(This article originally appeared on www.orangeandbluenews.com.)
ALAMO BOWL
AlamoDome, San Antonio TX
3:30 p.m. CST, Dec. 30th
Texas (9-3) vs. Iowa (6-6)
Line: Texas -9
IOWA Overview – Remember back in August, when ESPN's Mark May was picking Iowa to make the national championship game in that hypothetical tournament SportsCenter did with magnets? Yeah, those days are long gone. A promising 5-1 start quickly evaporated into five straight Big 10 losses, including setbacks to Indiana, Northwestern and Minnesota. A confluence of factors did the Hawks in, among them; an unfortunate rash of injuries to key playmakers, an inability to stretch a defense with fast receivers, and an apparent lack of leadership. After a limping through a season which saw them lose at Kinnick Stadium three times (they'd only lost twice there in four years), its safe to say Iowa has a lot to play for against the Longhorns.
Offense – If anyone tries to tell you that Drew Tate makes the Hawkeye offense go, tell them otherwise. A healthy, effective Albert Young drives the Iowa attack, and AY will have to be clicking on all cylinders for the Hawks to have a chance. Damien Sims is about as good a second back as you'll find on a sub top-25 team; look for him to spell Young effectively. The Iowa WRs will be good in the future, but their time is not now, and certainly not against the physical, Texas D. In a rare occurrence, Kirk Ferentz failed to produce a stellar offensive line for the first time in recent memory. Kyle Schlicher continues the tradition of excellent place kicking.
Defense – Despite failing to consistently deliver the goods, the Iowa defense does have some outstanding individual playmakers, including defensive end Kenny Iwebema and safety Marcus Paschal. Hawkeye leading tackler linebacker Mike Klinkenberg is likely out due to a foot injury. The unit was also capable of producing huge efforts in big games, hanging with Michigan in Ann Arbor until a late TD produced the final, 20-6. Norm Parker has drawn the ire of fans in recent years for his playcalling (then again, really, which Iowa assistant hasn't), but its safe to say the defense was not the reason for the Hawks' disappointing 2006.
TEXAS Overview – The job Mack Brown did in Austin this year went mostly overlooked in 2006 due to season-ending losses to Kansas State and Texas A & M. But to that point, the 'Horns were 9-1, with victories over capable rivals Oklahoma State, Baylor and the eventual Big 12 Champion, Oklahoma. All this after handing the reins to freshman Colt McCoy, who left the state of Texas for the first time in shoulder pads to defeat Nebraska, 22-20. A series of brutal hits in the A&M game sent McCoy to the hospital but he has been cleared to play against the Hawkeyes.
Offense – Normally when you hear something like "We don't know which McCoy we're going to see," it's a comment about a player's consistency, and lack thereof. But in this case, Iowa really doesn't know which McCoy they're going to see; the injured freshman Colt, or his senior backup, Matt. No one knows much about Matt McCoy, but Colt came a long way in his first campaign, completing 68.7% of his passes for 2262 yards. The Longhorns staff does a great job of putting McCoy in low-risk situations, as evidenced by his 27/7 TD/INT ratio. Limas Sweed is very good, and Quan Cosby is a guaranteed mismatch for a number two cornerback like Adam Schada of Iowa. No one will hear too much about Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young until they're making millions on Sunday.
Defense – The question mark here for Texas won't be the talent of the players, it will be how they are coached. Defensive Coordinator Gene Chizik is gone to the head job at Iowa State, and while the 'Horns have had ample time to prepare for his absence, it would be silly to not wonder, at least, how the defense will perform in its first game without him. Aaron Ross is a stud CB, and the lines are, as always big and extremely physical.
Prediction – If Colt McCoy is close to 100 percent, the fourth quarter shouldn't matter. Iowa has an excellent coaching staff, and the defense is capable of big games. But Texas is too strong, too fast, and too good for this to be close.
Texas 33, Iowa 14
For Recreational Purposes Only: Texas -9
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