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Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (13 days, folks... 13 days)

I want maximum pain on the table.
That is you just thinking with the heart and not the brain. It’s not objectively better for Texas. We need as many of the other SEC contenders to lose as possible.
 
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Another fkn noob. Will Levis is another one. You seem like a Kyler fan. He was undersized. Maybe eat a Snickers.
Haha, is Quinn in the same universe as the midget Kyler? You’re so confused it’s hilarious. The draft is about traits and tape, check Levi’s traits and tape and compare that to 3. If you are so convinced put some money on those key strokes https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nfl?tab=nfl-draft
 
Look, like I said, I don’t care who the QB is and IF Arch is truly the QB to give TX the best chance to win a title then I hope he plays and does so. I don’t care if QE plays in the NFL or sells insurance. Same for Arch.

I have a hard time believing Sark would forgo a chance to win a CC and a NC based on optics. I get that people on a message board think they know everything but the coaches see and work with these guys everyday. Sark is paid to win, not hold kids hands and protect their feelings. The implication is Sark isn’t truly doing his job if he is sitting Arch because it’s complicated.

You are looking at it too black and white…I think it’s much more complicated than that.

Does Sark want to win? Absolutely. But part of winning is establishing your reputation. Sark is considered the “QB Whisperer”. How would it look to future stud QB recruits if the first stud he brought in failed under his tutelage? I think Sark knows Arch is better, but the margins are small right now given Arch’s inexperience. Why risk ruining QE’s draft potential and NFL dreams (and Sark’s reputation as the QB wizard teacher) for the slight possibility that Arch MIGHT give you a better chance to win this year? Sark is betting that he can get the good to great Quinn to show up more than the bad the balance of the season, and he has an elite defense to help complement when the offense might struggle. Will Sark’s philosophy work? We’ll see soon enough.
 
Arch's early profile screams the kind of offense that is more like what Sark had at Alabama under Mac Jones.
I think Sark sees a player that can do all that Quinn can do...can throw deep more accuratley but is far more mobile. Funny because I saw Quinn at Southlake (son graduated from Colleyville same year as QE) and he ran a LOT! Not sure if he is just not wanting to run or being told not to run...seems like his first year at Texas he ran enough to make some plays.
 
For the love of God, stop. We know you love Ewers. He is not a plus QB.
C'mon man...QE in the top five QB at Texas for the past fifty years. I don't need to list his accomplishments...I think you must be drinking or smoking something righteous!!
 
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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.

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... 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 …
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(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.


... 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.
The Texas team is learning to play in the SEC. The Big 12 was a joke. Sark needs a running game. Just ask Smart; Beck is a very average QB with a very elite team around him.
 
It was watching Quinn when he returned struggle to push the ball down the field. I've written about it.
So you’re saying that Quinn’s injury is why you favored Arch? If so, Quinn appears to be healed now, correct?

Also, I find it insightful that you break down RTG data into quarterly performance metrics to make a granular assessment of quarterback performance (as a data analyst, I prefer objective evidence). Yet, you seem unbothered that Arch’s sample size came against the 96th, 99th, and 107th-ranked defenses.

Because Sark can't know how Arch will perform against a good defense like Kentucky or A&M, he is opting for the known quantity, and I can't blame him.
 
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That is you just thinking with the heart and not the brain. It’s not objectively better for Texas. We need as many of the other SEC contenders to lose as possible.
I don't think having the Aggies being in SEC championship game (and all the recruiting momentum that could generate) is the best for UT in the larger picture... despite the delicious pain beating them would cause.

The macro view tells me that A&M having three conference losses this year is better for Texas.
 
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You must admit that you play both sides at times, but you definitely play more in the negative playground.
I literally wrote a section about the DBs being among the best of all-time and no one has a single thought about it.

Maybe some only pay attention to what they perceive to be the negative playground.
 
I think Sark sees a player that can do all that Quinn can do...can throw deep more accuratley but is far more mobile. Funny because I saw Quinn at Southlake (son graduated from Colleyville same year as QE) and he ran a LOT! Not sure if he is just not wanting to run or being told not to run...seems like his first year at Texas he ran enough to make some plays.
Running at the HD level vs. the college level is like the difference between Algebra I and Trig.
 
Running at the HD level vs. the college level is like the difference between Algebra I and Trig.
No doubt....but he TRIED to run until last year. These days QE (and I'm a huge fan of his) only looks to evade the rush and run maybe once or twice per game.
 
The Texas team is learning to play in the SEC. The Big 12 was a joke. Sark needs a running game. Just ask Smart; Beck is a very average QB with a very elite team around him.
Strange because after last season, Beck was rated right up there with the QBs that were drafted back in the Spring...he's truly diminished his draft stock this season.
 
You are looking at it too black and white…I think it’s much more complicated than that.

Does Sark want to win? Absolutely. But part of winning is establishing your reputation. Sark is considered the “QB Whisperer”. How would it look to future stud QB recruits if the first stud he brought in failed under his tutelage? I think Sark knows Arch is better, but the margins are small right now given Arch’s inexperience. Why risk ruining QE’s draft potential and NFL dreams (and Sark’s reputation as the QB wizard teacher) for the slight possibility that Arch MIGHT give you a better chance to win this year? Sark is betting that he can get the good to great Quinn to show up more than the bad the balance of the season, and he has an elite defense to help complement when the offense might struggle. Will Sark’s philosophy work? We’ll see soon enough.
Sark knows that Quinn gives him a more predictable output. With Arch, you might get the deep passing game and some quarterback scrambles; however, you're more likely to get multiple turnovers, which are objectively more damaging to the outcome of a game than the upside of explosive plays.

Ewers has a higher floor, and with our defense, Texas doesn't need a high ceiling.
 
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Strange because after last season, Beck was rated right up there with the QBs that were drafted back in the Spring...he's truly diminished his draft stock this season.
He's merely reversed to the mean. Always fool's gold IMO.
 
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@Ketchum when you get a chance, watch Cristiane F. if you've not seen it. Bowie produced it and did the soundtrack, played Station to Station live. It's such a treat and one of the most underrated contributions to his legacy as an icon, which is likely due to the movie's subject: Heroin addiction. It's a brutal watch, but real af.


 
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South Carolina would be a dangerous team in a potential 16-team playoff format.​
define “dangerous.” They are not beating any team actually capable of winning it all. Boise, Indiana, Penn State, BYU … sure maybe. They are fun to watch though.
 
Sark knows that Quinn gives him a more predictable output. With Arch, you might get the deep passing game and some quarterback scrambles; however, you're more likely to get multiple turnovers, which are objectively more damaging to the outcome of a game than the upside of explosive plays.

Ewers has a higher floor, and with our defense, Texas doesn't need a high ceiling.

I don’t disagree, but I do worry. In the Arkansas game, it was clear that Quinn is still struggling after his first read doesn’t work. It’s also clear that he’s playing timid, I assume not wanting to get injured again. He’s thinking too much…that’s never good for a QB trying to be elite.
 
I literally wrote a section about the DBs being among the best of all-time and no one has a single thought about it.

Maybe some only pay attention to what they perceive to be the negative playground.
Those DB numbers are wild. This should be getting more flowers and glad you highlighted it.
 
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Thanks for all the Thorpe work, pretty exciting to see Barron up there given what he's meant to the team. Agree that Hunter is a big obstacle given his brand even if Barron has better stats. Here's hoping he gets other national awards to allow this one to come to Austin.
 
You can’t make this shit up. You pick us to win it all with a guy who struggled in limited time vs Ga and was at the controls vs the worst team in the SEC and had 13 points at half in a dogfight - while completing 50% of his passes.

This really isn’t that hard. It’s goin to be a very rude awakening next season when Arch struggles early.

Quinn has been there, and will lead us back there.
I’ll take that bet about Arch next year
 
I'm a native Texan. A hopeless Cowboys team in national TV on Monday night with a shitty No.2 quarterback? It needs explaining?
Thanks for the reality shit sandwich.
 
The breakdown by quarters reminds me of a thread someostarted a while back that asked whether you’d rather have a baseball hitter that hit .300 every season or would hit average .300 across seasons with extreme highs and lows. The majority of responses took the highs and lows IIRC because you’re unbeatable when the highs hit. Seems like a lot of our games…you looks up and we score 21 in a quarter after being ho hum for several minutes prior.
 
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