olympic break has not been a passive one for Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. The Stars had a logjam at goaltender with Mary Turco, Alex Auld and recently acquired Kari Lehtonen. Marty Turco is 4-1-1 in his last six starts and gained the starting job which led to the Stars waiving Alex Auld. The Stars will likely make a trade at the deadline to make a push for the playoffs as they are only one point out currently, but Marty Turco apparently will not be part of a deal.

US Sportsbook Review: MLB: Texas Rangers: Spring Training

-       The Texas Rangers will look to get off to a fast start this season but they will have to do it without Khalil Greene who was unable to report to camp with “a recurrence of issues he’s dealt with in the past” according to GM Jon Daniels. The Rangers will now need to find someone else to fill in as the utility infielder for the season. Greene may yet return to the team, but it will not be to start the season.

NFL: Dallas Cowboys: Offseason

-       The Cowboys did not place a franchise tag on WR Miles Austin and will now have to offer him a deal to keep him. Austin has been the most effective receiver for the Cowboys and is coming off his first pro-bowl season. The Cowboys may try to give him a tender, because he’s a restricted free agent, which would pay Austin over three million dollars for one year and allow the Cowboys to get a first and third round pick if they do not match another team’s offer sheet. The Cowboys will likely keep Austin if the price does not get too high, however many teams would love a player of Austin’s caliber and sorely need a number one receiver.

-       NFL Predictions : With the enigmatic Roy Williams taking up space in the Cowboys’ salary cap and not performing anywhere near his expectations, the Cowboys would be smart to get Austin signed to a deal on their own terms.