The new offense and should Watson call it?

[swVAHorn]

I am not knocking Watson and his playcalling, although I dont care for it personally. I want some opinions on why he is the right or wrong guy to call the spread. I know he ran a run oriented spread at Nebraska but it seems to me that Wickline and Norvell would bring a bit more to the offense.

I think Watson is a decent QB coach but I am not sold on his playcalling just yet. I think a great playcaller can hide some deficencies on the OL. And we need some mojo to happen on offense this year to get this thing going in the right direction.

I am not saying fire him and he sucks. Just wanting to hear other peoples thoughts.

Is Watson the right choice as a playcaller for the Texas Longhorns? and how long should we give him to prove it?

Hookem

Poooooooorrrrrrr aggggggggyyyyyyyssssss

 

[oldhorn2]

You see?....Thats where we differ. I think Watson did his best coaching job ever last year hiding deifincencies in the OL. He had no Olinemen to work with and his QB was totally unfamiliar with the game. His running backs were hurt. His WR were weak. I thought he was a genius last year.

 

[swVAHorn]

Best coaching job ever? Really? Yeah I would say we are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this.

Kids dont want to play for this offense. Why? It was pathetic last year and we cant have it both ways....its the players when it sucks but its the coaches when it does good. These players are not the scrubs some make them out to be.

If Texas the Flagship school in Texas is losing out to TCU and baylor we are doing something wrong. Yeah winning is important but baylor and tcu over Texas? I dont get it. Recruits dont even give us a look on offense especially.

 

[oldhorn2]

Fair enough.....we see this differently. Here is my thought. Our offense will be greatly,greatly improved this year over last. We will have most of the same players, but I see us vastly improved.You dont, and thats fine.Fact is, I am quite confident of this. I will say that I do not believe what you said in that recruits dont want to play for us. I bet we get a good class this year.We did last year, and many thought we were in the toilet at this date a year ago. Keep the faith. We will get there.

 

[Belldozer1]

Oldhorn, you probably don't care what I think but in my opinion that Nebraska offense that Watson was responsible for was seriously one of the worst offenses I can recall in the modern era of football. He fared better at Louisville though. As far as Norvell goes, he was having imput on OU's offense last year with Heupel and you saw how that went. OU's offense last year was pretty bad. I'm not saying that was directly because of Norvell but he was involved. In the end it doesn't really matter what the fans want anyway these coaches are pretty loyal and Charlie definitely fits that mold so I expect to see Watson at UT for the foreseeable future unless you have another losing season.

 

[westx]

I personally won't hold the Nebraska job or last season against him. I don't know for sure but, I would assume Pelini had everything on tight leash. This year will mean a lot more in regards to his performance and we will be in a much better position to form a reasonable opinion by season's end.

 

[utisdabomb12]

1) After Espinoza was injured we had the 2nd fewest starts on the offensive line in the country.
2) We had a starting QB who had thrown 13 passes in his career coming into the year.
3) Our best RB Gray was coming off a serious injury. It showed too, he wasn't anywhere close to a 100 percent until about 3/4th the way though the season.
4) Our best WR, Jaxon Shipley, battled a hamstring injury the entire year and missed several games. Our next best WR, John Harris, was a guy who couldn't even see the field in his first 3 years.

Bill Belichick could have been the offensive coordinator and we would have struggled last year. Blaming Watson for the struggles last year on offense is laughable. You can't turn a turd into a diamond. We will probably also have a few offensive issues this year, it takes time to build a team and personnel.

 

[utisdabomb12]

Oldhorn, you probably don't care what I think but in my opinion that Nebraska offense that Watson was responsible for was seriously one of the worst offenses I can recall in the modern era of football.

Again Belldouche completely over exaggerating things. Watson finished 3/4 years at Nebraska with a top 30 offense. The one year Nebraska was terrible they had more injuries than I can ever recall for any team. That 09 season was terrible...their starting QB had a serious injury from game 2 on that required surgery after the season, almost their entire WR core was injured, and a couple starting offensive lineman had season ending injuries.

2007 Nebraska: Total offense 30th
2008 Nebraska: Total offense 14th
2009 Nebraska: Total offense 72nd (go look at the injuries they had that year).
2010 Nebraska: Total offense 29th

To put this in perspective, OU won a BCS game in '13 with a total offense of #50 in the country.

 

[swVAHorn]

1) After Espinoza was injured we had the 2nd fewest starts on the offensive line in the country.
2) We had a starting QB who had thrown 13 passes in his career coming into the year.
3) Our best RB Gray was coming off a serious injury. It showed too, he wasn't anywhere close to a 100 percent until about 3/4th the way though the season.
4) Our best WR, Jaxon Shipley, battled a hamstring injury the entire year and missed several games. Our next best WR, John Harris, was a guy who couldn't even see the field in his first 3 years.

Bill Belichick could have been the offensive coordinator and we would have struggled last year. Blaming Watson for the struggles last year on offense is laughable. You can't turn a turd into a diamond. We will probably also have a few offensive issues this year, it takes time to build a team and personnel.

Everything you posted is right bomb...but when I or I would say most of us speak about Watson as a playcaller we think back many years and many teams. You are right about last year at Texas. At some point in the next (x) years there will be no more excuses. We get it done or we do not get it done. I didnt want this to get into a argument thread so I hope it doesnt go there. Just wanted to hear other people thoughts on Watson and why he is the best choice for Texas....other than the short time at Louisville with a stud QB.

 

[swVAHorn]

Fair enough.....we see this differently. Here is my thought. Our offense will be greatly,greatly improved this year over last. We will have most of the same players, but I see us vastly improved.You dont, and thats fine.Fact is, I am quite confident of this. I will say that I do not believe what you said in that recruits dont want to play for us. I bet we get a good class this year.We did last year, and many thought we were in the toilet at this date a year ago. Keep the faith. We will get there.

You are right and I am trying hard to keep the faith.. I hate seeing Texas struggle on the recruiting trail but like you said we did finish strong last year and I am trying to give the benefit of the doubt to Coach Strong and staff. Thanks for being able to disagree without making it personal..refreshing. I do hope we are vastly improved on offense..I do think it will be better just dont know how much.

 

[oldhorn2]

OK...here is the deal. We might even be talking about different things. Watson may or may not run a good offense. That will be determined as time goes on.My only point here is that one could tell nothing about that ability from last year. I also think that the offense could have been way, way worse given what our coaches had to work with. Fact is, they will have almost the same things to work with this year as last, but this year they have had the chance to evaluate players in game situations.Maybe that is why James left the team along with his 5 stars and untapped potential.

Dozer, just so you will know...I could give a rats butt what happened at Nebraska. I dont care if we run the West Coast, power I,Spread, single wing or the buck and wing. I am on record as saying this years offense will not only be better than last year....it will be markedly better.Raulerson was thrown to the wolves last year because we had no better option....a 265 lb option.....I suspect he has gained an ounce or two over the off season. Frankly, I bet all of them have. Offensively, we will be improved at just about every pposition.

I am not an orange glassed pumper tossing this out. I ran the flag up on Mack Brown in 2008, and we were damned good then. I said then that if MB could not deliver the power running game he had promised for 3 years that he was done. I do not give the staff a pass this year. I expect results. These results might not show in the record, but I expect them and will call out CS if they are not delivered.

 

[swVAHorn]

OK...here is the deal. We might even be talking about different things. Watson may or may not run a good offense. That will be determined as time goes on.My only point here is that one could tell nothing about that ability from last year. I also think that the offense could have been way, way worse given what our coaches had to work with. Fact is, they will have almost the same things to work with this year as last, but this year they have had the chance to evaluate players in game situations.Maybe that is why James left the team along with his 5 stars and untapped potential.

Dozer, just so you will know...I could give a rats butt what happened at Nebraska. I dont care if we run the West Coast, power I,Spread, single wing or the buck and wing. I am on record as saying this years offense will not only be better than last year....it will be markedly better.Raulerson was thrown to the wolves last year because we had no better option....a 265 lb option.....I suspect he has gained an ounce or two over the off season. Frankly, I bet all of them have. Offensively, we will be improved at just about every pposition.

I am not an orange glassed pumper tossing this out. I ran the flag up on Mack Brown in 2008, and we were damned good then. I said then that if MB could not deliver the power running game he had promised for 3 years that he was done. I do not give the staff a pass this year. I expect results. These results might not show in the record, but I expect them and will call out CS if they are not delivered.

Very well said. Could not agree more. Good post.

 

[Ringo Kid]

Good civil discussion with differing point. Would read again.

 

[Son of Wasatch]

I'm still very much on the fence when it comes to Watson. On the one side, I thought he did as good a job as was possible with what we had to work with. On the other, I think there is a big difference between keeping your shit together in a bad situation and producing a offense that wins championships.

Can he do the latter, because before now he has never been in a place where he could reach the tippy top of the ladder.

I will say this, he deserves two more seasons to prove he belongs at Texas. I'm leaning toward the idea that he will succeed. Give Texas a Major Applewhite level QB last season and we win about 8 to 9 games. Give Texas the offense we had in 1998 Texas would have been in a BCS bowl game.

We will have a better season if we get the offense on track. A lot of that is about Watson and Wickline.

 

[Belldozer1]

Wait why do we give a shit what Watson does? Charlie told everyone Wickline is the OC right?

 

[oldhorn2]

you are right Dozer( why do I get the feeling I am talking to Tx Sooner?) but I am referring to Watson because he is the QB coach and it all goes thru the QB.When I say Watson I really mean Watson/Wickline. What I really need to know is who gives a shit what you think?

 

[utisdabomb12]

Wait why do we give a shit what Watson does? Charlie told everyone Wickline is the OC right?

No. He's the CO-OC. You do understand that two people can call plays and that it's fairly common in college football, correct?

 

[utisdabomb12]

This is how I feel about Watson. If I were to give him a grade last year it would be an incomplete. It's impossible to give a coach a grade with the personnel he was dealt. I can't even tell you if he was good or terrible playcaller because he was so limited in what he had to work with.

 

[Belldozer1]

No. He's the CO-OC. You do understand that two people can call plays and that it's fairly common in college football, correct?

Bomb I nor anyone else believes Wickline was calling anything other than The OL coaching responsibilities. That's kind of everyone's gripe and it has for the majority of UT fans since Watson was brought on board. I do think your offense, much like OU's will be better this year simply because both were so bad last year.

 

[streettopeschel]

This is how I feel about Watson. If I were to give him a grade last year it would be an incomplete. It's impossible to give a coach a grade with the personnel he was dealt. I can't even tell you if he was good or terrible playcaller because he was so limited in what he had to work with.

Exactly. Play calling is overrated imo. You can't call what your guys can't do.

 

[Belldozer1]

Btw I have always wished Gray played for OU. I think he has/had the chance to be really good. Granted he has some injuries but...

 

[TexExSpur]

Bomb I nor anyone else believes Wickline was calling anything other than The OL coaching responsibilities. That's kind of everyone's gripe and it has for the majority of UT fans since Watson was brought on board. I do think your offense, much like OU's will be better this year simply because both were so bad last year.

Wick called the game winning drive versus ISU... Watson's reaction was evidence. Lol

 

[utisdabomb12]

Bomb I nor anyone else believes Wickline was calling anything other than The OL coaching responsibilities. That's kind of everyone's gripe and it has for the majority of UT fans since Watson was brought on board. I do think your offense, much like OU's will be better this year simply because both were so bad last year.

You obviously didn't watch our games. I knew he was calling plays after the Iowa State game. We ran several predetermined/designed plays that we've never seen at Texas and that came straight from Wickline's playbook at Oklahoma State. Playcalling doesn't just happen in the booth it also happens when you design a bunch of predetermined plays to be run (see Iowa State where we ran a ton of predetermined plays to start the game).

 

[Belldozer1]

Okay bomb but it's not some far fetched conspiracy theory, I mean there is a lawsuit alledging what I mentioned

 

[TexExSpur]

Okay bomb but it's not some far fetched conspiracy theory, I mean there is a lawsuit alledging what I mentioned

Yup, Okie lite snd the forty year old coach got their feelings hurt. I highly doubt they win. July is around the corner, we'll all know what's up fairly soon.

 

[utisdabomb12]

Okay bomb but it's not some far fetched conspiracy theory, I mean there is a lawsuit alledging what I mentioned

Oh, so just because someone claims something it makes it true? Let's just put everyone behind bars accused of murder without giving them a trial.

I've said from the get go the lawsuit is terrible, Wickline was clearly calling plays last years. He was a CO-OC.

 

[TexExSpur]

Oh, so just because someone claims something it makes it true? Let's just put everyone behind bars accused of murder without giving them a trial.

I've said from the get go the lawsuit is terrible, Wickline was clearly calling plays last years. He was a CO-OC.

Not only that, but the language in his okie lite contract was way to simple. Wickline won't owe 600k to the Pokes.

 

[westx]

Wait why do we give a shit what Watson does? Charlie told everyone Wickline is the OC right?

Very lame sarcasm attempt.

 

[Belldozer1]

Very lame sarcasm attempt.

Oh come on Westx at least I made an attempt

 

[HornosaurusRex]

Not only that, but the language in his okie lite contract was way to simple. Wickline won't owe 600k to the Pokes.

Be careful not to underestimate the bias found in an okie jury. You could probably get your nuts torn off in an oklahoma city bar and they'd give the perp a pass if the vic was a texas fan.

link

I did read that Patterson did not foot the legal bill for Strong or other coaches responding to subpoenas in this case, and that really strikes me as shortsighted and penny pinching. Either way, I'll be glad when this distracting side show is over.

Hook 'em