We're freaking 13 days away.
After all of the talk ... and my goodness, there's been a lot of talk ... we're almost to the finish line of the 2024 season and the match-up that we've been waiting more than a decade for.
House Divided for everything.
Oh, I know that there's a small matter of Kentucky this weekend at DKR on Senior Day, but let's be honest about what that game represents ... zero jeopardy. As good as the Wildcats are on defense, they are equally bad on offense, which equates to having virtually no shot of beating the Longhorns in Austin.
That means we're going to get a 10-1 Longhorns team going into College Station in less than two weeks to play against Texas A&M with arguably the highest stakes of any game in the history of the rivalry.
Yes, you can make a case that the 1995 game is in the conversation with the outright title to the last SWC on the line, but the national stakes that day were mostly minimal outside of a trip to New Orleans. You could also argue that the 1975 match-up between the No. 5 Longhorns and No. 2 Aggies belongs in the discussion, but neither of those teams played in anything bigger than the Bluebonnet or Liberty Bowls that season, respectively.
The winner of this game will almost certainly be playing in the SEC Championship game and cement its spot in the first-ever 12-team college football playoff, while the loser will look on with tremendous envy. In theory, the Longhorns could still sneak into the playoff with a loss if a few other teams lose in the looming weeks to create an opening for a fifth SEC slot, but to say that the Longhorns wouldn't control their destiny at that point is an understatement.
It says an incredible lot that the Longhorns are 9-1 and ranked No. 3 in the nation going into late November and we can't officially call this season a success yet, but that's how quickly Steve Sarkisian's program has raised the stakes around here. There's no way to get around the fact that a 10-2 season that would have Texas on the outside of the playoffs, while the Aggies get in, would represent massive disappointment.
That could still happen. My instincts tell me that these will be the stakes in the fourth quarter when these two teams play. We haven't seen an end of the regular season game with this much at stake since the Longhorns traveled to Waco in 2013 with a conference title or fire your coach outcome in play with 30 minutes to go.
We're 13 days away from the 2024 Judgment Day.
Unless the Longhorns win. Then the goalposts will be slightly moved again because that's what the world looks like when sky-high expectations are in play.
No. 2 - ALL The Love ...
We aren't talking about the story of the 2024 Texas Longhorns season enough.
These Texas defensive backs, man ...
Consider that just a season ago, the Texas secondary was viewed as the program's Achilles heel and the single biggest reason that the Longhorns lost in the semifinals of the playoffs. Fast forward to late November and my experienced eyes are telling me that we're watching one of the best Texas secondaries of the modern era of the sport.
Not the best ... the 2005 group might forever be the bar with its five NFL starters, multiple Thorpe Award winners and three first-round draft picks. The 2009 group led by Earl Thomas (the best Texas defensive back this century) helped Texas reach a national championship game and is in the discussion. So is the 2001 group, which featured Nathan Vasher, Quentin Jammer and Rod Babers.
All three of those units featured absolute legends of the program, so believe me when I tell you that I understand the company I'm suggesting that the 2024 group belongs in. That's how highly I think the group of Jahdae Barron, Malik Muhammad, Jaylon Guilbeau, Michael Taaffe and Andrew Mukuba has played this season.
Let's talk about Barron for a minute. His move to the outside has opened up his skill set and level of all-around play to the point that it's safe to say that he's having one of the best seasons of any cornerback in school history. When Michael Huff won the Thorpe Award in 2005, he averaged an involvement in 0.53 takeaways per game in 13 games. Barron is currently averaging 0.50 takeaways per game in 10 games. Thomas was at 0.63 per game in 2009 at the safety position.
Muhammad and Guilbeau haven't been as good as Barron, but they give up very little in the passing game. Very little. Meanwhile, the safety play has been good enough.
Take a look at these numbers:
2001: 187 of 369 (50.7%) for 1,760 yards, 6 touchdowns, 15 interceptions (87.98 rating)
2005: 223 of 436 (51.1%) for 2,236 yards, 10 touchdowns, 11 interceptions (96.75 rating)
2009: 255 of 460 (55.4%) for 2,514 yards, 14 touchdowns, 25 interceptions (100.5 rating)
2024: 167 of 287 (58.2%) for 1,367 yards, 3 touchdowns, 15 interceptions (91.19 rating)
It's really not a subjective position to call this group what it is. The data reflects it. In the passing era of the sport, no Texas secondary has ever had an interception to touchdown ratio better than 2.5:1. The 2024 group currently has a 5:1 ratio through 10 games.
It's time to put some damn respect on the names in this group. A lot of it.
No. 3 - Thorpe Award Power Rankings ...
Considering that sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill probably saw his Butkus Award chances take a big hit on Saturday with a 2-tackle performance just nine days before the finalists are announced, I thought we might take a look this week at Barron's competition for the Thorpe Award.
Personally, I haven't seen a defensive back in college football this season that I think is better than Barron, but I'd be lying if I said I had been watching the competition with a keen eye all season.
So, let's take a look at the semifinalists ...
Jahdae Barron (Texas)
Stats (10 games): 38 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack, 4 INT, 8 pass break-ups and 1 fumble recovery
PFF rating: 90.7
Jalen Catalon (UNLV)
Stats (10 games): 73 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 5 INT, 3 pass break-ups and 1 forced fumble
PFF Rating: 76.6
Tacario Davis (Arizona)
Stats (10 games): 36 tackles, 2 TFL, 0 sacks, 0 INT and 6 pass break-up.
PFF Rating: 66.9
Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
Stats (10 games): 45 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 0 INT and 3 pass break-ups
PFF Rating: 83.4
Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)
Stats (10 games): 71 tackles, 2 TFL, 0 sacks, 4 INT and 2 pass break-ups
PFF Rating: 81.1
Travis Hunter (Colorado)
Stats (10 games): 23 tackles, 1 TFL, 0 sacks, 3 INT, 8 pass break-ups and 1 forced fumble
PFF Rating: 85.6
Will Johnson (Michigan)
Stats (6 games): 14 tackles, 1 TFL, 0 sacks, 2 INT and 3 pass break-ups
PFF Rating: 75.4
Rayuan Lane III (Navy)
Stats (10 games): 52 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0 sacks, 2 INT, 3 pass break-ups and 3 forced fumbles
PFF Rating: 82.8
Jermod McCoy (Tennessee)
Stats (10 games): 33 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0 sacks, 2 INT and 7 pass break-ups
PFF Rating: 81.3
Jabbar Muhammad (Oregon)
Stats (10 games): 31 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 0 sacks, 0 INT and 9 pass break-ups
PFF Rating: 77.0
Xavier Scott (Illinois)
Stats (10 games): 37 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1 sacks, 3 INT, 4 pass break-ups and 1 forced fumble
PFF Rating: 78.1
Terrence Spence (James Madison)
Stats (10 games): 28 tackles, 0.0 TFL, 0 sacks, 5 INT, 5 pass break-ups and 1 forced fumble
PFF Rating: 73.0
Malaki Starks (Georgia)
Stats (10 games): 51 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 0 sacks, 1 INT and 2 pass break-ups
PFF Rating: 76.5
Xavier Watts (Notre Dame)
Stats (10 games): 37 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 0 sacks, 4 INT, 8 pass break-ups, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery
PFF Rating: 86.3
Nohl Williams (California)
Stats (10 games): 39 tackles, 0.0 TFL, 0 sacks, 7 INT and 6 pass break-ups
PFF Rating: 75.7
At first glance, it feels like this is a battle between Barron, Hunter and Watts, while Williams can't be completely overlooked because of the 7 picks he has on his resume.
Among all power four conference players, Barron ranks first in PFF rating, third in interceptions and second in pass break-ups.
Will he win? It's hard to say whether voters will separate Hunter from possibly being the best player in college football, not the best defensive back. I'm not sure I trust the voters to do so.
No. 4 - Weekly Quinn Ewers discussion ...
Quinn Ewers' last 20 quarters of football since returning from his oblique injury.
OU 1st Q: 3 of 5 for 13 yards, OT, 1 INT (41.8 rating)
OU 2nd Q: 10 of 12 for 109 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (181.7 rating)
OU 3rd Q: 5 of 9 for 71 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (121.8 rating)
OU 4th Q: 2 of 3 for 6 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (6.4 rating)
Georgia 1Q: 5 of 8 for 17 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (80.4 rating)
Georgia 2Q: 1 of 4 for 0 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT (-25.00)
Georgia 3Q: 7 of 10 for 90 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT (211.6 rating)
Georgia 4Q: 12 of 21 for 104 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (98.7 rating)
Vandy 1Q: 12 of 13 for 126 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT (201.3 rating)
Vandy 2Q: 7 of 8 for 85 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (218.0 rating)
Vandy 3Q: 6 of 9 for 39 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT (80.8 rating)
Vandy 4Q: 2 of 7 for 36 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (71.8 rating)
Florida 1Q: 7 of 10 for 104 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT (223.4 rating)
Florida 2Q: 10 of 15 for 193 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT (221.0 rating)
Florida 3Q: 2 of 2 for 36 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (416.2 rating)
Florida 4Q: DNP
Arkansas 1Q: 6 of 9 for 48 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (148.1 rating)
Arkansas 2Q: 9 of 14 for 52 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (95.5 rating)
Arkansas 3Q: 1 of 4 for 30 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (88.0 rating)
Arkansas 4Q: 4 of 5 for 46 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (223.3 rating
(Bolded quarters are ratings of less than 122.0)
In half of the quarters that the team has played in since returning from injury, Ewers has compiled the following numbers: 44 of 68 passes for 368 yards, 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions (101.34 rating, which would rank 117th in the nation among passing leaders).
In the other half of quarters during the same stretch, Ewers has compiled the following numbers: 65 of 84 passes for 837 yards, 13 touchdowns and 1 interception (209.77 rating, which would rank first in the nation among passing leaders by 21+ points.).
Overall, he's completed 109 passes for 152 passes for 1,205 yards, 13 touchdowns and 4 interceptions since returning to the line-up (161.26 rating, which would rank 16th in the nation among passing leaders.)
If you eliminate the Florida game, he's completed 90 of 125 passes for 872 yards, 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions (145.32 rating, which would rank 35th in the nation among passing leaders).
It's important to note that things aren't all bad with Ewers. When he's got it cooking, his performance levels are elite among his peers. When he's not cooking, he's among the worst players at his position in the sport. Yet, his overall performance level since coming back from injury is good ... maybe even very good.
For those that hate the quarter-by-quarter look at his performance, just know that when those numbers are really low, the passing game is wildly ineffective and the offense bogs down to a scoring rate of an average of two points per quarter.
I would contend that if Ewers can turn his ineffective quarters from terrible to simply ok, his overall play will rank among the very elite in the sport. His peaks are great, it's just that his valleys need to be a little less valley-ish.
No. 5 - Scattershooting (Burnt-Orange Style...) ...
.... The last quarterback to beat Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M in a season was Colt McCoy in 2008. Before that? Peter Gardere in 1990. Before that? Randy McEachern in 1977. That's it in the last 50 years. Quinn Ewers has a chance to join that group.
... Don't look now, but Jaydon Blue is averaging 7.5 yards per carry over the last two games and leads all scholarship running backs in YPC over the entirety of the season.
... Colin Simmons is back to leading the team in sacks this season with 6.0 and he's only 1.5 tackles for loss behind Anthony Hill for the team lead. Most importantly, he looked like a player that has climbed over the freshman wall.
... Barryn Sorrell is very quietly having a very good season. He's been much, much better than Ethan Burke, who had seemingly closed the gap between the two last season. Not the case.
... Texas leads the SEC in interceptions this season and Barron and Mukuba have seven of the team's 15, with no other player on the roster having more than one. Ten different players have interceptions on the defense.
... As soon as Kobe Black came into the game on Saturday, Arkansas decided to immediately go right at him in ways that we haven't seen teams go after anyone in the secondary all season.
... Jaray Bledsoe has one more tackle this season than Kelvin Banks does.
... Texas ranks 112th in the country in net punting at 36.70 net yards per punt and it hasn't mattered at all this season. Those of you that said it wasn't a big deal were more right than wrong. I suppose the question I have is whether the coaches have seen enough from an injured Michael Kern to stick with a pat hand at the position going into next season?
No. 6 - If I had a vote that mattered ...
1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Indiana
5. Notre Dame
6. Penn State
7. Alabama
8. Old Miss
9. Georgia
10. Tennessee
Heisman Trophy
1. WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado)
2. RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
3. QB Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)
4. DE Abdul Carter (Penn State)
5. CB Jahdae Barron (Texas)
No. 7 - Anything and Everything But Football ...
... The good news for the Texas volleyball team is that the pathway to a possible conference championship isn't completely dead. Almost as important as Texas beating Alabama on Sunday to extend its win streak to three since the three-game slump at home a few weeks ago is the fact that Missouri lost at home to Florida this week. The Tigers host conference leader Kentucky on November 27 and if the Tigers can pull the upset, while the Longhorns handle their business, a share of the conference title isn't out of the equation.
... I don't know how to fully wrap my head around Texas Volleyball being 8-1 on the road and only 6-4 at home this season. Every single one of those losses came against an unranked team at the time of the game (Missouri is ranked this week).
... After beating Boston U 4-1 in the first round of NCAA Tournament, the women's soccer team will play No. 5 Michigan State in a 4/5 seed match-up. The winner will get the winner of No. 1 Duke/No. 8 Texas Tech. The Blue Devils are the No. 1 overall team in the nation in RPI, while Texas is 16th, Michigan State is 22nd and Texas Tech is 41st. A win against the Spartans would make this the third in school history to make it to the Sweet 16.
... Points through the first four games of their college careers: Tre Johnson 94, Kevin Durant 91
... Texas shooting splits through four games: 52.9/38.8/71.6
... Men's hoops will play Syracuse this week and if you're wondering, the Cuse are 106th in the early kenpom rankings
No. 8 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell/Sell) I don't know that it needs to improve "greatly," but he can do better and it would help. The problem with losing to the Aggies is that it might leave the Longhorns fifth in the SEC pecking order behind Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia and Texas A&M. If the SEC could get a fifth team in, would Texas get in ahead of Tennessee?
(Sell/Buy) I think Sarkisian is going to ride Ewers to the finish line. The coaches/analysts within the team have been scouting/preparing this game since the spring/summer.
(Sell) I think someone will take him in the top two rounds.
(Buy) That's the perfect description of the game and it's exactly how I would treat it.
(Buy) He's the best back on the team.
(Sell) Define squeeze? Both will get a minimum of four teams in this year.
(Sell) His long balls don't pail when compared to what they used to be. However, his deep intermediate passes between 11-20 yards have. Outside of the Alabama game in 2023, the deep balls have always been a chore.
(Sell) I don't know that we
know for a fact that the ground game will be good enough in the games that will define success this season.
(Buy) Yes, I think he's going to win it.
(Sell) I'm not selling because I don't think it won't happen, I just think it will happen slightly less than I think it won't.
(Sell) I don't believe ESPN has an anti-Texas agenda. I think ESPN at times has analysts who have an anti-teams with sketchy resumes agenda.
(Sell) I think the winner will need 21 in College Station.
(Sell) That might be true, but I don't KNOW that. Ole Miss put a beating on them eight days ago.
(Sell) It's not even the best stretch of movies from the mid-90s from an actor. From 1994-1998, Carey did Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Batman Forever, Ace Ventura: When nature Calls, The Cable Guy, Liar Liar and The Truman Show. From 1993-1998, Tom Hanks did Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story, That Thing You Do, Saving Private Ryan and You've Got Mail. Hanks' stretch is unassailable. If we're going comedians, Will Ferrell's stretch from 2001-2008 included Zoolander, Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Kicking and Screaming, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro and Step Brothers.
(Sell) I'm either in the middle or slightly the other way. I still think Texas plays in the SEC title game.
(Sell) His overall play is slightly better than where it ended at the end of 2024. It's not a shadow of anything.
(Buy) I think a different set of eyes and voice might be a good thing.
(Buy) You sold me.
(Sell) Not for me. I think this team is 10-1, regardless of who the starting quarterback is, but I think the team would be playing better football over the last six weeks if Arch was the starter.
No. 9 – Scattershooting all over the place …
... SEC Thoughts: You could see UGA beating Tennessee by double digits coming from a mile away after that loss to Ole Miss last week. Brian Kelly should have stayed at Notre Dame. South Carolina would be a dangerous team in a potential 16-team playoff format. Missouri's best performance of the season might have been a 4-point loss to the Cocks. I wouldn't fight you if you told me that Dylan Sampson (1,230 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns) was really the best running back in college football.
... Absolutely ANYTHING is possible for all of the teams in this year's playoff bracket outside of the fourth or fifth champion running the table. Just get in.
... Stan Drayton beat Tom Herman in a really entertaining game and lost his job the next day.
... Clemson might be the best team in the ACC, but the Tigers might get sniped by SMU for a spot in the ACC title game. lol.
... I'm completely ok with Deion Sanders being a finalist for National Coach of the Year. I thought his team was going to miss out on a bowl game when the season started.
... Amen, Van.
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... The Steelers punked the Ravens? I didn't see that coming. Ok, Russell Wilson, I see you.
... The NFL was pretty boring on Sunday.
... The Cowboys/Texans on Monday Night Football? I could do without it if I'm being honest.
... Jon Jones is so much better than any fighter the UFC has ever had. Saturday night was once again proof of that. Still, I would have liked to have seen him fight Stipe five years ago.
... Yes, I watched the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul fight. No, I do not feel good about it. It serves as a harsh reminder that if something gets enough publicity, I can be brainwashed into caring enough to give it some attention. Even my wife watched it in another room away from me and I can't talk her into ever watching sports with me. Sixty million households watched that fight. I don't even know how to fully respond to that.
… My Sixers are 2-10. Good grief.
... Inside the NBA is coming to ESPN? That feels like the best thing that has happened to ESPN in a decade if that means they can bring the entire group with it.
No. 10 – The List: David Bowie
How has it been so long since I've done David Bowie list that I can't even find it in the archives? It's actually been more than a decade.
It felt like a good time to revisit him.
Honorable Mention: Station to Station, Ph! You Pretty Things, Tis a Pity She Was a Whore, Drive-n Saturday, The Man Who Sold The World and Fashion
Last 5 Out: Fame, Space Oddity, Ashes to Ashes, Moonage Daydream and Sound and Vision
10. Let's Dance
This was the song that introduced Bowie into my life when I was a kid and has to be in my top 10.
9. Golden Years
This is my favorite vibe song of everything Bowie has done.
8. Young Americans
Rolling Stone ranked it as the No. 204 best song of all-time in 2021.
7. Changes
The staff of Rolling Stone listed "Changes" as one of Bowie's 30 essential songs, writing that although Bowie said it started as somewhat of a "parody of a nightclub song," it ended up being a "st-st-st-stuttering rock anthem"
6. Starman
The second-most played Bowie song on Spotify.
5. Life on Mars
Regarded as one of the best vocal performances of Bowie's entire career.
4. Under Pressure
There's no getting around the fact that 3X as many people have listened to this song than any other song he ever performed.
3. Ziggy Stardust
Rolling Stone ranked it as the No. 282 song of all-time in 2010.
2. Heroes
For a song that never charted well upon its release, it's emerged as one of the favorite songs in his catalog. In fact, in a poll of Rolling Stone Magazine readers, it was ranked No. 1 overall. It's a freaking anthem.
1. Rebel Rebel
I might have this one higher than most, but it's my favorite David Bowie banger. It makes me bounce.
