Tag: reasons

8 biggest reasons why the Packers blew out the Bears in Week 1

Winning by three scores isn’t easy in the NFL. The Packers did a lot of things right in all three phases en route to blowing out the rival Bears in Week 1.

The Green Bay Packers scored first, went into halftime with an advantage and then held leads of 24-6 and 38-14 in the second half before coasting to a decisive 38-20 win over the Chicago Bears during Sunday’s season opener at Soldier Field.

A game that was 10-6 at the midway point broke wide open in the second half as the Packers scored four touchdowns and raced away from their long-time rivals, clinching a ninth straight win in the series.

Winning by three scores in the NFL isn’t easy, even against a team that had the worst record in football a year ago. The Packers did a lot of things right in all three phases en route to blowing out the Bears.

Here are the biggest reasons for the Packers’ win in Week 1:

Three Reasons Texas Can Still Make the NCAA Tournament

Despite a frustrating season, UT still has the chance to make the postseason. Here are three reasons they can still make the NCAA Tournament.

It has been a frustrating season for Texas, suffering some brutal losses throughout the year. Despite that, there is still a small glimmer of hope that Shaka Smart can lead the Longhorns to the postseason for the third time in his tenure in Austin.

Many times it has seemed like the chances at making the tournament were over, but somehow Texas still remains. After picking up wins against TCU and Kansas State, the Longhorns are just a win or two away from being back on the bubble.

Needing to win out and more than likely needing some help throughout the way, there is still a path to postseason basketball for Texas. Here are three reasons the Longhorns can still make the NCAA Tournament:

Upcoming Opportunities

The final four games for Texas has three NCAA Tournament teams on the schedule with West Virginia, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma. With the latter two being played on the road, the Longhorns will have the chance to pick up three quadrant one victories in a row.

Already playing those three opponents, Texas is currently 0-3 against them. The West Virginia and Oklahoma games were double-digit losses, while the Longhorns only lost by five to Texas Tech. Revenge should be on their mind as Texas does not want to be getting swept in their season series against conference rivals.

Even winning two out of these three games would be big for the Longhorns as they just need a little bit of a boost to get their name back in the pool. With the crazy season it has been in college basketball, no team should ever be considered out of the fight, especially with quality opponents left like Texas has.

Wide-open Big 12 tournament

Baylor and Kansas are undoubtedly the two best teams in the Big 12 this season, both ranked within the top five of the AP poll. Looking past those two heavyweights, the rest of the conference is wide open. Besides Baylor and KU, only Texas Tech has a winning record in Big 12 play, with West Virginia at 7-7 and everyone else below .500.

If the tournament started today, Texas would be facing off against West Virginia in the four seed vs five seed matchup. They would then get an opportunity at the one seed, having the chance to get a vital win towards getting an NCAA tournament.

If the conference season has proven anything, it is that it is a fairly competitive league. Even if Baylor and Kansas only have one conference loss each, they remain beatable as they have played competitive games all year. Texas will compete with the best and have the chance to get a win to springboard them into the madness.

Star Guards Have Begun to Step Up on Offense

Throughout the entire season, inconsistency has been the downfall of the Longhorns, with star players playing well one night and then having issues the next night. In the last two games against TCU and Kansas State, Shaka Smart’s squad has been consistently good, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

Scoring 70 points in both of their last two games, the source of points have been coming from the guards, with Matt Coleman, Courtney Ramey, and Andrew Jones all stepping up big time. Ramey and Jones were in double figures in both games, while Coleman dropped a career-high 26 against Kansas State after missing out against TCU with an injury.

Role players like Will Baker, Kamaka Hepa, and Royce Hamm Jr. have been solid in the two wins, but the road to success rolls through the Texas backcourt. When the Longhorns have struggled, it has been due to offensive struggles. When Coleman, Jones, and Ramey are shooting the ball to their full potential, Texas is able to compete with anybody in the Big 12.

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Three reasons Texas will win the Alamo Bowl

Seen as underdogs, Texas is going to need a lot to go their way to win the Alamo Bowl. Here are three reasons Texas will win against Utah.

Wrapping up the third season under Head Coach Tom Herman, the Longhorns are in their third consecutive bowl game. While it is not exactly where Texas wants to be, after not even going to a bowl game for the final two years of Charlie Strong, it can be seen as an accomplishment.

Seen as the underdogs in the Alamo Bowl against Utah, the Longhorns are going to need a lot to go their way to win this game. Things have gone their way before the game has even kicked off, as they should have the home field advantage and star wide receiver Collin Johnson is expected to return for the game.

Here are three reasons Texas will win the Alamo Bowl against Utah:

Home field advantage

Whenever you play a bowl game in your home state, a huge crowd in your favor is expected. That is especially true when the venue you are playing in is around an hour and a half drive. The Longhorns should have a huge crowd in attendance for Tuesday’s Alamo Bowl against Utah. The Utes should have a decent-sized crowd themselves but will be hard to outnumber the following Texas will have.

In a similar situation early in the year, Texas played a “neutral site” game against Rice at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. While Rice is located in Houston, the support was mainly for Texas fans. Utah has a bigger undergrad population and more likely more alumni, it will not be able to balance out Texas fans. Having a virtual home game will keep the Longhorns competitive throughout the game.

Collin Johnson is back

For most of the season, Texas has been without star wide receiver Collin Johnson. After deciding to skip the NFL and come back for his senior season, Johnson has only played in six games this season. He has been effective in those six games, having at least five receptions in four games. He last played against Kansas State in November, where he had seven catches for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Even if he does not make an impact with the ball in his hand, he is something Utah will have to think about. His presence in the lineup takes the pressure off other receivers like Devin Duvernay. Johnson may not be 100% but as this will be his final ever time to play in a Longhorn’s uniform, expect him to make a significant impact.

Recent bowl success

Under Tom Herman, the Longhorns are 2-0 in bowl games. The last Texas coach to win their first two bowl games with the program was Blair Cherry back in 1947 and 1948. Playing in the 2017 Texas Bowl, the Longhorns took care of old Big 12 opponent Missouri, 33-16. Last season, Texas got a huge win in the Sugar Bowl against sixth-ranked Georgia, 28-21. Herman has gotten the team to play well for the big occasion.

With this being the 11th Power 5 opponent (12th if you count BYU) they have faced this year, they are not stranger to tough competition. However, this will be the most prestigious bowl game the Utes have played in since defeating Alabama in the 2008 Sugar Bowl. The Longhorns have been on a big stage before and will be ready to play. Having that advantage over Utah will give Texas the ability to compete with the Utes.

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