Oregon Picks Off Texas in Alamo Bowl: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

This is not how the Texas Longhorns designed Mack Brown’s sendoff. The now former head coach of the Longhorns saw his offense falter and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota step back into Heisman form. The result was a 30-7 loss in the Alamo Bowl on Monday night.
Now, Brown, who announced his retirement from Texas and college football on December 16, will always remember the Alamo.
Bad joke, but it had to be done.
Mariota had 386 total yards and No. 10 Oregon returned two interceptions for touchdowns to set the tone for the night. Usually, it is Texas and its tough defense that sets the tempo.
According to the Boston Globe, the BCS-snubbed Ducks (11-2) dominated throughout even though their famously high-powered offense scored just one touchdown, when Josh Huff turned a short pass from Mariota into a 16-yard sprint to the end zone.
Oregon told the football world it would be a national title contender in 2014 and Mariota would certainly be a consideration in the voting for college football’s biggest prize.
For now, Texas will concentrate on recruiting, planning for 2014 and finding someone to replace the legend roaming the sidelines in Austin. The Longhorns will also try to replace All-American Jackson Jeffcoat, which will be no easy task.
Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly of this game.
The Good: Mariota
When you have 386 total yards and can beat a team with your arm and your feet, that’s pretty good - especially when it is Marcus Mariota. A poor middle and end of season - which included injury and poor play, took Mariota out of the running for the Heisman and Oregon out of the national title picture. Monday’s performance proved the team will be a strong contender in 2014.
The Bad: Pick 6
The Longhorns were done in when the Oregon defense picked off two passes and returned them for touchdowns. That is enough to knock the wind out of any team. Texas was an 8-5 team this season and was in contention for the Big 12 title most of the season. The end of the game just shows how Texas needs to rebuild from the bottom up and reload its football team.
The Ugly: Who replaces Brown
On television, it was said that  after the game, Brown would not be involved in anything having to do with the University. This included naming his successor. That is probably the best thing for him and the school. While the NFL has begin its purge of coaches, it should be interesting to see who pops up as a leading candidate. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, Baylor’s Art Briles, and possibly Major Applewhite could be among names who get an interview.