When Colt McCoy was back at his old stomping grounds of Tuscola recently, he signed a banner that is going to considerably help Jim Ned High School's Project Graduation.

Valerie Avery, wife of Lady Indians Coach Avery, let me know about the fund-raiser. Mindy Shaw and Lori Holson arranged for Colt to sign a banner (shown above), and the Project Graduation crew is going to sell chances for it to raise money for the organization's end-of-year party.

The banner is 30x8 inches, and you can buy one raffle ticket for $2 or three for $5. The winner will be drawn at the May 23rd Jim Ned Athletic Banquet. The best way to obtain tickets is to email Mindy Shaw at mshaw@jimned.esc14.net.

Colt is always eager to help out his old alma mater, and previously he autographed a football that the group auctioned off during a silent auction at a basketball game.

Colt is the guest speaker for the Jim Ned Valley Chamber of Commerce Spring Banquet.

It'll be held at the Jim Ned High School Cafetorium (830 Garza - entrance in back) at 6 p.m.

Talk about a great deal. For $15 you get to hear Colt talk about the past exciting season, and get a steak dinner. It's general seating, so you might want to get there early, and you have to buy your tickets by April 10.

Visit http://www.jimnedvalley.com for more info.

BTW: Colt McCoy picked up his Archie Griffin "National Player of the Year" Award last Saturday as scheduled, but did you know that Garrett Gilbert (right) of Lake Travis High School, the Longhorns' recent signee for "QB of the Future," received the "National High School Player of the Year" Award at the same Touchdown Club of Columbus ceremony? Near future and distant future look rosy for UT (or burnt orange, whatever).

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Longhorns, Red Raiders move game to Sept. 19

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- The 2009 Texas Tech-Texas football game has been moved from its scheduled late-season matchup to Sept. 19 for a prime-time national television broadcast.

The game was originally scheduled for Nov. 7. Texas moved its home game with Central Florida to that date, Texas officials said. Tech had originally scheduled an open date for Sept. 19.

The Red Raiders-Longhorns game will be broadcast on ABC at 7 p.m.

Just in case you missed this, Colt McCoy received his 2008 Chevrolet Division I Offensive Player of the Year trophy last Saturday night at the UT/A&M game in Austin.

He still has one or two more awards to accept for his amazing season, including the Archie Griffin Award on Feb. 7.

BTW, the Longhorns beat the Aggies, 67-58.

Hope you were able to catch some of the stuff on ESPN last weekend about Colt McCoy and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

There is a great slideshow on mackbrown-texasfootball that wraps up the week of festivities very well. Brian Orakpo was also on hand for being part of the All-America Team, along with Colt.

Just in case you missed it, earlier this week Colt McCoy was announced as the winner of the 2008 Archie Griffin Award. This honors college football's most valuable player for the entire season. If you recall, the Touchdown Club of Columbus also named Colt their 2006 Freshman of the Year, one year after giving Vince Young the Griffin Award for his national championship efforts.

Colt will receive his award during the annual Touchdown Club of Columbus Sports Awards banquet on Feb. 7.

Just to review some of Colt's honors this past season: Runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award; the Walter Camp Player of the Year; Sporting News Player of the Year; finalist for the Davey O'Brien and Manning awards; first-team All-American from the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Football Writers Association of America; second team All-American from the Associated Press; as well as a bunch of other weekly awards.

I know I said I wasn't going to make anymore predictions, but I say the BCS mess will be even bigger next season with THREE undefeated teams.

Either Texas or Oklahoma (especially with Bradford coming back) has a chance to be one of those. A lot of people have marked Oct. 17th on their calendars already.

Utah, USC and Florida (with Tebow back) also have a shot at going undefeated as well.
UPDATE: Well, maybe not USC. Sanchez declared for the NFL draft today.

If you thought this season was exciting, wait until the next one.

Sorry, I was in Tennessee most of the time after the game until now. (They have a UT too, of course, but it's the wrong color orange.)

Again, Colt McCoy had a season in which he handled himself like a champion on the field and a gentleman off the field.

His 76.7% completion rate this year is tops in the NCAA, and quite frankly, just about unheard of.

He was second in the Heisman voting. Historically, those guys go on to have better pro careers than the winners.

He has a career completion percentage of 70.2, has 85 TDs through the air and 17 on the ground. Over 1,200 yards rushing and more than 9,700 yards passing.

Last year at this time I predicted Colt would win every game in 2008 except the Tech one.

I'm not going to do that again.

Colt will have plenty of pressure on his shoulders as everyone in Burnt Orange Nation will be expecting a 15-0 record next season.

If he stays true to form, he'll again just worry about taking the W's one game at a time.

Of all the great plays he had and the images on TV this past season, the one that will stick with me, however, is the 3-second glimpse of him on the field after Crabtree had scored in the final seconds.

"Wait, we won this game! This can't be!" is what his facial expression said to me on the brief video.

As sad as that was - and my wife was depressed for days - it no doubt instilled in him an even greater will to win.

In fact, "He willed himself to that win," is what I told my wife after he and Cosby snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the Fiesta Bowl.

He has focus like so many other great quarterbacks do.

That means he'll first think about going 1-0, then 2-0, etc., without ever thinking of that possible 15-0 in 2009.

So, I'll take my cue from him and make this prediction: The Longhorns will beat Louisiana-Monroe 235 days from now.

It was SO appropriate that Colt McCoy's final pass of this season was a TD toss that brought the Longhorns back from the brink of defeat.

And just for extra icing on the Fiesta Bowl cake, Colt threw for the most yardage ever in a burnt orange uniform - 414!

The Tech loss, of course, was the epitome of the agony of defeat, but the Ohio State come-from-behind win was thrill-of-victory sweet. In the grand scheme of things, they don't quite even each other out, but a dozen victories is four more than most "experts" thought UT would get this year. But Colt is a trial-by-fire, come-from-behind veteran, so you should never count him out.

Some people are going to say Texas had some "hangover" from the whole BCS debacle, and I wouldn't blame the 'Horns at all if they did. But the truth of the matter is they ran into a great Buckeyes defense and showed they had the offense to deal with it - McCoy and Cosby, to be exact.

That was the most exciting bowl game I've seen out of the more than 30 played so far, and the only excitement left is for Colt's distant cousin, Tim Tebow, to take care of the team that somehow got a free pass over the Longhorns to the national title game.

Great season for the guy from little Tuscola. It's going to be hard to top it as a senior. He's now 2-1 over Oklahoma, even with Ohio State and 3-0 in bowl games.

But, remember, Colt came within a second of perfection this year, and I bet he gets that tick of the clock back next season.

Line: Texas by 8.

Series record: Tied 1-1.

What's at Stake
The Longhorns (11-1) have a slim shot at a share of the national title. They'd need to leap from No. 3 to No. 1 in The Associated Press poll, and that would presumably require No. 1 Florida to lose to second-rated Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series title game. The Longhorns would have to hope the pollsters credit them for handing the Sooners their only loss in October.

For the Buckeyes, the Fiesta Bowl represents a chance to restore their place among the national elite after lopsided losses in the last two BCS title games. The first of those defeats came two years ago in University of Phoenix Stadium, site of Monday night's game.

Key Matchup

Texas' offense against Ohio State's defense. The Buckeyes allow 13 points per game, seventh in the nation. But their supposedly stout defens e was exposed by Florida and LSU in the last two BCS title games. The Buckeyes have to figure out a way to slow Heisman Trophy runner-up Colt McCoy, who directs an offense averaging 43.9 points per game, fifth in the nation.

Players to Watch

Ohio State: TB Beanie Wells. The junior from Akron, Ohio, overcame injuries to rush for 1,091 yards in nine games. With 3,276 yards, Wells ranks fourth in the fabled list of Ohio State rushers. Wells did not play in the Buckeyes' 35-3 loss to USC on Sept. 13.

Texas: WR Jordan Shipley. Shipley, a senior from Burnet, Texas, had his best games against Texas' top opponents. In a four-game stretch against teams all ranked in the Top 11, he caught 40 passes for 411 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned a kickoff 96 yards for a score to help spark the Longhorns to a 45-35 victory over Oklahoma in Dallas on Oct. 11.

Facts & Figures

A Texas victory would move the Longhorns ahead of Notre Dame for second place on the all-time major-college list. They're tied with 831, and Michigan leads with 872. ... This is Texas' 11th straight bowl appearance, a school record. The Longhorns have won six of their last seven, including BCS victories over Michigan and Southern California in the Rose Bowl. ... The Buckeyes are 8-6 against the Top 10 under Jim Tressel but have lost four straight. Tressel's Buckeyes have knocked off No. 1 Miami, No. 8 Kansas State and No. 6 Notre Dame in the Fiesta. ... McCoy led Texas in passing and rushing yards this year. The only others to do that at Texas are Vince Young in 2005 and Bobby Layne in 1946.

That means more chances for W's next season, and that's what it's all about for Colt.

Fans of his are chomping at the bit for next season, and I've heard the word "redemption" used already.

What does Colt have to redeem? He had a great year - beating biggest rivals Oklahoma (and the Heisman winner, heads-up) and Texas A&M and set more school records than I can count.

And if the Red River Rivalry had been later in the season, he'd be playing Florida for the national championship instead of what someone in the chatroom referred to as "Texas North" (OU).

Well, anyway, back to the grindstone ... so let's focus on one week from today at 7 p.m. when the Longhorns tangle with the Buckeyes in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

On paper, Texas should win this game, but I bet Ohio State still wants to play.

Here are some comparisons:

Total Offense: 5,717 yards for UT vs. 4,075 for OSU - breaking down to 476.4 and 339.7 per game, respectively

Passing Offense: 3,594 for UT vs. 1,777 for OSU - math says that's doubled.

Rushing Offense: 2,123 for UT vs. 2,299 for OSU - not that much difference, really.

Total Defense: UT has been giving up 339.9 yards a game vs. 279.2 for OSU - being in the Big 12 makes a difference.

Scoring Offense: UT averaged 43.9 points per game vs. 28.2 for OSU.

Scoring Defense: UT held opponents to 18.6 ppg vs. 13.1 for OSU.

I've also heard a lot about the Buckeyes well aware of the fact that they aren't getting any respect as this game draws nearer.

So, you have two highly-motivated teams wanting to prove themselves to the nation.

I say Texas is just a little more motivated and will win 35-17.

No Heisman Trophy in Colt McCoy's stocking this year, but his chances next season already look great.

Just in case you missed the Heisman vote totals, it was indeed close. Sam Bradford had 1,726 votes, followed by Colt's 1,604 and Tim Tebow's 1,575.

I thought voting in the six regions was interesting as well:

Northeast - 289 (Sam); 274 (Tim); 266 (Colt).

Mid-Atlantic - 267 (Sam); 264 (Tim); 252 (Colt).

South - 382 (Tim); 250 (Sam); 247 (Colt).

Southwest - 360 (Sam); 313 (Colt); 184 (Tim).

Midwest - 292 (Colt); 281 (Sam); 259 (Tim).

Far West - 279 (Sam); 234 (Colt); 212 (Tim).

"Silver" in the Heisman race ... not too shabby at all. Good job, Colt!

P.S. Merry Christmas, everyone! I don't plan on being back on these pages until right before the Fiesta Bowl.

One of these guys from the Associated Press photo above will walk away with the Heisman Trophy tomorrow night. I know my preference, but with Tim Tebow winning the Maxwell last night, Colt McCoy would now be a "surprise" winner.

Colt won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, of course, voted on by the nation's college coaches. That's a big honor, as is the Davey O'Brien Award won by Sam Bradford and, of course, the Maxwell and the Spirit Award also won by Tebow. As you recall, last week Colt won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award.

All three of those guys are quality young men, who also do good work off the football field, so I'm glad they were honored for their efforts.

I bet we'll be seeing all three leading NFL teams in the years to come.

P.S. Somewhere I heard that Tebow is a second or third cousin of Colt's. I'll have to look into that.

Tonight, the Davey O'Brien award is announced, and a bunch of other ones, including the Maxwell - for which Colt McCoy is also in the running.

I guess Colt and Sam could've split the Big 12 vote in the Heisman, giving the trophy to Tebow this coming Saturday, but I have a gut feeling Colt will win it. (Read news story >>).

As far as tonight's awards, Bradford might win the O'Brien due to his sheer numbers, but I would think Colt would win the Maxwell given what he means to his team.

Tonight's awards are at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.

BTW: That photo was taken by Gary W. Green yesterday on Disney's Boardwalk Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Colt McCoy had already said this season that he was coming back next, but he was asked again ... as if the Big 12 championship game would change his mind.

Of course he's coming back. I also like the fact that Texas will be playing Ohio State again. This will give Colt a chance to beat the Buckeyes for the first time. If you recall, that was his only loss his freshman year before injuries added two more L's late in the season.

I also like the fact that Colt's next-to-last year is looking a lot like Vince Young's. UT came thisclose back then to winning it all, and they came thisclose again this season. I believe you'll also recall what happened during Young's last season wearing the burnt orange jersey.

So, see you around the TV for the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 5 from Glendale, Arizona.

IMPORTANT P.S.: The Scripps Howard News Service has just predicted Colt will win the Heisman Trophy. They were right last year about Tebow and have been right 17 of the last 20 seasons. READ STORY >>

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas quarterback Colt McCoy and Longhorns defensive end Brian Orakpo have been named The Associated Press Big 12 offensive and defensive players of the year.

McCoy set a school record with 3,445 yards passing and 32 touchdowns. He also led the Longhorns in rushing with 576 yards and 10 TDs. Orakpo led Texas with 10½ sacks.

The offensive newcomer of the year is Baylor freshman quarterback Robert Griffin. Oklahoma freshman linebacker Travis Lewis was voted top defensive newcomer.

The players were selected by a panel of media that covers the Big 12.

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Nice start.

And there were no computers involved.