Is he the best Texas QB ever? Will he be by the time the season ends? (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

The Morning Hangover gets you caught up on sports stories that pertain to the Austin area, every weekday morning. Something to go with the week that went by quickly.

Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman – “Colt McCoy is one day away from possibly becoming the winningest quarterback in college football history, but he hasn’t yet reached the level of Martin or Griese and won a title. He has no ring to validate his exorbitant 42-and-counting wins. Not even jewelry from a conference title, for that matter, which is why he’s yet to climb atop the list of the best quarterbacks in Texas history. At his own school, McCoy measures up like this: He’s a much more accomplished passer than Vince Young and even ‘professorial,’ to quote McCoy’s offensive coordinator. He’s got the same intangibles and ‘it’ factor as James Street. He’s as heady and athletic as Bobby Layne. Marty Akins was as tough as they come, but no one should doubt Colt’s grit. But they’re all better than McCoy in one area. They’ve won championships. In the case of Young and Street, the ultimate championship — each won a national title. And that’s all that is keeping the 23-year-old McCoy from matching or even surpassing his illustrious counterparts for the top rung in Longhorns history.”

Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman – “Kevin Durant begins his routine by mumbling three motivational words to himself, a quick reminder of his purpose as all eyes descend upon him. ‘Knock it down,’ the Thunder forward says as he marches to the foul line. Durant takes a deep breath, relaxes his shoulders. He spins the ball, takes one dribble and bends his knees. While crouched, Durant gives the ball one last spin as he scrunches his shoulders twice over. The last bit, the shoulder shimmy, is the quirk that’s become a staple in Durant’s free-throw shooting routine and the latest in a long line of peculiar free-throw rituals by NBA players. ‘I don’t even think about it. I just do it,’ Durant said of his unique free-throw approach. ‘Sometimes I don’t even remember I do it.’ Durant will share the court with one of the more distinctive free-throw shooters in the NBA tonight as Gilbert Arenas leads his Washington Wizards into the Ford Center. Before Arenas hoists his foul shots, he routinely puts the ball behind his back three times and takes three dribbles. Around the league, Phoenix’s Steve Nash practices his form without the ball before receiving the ball from the official and duplicating the same shot. Detroit’s Richard Hamilton takes two forward dribbles and one to his right side before shooting. And Dallas’ Jason Kidd has long blown a kiss to the rim before each of his foul shots as a signal to his now ex-wife but also to remember to focus on the task at hand.”

Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean – “Houston native Vince Young returns to his hometown on Monday night for the Titans-Texans game at Reliant Stadium. It’s also the scene of the second-most memorable play of his football career: In December 2006, the then-rookie’s 39-yard touchdown run in overtime gave the Titans a 26-20 win. The first, of course, was his touchdown run that lifted the Texas Longhorns to a national championship over Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl in January 2006. ‘It will be great to be home,’ Young said. ‘Being a hometown kid, there’s a lot of Longhorn fans there and a lot of fans in the city who’ve pretty much been following my career ever since I was in high school.’ Fullback Ahmard Hall joked that Young is like the ‘mayor’ of Houston because of his enormous popularity in the city. Young hasn’t played in a game in Houston since the 2006 victory, however. He was injured in 2007 and was the backup last season. He’s 3-0 as a starter against the Texans. ‘It’s always going to be an exciting time for him to go back and play at home,’ Coach Jeff Fisher said. ‘I think this week will be a little different. He’ll be much more focused on football and the X’s and O’s rather than the emotions associated with going home.’ ”

Rick Maese of the Washington Post – “In the weeks leading up to the 2009 NFL draft, Oscar Giles’s office phone would ring often. As the Texas Longhorns’ defensive ends coach, he’d field question after question from NFL front-office personnel and coaches about Brian Orakpo. One of the most common: Can the best defensive end in college convert to the linebacker position as a pro? ‘If I had a quarter for each time I answered that question, I’d be living okay right now,’ Giles said. ‘I told them all the same: He’s a mature young man, and he did drop back in some coverage and play some linebacker here. Was it his natural position? No, but he could do it. And that’s why it’s not surprising to us now that he’s been able to adapt so well.’ When the Washington Redskins selected Orakpo with the 13th overall pick in April, Coach Jim Zorn said: ‘Right now, we have him slated as a defensive end. He’s coming in as what we think is a pretty good pass rusher.’ It wasn’t long before coaches decided they could do even more with him. With seven games still remaining in the season, Orakpo has made the adjustment — playing both strong-side linebacker and defensive end for Washington — and has exceeded many of the expectations around Redskins Park.