Texas Longhorns Survive SI Jinx
by Bryan on 10/6/2002 at 10:42 PM
in Sports
The
Texas Longhorns football team barely survived the infamous
SI jinx with a win against Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Being a season ticket holder, I was naturally at the game -- and I must say that in the end, I was as down as one can possibly be without actually losing. Texas didn't play well. All three areas had big letdowns. The offense was ineffective, the defense gave up a couple of crucial big plays, and special teams - well, the kicker missed 3 field goals. Granted there were some bright spots. The offense looked superb at times in their 5 wideout set, and the defense came up huge with an interception to kill OSU's final drive. Heck, even special teams accounted for OSU missing an extra point (enormous btw, considering it forced OSU to go for two to tie instead of kicking a PAT).
As always, after the game we began dissecting the team's performance. We were especially focused on what the implications of the narrow win would be on the rest of the season, beginning next Saturday with ou in the Red River Shootout. Were we this bad? If the offense was so ineffective against the OSU defense, how would we fare against ou's defense? Would it end up coming down to a field goal attempt for the win? If so, who would kick it for us? Typical stuff.
We then proceed to search for difference in our routine on that day. Let's see, there was the quick trip to the Co-op for some UT gear (a no-no from now on - if you don't own it before the season begins, you don't get it until after the season). Due to the game's early start, we never had our pre-game shot of tequila. Then it hit me - the cover of Sports Illustrated. We had
survived the jinx! It was close, but in the end we overcame the SI jinx - I suddenly felt at ease with the world.
Of course, I watched the majority of the top 10 teams also struggle, which helped as well.
The one thing that I have learned over the years is that on any given day, any team can win, especially when that day is in early October at the State Fair of Texas and the game is Texas - ou. Forget last week, throw the records out the window, it is time to get it on!
Hook 'em!