Is Charlie over his head?

[swVAHorn]

"In all, 15 freshmen and 11 sophomores are featured on the two-deep. Several freshmen—receiver John Burt, linemen Connor Williams and Patrick Vahe, linebackers Malik Jefferson and Edwin Freeman and defensive back John Bonney—are listed as starters.

These are Strong's recruits, and if all else is equal, the coaching staff is going to go with the young players to build the program back up. This has been Strong's philosophy dating back to his days at Louisville, as Chris Hummer of 247Sports noted:

By the end of the 2011 season, the Cardinals had eight true or redshirt freshman listed as a starter on the depth chart. Including sophomores, there were 12 underclassmen listed as starters for the Cardinals in their final game of the season against South Florida. In addition, Louisville’s long snapper, punt returner and main kickoff returner were all underclassmen.

The team's final record that year did not improve – Louisville repeated its 7-6 performance from the year before. But the underclassmen the Cardinals played in 2011 helped lay the foundation for the future. It provided support, too. Over the next two seasons, the Cardinals went a combined 23-3 overall with two bowl wins, one of which included a upset victory over Florida in the 2012 Sugar Bowl."

Clob:

He was hired to instill discipline in the players. I would hardly call a late hit out of bounds at the end of the game (out of frustration), a freshman hitting and then taunting a guy while being down 35 points (Hagar), and I can't tell you how many stupid penalties, as discipline. Did you see the one player that charlie ripped on the sidelines? Did the kid do the right thing and shut up and take it? No, he yelled and argued with charlie. That's a lack of respect and discipline.

While these plays do show a lack of discipline, it also shows effort. However, I thought it was blatantly obvious to everyone that we quit.

SVAH:

So once Strong get "his" players then all will be right and Texas will be top 5 in the country?? Is that what some of you actually believe? My goodness. If you don't think coaching matters and it is only players you do not know nearly as much as you think you do about football.

I'm not sure where anyone said that coaching wasn't important. I think the is that some of us have differing opinions on the level of talent/depth that was available to the coaching staff when they arrived on campus last year, and the impact/time frame it would take to change the culture of the program. Like you have remind everyone, we all have the right to express our opinions without being attacked.

I did not attack anyone. I know I am in the vast majority of fans that did not think we would beat ND (said it over and over) why shouldnt we have played better? Just players? Coaches called a perfect game? Players are so bad NO coach can win? Tell us. Wait when he has players that are 5th year seniors ALL the improvements come at once? I expected a bad season...maybe even a losing one.....I did expect to see better than what I saw last year. I dont think I am being unreasonable. Everything I said Coach Strong has said. If you read through the posts I said that better players needed to be brought in no doubt...But 5 and 7 step drops? Man it is a killer.

 

[Cotton #12]

Like it or don't like,Strong has been hired by our new AD and it would be unfair to him and his coaching Staff not to give him at least 3 years if not 4 to make improvement and I think Texas will be fair to an employee.There is a contract and guaranteed money involved here that I nor the fans are paying for.If a game makes you ill like ND,turn the channel or leave the game and I hate to say that from a Texas fan but that is the situation now.

 

[clob94]

Like it or don't like,Strong has been hired by our new AD and it would be unfair to him and his coaching Staff not to give him at least 3 years if not 4 to make improvement and I think Texas will be fair to an employee.There is a contract and guaranteed money involved here that I nor the fans are paying for.If a game makes you ill like ND,turn the channel or leave the game and I hate to say that from a Texas fan but that is the situation now.

Hang on Cotton, by that rationale you then disagree with Watson no longer calling the plays. He effectively been fired from his duties. Shouldn't Watson get at least 3 or maybe 4 years to prove he can produce a winner?

 

[Cotton #12]

The wolves are at the door,Strong needs to show some decision,but with what you have seen in the OL do you really think it will make a difference.But I bet we start throwing slants,deep vertical routes with him.The line has to give Swoopes and Heard more time to read the coverage and make the throws,I counted Swoopes barely had 1001 ,1002,1003 and ND was on him.These guys are not Joe Namath in the pocket.

 

[clob94]

So you put a more mobile qb in there that's not 6'5 and is quicker and a smaller target. You do bootlegs, you move the pocket, sprint outs, waggles, anything to get him into space. This isn't rocket surgery boys. The OC starts calling plays, sh!t doesn't work, the pressure cooker turns up, and he becomes frozen. It's called paralysis by analysis. It's no different than sniper training.

When mortars, gunshots, grenades etc are blowing up all around you, you can either lose your sh!t and shoot the wrong people, or you can focus and block everything else out and finish the mission. Watson suffers from this. When his "perfectly designed play" doesn't work, he gets stressed. Then he second guesses himself. Then he tries to dig himself out of a hole and only manages to make it worse. Ever see norm chow freak out back in his hayday? Bellichek? They separate emotion from their decision making paradigm.

Easy way to prove this: remember Iowa st last year when Watson called for that deep pass down the left sideline that we caught and put us in field goal position to win that game?

He went bananas in the booth. Over Iowa st. Over a field goal to beat Iowa st in the last seconds. That's the opposite reaction of someone who has their emotions in check. So imagine the polar opposite of that. He gets low when a play doesn't work. Real low. That doesn't make for an effective, efficient play caller with ice water in his veins.

 

[swVAHorn]

So you put a more mobile qb in there that's not 6'5 and is quicker and a smaller target. You do bootlegs, you move the pocket, sprint outs, waggles, anything to get him into space. This isn't rocket surgery boys. The OC starts calling plays, sh!t doesn't work, the pressure cooker turns up, and he becomes frozen. It's called paralysis by analysis. It's no different than sniper training.

When mortars, gunshots, grenades etc are blowing up all around you, you can either lose your sh!t and shoot the wrong people, or you can focus and block everything else out and finish the mission. Watson suffers from this. When his "perfectly designed play" doesn't work, he gets stressed. Then he second guesses himself. Then he tries to dig himself out of a hole and only manages to make it worse. Ever see norm chow freak out back in his hayday? Bellichek? They separate emotion from their decision making paradigm.

Easy way to prove this: remember Iowa st last year when Watson called for that deep pass down the left sideline that we caught and put us in field goal position to win that game?

He went bananas in the booth. Over Iowa st. Over a field goal to beat Iowa st in the last seconds. That's the opposite reaction of someone who has their emotions in check. So imagine the polar opposite of that. He gets low when a play doesn't work. Real low. That doesn't make for an effective, efficient play caller with ice water in his veins.

Clob...I have to say you are one of the best posters on this board...you make excellent points that make a ton of sense.

 

[clob94]

Much obliged swvahorn. I'm not here to ruffle feathers or piss people off, just trying to offer insight from experience.

That insight and $12.95 will buy me a cup of coffee from starbucks.

 

[Heisennberg]

It's like a horrible wreck- you know it's not polite to stare but still, it's just interesting to look at. Who is the OC now, Norvell?

 

[ifpk454]

It is getting worse - not better. We are absolutely not prepared and we are TEXAS. We deserve a better product on the field than what has been seen during his tenure. He needs to show us something soon or UT just needs to understand it made a hiring error. I feel like this may be our John Blake era. I am disgusted at seeing such poor quality on the field. We literally look like the scrub scout team out there right now.

Yes

 

[Belldozer1]

Do you know the athletes that would flock to your program if there was a move to play with either Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan St? Nebraska sucks but their program still has a lot of admiration to it. TCU will never draw like Nebraska will nor will anyone care about TCU like they do about Nebraska. You kids would want to go play teams like Oregon, USC, UCLA, etc or they are content to go play in Ft Worth Texas and Waco for their big games of the year. Yes, you guys got drilled by Notre Dame but you don't have the players or coach to make this work. A&M...FOR NOW, has stolen so much excitement away from Texas. You need a change of scenery to get it back. I'm perfectly content to watch you you stay put and be a part of that conference. It's better for us.

Not trying to be rude here but players already flock to Texas and where does this notion come from that Texas doesn't have the players to make this work? Do you follow recruiting?

 

[Scholz]

A&M...FOR NOW, has stolen so much excitement away from Texas. You need a change of scenery to get it back. I'm perfectly content to watch you you stay put and be a part of that conference. It's better for us.

You haven't stolen jack. You haven't won jack.

 

[dj701919]

Not trying to be rude here but players already flock to Texas and where does this notion come from that Texas doesn't have the players to make this work? Do you follow recruiting?

Yes. We have so much talent that our best player on Saturday by a wide margin was a true freshman.

 

[barkingwater2000]

You haven't stolen jack. You haven't won jack.

scholz you have to admit that A & M is in a much better position now than you guys. Its really not even that close

 

[Bama_Teacher_inTX]

scholz you have to admit that A & M is in a much better position now than you guys. Its really not even that close

This may be true, but A&M still won't win the SEC West, ever. A&M and Ole Miss will always be the only two SEC West schools to never play in an SEC championship game. Even Mississippi State has won the SEC West once.

 

[barkingwater2000]

This may be true, but A&M still won't win the SEC West, ever. A&M and Ole Miss will always be the only two SEC West schools to never play in an SEC championship game. Even Mississippi State has won the SEC West once.

Didn't they almost win the SEC the very first year they joined the conference? Come on, they probably have as good as chance as most teams in that league. Oklahoma State won the big 12 so anything is possible.

 

[LonghornMM]

scholz you have to admit that A & M is in a much better position now than you guys. Its really not even that close

Right now, yes, a&m is a better football program than Texas. UT will get the ship righted though. Is Strong the right coach for Texas? The jury is out on that, but Texas is a blueblood and we'll be back at some point.

 

[RoboCocks21]

Right now, yes, a&m is a better football program than Texas. UT will get the ship righted though. Is Strong the right coach for Texas? The jury is out on that, but Texas is a blueblood and we'll be back at some point.

MM I like you. I give you respect for actually answering what they want to hear. Is it self gratification? Who knows but I know you probably gave them a hard on with your response. Lol

 

[Texas_Longhorns_FI6HT]

All BS aside, aggy may look up (secsecsec) while Texas looks down, but daddy always has the upper hand. aggy will always aggy (law of physics) while Texas goes on a revenge tour starring Strong & Heard and a bunch of angry staff & teammates. Yeah I said it.

 

[barkingwater2000]

Right now, yes, a&m is a better football program than Texas. UT will get the ship righted though. Is Strong the right coach for Texas? The jury is out on that, but Texas is a blueblood and we'll be back at some point.

Yes I'm sure eventually Texas will be back. However, it looks like you are going to be languishing for several years just as OU did in the 90's. Your down turn may not last quite as long, but I can't see you guys being a consistent top 10 program for several more years. Its really too bad because I believe it makes OU better when Texas is good and vice versa.

 

[diadevic]

Didn't they almost win the SEC the very first year they joined the conference? Come on, they probably have as good as chance as most teams in that league. Oklahoma State won the big 12 so anything is possible.

The Aggie mantra - "We almost!!"

 

[Jagged Horn]

Yes I'm sure eventually Texas will be back. However, it looks like you are going to be languishing for several years just as OU did in the 90's. Your down turn may not last quite as long, but I can't see you guys being a consistent top 10 program for several more years. Its really too bad because I believe it makes OU better when Texas is good and vice versa.

It won't take a.decade.like it did ou. If CS doesn't fix this by next year he's gone.

 

[barkingwater2000]

It won't take a.decade.like it did ou. If CS doesn't fix this by next year he's gone.

So you think he gets this and next season to get something going. Maybe so, but then you would still have to go through the whole hiring process, breaking in a new coach, assistants, scheme, etc. and that usually takes a while. You guys are probably looking at another 3 - 5 years.

 

[Scholz]

scholz you have to admit that A & M is in a much better position now than you guys. Its really not even that close

I don't accept that at all. They're a middle of the road program in their new conference just like they were in their old one. They don't ever win anything. They're only happy now because an inconsequential win over Bama 3 years ago let them feel like a player in college football. They'll never win it all. Ever.

 

[Fizzwilly]

Scholz, If winning it all is the measuring stick, then Texas has been relevant once in the last 50 years. Just saying. You might want to rethink that stick.

 

[Jagged Horn]

So you think he gets this and next season to get something going. Maybe so, but then you would still have to go through the whole hiring process, breaking in a new coach, assistants, scheme, etc. and that usually takes a while. You guys are probably looking at another 3 - 5 years.

Nobody would give any coach that long- 7 years??? Yeah righhhht.

Strong knows he has to make an improvement this year or else he won't make 4.

 

[oldschoolcat]

Meanwhile in College Station.....

 

[LonghornMM]

Meanwhile in College Station.....

What, is that guy putting up another unearned "championship" for a&m?

 

[oldhorn2]

Thats right MM...in 15 aTm celebrated their "fierce competitor" championship. An aggy is considered a fierce competitor if he can finish 1st , 3rd. and 5th in a jackoff contest!

 

[hillcountryhorn63697005]

Bryan TX Wal-Mart toilet paper shelves are completely empty due to the fact that a local aggy was invited to a crap game.

 

[oldschoolcat]

What, is that guy putting up another unearned "championship" for a&m?

It's called self deprecating humor. Y'all should look into it....