Turns out Saturday had a lot of good things happening for the University. The weekend was set up for a good start when both basketball teams won their games, men by 33 and women by 59. The women in particular have a critical early game Sunday against #1 Tennessee, but that’s Sunday. Saturday had a lot of games set up to depress fans and dash their hopes, but that’s why they play the games.

First off, women’s volleyball continued their recent dominance (and by recent I mean for 9 weeks now) with another three-game sweep over Baylor in Baylor. It wouldn’t be significant, other than the fact Baylor’s last four opponents had been forced to take five games to defeat them. Texas obviously had no trouble. And they’ve won 18 matches in a row.

Secondly, the soccer team had their season ready to come to an end playing Big 12 regular season champ Texas A&M in College Station in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament. Texas A&M had won their last 20 games in College Station, including a 2-0 win over Texas earlier in the year. However, this time, Texas defeated A&M 3-2, with all 3 goals coming in the second half, to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. Texas even scored one of A&M’s goals for them on an own goal by Big 12 defender of the year Kasey Moore. The Horns will play either Florida State or LSU next week at a location yet to be decided.

Thirdly, the Horns football team took a week off to watch the craziness of college football unfold, but a bit closer to home this week. The dreams of winning the Big 12 had all but been dashed after starting out 0-2 with losses to Kansas State and OU, but now they have to thank Mike Leach for 2 consecutive weeks of encouragement, one week by putting up 59 in what was probably their best game of the year in a win over Leach’s Red Raiders, and this week now after watching Texas Tech defeat Oklahoma 34-27, keeping Texas in the Big 12 South picture. Now with a win over A&M and a loss by OU to Oklahoma State (though still doubtful, chances increased after Sooner QB Sam Bradford left with concussion-like symptoms) would put the Horns with a chance to destroy one of the Cinderellas of the North’s BCS Title hopes.

The most ironic part of the game was the similarities to UT’s loss to Kansas State last year in their similar abrupt freefall from the title picture, from the QB injury on an odd play, to a defense getting burned by a confident QB on a sharp day, to a late comeback that involved a drive late to put it within one possession, then a failed onside kick to end it. Maybe OU will continue UT’s end run last year and put Bradford back in to struggle against a spoiler and get shocked right out of the Big 12 title game. Doubtful, but, hey, it’s Bedlam up there.

Finally, a UT player was named to ESPN’s Top 25 College Players of All-time list, and it was the one they call VY. While I may even dispute the lofty ranking, I did find it quite appropriate to the number they put him all-time.

Number 10.