Delete

Martin Mull has passed at 80.

RIP

I have been neglecting my wife lately. Between work, Texas football and personal obligations, I have been spending a lot more time on my own stuff than with her.

Oh, she understands. She knows that work helps pay the bills. She knows the personal obligations are needed. She understands all of that. But understanding and even acceptance doesn’t always mean that she likes it.

That’s changing this weekend … if only for a weekend.

This weekend, instead of watching Texas football for four hours, I am going with my wife to a winery.

Oh sure, if I were batching it up this weekend, I would be camped out in the ‘ol recliner watching football from morning to midnight.

But that shouldn’t be taken as I am going to the winery out of some sense of obligation, duty or even begrudgingly. In truth, I am happy to be taking a break. I am happy to be taking a break. It’s needed every now and then to get in the right frame of mind.

A winery trip may be a good idea for some of you as well.

I know.

I know you’re disappointed with how the Georgia game played out.

I know you’re frustrated with a closer than it should have been game against Vanderbilt.

I know you’re befuddled about why the offensive line has lost its collective damn mind.

I know Quinn Ewers throwing another pass behind the line of scrimmage makes you long for the good ol' days of Greg Davis.

I know.

It will be alright.

The Texas Longhorns are still 7-1 with four games left to go. They can still achieve every goal they had coming into the season; the SEC crown, a CFP birth and a national championship.

“We're not a finished product. I think our best football is still ahead of us, and we're looking forward to that,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said this week.

What Sark and the boys do during this bye week may determine whether the Horns can achieve self-actualization. They’re coming off their worst performances yet over the last two weeks.

“We've got things that we need to work on schematically,” Sarkisian said. “We've got things we need to work on philosophically that are true to our program. We work for individual players, whether they're a young player or a veteran player, that we need to get healthy. But all in all, proud through eight games to be where we're at.”

The expanded playoff means more football games. There are 12 regular season games, a potential conference title game and then as many as three playoff games. We’re in uncharted territory in college football.

Sark is relying on his personal experience in the NFL and the experience of those who are used to 16-game seasons with playoff byes to figure out how to approach the final run-in of the season.

“I tapped into Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Sean McVay, guys who year in and year out, are accustomed to being in the playoffs, and what that looks like, and the length of a season and how you get your teams ready, what your bye weeks look like in the NFL, if you have an in-season bye, or if you get a first-round bye in the playoffs, and how they attack that.”

Now, with the calendar turning to November, is when championship teams prove they’re worthy.

Texas has games against Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky and Texas A&M still to come. Two of those are against heated rivals in their home stadium. Two of those have the potential of being letdown games.

Florida is playing better football today than they were at the beginning of the season. And Kentucky is sandwiched between those two rivalry road trips.

Keeping the players mentally and physically prepared for what’s coming will not be easy.

“There's layers to that,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “The physical nature of play is taxing, but I also think it is mentally taxing, and the idea that you have to maintain that level of mental intensity and focus in your preparation, week in, week out, I think is critical.”

Football, especially on a season this long, can be mentally taxing on the coaches, players and even the fans.

This weekend is a good time to take a break.

If not a winery, perhaps one of those calming apps that helps you relax?

Or, maybe you hit the ‘ol recliner and watch a bunch of college football games in which you’re not emotionally invested in the outcome.

That actually sounds like a lot of fun. Too bad I’ll be at the winery this weekend.

AROUND THE SEC:



Speaking of games that you are not emotionally invested in the outcome.

Ole Miss @ Arkansas

This game is probably going to be a pretty good game.

The piggies have a pretty good offense and Ole Miss has a pretty good defense. The piggies have outperformed expectations while the Rebels have underperformed expectations.

This game could go either way, especially since it’s being played in Fayetteville.

Vanderbilt @ Auburn

Vandy has to overcome the disappointment of losing to Texas last week. Auburn has to overcome the disappointment of living in Auburn.

Maine @ Oklahoma

Why is this game being played?

Florida @ Georgia

This is one of the better rivalries in the SEC. This game means just about everything to both programs … not that many of their fans can remember what happened in the game after going to the cocktail party.

For the Gators, who are going to be fighting for bowl eligibility this season, a win over Georgia would give their fans something to crow about this year.

All of that means that Florida coach Billy Napier will pull out all of the stops to win in Jacksonville this week. That’s not a bad thing if you’re a Texas fan with the Gators coming to town next week.

UMass @ Mississippi State

Why is this game being played?

Texas A&M @ South Carolina

The Aggies are a two-point favorite on the road.

The Gamecocks are an up-and-down team. You never know which team will show up. But given that this is a night game in Columbia, I suspect the good cocks will show up.

Kentucky @ Tennessee

Tennessee’s offense isn’t nearly as good as people expected them to be but it doesn’t matter because their defense is legit.

Kentucky’s defense is pretty damn good too, but I’m not sure the Wildcats, averaging 19.1 points per game this year – the worst in the conference, will even score this week.

TWEETS OF INTEREST:

It looks like the Horns coaches are taking my advice and using the down time for a little time together.

Login to view embedded media
#############################

Two BIG reasons why Texas’ pass defense is so strong this season? Jahdae Barron and Michael Taaffe.

Login to view embedded media
#############################

DeAndre Moore has been playing big this year … but in my experience, if you have to brag about it, you’re probably not really packing it.

Login to view embedded media
#############################

No matter what happens the rest of the way this season … at least you can say Texas is no longer in the Big 12.

Login to view embedded media
#############################

But on the other hand, I do really like Matt Campbell as a head coach.

Login to view embedded media
#############################

This is one of the most incredible stats I’ve ever seen. Duke had no business losing to SMU.

Login to view embedded media
#############################

This is what makes college football so damn good.

Login to view embedded media
#############################

Damn Vandy! Look at you stepping up your golf game!

Login to view embedded media
#############################

Let’s just hope @Suchomel ‘s wife doesn’t pick up on this signal.

Login to view embedded media

And he did it in Fayettenam. I know it’s a game a way but we should be able to light them up through the air.

nm🤣

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

Why is it better sound on ESPN command center (different channel) vs ABC?

He was waiting for this one.

Login to view embedded media

makes it more likely one team gets in

Iowa st loses and k state losing

......being James Franklin. Penn State will always be pretty good, but nothing more, under him. That goal line offense was symbolic of his entire time at PSU. Don't take any risks, play it safe. He's RC Slocum.....wins the games he's supposed to win, but almost never bears the really good teams. Losing close is fine with him. He's making $9-10 million/season. He's not gonna take a single risk.

Am I wrong?

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.” —Unknown

As most of you know, I retired almost 3 years ago. My first year, I did basically nothing new, took that year to decompress from my last very stressful 3 years turning over our company to a new owner. Trying something NEW was not on my radar. Then, I got bored and tried to figure out what to do next.

By chance I met a new neighbor who was struggling with a loss of a relative and it just hit me to explore becoming a Grief Specialist and I felt called to this after finding out what it took to be trained. I was a bit apprehensive at first, but the need outweighed my apprehension and I’m glad I took that leap of faith to go for it.

Sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone and try new things; you may be surprised at the result.

What new things have you tried?

Take care my friends!

Ephesians 4:22-24

TSK

Undefeated #11. To Tech no less.
Hate to see that

Down. Hope Florida can hold on..

....This is GREAT!!!

This is great!!


Login to view embedded media

😂😂😂

Been a Chevy guy forever, but I think the Fords have a more comfortable ride and interior.

Any issues with the 2024?

Pros/cons from those who have one?

Has there been a “Big Time QB” in recent memory who has spit the bit more than Carson Beck?

What has he done that’s even any good? Yeah he has the all important measurables…but if this guy is drafted in first round I’ll be shocked - does he have any eligibility after this season bc you’d have to believe NFL scouts would tell him to stay in college — but would GA even want him back?

He played the worst game of his careers against us and is having a meltdown against FL🐊. Seems like he has lost all confidence.

Herbstreit keeps saying UF was lined up illegally because they had 10 on the line. You can’t have too many on. You can’t have more than 4 off, but there’s no limit on the number on the LOS. You would think someone who is paid as much as he is would know that

Why don’t you use them?
Bigger most of the time means stronger. So a gap blocking scheme would favor over a zone blocking.

Michigan coach lost the challenge, but that may be the first challenge I have seen in a long time. Seems to me like there have been multiple instances where we could have challenged, especially bad spots.

Probably my favorite Beck song.

Last year they are 13 and 0 this year they may not win 2 games. This is a great program so just hard to believe they lost that much talent in 1 year.

Down 50 in 6 months, 48 yrs old and still get high af every night. Can finally see my own junk when I look down in the shower. Good time to be alive. Happy Friday bitches.

He is staring right at it. I noticed it before that angle and said I thought he dropped it.

Woof…..