Adventures in Lubbock
WILD TIMES IN LUBBOCK
Anyone who has read me for awhile knows how much I like Lubbock, Texas. Wide streets, good people, old-West feel. I like it. I like it a lot. You can’t find 10 people walking the earth who would take Lubbock over Austin, but I would. Austin has its good points; it also has a lot of fruitcakes and a lot of traffic, neither of which do much for me.
Anyway, our road trip to Lubbock was fun. Andy Hutchison, newly-installed president of the Texas Association of Builders, took us out to lunch. Andy is an Oklahoma Christian University graduate from
Oklahoma City who is an OU football fan. He took us to Spanky’s, a great burger joint adjacent to campus, then gave us an auto tour of Tech. A few things I learned:
1. Tech’s campus is huge. Andy says it’s the largest continuous campus in America. That’s one of the things I like about Lubbock; lots of land.
2. Tech’s architecture is big-time cool. The Spanish Renaissance look is affixed to most buildings (although not, ironically, the architecture building, a truly horrible structure that is a first cousin of OU’s Physical Science monstrosity).
3. It’s not just at OU and OSU where the university has leveled neighborhoods to expand campus. Jones Stadium is on the east side of campus; Tech bought out blocks of houses east of the stadium and has put up contemporary apartment buildings, with retail along the ground floor. A similar enterprise is being built in Norman, about a mile east of Owen Field, and don’t be surprised if David Boren doesn’t endorse something similar next to campus.
4. United Spirit Arena, Tech’s basketball arena, is the grandest exterior coliseum I’ve ever seen. I love the architecture, which fits in perfectly with most of campus. I don’t know what would be second on that; LA’s Staples Center, I suppose.
5. Lubbock not only has wide streets, its side streets are wide AND have alleys. Amazing.
TEN BIG LOSERS FROM WEEK 12
10. Jeff Tedford: The California coach once was a hot commodity and might still be. But since the night of Oct. 13, when the Bears seemed on the verge of ascending to No. 1, Cal is 1-5.
9. Mid-American Conference: The MAC’s apparent best team, Central Michigan blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost at home 48-45 to lowly Eastern Michigan. With only one week left in the regular season, the MAC has no teams with more than six wins.
8. Todd Dodge: The rookie North Texas coach didn’t do much to alleviate fears of how a high school coach can fare in major-college football. UNT is 1-9 after blowing a 27-17 lead with six minutes left against Arkansas State and losing 31-27.
7. Louisiana media: The poor guys who cover LSU face six weeks of speculation about Les Miles taking the Michigan job.
6. Kirk Ferentz: The Iowa coach rallied his Hawkeyes after a slow start, only to stumble against Western Michigan, 28-19, which probably will cost Iowa a bowl bid.
5. Ohio State-Michigan: These old war-horse programs never looked less athletic than in the Buckeyes’ 14-3 victory. It was rainy and cold, but still, no way these teams are that slow. But that’s exactly how they looked.
4. Vanderbilt: The Commodores get few chances to beat in-state rival Tennessee. Especially in
Knoxville. Especially when doing so would cost the Volunteers the SEC East. But Vandy led 24-9 in the fourth quarter before falling 25-24.
3. Nick Saban: Losing to Louisiana-Monroe was bad enough. Then Saban compared Alabama’s need to rebound from a “catastrophic event” like America did from the 9/11 attacks and Pearl Harbor. Uh-oh.
2. Oklahoma: The Sooners fell from the national title hunt with a loss at Texas Tech, but at least OU didn’t lose a possible Heisman Trophy as well. Like…
1. Dennis Dixon: The Oregon quarterback was the Heisman front-runner, but when his knee buckled against Arizona, away went the Heisman hopes — and Oregon’s national championship dream.
GOOD EATS
As I said, Andy Hutchison took us to Spanky’s for lunch Saturday, and I had some sort of triple cheeseburger, which had a politically incorrect name that I won’t repeat. Easily one of the best 10 cheeseburgers I’ve ever had. Mayo, mustard and ketchup, with a bunch of meat and bunch of cheese and a bunch of fixin’s, mashed tight.
But it wasn’t the best meal of the trip. Friday night, we went to Cagle’s, a steakhouse that ranks as my favorite Big 12 eatery, if you throw out Kansas City. Cagle’s sits out west of town and is set up like an old West town. Specializes in rib-eyes, with a slaw-and-beans bar, and cobbler for dessert.
Let’s make a deal. I’ll take all the spots that have cobbler and cannolis for dessert; you can have the chocolate mousse and cheesecake places.
TEN BIG WINNERS FROM WEEK 12
10. George O’Leary: The once-shamed coach again has Central Florida in the Conference USA title game, thanks to a 49-20 rout of SMU.
9. Indiana: The Hoosiers not only beat arch-rival Purdue for their first Old Oaken Bucket win since 2001, they reached seven wins to likely qualify for a bowl and make for a storybook season in the wake of coach Terry Hoeppner’s death.
8. Troy Calhoun: The Air Force looks like a winner in succeeding long-time coach Fisher DeBerry. Calhoun coached the Falcons to a 9-3 record after a 55-23 rout of San Diego State.
7. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights’ aren’t the national rags-to-riches story they were a year ago, but a 20-16 victory over Pitt lifted Rutgers to seven wins and shows that Greg Schiano’s program is on solid ground.
6. Illinois: The once-lowly Illini beat Northwestern 41-22 to finish 9-3 and secure second place in the Big Ten.
5. Big East: West Virginia won 28-23 at Cincinnati in a solid game that shows this league has some depth.
4. Utah State: The Aggies seemed headed for a winless season under ex-OSU Cowboy Brent Guy, but Utah State won 35-17 at New Mexico State.
3. Charlie Weatherbie: The ex-OSU quarterback, now the coach at Louisiana-Monroe, produced one of the great upsets of the season, a 21-14 victory over Alabama that had perhaps the greatest salary discrepancy among head coaches as any game in NCAA history. Nick Saban: $4 million a year. Weatherbie: $130,000.
2. Matt Ryan: The Boston College quarterback, once a Heisman contender, reminded America he’s still a force, and so is BC. The Eagles won 20-17 at Clemson to secure one of the ACC division titles; Ryan threw for 315 yards.
1. Arrowhead Stadium: The college game of the year matches Kansas and Missouri in Kansas City? Who could have guessed? KU routed Iowa State and Missouri beat Kansas State, setting up a match in which the winner could play for the national championship.
DRIVING WEST
Nothing better than driving west out of Oklahoma City. We went I-40 because it’s a little quicker and we heard there is severe construction in Wichita Falls. Either way is fine with me. I like I-44 to Wichita Falls, then west on Highway 82 to Lubbock. You’re on the frontier when you’re west of Wichita Falls. There’s an exotic animal farm somewhere the other side of Seymour, with camels — yes, camels — roaming the range. But I-40 is interesting, too, and here are the highlights.
1. It’s never a bad idea to stop off in Weatherford or Clinton or Elk City, three of my favorite
Oklahoma towns. Our man Jake Trotter needed to hook up to the Internet to ship a story back to the office, so we pulled into the Weatherford Best Western, where some nice ladies let us use their wireless connection in the lobby. You meet good people in western Oklahoma.
2. The huge cross in Groom, Texas, does not produce the intended results. The giant steel cross is billed as the second-largest cross in the Western Hemisphere. You can see it from miles away. But somehow, the building labeled “Gift Shop” sitting next to the cross ruins it for me. Drive past the cross on I-40, and you end thinking not about your soul, but about your pocketbook.
3. Amarillo is overrated. Literally. Lubbock is twice as big as Amarillo, Lubbock has Texas Tech and Lubbock has superb medical facilities, including a medical school. Yet Amarillo is more famous. Ask 100 Oklahomans or downstate Texans which is bigger, and 75 would say Amarillo. Why? Because of Interstate 40, America’s new Main Street.
4. KOMA still packs a punch. I know, I know, 1520-AM now is called KOKC, but every Baby Boomer from Oklahoma City to Bakersfield feels a kinship with KOMA, the mega-powered radio station that once flew top-40 hits to teenagers all across the western U.S. and now delivers OU football and basketball to anyone in need. We listened to the OU-Gardner Webb game on I-27, between Lubbock and Amarillo. We’re 350 miles from home and still picking up the Sooners.
Which reminds me of a 1995 trip to Wyoming for an OSU football game. Comrade Mac Bentley and myself drove to Centennial, Wyo., 30 miles west of Laramie, for dinner. On the way back to Laramie, we picked up KOMA and listened to a Moore-Putnam North football game. Strangest feeling in the world; driving by the Rockies, thinking how big is the world, and listening to J.D. Northcutt call the Moore Lions and thinking how small is the world.
5. The Texas Panhandle is BIG. I’ve driven from Amarillo to Dalhart, and from Amarillo to
Lubbock, and you’re talking about some serious real estate. Think of it this way; western Oklahoma, from Oklahoma City to the Texas Panhandle and from the Kansas line to the Red River, is 34,000 square miles, not counting the Oklahoma Panhandle. The Texas Panhandle alone is 25,823 square miles. It’s one big place.
BOWL PROJECTIONS
The bowl lineup is a long way from completion but is a little more focused each week. My predictions:
Jan. 7 Big Bowl: LSU vs. Missouri
Jan. 6 GMAC: Tulsa vs. Bowling Green
Jan. 5 International: Cincinnati vs. Ball State
Jan. 3 Orange: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Jan. 2 Fiesta: Kansas vs. Arizona State
Jan. 1 Rose: Ohio State vs. USC
Jan. 1 Sugar: Georgia vs. Hawaii
Jan. 1 Outback: Auburn vs. Wisconsin
Jan. 1 Cotton: Oklahoma vs. Tennessee
Jan. 1 Gator: Texas Tech vs. Virginia
Jan. 1 Capital One: Florida vs. Illinois
Dec. 31 Armed Forces: Air Force vs. Purdue
Dec. 31 Sun: California vs. South Florida
Dec. 31 Humanitarian: North Carolina State vs. Boise State
Dec. 31 Music City: Arkansas vs. Florida State
Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A: Kentucky vs. Boston College
Dec. 31 Insight: Colorado vs. Indiana
Dec. 30 Independence: Kansas State vs. Mississippi State
Dec. 29 Meineke Car Care: Wake Forest vs. Connecticut
Dec. 29 Liberty: Central Florida vs. Alabama
Dec. 29 Alamo: Oklahoma State vs. Penn State
Dec. 28 Texas: Texas A&M vs. Houston
Dec. 28 Champs Sports: Clemson vs. Michigan
Dec. 28 Emerald: Georgia Tech vs. Oregon State
Dec. 27 Holiday: Texas vs. Oregon
Dec. 26 Motor City: Michigan State vs. Central Michigan
Dec. 23 Hawaii: Southern Miss vs. Fresno State
Dec. 22 Papajohns.com: Rutgers vs. Memphis
Dec. 22 New Mexico: New Mexico vs. South Carolina
Dec. 22 Las Vegas: Oregon vs. BYU
Dec. 21 New Orleans: Troy vs. East Carolina
Dec. 20 Poinsettia: Utah vs. Navy
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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Comments
OU fans are forgetting how close the MU game was. I think MU would beat OU if they meet in San Antonio. The first game was in Norman, which gave OU an edge, and since then OU’s defense has forgotten how to play while MU’s has grown some teeth. MU also has their best RB back in action while OU’s is out with a bum knee cap. MU is a better team than they were when they played the Sooners the first time, and OU is banged up and reeling.
IF OU and MU end up playing again, my guess would be MU by 7, maybe 10.
I still think Texas will play Kansas in the Big 12. KU is having that perfect storm season. KU to the Sugar Bowl vs Ohio St. (WVU willlosr). Les’ Tigers will be turned into kitties and lose against either R-Kansas or Georgia (TN will lose to KY) since the press will be relentless in their pursuit of thle Michigan story with lying Les.
Other differences of opinion:
10-2 Missouri to the Fiesta
9-3 Texas to the Cotton
9-3 Oklahoma to the Holiday
I think Ohio State will show more promise next year. It will be interesting to see how everything goes down.
OU vs Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl? Come on, Mr. Tramel, you know better than that. I try very hard not to be a “homer”, but we beat Missouri in San Antonio. Kansas is the “big blue fraud” and will get run out KC by the Tigers. I think we go to the Sugar Bowl to play Gerogia, Missouri get’s bumped (with two losses) to the Cotton Bowl, Kansas goes to the Fiesta Bowl and gets run out of the place by Arizona State.