How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Psalm 13:2
First, let us take stock of the good news from last night's game: Blyzzle Szyzzle broke Shawn Bell's single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns. The defense performed honorably in the first half (as they have in most conference games). The offensive line continues to soldier on in spite of the gloom and doom of our fate looming over the field. Brandon Whitaker played like the Crown Prince of Oklahoma, refusing to give in, give up or give an inch. His character and honor, in addition to his amazing performance, were awe-inspiring. [All photos courtesy of WacoTrib Photo Gallery]
#2: "This is my own, my native land!"
Of course, it wasn't all wine and roses. Our special teams, our offense, and our coaching was atrocious. This game and the next will be so full of pathos that it will be difficult for us to report on them. Too many memories of the Last Days of Kevin Steele. The saddest part about GuyMo's inevitable departure is that for two seasons (2005 & 2006) put together two teams who were legitimate bowl contenders. He came the closest a Baylor team has ever come to beating OU in 2005 with a 2OT loss, and was one 4th & 20 breakdown away from knocking off A&M two years in a row. GuyMo helped raise the expectations for performance that eventually precluded his further employment at Baylor.
Lo, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death
Perhaps it was importing that West Texas A&M offense that we didn't have the talent for. Or perhaps it was the flight of good assistants in the off season. Perhaps it was the dreadful recruiting . Perhaps it was the lack of decisiveness about the most crucial position on the field. No 5 QB rotation has ever led to a bowl game. If the coach is unsure about who the QB is until the season opener, the rest of the team then knows the coach lacks confidence in the field generals he has and the team as a whole. Regardless, the coaches set the tone and call the plays. Whether or not the administration has been fully supportive of GuyMo is a subject of legitimate debate. Whether Sloan, Lilley and/or the Board of Regents hung him out to dry will be a subject of much speculation for years to come. What we do know is that he was able to achieve moderate success with Steele's recruits, but not his own. He couldn't close out the majority of close games and couldn't prevent a full-blown tailspin this season. GuyMo did much to bring back a fighting, competitive spirit to Baylor and for that we are truly thankful. He did deliver our first win over hated A&M since Reagan was president. He did bring us two season of multiple conference wins. These are important steps in teh right direction. We lament the "leaking" of his impending termination with two games yet to be played. This is truly unfair to the coach, but especially the team, whose morale must be in the depths. Yet, the time has come and what has been done cannot be undone.
Wow.