HOUSTON, ARLINGTON and AUSTIN, Texas -- His entire team had already trickled into the locker room, but Texas coach Charlie Strong lingered on the field at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sunday, stopping for extra photos, hugs and handshakes as fans in each end zone chanted, Char-lie! Char-lie! Char-lie!Linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary ran toward him, giving him the signal to wrap it up.Man, youre the last one at the party! he yelled. Lets go!Texas hasnt partied like this in years.We needed tonight to get this program back in the spotlight, and this is a big win for us to get the program headed back, Strong said after an instant-classic, 50-47 double-overtime win against Notre Dame. I know one game does not make a season. We have many more to go, but this is a great start for us, a record crowd.Our fans really needed that. Weve been down for so long and people have been talking about us. It was a night for us to just make it right. At least for one game, for one game.It was an epic culmination to a Texas-sized tripleheader that featured Houston-Oklahoma, USC-Alabama and Notre Dame-Texas. Those three games revealed the juxtaposition of college footballs newest contenders in the College Football Playoff conversation -- the Cougars and Longhorns -- and its mainstay, the Crimson Tide.In a whirlwind tour of three games in two days in one state, it became clear that Alabama is still No. 1; Houston is to be taken seriously until it loses; and Texas has the potential to be a dark horse under the two-quarterback system of 18-year-old phenom?Shane Buechele?and senior battering ram Tyrone Swoopes.We know how to win, Buechele said.Texas won in the most entertaining fashion, but it was Houstons shocking 33-23 upset of No. 3 Oklahoma that resonated most in the premature playoff picture.Houston freshman defensive tackle Ed Oliver, the No. 4 recruit in the country last year, bounced through a swarm of his celebrating teammates on Saturday evening, soaring from the Cougars shocking upset of the Big 12s front-runner.I knew I made the right choice when I committed here, Oliver shouted to nobody in particular as he disappeared into the red-clad celebration at NRG Stadium.Houston seems to be winning everyone over lately.Oliver and the Cougars, though, are like the freshmen in the fraternity -- theyve pledged, but havent exactly been initiated into the exclusive CFP house. A few hours after Houstons win and about 270 miles away, Alabama reminded us who has lasted the longest in a sport steeped in tradition.Were still rollin, center Bradley Bozeman said after his teams 52-6 dismantling of USC in Arlington. Were still trying to hold up to the Alabama name.This weekend in Texas was tangible proof that college football isnt just alive again; it was inhaled with every grill that was fired up, and consumed with every beer, brat and burger in sight. Fans have been thirsty for these high-risk, high-reward marquee matchups, and Week 1 delivered, thanks in large part to the emphasis placed on strength of schedule by the CFP selection committee.The beauty of these games is that nobody was eliminated. Notre Dame is not doomed if it wins out. USC certainly wont be penalized for losing to the defending national champs if it goes on to win the Pac-12. And OU still has Ohio State and Big 12 play on tap -- but it certainly cant afford to lose to Texas again.Each game was significant to the CFP race, and it felt like all signs in the state of Texas pointed to the biggest opening weekend in the history of college football.At Hobby International Airport in Houston, there was a vibrant Welcome Sooners sign on a flat-screen TV on the way to baggage claim that had the O and U in red in the word Houston. On Highway 35 East en route to Arlington, a billboard proclaimed, Roll Dallas! Proud home of Bama students, fans and alums. A few miles later there was another sign, reminding commuters Notre Dame vs. Texas tomorrow.Who knew it would be the kind of thriller well be talking about for tomorrows to come?It was a fitting end to a Week 1 party that stretched across the state, linked together by a fondness for cowboy boots and hats, folding tables and chairs, tents and tailgates.On a plane from Dallas to Austin, a flight attendant said, Go Longhorns!Boo! yelled some Notre Dame fans, waking up some USC fans who were sleeping off the previous evenings nightmare.What made the entire scene so unique, though, was the combination of college footballs most storied programs (Texas, Notre Dame, Alabama, USC and Oklahoma) joined by rising star Houston.Oliver, the big-time, baby-faced five-star recruit, had seven tackles and two sacks in his first collegiate start -- a statement win that legitimized the Group of 5 programs playoff hopes.Wait, the Group of 5?It has nothing to do with where theyre playing at, said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. The bottom line is theyve got a really good football team.The question is whether they can sustain it.Last year, Houston was 10-0 before it was derailed by an unexpected 20-17 loss at unranked UConn. At 12-1 it was still the selection committees highest-ranked team from the Group of 5, guaranteeing Houston a spot in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, where it beat No. 9 Florida State, 38-24. That game flipped the switch on the expectations for this fall, but it wasnt until Houstons performance against OU that they were validated.We all believed we could do it, said Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. We shocked the nation.With Saturdays win over Oklahoma, Houston defeated back-to-back top-10 teams for the first time. The Sooners were left sulking, but hardly as embarrassed as USC. It was the Trojans worst opening loss of the season. Alabama, meanwhile, was having fun and dancing in the locker room.Its a whole different team than last season, said Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. We had a lot of people leave and we have a lot of experience at the same time, but I think the way we play, its a new identity. Were trying to establish a new identity every game that we play.Texas has also been searching for a new identity, and it found it with Buechele and first-year offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert.It feels different because we know that we put it all out there, said receiver John Burt. ... The team last year wouldnt have done that. This is a different team. This is a better team.Linebacker Malik Jefferson described the feeling on the field after the game as a deep breath, a relief.All of the pressures off, he said. Now we just go play Texas football like its always been.Well, not always.Texas and Strong have been desperate for a signature win, and this was the kind that could get the Longhorns into the real party at the end of the season. Problem is, its a short guest list.Houston wants an invitation, Alabama never left, and Texas is looking to crash -- even if Strong is the last one in. Discount Air Max Shoes .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Air Max Shoes Cheap . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. http://www.wholesaleairmax.com/ . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. Wholesale Air Max Free Shipping . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Cheap Air Max China . U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield in Manhattan agreed that lawyers on both sides could make their formal requests by Nov. 8. A hearing is scheduled for a day earlier. Jordan Siev, a lawyer for Rodriguez, wrote in a joint letter to the judge from lawyers on both sides that MLB lawyers planned to ask that the lawsuit be dismissed. COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M Corpus-Christi coach Willis Wilson paid Texas A&M center Tyler Davis the ultimate compliment on Monday night -- that others should mirror Daviss game.Tyler Daviss effort speaks for itself, Wilson said. A lot of big kids around the country can learn from the way he plays.Davis scored a career-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting as A&M defeated TAUM-CC 86-69 on Monday night.The Aggies (5-2) led 45-33 at halftime and kept the Islanders (5-2) at arms length the rest of the way, overwhelming their undersized opponent down low and outscoring TAMU-CC 40-24 on points in the paint.My teammates just found me in the right spots, Davis said. It was my job to post hard and create angles for the guards, and they got me the ball so I could score.As for that career high in points, and Wilsons commendation?Were supposed to play well inside against smaller teams, Davis said with a shrug. I felt like we attacked the inside.Admon Gilder tied his season high with 17 points for A&M and Tonny Trocha-Morelos scored 13. Cole Martinez had 13 points and Rashawn Thomas added 12 for the Islanders.The Islanders outrebounded the Aggies 39-31, but committed 16 turnovers, including seven by Thomas, and A&M outscored TAMU-CC 19-11 on points off turnovers.We didnt even win the rebound war in this game, Davis said. We lost by eight. Tomorrow our focus is going to be putting bodies on people.Texas A&M had 21 assists on 31 field goals and shot 54 percent overall.We didnt defend like we wanted to, maybe because of not playing for seven or eight days, A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. I just know we need to get better defensively.BIG PICTUREThe Aggies looked rusty after having not played for more than a week (a Nov. 27 loss to UCLA for a second-place finish in the Wooden Legacy), and faailed to distance themselves from their outmanned opponent until very late in the contest.dddddddddddd A&M plays three home games in six days this week, however, so rust should not be an issue by this weekend.The Islanders, whose only other loss was at Cal Poly on Saturday, kept their contest against a Southeastern Conference foe competitive throughout. They also considered it good experience for an upcoming big-name game, at Oklahoma State on Dec. 22.UP NEXTAfter playing three consecutive games away from Reed Arena, Texas A&M will play its second straight home game on Wednesday night against Denver.TAMU-CC returns to Corpus Christi, where theyre undefeated in four games, to host St. Marys (of Texas) on Friday.STAT OF THE NIGHTThe teams combined for 11 blocks, including seven by A&M. Aggies guard D.J. Hogg collected a season-high three rejections, after entering the game with five in six prior contests.TURNING POINTThe Aggies led by three points (28-25) with a little more than six minutes remaining in the first half when Aggies guard JC Hampton capitalized on a turnover by Rashawn Thomas with a layup. In the following couple of minutes A&M increased its lead to double digits, where it would stay the rest of the way.HE SAID ITYoure going to have a hard time beating anybody, let alone on the road, if you cant get to the free-throw line more than six times. TAMU-CC coach Willis Wilson on the Islanders shooting 6 of 6 from the free-throw line compared to 16 of 24 for the Aggies.HE SAID IT, TOO:These games are all preparation for SEC play. So theyre as important as any games were playing.A&M center Tyler Davis on facing opponents from smaller conferences. 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