SB Nation Houston: All Posts by Jonathan Tjarkshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46691/houston-fave.png2012-11-22T07:01:59-06:00https://houston.sbnation.com/authors/jonathan-tjarks/rss2012-11-22T07:01:59-06:002012-11-22T07:01:59-06:00TCU vs. Texas 2012: TV info, game time and spread
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<figcaption>Erich Schlegel</figcaption>
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<p>The Frogs are taking Texas A&M's place as the Longhorns opponent on Thanksgiving this season.</p> <p>While Texas A&M has found great success in the SEC, their departure has left a giant hole in college football in Texas, as the Longhorns and the Aggies won't be playing in Thanksgiving week for the first time in nearly a century.</p>
<p>Instead, TCU, the newest addition to the Big 12 and an old SWC rival of Texas, will be in Austin on Thursday.</p>
<p>The game, which will be nationally televised on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET, will be between two young teams looking to finish an inconsistent season on a strong note.</p>
<p>The Longhorns, after bottoming out with a 63-21 loss to OU on Oct. 13, have won their last four games to move their record to 8-2.</p>
<p>With freshman RB <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/161325/johnathan-gray" class="sbn-auto-link">Johnathan Gray</a> and sophomore QB <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134590/david-ash" class="sbn-auto-link">David Ash</a> becoming entrenched in the Texas backfield, the big question for the last two weeks of 2012 is the Longhorns defense, which has rebounded from a historically bad start to the year.</p>
<p>On the other sideline, TCU has gotten solid play from redshirt freshman QB <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/135251/trevone-boykin" class="sbn-auto-link">Trevone Boykin</a>, who was thrust into the role after <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/77347/casey-pachall" class="sbn-auto-link">Casey Pachall's</a> departure in the middle of the season.</p>
<p>And while the Frogs are only 6-4, they've been competitive in nearly every game, so Texas, an 81/2-point favorite, can't afford to look ahead to their season-ending showdown with Kansas State next week.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/texas-longhorns/2012/11/22/3677242/texas-tcu-2012-game-time-schedule-oddsJonathan Tjarks2012-11-21T15:35:23-06:002012-11-21T15:35:23-06:002012 NFL schedule: Texans playing on Thanksgiving
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<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea</figcaption>
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<p>Houston gets its chance on the national stage on Thursday, when they travel to Detroit to play the early Thanksgiving game.</p> <p>After a surprisingly tight 43-37 OT victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jaguars</a> on Sunday, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a> have a quick turn-around this week when they play the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Lions</a> on Thursday. More than even the short practice week, what has to concern Houston fans is the matchup of a struggling pass defense against <span>Matthew Stafford</span> and <span>Calvin Johnson</span> of the Lions.</p>
<p>At 9-1, Houston already has the AFC Central essentially wrapped up and is in the driver's seat for home-field advantage in the AFC. That means the Texans will be watching the 8-2 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a>, who play the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/san-diego-chargers">Chargers</a> on Sunday, and the 7-3 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a>, who play the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">Jets</a> on Thursday, going forward.</p>
<p>Here's the full NFL schedule for Week 12, all times Central:</p>
<p>Thursday, Nov. 22:</p>
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<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;">Texans at Lions, 11:30 a.m., CBS</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/washington-redskins">Redskins</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/">Cowboys</a>, 4:15 p.m., FOX</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;">Patriots at Jets, 8:20 p.m., NBC</span></li>
</ul>
<div><span style="line-height: 8.863636016845703px;">Sunday, Nov. 25:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Vikings</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Bears</a>, 12:00 p.m., FOX</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders">Raiders</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>, 12:00 p.m., CBS</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a>, 12:00 p.m., CBS</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Bills</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a>, 12:00 p.m., CBS</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Broncos</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Chiefs</a>, 12:00 p.m., CBS</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seahawks</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Dolphins</a>, 12:00 p.m., FOX</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a> at Bucs, 12:00 p.m., FOX</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/">Titans</a> at Jaguars, 12:00 p.m., CBS</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;">Ravens at Chargers, 3:05 p.m., CBS</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/st-louis-rams">Rams</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Cardinals</a>, 3:25 p.m., FOX</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">49ers</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Saints</a>, 3:25 p.m., FOX</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.999999046325684px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Packers</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">Giants</a>, 7:20 p.m., NBC</span></li>
</ul>
<div><span style="line-height: 8.863636016845703px;">Monday, Nov. 26:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 11.818181991577148px; line-height: 8.984848022460938px;"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Eagles</a>, 7:30 p.m., ESPN</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-texans/2012/11/21/3677134/nfl-schedule-2012-week-12Jonathan Tjarks2012-11-13T15:53:20-06:002012-11-13T15:53:20-06:00Bearkats are already Southland conference champs
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<figcaption>Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>The Aggies aren't just facing any FCS program on Saturday; they're facing one of the top FCS programs in the country.</p> <p>After possibly ending the national title hopes of Alabama last season, Texas A&M is facing another title contender this week, albeit from the FCS instead of the FBS.</p>
<p>Sam Houston State, their opponent this week, went 14-1 last season before losing to North Dakota State in the 2011 FCS championship game. </p>
<p>The Bearkats brought back many of the players from that team back. They've got a 9-2 record in 2012, have already won the Southland Conference and are once again a legitimate threat to make a deep run in the FCS playoffs.</p>
<p>However, their most impressive performance might have come in a loss, as they raced out to a 20-10 halftime lead over Baylor in Waco at the beginning of the season.</p>
<p>The Bears responded with a strong second half to win 48-23, but it still showed what Sam Houston State could do against an FBS team that took them lightly.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/texas-a-m-aggies/2012/11/13/3641852/texas-am-sam-houston-state-sec-footballJonathan Tjarks2012-11-13T14:57:32-06:002012-11-13T14:57:32-06:00Houston will play in the 'Big East West'
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<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea</figcaption>
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<p>The Cougars will see lots of familiar faces in their new conference.</p> <p>The new look Big East announced how it will split up its 12 schools on Tuesday, putting the University of Houston in the Big East West Division.</p>
<p>For a Cougars football program with dreams of national relevance, the headline is an annual date with Boise State, as none of the other schools in their division – SMU, Memphis, San Diego State and Temple – have had much football success in recent years.</p>
<p>Most of the existing Big East schools will be in the appropriately named East Division – Central and South Florida, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Louisville and UConn.</p>
<p>And while the "automatic qualifier" designation will no longer exist, the highest-rated team of the other "non contract bowl" conferences (Big East, Mountain West, C-USA, MAC and Sun Belt) will be in a BCS bowl, which should give a huge leg-up to the Big East champion, since they'll be facing a comparatively more difficult conference schedule.</p>
<p>Th Cougar basketball program, meanwhile, will benefit from playing the big-name schools in the East every year, even if they won't be coming to Houston as much as fans may have wanted.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-cougars/2012/11/13/3641644/houston-will-play-in-the-big-east-westJonathan Tjarks2012-11-03T18:45:15-05:002012-11-03T18:45:15-05:00Rice vs. Tulane final: Owls win 49-47
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<p>After taking an 18-point lead to halftime with a dominating defensive performance in the first two quarters, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/rice-owls" class="sbn-auto-link">Rice Owls</a> had to pull off a rally in the fourth quarter to combat an offensive explosion by the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/tulane-green-wave" class="sbn-auto-link">Tulane Green Wave</a> and managed to hold them off for a 49-47 victory.</p>
<p>Tulane scored four touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 38-35 lead over the Owls but, with a 2-yard touchdown run by Luke Turner with 2:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, Rice earned an 8-point lead. That proved crucial as the Green Wave scored what could have been a game-tying touchdown with less than a minute remaining.</p>
<p>After Ryan Griffin found <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/75853/wilson-van-hooser" class="sbn-auto-link">Wilson Van Hooser</a> for a 33-yard touchdown, Tulane was unable to hit the game-tying 2-point conversion and the Owls were able to hold on to a 2-point win.</p>
<p><b>Box Score Hero: </b>Ryan Griffin finished the game with 476 yards passing and four touchdowns, including a touchdown with less than a minute remaining. However, his two interceptions proved costly as one was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter.</p>
<p><b></b><b>Rankings Ramifications:</b> Neither team was ranked and a 2-point victory over Tulane will not be nearly enough to give the Owls a spot in the rankings.</p>
<p><b>But Did They Cover? </b>The Owls were 7-point favorites, but gave up a touchdown with less than a minute remaining to win by 2.</p>
<p><b>Next Week's Schedule: </b>Rice will look to keep the wins coming when they head back home to host the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/smu-mustangs" class="sbn-auto-link">SMU Mustangs</a> after a bye week, while the Green Wave will look to bounce back on the road against Memphis.</p>
<p>This story was<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2012/11/3/3596556/tulane-rice-2012-results-score"> originally published on SB Nation.com</a>.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/rice-owls/2012/11/3/3596648/rice-vs-tulane-final-owls-win-49-47Jonathan Tjarks2012-11-03T07:00:23-05:002012-11-03T07:00:23-05:00Alabama vs. LSU: TV schedule, game time and more
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<figcaption>Streeter Lecka</figcaption>
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<p>Nick Saban returns to Baton Rouge on Saturday to resume what has become the biggest rivalry in college football.</p> <p>A year after LSU stunned Alabama in Tuscaloosa en route to an SEC championship, and nine months after the Crimson Tide returned the favor in the BCS national title, the two SEC West rivals meet on Saturday in what could be not just the biggest game of their season, but that of the entire college football season.</p>
<p>The biggest difference in 2012 may be the play of the QBs. AJ McCarron has taken a dramatic step forward this season and has become a Heisman candidate, completing 68.9% of his passes for 1,684 yards, 18 TDs and 0 INTs. Zach Mettenberger, on the other hand, has not been able to add a passing dimension to LSU's offense, completing only 56.6% of his passes for 1,419 yards, 7 TDs and 4 INTs.</p>
<p>As a result, Alabama comes into the game a whopping 9.5-point favorite, a huge margin considering how difficult it has been to win night road games in Baton Rouge against Les Miles.</p>
<p>And while the LSU defense is still as fearsome as ever in 2012, Mettenberger is going to have to play better for the Bayou Bengals to pull off what would be a stunning upset.</p>
<p>The game, which is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 p.m. EST, will be broadcast nationally on CBS.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2012/11/3/3582550/lsu-alabama-2012-game-time-schedule-oddsJonathan Tjarks2012-11-01T14:23:17-05:002012-11-01T14:23:17-05:00Five-star forward Jarrell Martin commits to LSU
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<figcaption>Chris Graythen</figcaption>
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<p>First-year coach Johnny Jones made a huge splash on Thursday, as the Bayou Bengals won a national recruiting battle for the 6'9 220 forward, a native of Louisiana.</p> <p>Johnny Jones, LSU's new basketball coach, has wasted no time since taking over the basketball program at his alma mater this off-season.</p>
<p>On Thursday, he picked up a commitment from class of 2013 forward Jarrell Martin, a five-star 6'9 220 prospect ranked by most national recruiting services as one of the top 15 players in the country.</p>
<p>LSU beat out schools like Alabama, UCLA, St. John's, Texas A&M and Louisville for his services, a huge victory for a program that has struggled to keep in-state talent at home in the last decade.</p>
<p>Since a team that featured future pros Tyrus Thomas and Glen "Big Baby" Davis made the Final Four in 2006, the Bayou Bengals program has steadily slipped into irrelevance. John Brady was fired two years later, while Trent Johnson, after four uneven seasons, decamped for TCU in the off-season.</p>
<p>However, the school may have found a winner in Jones, who did a stellar job slowly building North Texas into relevance over the last decade. Jones left behind a team in Denton that features a sure-fire pro in Tony Mitchell, and he's well on his way to recreating that success at Baton Rouge.</p>
<p>The commitment of a player like Martin could signal a sea-change for LSU, who could quickly become a basketball power in the SEC if they continue to be this successful on the recruiting trail.</p>
<p><i>This story originally appeared <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2012/11/1/3586756/jarrell-martin-commits-lsu-basketball-johnny-jones">on SBNation.com</a>.</i></p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2012/11/1/3586892/five-star-forward-jarrell-martin-commits-to-lsuJonathan Tjarks2012-10-24T14:43:30-05:002012-10-24T14:43:30-05:00Aggies want to limit Johnny Manziel's turnovers
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<figcaption>Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>As great as Johnny Football has been for Texas A&M, the coaching staff needs the freshman QB to be a little more careful with the ball.</p> <p>In his first seven starts at Texas A&M, Johnny "Football" Manziel has drawn comparisons to Cowboys QB Tony Romo with improvisational skills that leave fans at the edge of their seat.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, just as Cowboys fans have learned with Romo, there is a down side to that type of seat of the pants play-making. In the biggest game of his young career, Manziel threw 3 INT's in the Aggies narrow 24-19 loss to LSU, although offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury <a href="http://www.aggiesports.com/blogs/from_the_press_box/article_97c6409c-1d46-11e2-b81a-001a4bcf887a.html">re-iterated that two "were not his fault" in his weekly press conference</a>.</p>
<p>Manziel's season statistics are still very impressive: completing 63.8% of his passes for 1,956 yards, 14 TD's and 6 INT's. However, all 6 of his INT's have come in his last three games, which may mean that opposing defenses are starting to catch up to the freshman phenom now that they game film to watch.</p>
<p>LSU's strategy last Saturday was clear -- they made a concerted effort to keep Manziel in the pocket, where they could take advantage of his relatively short stature and weak arm strength.</p>
<p>His ability to hold on to the ball will be crucial when the Aggies travel to Auburn on Saturday, as the Tigers offense has struggled mightily this season and will need all the help from their defense they can get in the form of turnovers and a short field to put points on the board.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/texas-a-m-aggies/2012/10/24/3549988/texas-am-auburn-sec-2012-footballJonathan Tjarks2012-10-24T07:01:09-05:002012-10-24T07:01:09-05:00College Football Schedule: LSU has week off
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<figcaption>Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>It's an underwhelming slate of games for area teams this weekend, as all eyes look towards the latest edition of the Game of the Century in Baton Rouge on Nov. 3.</p> <p>After narrowly escaping College Station with a victory last week, LSU kept their chances at a SEC and national title alive going into a home game with Alabama in two weeks.</p>
<p>The Tigers, who survived a gauntlet of three games in a row with ranked SEC opponents with only one loss, will gladly enjoy the bye week to get ready for a game that ... will get a lot of publicity from ESPN.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Texas and Texas A&M both have a chance to pad their conference records with road games against the dregs of their respective conferences in Kansas and Auburn, respectively. Before the season, you would have expected something like that to be said about the Jayhawks, but the Tigers spectacular implosion has been quite the spectacle.</p>
<p>Rice and Houston, neither of whom have exactly set the world on fire in 2012, will be hosting some middling C-USA opponents on Saturday as well.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/texas-longhorns">Texas Longhorns</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/kansas-jayhawks">Kansas Jayhawks</a> (12 p.m. ET, FSN)</p>
<p>Southern Miss Golden Eagles at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/rice-owls">Rice Owls</a> (1 p.m. ET, CSS)</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/utep-miners">UTEP Miners</a> at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/houston-cougars">Houston Cougars</a> (4:30 p.m. ET, CSS)</p>
<p>Texas A&M Aggies at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/auburn-tigers">Auburn Tigers</a> (7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU)</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/2012/10/24/3544670/2012-college-football-scheduleJonathan Tjarks2012-10-16T12:52:45-05:002012-10-16T12:52:45-05:00NFL Power Rankings: Texans stay in Top 3
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<figcaption>Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>A blowout loss to the Packers on national TV didn't squander all of the goodwill generated by Houston's fast start to the season, as the Texans are still considered among the NFL's elite.</p> <p>If you want an idea at how impressive the Texans 5-0 start was to the national media, take a look at how far they (didn't) fall after their devastating 42-24 drubbing at the hands of the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Packers</a> on Sunday Night Football.</p>
<p>Over at the SB Nation mothership, Joel Thorman <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2012/10/16/3510732/nfl-power-rankings-week-7-falcons-seahawks">still has Houston at No. 3 in his NFL Power Rankings</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>3. <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Houston Texans</a> (LW: 1, 5-1): Sometimes you meet <span>Aaron Rodgers</span> at the exact wrong time and he throws six touchdowns on you.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But while Rodgers put up a vintage 2011 performance, the 3-3 Packers have not looked like that team for most of the year. Their line has been unable to protect their star QB or open up holes for their middling collection of RB's, resulting in a defense built to protect leads not getting a chance to play from ahead.</p>
<p>Sunday night was the Texans first game without star LB <span>Brian Cushing</span>, and if they can't do a better job of filling in for him, they may find themselves slipping further down the Power Rankings as the season continues.</p>
https://houston.sbnation.com/houston-texans/2012/10/16/3512362/2012-nfl-power-rankings-week-7-houston-texansJonathan Tjarks