The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football Read Online Free Page A

Football. No one doubted that Leach was a first-rate college coach. The only question that remained was whether his unorthodox system was capable of contending for a national title.
    The turning point came on November 1, 2008. That night, the No. 1–ranked Texas Longhorns came to Lubbock undefeated. Tech was ranked No. 7 and also undefeated. The two programs were bitter rivals. “I deeply hope we beat their ass today,” Texas Tech’s basketball coach Bobby Knight said hours beforehand on ESPN’s
College GameDay
. ABC showcased the game in its prime-time Saturday night slot, and announcer Brent Musburger opened the broadcast by saying it was the biggest game in Texas Tech history.
    A record crowd—56,333 fans in black and red, carrying swords and wearing eye patches and bandannas—was on its feet throughout. Texas trailed the entire way until late in the fourth quarter.
    With 1:29 remaining in the game, the Longhorns scored a touchdown to go up 33–32.
    Graham Harrell was on the Tech sideline, looking up at the clock. He had led ten scoring drives in 1:30 or less that season. But this felt different. The stakes had never been so high. The audience had never been so big. The chance to beat the best team in college football was in the balance. Tech had only one time-out left.
    “Hey,” one of his teammates yelled. “Leach wants to talk to you.”
    Harrell hustled over to Leach, prepared to hear something profound. The tension in the stadium was palpable. But Leach was relaxed and showed no emotion. He didn’t even raise his voice.
    “Now listen to me,” he said. “Just make routine plays.”
    “I got ya.”
    “Everybody needs to get out-of-bounds. But don’t be afraid to throw over the middle. Late in the game the middle is exposed.”
    Harrell nodded.
    “Now come here,” Leach said, his voice getting even quieter.
    Harrell took a step closer.
    “Listen to me. There’s gonna be guys out there that don’t believe we can march down and score. You need to get these guys going and make them believe we can score.”
    “No doubt,” Harrell said, bouncing up and down on his toes. “No doubt.”
    “You make ’em believe. Huddle ’em up. Make sure everyone believes.”
    “We’re ready to go.”
    “All right. Now let’s go out there and shove it up their fuckin’ ass and score a touchdown.”
    Harrell grinned. “All right, Coach.” He trotted onto the field.
    So much for profound. Harrell had heard that same late-game speech so many times he could recite it, right down to the last sentence. Even Leach’s tone was the same. “He was really good about staying even keel no matter the situation,” Harrell said. “It helped me to see him so calm. He doesn’t have a football background. So football was never an emotional game to him. It was always analytical. With Coach Leach, when the offense gets the ball, you are supposed to score. That’s it.”
    Over the next minute and twenty-one seconds, Harrell completed his first four passes—one over the middle and three toward the sidelines. He drove his team all the way to the Texas twenty-six-yard line before throwing an incomplete pass that stopped the clock with eight seconds remaining. Tech had a decision to make: attempt a long-distance field goal, or run one more play in hopes of getting closer for the kicker. But if Harrell completeda pass and the receiver didn’t get out-of-bounds before time ran out, Texas wins.
    Harrell ran toward Leach. “Wanna take a shot?” he shouted.
    Leach was calm. “Just run four vertical.”
    It was Leach’s favorite play—all four receivers running vertical routes. It gave Harrell options. If a receiver got past his man, he’d throw into the end zone. If the defense played back, he’d throw underneath, enabling the receiver to catch and quickly get out-of-bounds to set up the field goal.
    Harrell relayed the plan in the huddle.
    “Man, there ain’t no way we can let the game come down to the kicker,” Crabtree