It’s December 5th, 2009. We’re in Arlington, Texas for the Big 12 Championship Game. Down two, Texas is lined up for a field goal attempt that would punch their ticket to the BCS National Championship Game. For Nebraska, if this score holds then they’ll bring home their first conference title since 1999, while simultaneously throwing a major wrench into the BCS title race.
So to better appreciate that, to understand what’s going through Colt McCoy's head, to recognize the game-wrecking greatest of Ndamukong Suh, and to remember why we’ve still got this one tick on the clock, we need to rewind.
So to better appreciate that, to understand what’s going through Colt McCoy's head, to recognize the game-wrecking greatest of Ndamukong Suh, and to remember why we’ve still got this one tick on the clock, we need to rewind.
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00:00 It's December 5th, 2009.
00:03 We're in Arlington, Texas for the Big 12 Championship game.
00:06 Down two, Texas is lined up for a field goal attempt
00:09 that would punch their ticket
00:11 to the BCS National Championship.
00:13 For Nebraska, if this score holds,
00:15 then they'll bring home their first conference title
00:18 since 1999, while simultaneously throwing a major wrench
00:23 into the BCS title race.
00:25 So to better appreciate that,
00:27 to understand what's going through this guy's head,
00:31 and to remember why we've still got this one tick
00:34 on the clock, we need to rewind.
00:36 Right here, waiting patiently for the snap,
00:43 Hunter Lawrence's kicking leg holds the weight
00:46 of an entire college football program.
00:48 And yet, this guy, who looks like he was just pulled
00:52 from the trenches at the SOM,
00:53 likely feels that weight even more.
00:57 Colt McCoy earned Texas' starting quarterback spot in 2006.
01:02 He inherited a program coming off of Heights
01:04 that it hadn't seen since 1970.
01:06 Even with that recent success,
01:09 the truth remained that UT struggled to compete consistently.
01:13 2005 marked their first Big 12 Championship since 1996,
01:17 which seemed surprising, if not unacceptable.
01:22 McCoy and Texas faithful hoped his time
01:25 under center would look closer to 2005 than not.
01:28 While '06 and '07 had some blemishes,
01:31 McCoy made it obvious that this team could compete.
01:35 As a first-year starter, he led Texas to a 9-1 record
01:38 through early November, a record that brought
01:41 realistic national title hopes.
01:43 But a shoulder injury on his opening drive touchdown
01:46 knocked Colt out against Kansas State,
01:48 and all of that hope went with him.
01:51 However, by 2008, this team captured magic.
01:54 It looked like, once again, this was their year.
01:58 Undefeated, number one team in the nation,
02:00 who can stop them?
02:02 Well, Michael Crabtree, and Big 12 tiebreakers too.
02:06 That one-two punch spoiled an otherwise
02:09 magical season for Texas.
02:11 Third straight year, no Big 12 title game.
02:13 Quarterbacks always shoulder the bulk of the blame,
02:17 but this wasn't on McCoy.
02:19 He capped each of those years off
02:21 with impressive performances.
02:23 In 2008, he made school history, then NCAA history,
02:27 all while being Texas' leading rusher.
02:30 That's why he finished not too far behind
02:33 Sam Bradford for the Heisman.
02:35 So, why couldn't his team reach
02:37 the Conference Championship game?
02:38 Well, the defense wasn't quite on the same level.
02:43 2008 was Wilmuth Champ's first year
02:45 as defensive coordinator in Austin,
02:47 and yes, they did lead the Conference
02:50 in fewest yards allowed, but that means a little less
02:52 in the Big 12 than it would the SEC or Big 10.
02:56 Texas' D was a young bunch,
02:58 particularly in the secondary,
03:00 which had blown up in their youthful face
03:02 at the most inopportune time in Lubbock.
03:05 This side of the ball needed to play better,
03:08 more consistently for Texas to have a chance.
03:11 Now, any improvement by the defense
03:13 wouldn't really matter if this guy
03:15 didn't come back for another year,
03:17 but his return, plus higher expectations
03:20 for a more experienced defense,
03:21 sent hope skyrocketing in Austin once again.
03:25 Once this 2009 season began,
03:27 every phase of play from this team justified that hope.
03:31 McCoy didn't miss a beat,
03:33 leaning on his childhood buddy-turned-go-to receiver,
03:35 Jordan Shipley.
03:37 Shipley also provided a spark on special teams,
03:40 becoming one of the nation's most dangerous punt returners.
03:44 And like their 2005 championship-winning squad,
03:46 the defense shone,
03:48 especially that once-struggling secondary.
03:51 Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon led the way at safety,
03:54 and a year after the team corralled just six interceptions,
03:58 this year, that number has already ballooned to 21
04:01 in the 12 games before tonight,
04:03 eight of which went Thomas' way, including two pick sixes.
04:07 When the offense had a down game,
04:08 the defense was capable of picking them up.
04:12 But down games were rare with McCoy in charge,
04:15 and on Thanksgiving,
04:16 he delivered what could've been his Heisman moment.
04:20 300 yards passing, five total touchdowns,
04:23 plus a career-high 175 yards rushing.
04:28 That launched Texas into the Big 12 Championship game,
04:31 a much-needed stamp on a year
04:33 that has mirrored their ride from four seasons ago.
04:36 McCoy's monster performance came nearly
04:39 at the perfect time.
04:41 Why just nearly?
04:43 Well, had he waited a week to deliver it,
04:45 then maybe he wouldn't look like this
04:47 on the sideline right now.
04:49 So why is McCoy down so bad?
04:51 What's the deal with this Nebraska team?
04:54 And if anyone's gonna block this kick, who would it be?
04:57 Well, the answer to all three questions is this guy,
05:00 Endomacon Sue.
05:02 It's rare for a defensive lineman
05:06 to be the face of a program,
05:08 but Sue has become just that.
05:11 Once a four-star recruit out of Oregon,
05:14 the nimble yet devastating tackle burst
05:16 onto the scene in 2008.
05:18 Sue was everywhere,
05:20 even became pretty familiar with the end zone.
05:22 There was nothing he couldn't do.
05:24 And yet he decided to delay his pro career
05:27 and return to Nebraska for a fifth season.
05:31 Bo Pelini was a big reason why.
05:33 2008 marked Pelini's first year
05:35 as the Cornhuskers head coach.
05:37 After Nebraska suffered a stretch of inconsistency,
05:40 Pelini showed he could quickly right the ship.
05:42 He's a defensive-minded coach
05:44 whose system found ways to set up Sue for success
05:47 by making him much harder to double team.
05:50 That allowed Sue to take over games on his own,
05:53 disrupting play in a way that demoralized his opponents.
05:57 And when Sue got more opportunities to feast,
06:00 the rest of Nebraska ate as well.
06:03 The best example of how this team won games
06:05 came against Oklahoma.
06:07 Both teams entered with five and three records.
06:09 However, OU was ranked, favored by 6 1/2 points,
06:13 and by the end of the game,
06:14 Nebraska quarterbacks had combined for just seven completions
06:18 totaling 39 yards.
06:21 And they won.
06:22 How does that happen?
06:24 Well, part of it was the offense leaned on Roy Hulu,
06:27 who gashed OU for nearly seven yards per carry.
06:30 But still, Nebraska's offense managed 180 total yards.
06:34 They scored just 10 points.
06:36 This win came by their defense.
06:39 Oklahoma had to throw it 58 times
06:41 in order to get 26 completions.
06:43 Nebraska snagged five picks on the day.
06:46 They stymied OU's run game.
06:49 And at the end of the day,
06:50 they held the Sooners to just three points.
06:53 I mean, Sue single-handedly prevented more points
06:55 right here,
06:56 one of three field goal blocks he's already got this year.
07:02 And Dominick and Sue and Nebraska's defense
07:04 have just been on another level.
07:06 Even without a complete offense,
07:08 Nebraska played their way to the top of the Big 12 South,
07:11 which means two things.
07:13 First, they can obviously become conference champs
07:16 for the first time since 1999.
07:19 But second, and more impactful on the larger stage,
07:22 Nebraska is playing for more than just themselves.
07:25 Division I college football
07:28 is dominated by these conferences, the Power Five.
07:31 It's a pretty douchey nickname.
07:33 One tier below them, you got the mid-majors.
07:36 These are still D1.
07:38 They're still competitive conferences,
07:40 but they're comparatively smaller brands,
07:42 which translates to less stacked rosters
07:44 and weaker schedules.
07:46 Since the BCS took control in 1998
07:49 and dictated who reigned supreme in college football,
07:52 no mid-major has ever made it to the title game.
07:55 However, this year, there are two schools
07:57 with cases to be made.
07:59 TCU and Boise State have already completed
08:03 undefeated seasons.
08:05 If Nebraska delivers Texas their first loss,
08:08 the Horned Frogs and Broncos could be on the cusp
08:10 of unprecedented glory.
08:13 So the Cornhuskers have the power
08:14 to shake things up pretty good,
08:17 and tonight has looked like Nebraska's playing
08:20 for the little guy.
08:21 Both sides of this Husker squad
08:24 did what you'd expect of them.
08:26 On just the second play of the night,
08:28 Nebraska's defense picked off McCoy in Texas territory.
08:31 Their offense responded with an eight-play drive
08:35 spanning an entire 13 yards,
08:38 but capped off by a field goal.
08:40 A lead's a lead, and Nebraska's defense
08:44 could do a lot with just three points.
08:47 They sent Texas sputtering,
08:49 repeated three and outs, another interception.
08:51 McCoy just never got comfortable.
08:54 Sue had a lot to do with that.
08:57 The only long-horned points in the first half
08:59 came after a pass interference set UT up
09:01 inside of Nebraska's five, and McCoy punched it in.
09:05 The Cornhusker defense repeatedly bailed out the offense
09:08 in both halves.
09:10 Three Texas takeaways led to zero Texas points.
09:14 UT did sneak a field goal in after a short Nebraska punt,
09:18 stretching their lead to four,
09:19 but as the fourth quarter flew by, the fireworks picked up.
09:23 Nebraska's Niles Paul returned a punt
09:26 all the way down to the Texas 10-yard line.
09:28 The offense did nothing,
09:30 but they still made this a one-point game.
09:35 On the ensuing kickoff, a knuckling line drive
09:37 sent Marquise Goodwin stumbling,
09:39 and as he hauled in the ball, Goodwin slipped,
09:42 knee down at the one-yard line.
09:45 Terrible field position in mind,
09:46 at this point in the second half,
09:48 McCoy had himself punted the ball twice as many times
09:52 as he'd completed passes.
09:54 So, hope was minimal.
09:56 First down, McCoy plunged headfirst
09:58 for some breathing room.
10:00 Second down, Sue broke through,
10:01 spun Trane Newton to the ground,
10:03 and nearly gave Nebraska the lead right here.
10:06 But instead, against all odds,
10:08 on third down, McCoy found Shipley for 15.
10:11 This turned into by far the best drive of the night
10:14 for Texas.
10:15 They moseyed their way down to Nebraska's 34
10:17 with under five minutes and a chance to put this one away.
10:21 Naturally, the Big 12 script writers
10:23 called for this to come next.
10:25 De'Jawn Gomes wrestled the ball from Dan Buckner,
10:29 snuffing out the Longhorn hopes of wrapping things up early.
10:33 And then, the Cornhuskers did the unthinkable.
10:36 Their offense drove the ball,
10:39 including their longest completion of the night,
10:41 16 yards on a key third down.
10:44 Critically, Nebraska burned more clock on this drive
10:47 than any since the first quarter,
10:49 forcing Texas to use their first two timeouts
10:51 while getting within range for a field goal
10:53 that took the lead with a minute 44 to play.
10:56 And here they are, clinging to that lead.
11:01 But before we see what comes next,
11:03 let's talk about this little guy.
11:05 How'd he get up here?
11:06 It looks so lonely.
11:08 Nearly 10 years ago, Michigan played Illinois
11:15 in a nail-biter that ended in controversy.
11:18 Two massive calls swung that game in Michigan's favor.
11:21 One fumble that wasn't, one fumble that was,
11:24 and one win that shouldn't have belonged to Michigan.
11:28 Unfortunately for Illinois,
11:30 before that season the Big Ten held a vote
11:32 and in a landslide,
11:33 decided they did not want to use any sort of video review.
11:37 Well, after this game,
11:38 and after Michigan owned a share
11:40 of the Big Ten championship come season's end,
11:43 those schools changed their tune.
11:45 In 2004, they became the first conference
11:47 to institute video review,
11:49 and the rest of the conferences quickly followed suit.
11:52 So, why's that matter tonight?
11:55 Well, after Nebraska took the lead,
11:58 they sailed the ensuing kickoff out of bounds.
12:01 Texas ball at the 40,
12:02 where McCoy immediately hit Shipley for 19 yards,
12:05 plus an extra 15 for a horse collar tackle.
12:08 Suddenly, with a minute 37 and one timeout,
12:11 Texas was at Nebraska's 26,
12:14 comfortably in field goal range.
12:17 They didn't really need to do much,
12:20 just not make a completely boneheaded decision.
12:23 First down, McCoy lost a yard, but kept the clock running.
12:28 Second down, he lost another two,
12:29 but again, clock was running.
12:31 Already in field goal range,
12:34 let's examine the scoreboard real quick.
12:37 28 seconds left when the previous play ended
12:39 means the play clock will be off,
12:41 and as the clock ticks toward zero,
12:44 Texas could just use this timeout
12:46 they've still got to stop the clock
12:48 and comfortably send on the field goal unit.
12:50 Instead, this was when McCoy and Texas
12:54 delivered the most confusing decision
12:56 at the worst possible time.
12:59 The clock hit zero.
13:01 Nebraska began to celebrate.
13:03 Texas began to plead.
13:06 Five years ago, without video review,
13:08 Nebraska would be the Big 12 champions.
13:11 But this isn't the past.
13:13 The officials got together in order to check the clock,
13:16 and what they saw was, yeah, McCoy was way too nonchalant,
13:20 but when his pass hit the ground out of bounds,
13:23 there was still one second on the clock.
13:25 By rule, that one second was added back,
13:28 and the bewilderment felt throughout Burnt Orange Nation
13:30 was replaced by hope.
13:32 Hope that Hunter Lawrence could end this right here
13:35 and propel Texas back into the BCS National Championship.
13:39 Hope that McCoy's incredible run at Texas
13:42 wouldn't end with yet another blemish.
13:44 And hope that this guy right here
13:46 doesn't have any magic left in him
13:49 on a night where he has been the most dominant version
13:51 of his already dominant self.
13:54 A block or a miss here would mean significant things
13:57 for college football, and more importantly for Nebraska,
14:01 it would mean that they are Big 12 champions.
14:04 With so much packed into just a single second,
14:07 welcome to a moment in history.
14:09 - For everything.
14:13 Got it!
14:17 Texas goes to Pasadena.
14:21 (crowd cheering)
14:23 (logo chiming)
14:26 (music)