Sooners dominating at home; Stoops calling for more ‘ruckus’ from fans
BY ADAM ZUVANICH
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Twenty Oklahoma seniors will play their last home game on Saturday, and they hope it’s nothing like their first.
TCU cornerback Mike Salvage (7) celebrates after unranked TCU beat No. 7 Oklaboma 12-10 three years ago in Norman, Okla.
The Sooners suffered a 17-10 loss to TCU in their 2005 season opener, and it remains somewhat of a sore spot for the team’s most tenured players. But they’ve since won 23 consecutive games at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the longest home winning streak in the nation.
“Manny made a comment the other day, ‘We lost our first one; we can’t lose our last one,’” Juaquin Iglesias said of a conversation between he and fellow senior wide receiver Manuel Johnson. “A lot of the seniors that came in with me, we don’t want to lose at home, and we haven’t lost at home in a while. We’ve got to try to keep that going.”
The fifth-ranked Sooners (9-1, 5-1 Big 12 Conference), who host No. 2 Texas Tech (10-0, 6-0) on Saturday for a game with conference- and national-championship implications, have a 59-2 home record under 10th-year coach Bob Stoops. Oklahoma’s only other home loss during Stoops’ tenure was against rival Oklahoma State late in the 2001 season.
Stoops said he not’s quite sure why his team has been so dominant in Norman, Okla., where the Sooners have recorded 61 straight sellouts and rank 13th in the nation this year with an average home attendance of 84,960.
“I think maybe just our overall focus and our play overall are probably the biggest reasons,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve been known as an overly ruckus crowd, so that’s what you’d probably attribute it to.”
Considering the magnitude of Saturday’s game — the first top-five matchup that Oklahoma’s hosted since 2000 — Stoops would like to see a change in the “overly ruckus” department. He said visiting teams rarely are forced to use silent snap counts on account of crowd noise, which often is an issue for the Sooners when they play on the road.
Stoops hopes the game-day atmosphere is similar to the one at Jones AT&T Stadium, where the Red Raiders enjoy a significant home-field advantage.
“They are a no-huddle team that does a lot of communicating at the line of scrimmage, and the louder you are, the more difficult you make it on them and it can influence the game,” Stoops said. “That is something I hope our crowd takes an interest in, not just cheering when we’re going into the end zone, but actively cheering and making noise when they are trying to communicate and get something going.”
According to Tech coach Mike Leach, a former OU assistant, the Sooners’ home crowds have been loud enough. Leach called it a “tough environment” and the “second-loudest place in the conference,” and his team has struggled there just as much as OU’s other opponents.
The Red Raiders have lost their last five games in Norman, including four under Leach, but they don’t seem intimidated.
“We’re focused,” senior left tackle Rylan Reed said. “We don’t really mind the road games, and we’ve had just as much fun in Kansas and Kansas State. I think it’s always good to beat someone in their own place.”
The Sooners, though, feel confident on their home field in front of their home fans. Several OU players said there’s a building sense of excitement around campus, in the locker room and on the practice field.
“We know what this game means,” said OU linebacker Travis Lewis, the team’s leading tackler as a redshirt freshman. “All our goals are out there in front of us. This is a big game — for the Big 12 South and for the national championship — and we’re excited about it.”
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Do you really think you have shot?……….A shot at Norman?………Cmooooon!…….IN front of 85,000 CRAZY fans!!?…….With your little frat boy kicker??!!…….And an ELF for a RECEIVER?!……..GET REAL!!!!……Only the big boys have a real shot at a National Championship!!……Get out of the way little brother!!!……YOU DON’T BELONG IN THE CONVERSATION!!………..
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I do need to remind you Longhorn Sally that our frat boy kicker and elf whipped your butt a few weeks ago and we are much more in the national championship picture than your team is….all you can do is sit and watch for 2 weeks straight!!! We control our own destiny!! Go bury your head up a longhorn’s ass in Austin in the mean time and get the hell out of Texas Tech blogs!! Wreck ‘em Texas Tech!! Class of 1992
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Longhorn fans are stll bitter I see LOL. Good for them. The sooners wil join them in the also ran category.
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It is always nice to see shorthorn fans on oklahoma and texas blogs. Saturday should be an entertaining game with plenty of offense. Sooners are tough at home so i dont think Tech will be able to put up as many points as they did againt the shorthorns and pokey’s. Sooners roll 38-28. The sooners will crush the cowgirls in stillwater and jump the shorthorns in the bcs. Oklahoma and Florida for the title.
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texas tech blogs excuse me
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Sure UT lost to tech but the season isn’t over so don’t hold on to your breath faider fans, because WE ALL know that tech doesn’t know how to finish a season. I understand you all are excited but just like you say no one (except UT & missery & osu…) can come into the 50,000+ jones…you expect to go into norman & pull off a victory with about 3000 of your fans? When will tortilla tech fans face reality that if they think home field adv @ the jones is something special that it’s not the same for ou’s 85,000 or next year when you make the dredfull trip to AUSTIN & play in front of 98000+ of THE NATION’S BEST FANS!!!
HOOK ‘EM!!!
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guess what sailor——i do not care what you say, i have been to many football stadiums pro and college and tu’s ranks right up there with the cotton bowl and texas stadium. it sucks for someone who likes to watch the game!!!!!!!!
a good test for a stadium is your viewing experience better in person or on t.v.
been to your stadium and the tailgate and t.v. is better than going into the live game!!!!!!!
you cannot say that about jones, alamo dome, reliant, tiger stadium, death valley, the rose bowl. too many to list that are all way better. i have been there down that and there is no question!
besides that we still beat your ass!!!!!! fans or not!!! quite whining and get aboard the red raider ship, or go put on some maroon and get on that wagon…..but the whorns are not involved this week!
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Hey Longhorn Sally!
When was the last time you and your bunch of orange cows went to Norman?
That’s right, you don’t go to Norman. At least the Red Raiders have the guts to travel into the middle of Sooner Nation and take them on. Until you do, why don’t you do what you should do? That is sit down, shut up and watch us win.
GO TECH!
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It’s better to control your own destiny than to let others control yours. Face it Sally, whatever happens for Texas is not of their own doing. Nothing changes the fact that Tech beat the Whorns this year and Tech is better than them this year. If not for the legacy Texas carries with them and the money involved in having them on a big stage they wouldn’t even be in position to contend for a national title.
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Red Raiders have an incredibly awsome offense and have experienced an extraordinary season….. But not so fast my friends….. The cinderella story comes to a close. Remember, Raiders have also been extremely lucky in their wins over NU and UT.
On Saturday, the time will run out on the Raider’s efforts to go undeated. Raiders has been living on borrowed time and the
Sooners will outlast them to extend their nation leading home winning streak. Stoop record is 59-2 in Norman and the Raiders will not live up to the hype as the Sooners extend his wins to 60-2.
Sooners control their OWN destiny!
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who is longhorn salley talking about for an “elf” at reciver? Crabtree? More like a giant if you ask me
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Mike in Mid
You forget pal if it wasn’t for Texas and A & M, Tech wouldn’t even be in the big 12. It’s a shame that Texas had to share in it’s bowl revenue every time it has gone to a bowl game. It’s about time Tech contributes to the big 12.
enjoy your year Tech fans, because next year as Tech is rebuilding, Texas will be reloading as usual with All American’s. Tech will be lucky to get All District and All Region players out of high school.
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John
Elf is #12 Eric Morris. I think he is also called Emo also.
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TEXAS BORN,
CHECK YOUR HISTORY!!!!
UT was the only one in the sw conf. that voted against tt and baylor…also check on the ONLY team in the big 12 that has a winning record and bowl appearance since the big 12 started…….
THAT WOULD BE TT, WE HAVE HELD OUR own IN THE LAST 9 YEARS, besides that, ya’ll are so rich you can pay your assistant 900k and his defense is weak this year, but better than ou’s home or away!!!!!!
go find sailor and worry about beating the aggies since you have not beat them in 2 years……….
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geez
that big12 talk again.
bottom line is that Tech IS in the Big 12, and they ARE contenders (leading contenders) in the national championship.
UT will not make it to NC. Even if Tech loses, which will NOT happen by default, OU will advance to the Big 12 game.
You know why??? Because UT barely beat OSU and OU will beat OSU by alot.
However, Longhorns need to focus on their small bowl game.
Leave the big games to the big boys. UT is done. OU is a sinking ship. Texas Tech is a rising giant and the press is eating it up.
Another thing about the press. They have no idea what will happen either.
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I think Longhorn Sally needs to keep the double wide stable by staying on one side.
Longhorns still complaining about the loss. Now you have a frat boy for a future head coach. Tell me that’s not going to cause disension among the ranks. MusChump is a joke. Chest bumping players. I really like the picture of him when Crabtree scored the last TD of the game. Great move guys as we are happy on this end about that one.
Sooners all I can say is i respect you guys and expect to see a great game on Saturday. I am confident as most of you are. This is going to be the better than the NC or some may say it is the NC.
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OU’s D is a lot better than people think it is, considering how much they are on the field. The pass rush might not be as good as OU needs it to be Saturday night without Auston English, so I’m thinking both teams score ONLY in the 40s. OU wins by 6. Jimmy Stevens will probably miss an extra point somewhere.
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Hey Pete Storseth check out the ESPN website on the latest recruiting. Tech isn’t even mentioned.
So much for Tech having a program on the rise.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/classrankings
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You know for longhorn fans they sure do spend a lot of time on a Red Raider website. I think we have a lot of closet TTU fans disguised as shorthorn fans. For goodness sakes longhorns quit your whining your crying fans look lust like your Quarter Back with those tears running down your cheek, you lost get over it! Go Tech Wreck em
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Tech Fans, I hope you have a wonderful time in Norman. The town is buzzing already! This game is HUUUUGE! There are students camping out at the stadium as of wednesday night, and the outback blimp already showed up and is floating above the town in anticipation of the game.
There is definite electricity about Norman, awaiting the arrival of undefeated Texas Tech. I wish you the best of luck Raider fans, but OU is dominant at home. As you can remember.
OU 55 TTech 35
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Arkansas Raider
Tech can only dream of having a rivalry as OU vs Texas.
Come to think of it, I read or heard that Tech and Okie State were trying to set up future matchups to be played at the Cotton Bowl or the new Cowboy stadium in Dallas.
As always Tech has to have what Texas has.
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TX born
look harder, specifically there are recruitments hanging in the balance. tech is definitely on the rise. espn is not the scout’s main source for incoming freshmen. they actually get players from high school, you know. where you failed to graduate from???
But don’t you worry about your precious horns. Next year they will face tech again.
burnt orange is the ugliest color. it is definitely the worst thing about UT and Austin. ( i know. i live there, and when not rooting for tech, i pull for UT….sometimes)
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hey tx born
you will love this.
TTU has a rivalry with baylor. HA!
i have no clue why
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Pete Storseth
Trust me buddy I’ve already circled the date for 2009. This time you’ll be coming to our play ground where we’ll have close to 100 thousand, (almost double Jones stadium).
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Haha Longhorn fans are the most bitter losers since aggies!! Go take your overrated team and cry like the babies you are! If yall are so good then how come yall could barely beat osu who got smoked by ttu?!?! Seriously I would really like a response from a real horn fan not someone who just wears t shirts or went to ut and attended 3 home games while you were there, and think you are a fan. a real fan is someone who goes to every home game even when you are probably only going to the alamo or holiday bowl at best.
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We got smoked? The game wasn’t decided until the last play of the game.
What game did you watch?
By the way, it will be a cold day in hell before a UT alum or fan would or will ever be jealous of Tech.
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I am full of envy!
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texas born? where did emory blake come from and yes tu did offer. anybody with a brain would admit with the t.v. expose and undefeated season many recruits are headed to the south plains.
besides it has already been happening, dumb a$$, we are 4 deep in recievers and other that shipley and williams none of your could play at tech, colt would be on the bench or playing running back since he is your leading rusher-lol
and defense wow, the end that got hurt would be the only addition across the board!!!!!!!!!
i love it, for once we are not outnumbered, playing over our head, TEXAS TECH IS JUST THAT GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The Longhorn Fans on here are trying to see if they can get inside information on how to go into every season with players who love to play as a team not individuals, not worry what the media says, the so called experts, the other teams, they just go out and play to their best ability and beat the so called high profile Teams.It takes heart, determination, pride,believe in your team mates, your coaches and play the game. We sure as hell don’t have to call the bcs, big 12 coaches to vote us into a bowl game on national tv, have hometown refs overseeing our games, or players who have a rich history getting wat to many dui’s, drug arrest, assults, robberies, and on and on.. mack brown is so proud of that of his players, yeah we want to be like texas,, i’ll pass
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Techsans -
Why even waste your time or energy with the likes of Longhorn Sally or Texas Born? Their arrogance and overconfidence will ultimately be their own undoing… Here is something sent to me today that those 2 won’t ever understand…
“Life gives you stories that resonate within. Stories like a young shepherd boy picking up five smooth stones and slaying a giant with a simple sling and a faith in God. Stories like a band of brothers completely encircled by German troops in WWII and when rescued by Gen. Patton claiming that they didn’t need rescuing, they were holding their own just fine. Stories about a rag tag bunch of colonies winning a war against the greatest world power of their time because they believed they could. Stories about a 6th seed Villanova defeating Georgetown for the NCAA championship, not because anyone else thought they could but because they thought they could. A runner survives 26 miles to warn his countrymen. A black woman refuses to move to the back of the bus. Stories like these inspire and bring hope because everyone of us is weaker than someone, smaller than someone, and faces obstacles of our own.
Remember the advice Coach Switzer gave Coach Leach when he was offered this job? Don’t do it, you can’t win there. That in a nutshell is the world’s belief about our school. You can’t win there. Tech is too remote, too small and too inconsequential to compete. Tech faces too many giants, from storied programs such as OU, UT and Nebraska to programs that are better funded. All but Tech and Baylor in the Big 12 are land grant universities within their state. They have celebrated their 100th year of this and that. We weren’t even around 100 years ago. They are big. We are not.
But did Coach Leach listen to his mentor? No, he thought it could be done. He saw the promise. He believed in himself. He went to work. In many ways, success at Tech becomes Coach Leach. The pirates that Coach Leach is fascinated with battled world dominating empires such as the British, French and Spanish. As the pirates are to the British, French and Spanish, so Tech is to OU, UT and Nebraska. I think Leach recognized this when he started with the pirate theme. All the talk of Leach taking this job or that job seems silly to me. Can you see a Pirate becoming a British Commodore? This misfit who never played college football who is still viewed as a nutcase by traditional football powers fits here like a sword in a scabbard. West Texas is the outpost colony where only a pirate can thrive.
So Leach began to build the base and the persona of a team, a team that could challenge. He took them to war and continually crafted the approach with phases such as “swing your sword” and “do your job.” He defied the traditionalist and rallied Raider Nation with his views that his fans were as good as any and that sometimes a pirate beats a soldier. Sometimes he does indeed, sometimes he does indeed. He drilled his team on execution, execution, execution. Now you hear stories of one of the top QBs in the country spending hours in the summer with the best receiver in the country throwing routes over and over again. Doing their job and swinging their sword during the summer of Texas sweat and heat. Why work so hard boys, don’t you know you can’t win at Tech? Listen and you will hear “yes we can” in the whine of the spirals in the Texas heat. “Yes we can” in the smack of the pads against each other. “Yes we can” in the clink of the weights on the bench.
So how will the story end? I don’t know but I can tell you this. I am looking forward to seeing this team go mano a mano against OU and Stoops, the de facto King of the Big 12 hill at their house. Leach and his marauding band of brothers have already knocked down traditional power Nebraska and current power UT, who between them have over 10 mythical national championships (MNC). OU claims 7 MNC and beyond OU is Florida, Alabama or possibly USC. Line’em all up I say, those MNC trophies don’t play a position on the field. They all started with zero trophies just like us. If and when this team wins the MNC they will probably have defeated programs with over 20 MNC between them. This team won’t win a MNC the easy way like BYU or Colorado. Nope, this team is going to have to flat out earn it by beating the hell out of the British, French and Spanish of the world. When you come from Texas Tech you know that respect is fought for and earned and the same will be true of our football team. I wouldn’t have it any other way, would you?? ”
Guns Up, Raiders!! Wreck’em Tech!!!!!
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Longhorn sally is a t-shirt fan with the likes of sailor and texas born
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some fans cant handle losing and have to try to tear down teams they lose to. as a mike leach fan im glad to see you guys doing good. its boring to know the sooners are going to beat somebody before they show up. have been very impressed with your team this year. they remind me of 2000 ou team. nobody believed in them either, although im starting to hear more believers on sport sites. hope your guys stay healthy, not so much luck for us this last several years. in 2000 no starters or backups missed games for injury. skill and luck is invovled to go all the way to nc. we had some good bounces in 2000. i think our game is a toss-up. hope refs dont mess up outcome of game for either of us. anyway, ignore sooner and texas fans, they think there team is never supposed to lose. not really realistic is it. looking forward to exciting game. good luck
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big sooner fan, appreciate the comment. good luck to both teams!
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now that’s the sooner fan remember, if you really know the truth most texas tech fans pull for ou against tu….whorn fans just cannot be cool, always their smarter, have more, want more and do less for any of it……….
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hey Born
I don’t enjoy braggin about the UT game. I DO enjoy UT fans crying until they have a chance to play us again though.
Tech has much bigger worries than what may have happened if UT recievers and secondary knew how to catch a football.
Tech has the national title to work for, one week at a time.
We don’t dwell on the past. We don’t care about UT’s old trophies or OU’s old titles.
Tech is on the rise. And UT and OU’s old glory are collateral damage. Guns up.
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Tech on the rise?
Surely your joking?
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well, living in Austin, I hear this in person all day long.
I have to say that it never seems to stop. UT fans love their ugly orange shirts and their smelly heffer mascot.
I am glad Tech has such style. Red and black look sharp driving down the field, in texas or oklahomo.
OU’s only advantage is the home field. Can you guys believe Stoops felt the need to ask the fans in Norman to howl louder when we have the ball? Seems like his priorities are aimed the wrong way. He needs to be focusing on making his team more disciplined.
Maybe after we win, he will see how Leach has the Raiders and their fans on the right track
or maybe having such a history on top of the ranks leads t-sippers and soon(to be obselete)ers to have horrible manners, sportsmanship, style, and class.
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How interesting. All of this bickering is what I call “Tech rage,” which is very similar to road rage. Road rage is a result of an insecure human being operating a 4000-pound machine, giving one a feeling of power and the ability to be rude and flee the consequences immediately. Tech rage is similar, providing insecure people ( Tech fans ) an avenue to rave with absolutely no negative consequences (e.g., getting shot). What a great invention this internet is.
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Folks, I’m sorry for my posts. I just read them again and realized how stupid I sound. Here I am talking about “Tech rage,” yet I’m the one on a Tech website. How pathetic and hypocritcal of me. Even my name shows how insecure I am. I actually act like I’m better than you because I’m a shell of a man. I’m lonely and all I got is Texas football and my sweaty Colt McCoy jersey. Hell, I didn’t even go to college. I couldn’t get in. That’s how stupid I am.
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First of all to Tex Doc – WOW that was an awesome post. And for years I have believed in Texas Tech. Fans (true fans) don’t ever give up on thier teams. No matter whether they win or lose. Every year I have seen people popping up as fake fans for UT or A&M and even OU. They only cheer for them because they are winning. I am not cheering for TTU or buying the T-shirts because they are undefeated, I am a true TTU fan and will always cheer the Red Raiders. Everyone can say what they want but being a good sportsman I will only say this, If you believe it can be done. I believe in them.
Red Raider fan for life!!!!!
Wreck ‘em Tech!!!
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“Big Game Bob” is used as a mocking term these days. Stoops’ Sooners have lost too many of them in recent years to scare anyone.
It started when Southern California humiliated them in the title game after the 2004 season, 55-19. It continued in 2005 when the Sooners stumbled to 8-4 and began a trend of frustrating losses to archrival Texas, a team they once owned. Boise State got them 43-42 in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2006 season and then West Virginia did it again, 48-28 in 2008. This season, the Sooners entered the Texas game top-ranked and left with a 45-35 loss despite leading throughout.
As surprising as all the losses have been, as confusing as OU’s ability to look dominant in regular games and be dominated in major ones, it’s what’s causing the problem that is most stunning.
Oklahoma’s Defense. Bob Stoops’ Defense. The very thing that made him great has fallen apart against the spread offense. From 2000-04 OU was never ranked worse than seventh in scoring defense. This season they are 57th. In its past five games this season, OU opponents have scored at least 28 points each game.
[Dan Wetzel, Yahoo!]
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How interesting. All of this bickering is what I call “Tech rage,” which is very similar to road rage. Road rage is a result of an insecure human being operating a 4000-pound machine, giving one a feeling of power and the ability to be rude and flee the consequences immediately. Tech rage is similar, providing insecure people ( Tech fans ) an avenue to rave with absolutely no negative consequences (e.g., getting shot).
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Wow, so much sour grapes from longhorn fans! You guys are so jealous it’s hilarious! Tech didn’t beat ya’ll, instead horn LOST…yeah, right. What a joke. mccolt and company were tossed around the field like a bunch of used up dog toys. Instead of Living the Dream this year, you all will just be dreaming on…..
WRECK ‘EM TECH!!!!!!
Cheers from Austin!!!!!
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How do you spell choke?
R E D R A I D E R S
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I love coming back and looking at all these claims about how great Tech “Is” now that the rest of the season has played out. All the Tech fans put their stakes in the ground and state how great they are because they can get a home game win over Texas, and now that the rest of the season has finished we’ve seen Tech choke not once but twice.. and one of them to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl (which Tech guys is considered a Home Field for you)..
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Автор, а у вас никто записи не ворует с сайта? А то у меня достали уже – копируют и копируют. И главное, что ссылку на мой сайт никто не удосужится поставить.
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