Chronicle sports columnist Richard Justice penned a typical “two-handed” column today.
On the one hand, he had this to say about Texas Longhorns football coach Mack Brown:
I think the notion he can’t win a big game is ridiculous. Not beating Oklahoma has gotten confused with not winning anything.
On the other hand, he had this to say about Mack Brown:
His teams haven’t handled the big stage very well. If it’s not the annual dismantling by OU, it’s some dismal bowl performance.
Thanks for clearing that up for us, Richard, with that very MeMoish ramble of a column.
The fact is, Mack Brown’s Texas teams have underperformed in bowl games, and Mack Brown has had trouble winning big games through his career (a career that has produced not one conference championship, anywhere).
Here’s longtime Austin American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls on the same football coach:
Brown also puts a checkered 3-3 bowl record at Texas on the line. In his first six appearances, he suffered bad losses to Arkansas, Oregon and Washington State in which his teams looked ill-prepared and were clearly outplayed.
[snip]
After it is all said and done, it is time for Texas to win a really big game in January, and do less saying and more doing.
And here’s Dallas Morning News columnist Gerry Fraley:
Brown has been a convenient target of barbs because his teams promise so much and deliver so little under the spotlight.
In 17 seasons at North Carolina and Texas, Brown has never won a conference title. That is somewhat understandable at North Carolina, where basketball is king and Florida State was in the conference for part of his tenure.
An 0-for at Texas, flush with resources and talent, is unfathomable.
The bigger the moment, the worse Brown’s Texas teams have played. Look at his big-game resume:
• Five consecutive losses to Oklahoma and uber-coach Bob Stoops.
This is as big a mismatch as there is in the college game. The thought of Stoops throws Brown into a panic. The gap is growing. Texas’ dull offense does not even challenge Stoops and his staff.
• An 0-2 record in Big 12 championship games. Texas lost to Nebraska in 1999 and, with a BCS berth at hand, was upset by Colorado in 2001.
• A 3-3 bowl record. Last year’s 28-20 loss to Washington State represented a dreadful showing by Brown and his staff. Texas acted as if it had no idea Washington State, which led Division I-A in sacks, would blitz. With the offense collapsing in the face of the heavy blitz pressure, Brown removed the mobile quarterback (Vince Young) for the stationary quarterback (Chance Mock).
Reputations are formed by a body of work. There are lots of wins but no landmark triumphs during Brown’s seven seasons with Texas.
The facts are out there. Even a homer like Bohls can face them. But Chron readers instead get to watch Richard Justice try to decide which hand he prefers.
