Informed Speculation

…for the Cotton Bowl featuring my beloved #7 Red Raiders and #25 Ole Miss.

What can I say, other than: Wreck ‘em, Tech!  Let’s end this season on a high note…

UPDATE 1:24 p.m.: Tech holds in their first defensive series…despite the disappointment associated with being 11-1 and #7, with the only loss to #1 Oklahoma (albeit a brutal butt-kicking), and having no BCS bid, Tech has plenty to play for.  It’s the last Cotton Bowl in that storied venue, the biggest Cotton Bowl crowd ever at 88,000+, and Tech is 0-3 in their previous Cotton Bowl appearances…

UPDATE 1:28 p.m.:  And a disappointing 3 and out on Tech’s first offensive series gives Ole Miss prime field position at the 50…I should also mention that Tech is playing for their 12th win, which would be the best in school history…

UPDATE 1:37 p.m.:  Now THAT’s what I’m talking about…a 37-yard strike from Tech, taking advantage of a defender who fell down, puts the Red Raiders up 7-0…

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.:  Woo-hoo!  McBath gets a pick 6 interception, and Tech is up 14-0 in first quarter…

UPDATE 1:56 p.m.:  Ole Miss puts 7 on the board, while Fox was running commercials (thanks, Fox, nice coverage)…14-7, Red Raiders…

UPDATE 2:12 p.m.:  Ole Miss has some Big Mo going now – it’s tied up, 14-14…Tech hasn’t really gotten things going offensively, and their defense has lost a little intensity – time to rally, boys!…

UPDATE 2:25 p.m.: Where have I heard this before? Harrell to Crabtree, to put Tech up 21-14.  Graham Harrell is now the leading career touchdown leader in NCAA history, with 132…

UPDATE 2:40 p.m.:  Tech’s pass defense has been, in a word, horrible – Snead has over 200 yards passing in the first half.  Tied up again, 21-21…

UPDATE 2:47 p.m.:  Harrell throws a pick, and Ole Miss has a chance to go ahead as time winds down in the first half.  We need to make some halftime adjustments on both sides of the ball…

UPDATE 2:59 p.m.:  In a play indicative of Tech’s first half, Graham Harrell comes up just short on a scramble to the 3 as time expires, and Tech has to go into the half down 24-21…many people may have taken Ole Miss lightly, but I am not one of them…they are probably the best 8-4 team in the country.  We’ll need a great second half to win this one…

UPDATE 3:32 p.m.: Oh, dear – it’s looking increasingly grim.  Crabtree slips, Ole Miss gets a pick 6, and the Rebels are up 31-21 early in the second half.  We might need to bench Crabtree, as odd as that sounds – his ankle is clearly bothering him, and he’s not a factor – in fact, playing hurt, he may be a hindrance…

UPDATE 3:39 p.m.:  Well, crap.  Disaster strikes again, and Ole Miss has a first and goal.  Let’s face it, we all like to hype up our teams, but a loss here means Tech lost by 44 to Oklahoma, barely beat a mediocre Baylor team at home, and got decisively beat in the Cotton Bowl by a good, but not great, team during the last three games of the season.  We’re good, but not great…and that’s a tough realization to reach after going 10-0 to start the season and beating #1 Texas…

UPDATE 3:44 p.m.:  A slight hope remains…Ole Miss missed the field goal after starting the series from the Tech 10…meaning the score remains 31-21, and Tech ball.  Needless to say, we must score at least a field goal on this possession…

UPDATE 3:52 p.m:  Well, I’m through updating and through with this game, after an inexplicable quarterback sneak call from Mike Leach on 4th and 4 on his own 39 leads to the predictable result, and Ole Miss takes a 37-21 lead.  A horrible last three weeks to end what had been a dream season has really tarnished the reputation of Tech just when they had reached an all-time high…a pretty disgusting turn of affairs all the way around…