Wow! All I can say about the turn of events last night in the championship game is "Wow!" My heart went out to Colt McCoy. To work for something your whole life, to put your heart and soul into a team and a program, to have a goal and have everything you have dreamed of right within your grasp...and to have it all taken away with one play is just heartbreaking. Yes, he will have a great NFL career, and yes, its not the end of the world, but I bet he feels like it is at the moment. To be told by coaches and trainers that you can't return to the game, to be scared due to the uncertainty of what is wrong with the throwing arm you can no longer feel (not a good thing for a quarterback!), and yet to have the heart to return to the sidelines and become your teammate's biggest cheerleader, knowing that you can do nothing to physically help them win, shows great strength of character. And talk about class! When he was interviewed after the game, even though he was choked up to the point that he was having difficulty getting the words out, he congratulated Alabama on a great win, said that he was proud of his teammates for continuing to be in the game and not rolling over, and praised Garrett Gilbert, the freshman quarterback who had stepped in to take over at the helm of the Texas offense. He gave full credit to God, and said that he knows all things happen for a reason. In the midst of possibly the worst moment of his life, he showed what a great young man he is.

Now, on to Garrett Gilbert! What an improbable turn of events for the freshman quarterback. To know that your team has one of the best quarterbacks in NCAA history, to know that your role in the championship game is going to be to learn from the best, and then be thrust into the role of leading your team in the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP against a raging Alabama defense...WOW! Talk about shell-shocked, deer-in-the-headlights moment! Talk about having to grow-up in the blink of an eye! Even though you could tell that he was nervous, and yes, he made his share of freshman mistakes, but I was impressed. He, thanks to some help and lots of encouragement from his teammates, got himself calmed down, and showed that he has the foundation to take over for Colt McCoy and lead Longhorn Nation. The experience that he gained last night will be invaluable...he learned that he can make a stand, with everything on the line, and have some success. I loved watching him jump up and down in excitement when he led their first touchdown drive...showing that he is still an 18-year-old kid. :~) He showed some great passing skills, some good scrambling skills, and showed that there is not much that he will not be good at...maybe even great at...with experience. I can't wait to see how he grows throughout his collegiate career...and it wouldn't surprise me to see him back at a National Championship game in a couple years. Oh, and if his mother is anything at all like me, I hope she has recovered from being a nervous wreck in the stands! :~)