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Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (A few apologies need to take place...)

His final numbers were average, although not all his fault.
His final numbers would have been just fine if.... a junior doesn't drop a 40 yard gain at a minimum....a huge play to Collin Johnson isn't negated....a stupid holding call doesn't erase a 18 yard gain on a critical 3rd down play. Sam made some mistakes, but he played extremely well given the circumstances coming off an injury.

Sam hasn't been perfect this year, but if everyone played at his effort and production level yesterday, we are sitting at 7-1.
 
Regarding Ehlingers level of play on point 3...

What would his rating have been and what would his stats have looked like had LJH not dropped a pass right on the money that could have gone for a 70 yard TD, and his 43 yard strike to Collin hadnt been wiped out by a undisciplined hold by Beck? I could add in another 15 yard completion on 3rd and 10 wiped out by a hold.

In this particular case, I think Sam played much better than his stats indicated, and was probably looking at a 400 yard passing day if not let down by his teammates lack of focus and discipline.
 
Tom seems be have a fairly high IQ (source: Tom Herman) but his emotional intelligence is at the level of the 15-year-old. From mocking the Missouri quarterback on the sidelines to last night’s shenanigans, it’s embarrasing. You just wouldn’t see that from DKR, Mack And almost all other college coaches.
 
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Texas Longhorns wide receivers ...

Do I have Collin Johnson ranked too high or too low or just right?

10. Wane McGarity
9. Mike Adams
8. Collin Johnson
7. Johnny "Lam" Jones
6. Cotton Speyrer
5. Kwame Cavil
4. Limas Sweed
3. Quan Cosby
2. Roy Williams
1. Jordan Shipley

I'd switch Kwawe and Limas and Roy and Shipley.
 
His final numbers would have been just fine if.... a junior doesn't drop a 40 yard gain at a minimum....a huge play to Collin Johnson isn't negated....a stupid holding call doesn't erase a 18 yard gain on a critical 3rd down play. Sam made some mistakes, but he played extremely well given the circumstances coming off an injury.

Sam hasn't been perfect this year, but if everyone played at his effort and production level yesterday, we are sitting at 7-1.
I said he played better than anyone on the team. I'm not sure what you think we're disagreeing on. The numbers are the numbers.
 
I posted this last night but agree with Ketch as I see Texas winning both home games and at KU as well. Sadly, I think we will lose a game at Tech with a similar score to last night. Meaning if we beat WVU and have tie-breakers vs both, the WVU/OU game at the end of the year will become a de facto game elimination game for B12 title game and the folks in the B12 office will be doing back flips.
 
Once had a chick pee at a urinal next to me on 6th Street. She went the frontal route. I was impressed.


DSC_0375.jpg
 
Does the Big XII acknowledge when it's refs blew calls? I mean, will they admit the offsides call on the punt was the wrong call?
 
Regarding Ehlingers level of play on point 3...

What would his rating have been and what would his stats have looked like had LJH not dropped a pass right on the money that could have gone for a 70 yard TD, and his 43 yard strike to Collin hadnt been wiped out by a undisciplined hold by Beck? I could add in another 15 yard completion on 3rd and 10 wiped out by a hold.

In this particular case, I think Sam played much better than his stats indicated, and was probably looking at a 400 yard passing day if not let down by his teammates lack of focus and discipline.
I'd suggest thinking bigger picture. That's what the section was focused on.
 
Does the Big XII acknowledge when it's refs blew calls? I mean, will they admit the offsides call on the punt was the wrong call?
sure, they do that stuff all the time. It's worthless.
 
Kris Boyd and Davante Davis have probably already apologized to their teammates for the actions that led to their 15-minute suspensions on Saturday night, but as I sometimes tell my four-year old Hendrix when he is ultra-quick with his apologies after doing something wrong, "I'm sorry" doesn't mean very much.

This game was lost in the first quarter when Oklahoma State took advantage of their absences and rolled up 260 yards of total yards of offense and a 17-7 lead, which became 24-7 early in the second quarter.

In a game where slim margins that made the difference in the outcome, their negligence made a mark that cannot be denied.

Yes, it was a team loss because so many players didn't play well enough for the Longhorns to win, but the reality is that Boyd and David cost this team the game before the opening kickoff ever took place.

They left their teammates hanging out to dry by acting like knuckleheads. They know it, their teammates know it and the coaches know it.

No. 2 - Making a bad situation worse ...

This is not how you handle adversity.



No. 3 - Sam has to play better down the stretch ...

Let me make this very clear, I thought Sam Ehlinger might have been the best player on the field for the Longhorns in a loss, especially in the second half.

The kid threw his body around with reckless abandon, he played turnover-free football and he nearly led the team on one of the best comebacks in school history.

Those acknowledgments out of the way, it's important to note that Ehlinger completed 52.4-percent of his passes, which was his second-worst mark of the season. His 124.7 efficiency rating was his third-worst mark of the season and basically right at his season number from 2018.

When Ehlinger is at his best, this Texas team can hang with almost anyone in the country, but when he's not at his best, games can turn into 50-50 affairs in a hurry. Although his current efficiency rating (140.1) represents a 14-point improvement from last season, he's also played five of eight games this season below that mark (three in his last four games), including three below a 125.0 rating.

Ehlinger is still in his evolution as a young player, so don't view these comments as a slight towards him; it's simply an acknowledgement that Texas won't make it to the Big 12 Championship game if Ehlinger doesn't lift his level of play.

No. 4 - Looking ahead to players in the 2019 spotlight ...

With eight games gone and only four more in the regular season to go, I found myself thinking about what this team would need to replace on both sides of the ball going into 2019. Although we don't know what will happen with draft eligible players like Collin Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, we do know that the following starters will need to be replaced:

Offense: RB Tre Watson, LT Calvin Anderson, LG Patrick Vahe, RG Elijah Rodriguez and TE Andrew Beck

Defense: DE Charles Omenihu, DE Breckyn Hager, DT Chris Nelson, LB Gary Johnson, LB Anthony Wheeler, CB Kris Boyd and CB Davante Davis

Looking at those names makes me think that what happens in the 2019 season could be defined by the progress of the following players:

Denzel Okafor (Right tackle) - Currently the top back-up at both tackle spots, Okafor will be a redshirt junior or a senior next season and will reasonably be expected to take over at right tackle in what could be his final season, while Sam Cosmi presumably moves over to the left side.

Cade Brewer (Tight end) - Replacing Beck wouldn't have seemed like a big deal a few months ago, but the senior has actually developed into an important player at a critical position in the offense.

Marquez Bimage (Defensive end) - Although he's getting more reps with each passing week, Bimage hasn't been able to make much happen this season outside of his key strip of Shawn Robinson in the third quarter of the TCU game. His development might be as important as anyone on the team.

Taquan Graham (Defensive end) - See Bimage, except Graham will likely be the guy pressed with replacing Charles Omenihu.

Anthony Cook (Cornerback) -
Ready or not, Cook will probably be asked to play the role of No. 1 corner on this team in his true sophomore season.

Kobe Boyce (Cornerback) -
Ready or not, Cook will probably be asked to play the role of No. 2 corner on this team in his third-year sophomore season.

No. 5 - Compare and contrast ...

While watching Tylan Wallace take various pieces of cornbread belonging to Texas defensive backs, it was hard for me not to think of his recruitment, which didn't feature the number of big-time offers you'd expect of a Rivals250 kid that I ranked as a state top-five prospect when I debuted my LSR 2017 rankings back in 2015.

I thought we might take a look at the top in-state receivers from his class as they navigate their second seasons at the college level.

No. 1 Cede Lamb (Oklahoma - No. 72 overall nationally) - Ranks fifth in the Big 12 in receiving yards per game (84.3), while posting a total of 34 receptions for 674 yards and nine touchdowns.

No. 2 Charleston Rambo (Oklahoma - No. 97 nationally) - Still waiting to catch his first career pass eight games into his redshirt freshman season.

No. 3 Hezekiah Jones (Signed with Texas A&M - No. 145 nationally) - Has 14 catches for 126 yards and zero touchdowns in his sophomore season.

No. 4 Omar Manning (Signed with TCU - No. 149 nationally) - Left TCU this summer and is attending a junior college.

No. 5 Tyrell Shavers (Signed with Alabama - No. 152 nationally) - Has played in two career games and has zero catches as a redshirt freshman.

No. 6 Tylan Wallace (Signed with Oklahoma State - No. 182 nationally) - Ranks second in the Big 12 as a sophomore in receptions (50) and receiving yards (940) through eight games.

No. 7 Damion Miller (Signed with Texas - No. 207 nationally) - Currently playing for Navarro Junior College.

No. 8 Jalen Reager (Signed with TCU - No. 249 nationally) - Ranks fourth in the Big 12 in receptions (46) and eighth in yards (642) in eight games as a sophomore.

No. 6 – Buy or Sell …
BUY-SELL.gif


BUY or SELL: Texas will lose 2 of its next 4

(Sell) I like Texas to win its final two home games and at Kansas, which would leave them with a 9-3 regular season record, assuming they lose to Texas Tech.

BUY or SELL:: Todd Orlando has regressed this year?

(Sell) The talent he's working with this year has regressed.

BUY or SELL: Texas has a legitimate problem with playing down to the level of its competition and it finally jumped up and bit them?

(Buy) This has been a problem for Herman's team throughout his career, both at Houston and Texas.

BUY or SELL: Breckyn Hager’s actions at the end of the game are an embarrassment?

(Sell) His actions weren't ideal, but an embarrassment? Stuff happens.

BUY or SELL: Tom Herman still has considerable growing pains to endure before he’s considered an elite coach

(Buy) Especially if your definition of elite is as narrow as mine.

BUY or SELL: You still think the Sooners will drop a game or two by the end of the season?

(Buy) The Sooners still have prime-time road match-ups against quarterbacks with pulses. I think they drop at least one of those two.

BUY or SELL: Herman is an idiot for winning the coin toss and not taking the ball knowing it would give them one less offensive series the first quarter against our backup corners?

(Sell) I thought he made the wrong call, but it's an explainable difference of opinions and not worthy of name-calling.

BUY or SELL: Sam Ehlinger’s sophomore season is better than Colt McCoy’s sophomore season?


(Buy) McCoy had 22 turnovers as a sophomore, including 18 interceptions.

BUY or SELL: You have the connections to get the word to Herman he’s tipping off his offensive plays even though it’s not your responsibility?

(Buy) It's called an Orangebloods subscription. Everything written about the team is known. Believe that.

BUY or SELL: OKLA St had an advantage because someone spiked their stool water with liquid steroids?

(Sell) It's more likely that the Longhorns drank the Austin water this week than anything else.

No. 7 – If I had a vote that mattered …


1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. LSU
5. Georgia,
6. Oklahoma
7. Michigan
8. Ohio State
9. Washington State
10. West Virginia

Heisman Top 3: Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray and Gardner Minshew.

No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …

... I thought it was pretty gangsta of the Red Sox to come back and win game four of the World Series AFTER Yasiel Puig pimped that home run like he'd won the series with one swing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the hell out of it when it happened, but I couldn't be more impressed by the Red Sox.

... This will live for all-time. Sorry, McComas.


... Michael Dickson has brass ones.


... How can the Giants be this wretched on offense with Saquan Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. on that unit?

... NFL fan gonna NFL fan, even if it's a woman.
DRSC3pCX4AAQJ7C.jpg


... It kind of feels like Tottenham is playing for its season on Monday against Man City. Good luck with that.

... Luis Suarez kicked Real Madrid upside the head on Sunday with a hat trick and I loved every second of it. The fact that he celebrated his eruption of goals with his family was more than a little charming.
DqndtYNXQAAygC9.jpg


No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Texas Longhorns wide receivers ...

Do I have Collin Johnson ranked too high or too low or just right?

10. Wane McGarity
9. Mike Adams
8. Collin Johnson
7. Johnny "Lam" Jones
6. Cotton Speyrer
5. Kwame Cavil
4. Limas Sweed
3. Quan Cosby
2. Roy Williams
1. Jordan Shipley

No. 10 – And Finally...

If you're like me, you could probably use a pick-me-up after the weekend that just went by. Therefore, I end with this...

Another solid article. Especially #10. Good find and well done
 
I think Sam is playing some pretty damn inspired football. When you look at OU, his command of the first drive against Baylor and the OSU game, I see a different player than at any point in his career here. A lightbulb has clearly come on and he’s confident as hell.

I think Sam was the best player on the field at OSU. Don’t get me wrong, their WR was lights out, but he was uncontested the whole game. What Sam needed in that first half was for his receivers to not drop the ball. He would’ve had another 50+ yards from at least 3 additional receptions. His accuracy isn’t really a problem. People are either dropping balls or they aren’t open so Sam’s throwing the ball away.
 
Whoah. I don’t have a problem with Collin Johnson’s ranking, but good gawd Limas Sweed sticks out to me on that list. Top 4 in the history of the program?
Who are you moving ahead of him?
 
I said he played better than anyone on the team. I'm not sure what you think we're disagreeing on. The numbers are the numbers.
I think he’s disagreeing with you saying Sam has to play better for us to win. I think it’s everyone else that needs to step it up. Sam is playing just fine and, in this case at least, the numbers don’t reflect that. Put another way, the numbers from last night don’t carry as much weight with me as they seem to with you...
 
Kris Boyd and Davante Davis have probably already apologized to their teammates for the actions that led to their 15-minute suspensions on Saturday night, but as I sometimes tell my four-year old Hendrix when he is ultra-quick with his apologies after doing something wrong, "I'm sorry" doesn't mean very much.

This game was lost in the first quarter when Oklahoma State took advantage of their absences and rolled up 260 yards of total yards of offense and a 17-7 lead, which became 24-7 early in the second quarter.

In a game where slim margins that made the difference in the outcome, their negligence made a mark that cannot be denied.

Yes, it was a team loss because so many players didn't play well enough for the Longhorns to win, but the reality is that Boyd and David cost this team the game before the opening kickoff ever took place.

They left their teammates hanging out to dry by acting like knuckleheads. They know it, their teammates know it and the coaches know it.

No. 2 - Making a bad situation worse ...

This is not how you handle adversity.



No. 3 - Sam has to play better down the stretch ...

Let me make this very clear, I thought Sam Ehlinger might have been the best player on the field for the Longhorns in a loss, especially in the second half.

The kid threw his body around with reckless abandon, he played turnover-free football and he nearly led the team on one of the best comebacks in school history.

Those acknowledgments out of the way, it's important to note that Ehlinger completed 52.4-percent of his passes, which was his second-worst mark of the season. His 124.7 efficiency rating was his third-worst mark of the season and basically right at his season number from 2018.

When Ehlinger is at his best, this Texas team can hang with almost anyone in the country, but when he's not at his best, games can turn into 50-50 affairs in a hurry. Although his current efficiency rating (140.1) represents a 14-point improvement from last season, he's also played five of eight games this season below that mark (three in his last four games), including three below a 125.0 rating.

Ehlinger is still in his evolution as a young player, so don't view these comments as a slight towards him; it's simply an acknowledgement that Texas won't make it to the Big 12 Championship game if Ehlinger doesn't lift his level of play.

No. 4 - Looking ahead to players in the 2019 spotlight ...

With eight games gone and only four more in the regular season to go, I found myself thinking about what this team would need to replace on both sides of the ball going into 2019. Although we don't know what will happen with draft eligible players like Collin Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, we do know that the following starters will need to be replaced:

Offense: RB Tre Watson, LT Calvin Anderson, LG Patrick Vahe, RG Elijah Rodriguez and TE Andrew Beck

Defense: DE Charles Omenihu, DE Breckyn Hager, DT Chris Nelson, LB Gary Johnson, LB Anthony Wheeler, CB Kris Boyd and CB Davante Davis

Looking at those names makes me think that what happens in the 2019 season could be defined by the progress of the following players:

Denzel Okafor (Right tackle) - Currently the top back-up at both tackle spots, Okafor will be a redshirt junior or a senior next season and will reasonably be expected to take over at right tackle in what could be his final season, while Sam Cosmi presumably moves over to the left side.

Cade Brewer (Tight end) - Replacing Beck wouldn't have seemed like a big deal a few months ago, but the senior has actually developed into an important player at a critical position in the offense.

Marquez Bimage (Defensive end) - Although he's getting more reps with each passing week, Bimage hasn't been able to make much happen this season outside of his key strip of Shawn Robinson in the third quarter of the TCU game. His development might be as important as anyone on the team.

Taquan Graham (Defensive end) - See Bimage, except Graham will likely be the guy pressed with replacing Charles Omenihu.

Anthony Cook (Cornerback) -
Ready or not, Cook will probably be asked to play the role of No. 1 corner on this team in his true sophomore season.

Kobe Boyce (Cornerback) -
Ready or not, Cook will probably be asked to play the role of No. 2 corner on this team in his third-year sophomore season.

No. 5 - Compare and contrast ...

While watching Tylan Wallace take various pieces of cornbread belonging to Texas defensive backs, it was hard for me not to think of his recruitment, which didn't feature the number of big-time offers you'd expect of a Rivals250 kid that I ranked as a state top-five prospect when I debuted my LSR 2017 rankings back in 2015.

I thought we might take a look at the top in-state receivers from his class as they navigate their second seasons at the college level.

No. 1 Cede Lamb (Oklahoma - No. 72 overall nationally) - Ranks fifth in the Big 12 in receiving yards per game (84.3), while posting a total of 34 receptions for 674 yards and nine touchdowns.

No. 2 Charleston Rambo (Oklahoma - No. 97 nationally) - Still waiting to catch his first career pass eight games into his redshirt freshman season.

No. 3 Hezekiah Jones (Signed with Texas A&M - No. 145 nationally) - Has 14 catches for 126 yards and zero touchdowns in his sophomore season.

No. 4 Omar Manning (Signed with TCU - No. 149 nationally) - Left TCU this summer and is attending a junior college.

No. 5 Tyrell Shavers (Signed with Alabama - No. 152 nationally) - Has played in two career games and has zero catches as a redshirt freshman.

No. 6 Tylan Wallace (Signed with Oklahoma State - No. 182 nationally) - Ranks second in the Big 12 as a sophomore in receptions (50) and receiving yards (940) through eight games.

No. 7 Damion Miller (Signed with Texas - No. 207 nationally) - Currently playing for Navarro Junior College.

No. 8 Jalen Reager (Signed with TCU - No. 249 nationally) - Ranks fourth in the Big 12 in receptions (46) and eighth in yards (642) in eight games as a sophomore.

No. 6 – Buy or Sell …
BUY-SELL.gif


BUY or SELL: Texas will lose 2 of its next 4

(Sell) I like Texas to win its final two home games and at Kansas, which would leave them with a 9-3 regular season record, assuming they lose to Texas Tech.

BUY or SELL:: Todd Orlando has regressed this year?

(Sell) The talent he's working with this year has regressed.

BUY or SELL: Texas has a legitimate problem with playing down to the level of its competition and it finally jumped up and bit them?

(Buy) This has been a problem for Herman's team throughout his career, both at Houston and Texas.

BUY or SELL: Breckyn Hager’s actions at the end of the game are an embarrassment?

(Sell) His actions weren't ideal, but an embarrassment? Stuff happens.

BUY or SELL: Tom Herman still has considerable growing pains to endure before he’s considered an elite coach

(Buy) Especially if your definition of elite is as narrow as mine.

BUY or SELL: You still think the Sooners will drop a game or two by the end of the season?

(Buy) The Sooners still have prime-time road match-ups against quarterbacks with pulses. I think they drop at least one of those two.

BUY or SELL: Herman is an idiot for winning the coin toss and not taking the ball knowing it would give them one less offensive series the first quarter against our backup corners?

(Sell) I thought he made the wrong call, but it's an explainable difference of opinions and not worthy of name-calling.

BUY or SELL: Sam Ehlinger’s sophomore season is better than Colt McCoy’s sophomore season?


(Buy) McCoy had 22 turnovers as a sophomore, including 18 interceptions.

BUY or SELL: You have the connections to get the word to Herman he’s tipping off his offensive plays even though it’s not your responsibility?

(Buy) It's called an Orangebloods subscription. Everything written about the team is known. Believe that.

BUY or SELL: OKLA St had an advantage because someone spiked their stool water with liquid steroids?

(Sell) It's more likely that the Longhorns drank the Austin water this week than anything else.

No. 7 – If I had a vote that mattered …


1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. LSU
5. Georgia,
6. Oklahoma
7. Michigan
8. Ohio State
9. Washington State
10. West Virginia

Heisman Top 3: Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray and Gardner Minshew.

No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …

... I thought it was pretty gangsta of the Red Sox to come back and win game four of the World Series AFTER Yasiel Puig pimped that home run like he'd won the series with one swing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the hell out of it when it happened, but I couldn't be more impressed by the Red Sox.

... This will live for all-time. Sorry, McComas.


... Michael Dickson has brass ones.


... How can the Giants be this wretched on offense with Saquan Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. on that unit?

... NFL fan gonna NFL fan, even if it's a woman.
DRSC3pCX4AAQJ7C.jpg


... It kind of feels like Tottenham is playing for its season on Monday against Man City. Good luck with that.

... Luis Suarez kicked Real Madrid upside the head on Sunday with a hat trick and I loved every second of it. The fact that he celebrated his eruption of goals with his family was more than a little charming.
DqndtYNXQAAygC9.jpg


No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Texas Longhorns wide receivers ...

Do I have Collin Johnson ranked too high or too low or just right?

10. Wane McGarity
9. Mike Adams
8. Collin Johnson
7. Johnny "Lam" Jones
6. Cotton Speyrer
5. Kwame Cavil
4. Limas Sweed
3. Quan Cosby
2. Roy Williams
1. Jordan Shipley

No. 10 – And Finally...

If you're like me, you could probably use a pick-me-up after the weekend that just went by. Therefore, I end with this...
In your opinion, do we have a smart football team?

I mean, where does our current collection of players rank, generally, compared to teams of the past, when it comes to football IQ and just regular old brain power?

I ask because it seems like we do lots of low IQ things. More than I remember from days of old.
 
I think he’s disagreeing with you saying Sam has to play better for us to win. I think it’s everyone else that needs to step it up. Sam is playing just fine and, in this case at least, the numbers don’t reflect that. Put another way, the numbers from last night don’t carry as much weight with me as they seem to with you...
The bottom line is his play has to be even better and ever higher if this team is going to win out. It needs 150+ games, not sub-130s.
 
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Kris Boyd and Davante Davis have probably already apologized to their teammates for the actions that led to their 15-minute suspensions on Saturday night, but as I sometimes tell my four-year old Hendrix when he is ultra-quick with his apologies after doing something wrong, "I'm sorry" doesn't mean very much.

This game was lost in the first quarter when Oklahoma State took advantage of their absences and rolled up 260 yards of total yards of offense and a 17-7 lead, which became 24-7 early in the second quarter.

In a game where slim margins that made the difference in the outcome, their negligence made a mark that cannot be denied.

Yes, it was a team loss because so many players didn't play well enough for the Longhorns to win, but the reality is that Boyd and David cost this team the game before the opening kickoff ever took place.

They left their teammates hanging out to dry by acting like knuckleheads. They know it, their teammates know it and the coaches know it.

No. 2 - Making a bad situation worse ...

This is not how you handle adversity.



No. 3 - Sam has to play better down the stretch ...

Let me make this very clear, I thought Sam Ehlinger might have been the best player on the field for the Longhorns in a loss, especially in the second half.

The kid threw his body around with reckless abandon, he played turnover-free football and he nearly led the team on one of the best comebacks in school history.

Those acknowledgments out of the way, it's important to note that Ehlinger completed 52.4-percent of his passes, which was his second-worst mark of the season. His 124.7 efficiency rating was his third-worst mark of the season and basically right at his season number from 2018.

When Ehlinger is at his best, this Texas team can hang with almost anyone in the country, but when he's not at his best, games can turn into 50-50 affairs in a hurry. Although his current efficiency rating (140.1) represents a 14-point improvement from last season, he's also played five of eight games this season below that mark (three in his last four games), including three below a 125.0 rating.

Ehlinger is still in his evolution as a young player, so don't view these comments as a slight towards him; it's simply an acknowledgement that Texas won't make it to the Big 12 Championship game if Ehlinger doesn't lift his level of play.

No. 4 - Looking ahead to players in the 2019 spotlight ...

With eight games gone and only four more in the regular season to go, I found myself thinking about what this team would need to replace on both sides of the ball going into 2019. Although we don't know what will happen with draft eligible players like Collin Johnson and Lil'Jordan Humphrey, we do know that the following starters will need to be replaced:

Offense: RB Tre Watson, LT Calvin Anderson, LG Patrick Vahe, RG Elijah Rodriguez and TE Andrew Beck

Defense: DE Charles Omenihu, DE Breckyn Hager, DT Chris Nelson, LB Gary Johnson, LB Anthony Wheeler, CB Kris Boyd and CB Davante Davis

Looking at those names makes me think that what happens in the 2019 season could be defined by the progress of the following players:

Denzel Okafor (Right tackle) - Currently the top back-up at both tackle spots, Okafor will be a redshirt junior or a senior next season and will reasonably be expected to take over at right tackle in what could be his final season, while Sam Cosmi presumably moves over to the left side.

Cade Brewer (Tight end) - Replacing Beck wouldn't have seemed like a big deal a few months ago, but the senior has actually developed into an important player at a critical position in the offense.

Marquez Bimage (Defensive end) - Although he's getting more reps with each passing week, Bimage hasn't been able to make much happen this season outside of his key strip of Shawn Robinson in the third quarter of the TCU game. His development might be as important as anyone on the team.

Taquan Graham (Defensive end) - See Bimage, except Graham will likely be the guy pressed with replacing Charles Omenihu.

Anthony Cook (Cornerback) -
Ready or not, Cook will probably be asked to play the role of No. 1 corner on this team in his true sophomore season.

Kobe Boyce (Cornerback) -
Ready or not, Cook will probably be asked to play the role of No. 2 corner on this team in his third-year sophomore season.

No. 5 - Compare and contrast ...

While watching Tylan Wallace take various pieces of cornbread belonging to Texas defensive backs, it was hard for me not to think of his recruitment, which didn't feature the number of big-time offers you'd expect of a Rivals250 kid that I ranked as a state top-five prospect when I debuted my LSR 2017 rankings back in 2015.

I thought we might take a look at the top in-state receivers from his class as they navigate their second seasons at the college level.

No. 1 Cede Lamb (Oklahoma - No. 72 overall nationally) - Ranks fifth in the Big 12 in receiving yards per game (84.3), while posting a total of 34 receptions for 674 yards and nine touchdowns.

No. 2 Charleston Rambo (Oklahoma - No. 97 nationally) - Still waiting to catch his first career pass eight games into his redshirt freshman season.

No. 3 Hezekiah Jones (Signed with Texas A&M - No. 145 nationally) - Has 14 catches for 126 yards and zero touchdowns in his sophomore season.

No. 4 Omar Manning (Signed with TCU - No. 149 nationally) - Left TCU this summer and is attending a junior college.

No. 5 Tyrell Shavers (Signed with Alabama - No. 152 nationally) - Has played in two career games and has zero catches as a redshirt freshman.

No. 6 Tylan Wallace (Signed with Oklahoma State - No. 182 nationally) - Ranks second in the Big 12 as a sophomore in receptions (50) and receiving yards (940) through eight games.

No. 7 Damion Miller (Signed with Texas - No. 207 nationally) - Currently playing for Navarro Junior College.

No. 8 Jalen Reager (Signed with TCU - No. 249 nationally) - Ranks fourth in the Big 12 in receptions (46) and eighth in yards (642) in eight games as a sophomore.

No. 6 – Buy or Sell …
BUY-SELL.gif


BUY or SELL: Texas will lose 2 of its next 4

(Sell) I like Texas to win its final two home games and at Kansas, which would leave them with a 9-3 regular season record, assuming they lose to Texas Tech.

BUY or SELL:: Todd Orlando has regressed this year?

(Sell) The talent he's working with this year has regressed.

BUY or SELL: Texas has a legitimate problem with playing down to the level of its competition and it finally jumped up and bit them?

(Buy) This has been a problem for Herman's team throughout his career, both at Houston and Texas.

BUY or SELL: Breckyn Hager’s actions at the end of the game are an embarrassment?

(Sell) His actions weren't ideal, but an embarrassment? Stuff happens.

BUY or SELL: Tom Herman still has considerable growing pains to endure before he’s considered an elite coach

(Buy) Especially if your definition of elite is as narrow as mine.

BUY or SELL: You still think the Sooners will drop a game or two by the end of the season?

(Buy) The Sooners still have prime-time road match-ups against quarterbacks with pulses. I think they drop at least one of those two.

BUY or SELL: Herman is an idiot for winning the coin toss and not taking the ball knowing it would give them one less offensive series the first quarter against our backup corners?

(Sell) I thought he made the wrong call, but it's an explainable difference of opinions and not worthy of name-calling.

BUY or SELL: Sam Ehlinger’s sophomore season is better than Colt McCoy’s sophomore season?


(Buy) McCoy had 22 turnovers as a sophomore, including 18 interceptions.

BUY or SELL: You have the connections to get the word to Herman he’s tipping off his offensive plays even though it’s not your responsibility?

(Buy) It's called an Orangebloods subscription. Everything written about the team is known. Believe that.

BUY or SELL: OKLA St had an advantage because someone spiked their stool water with liquid steroids?

(Sell) It's more likely that the Longhorns drank the Austin water this week than anything else.

No. 7 – If I had a vote that mattered …


1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. LSU
5. Georgia,
6. Oklahoma
7. Michigan
8. Ohio State
9. Washington State
10. West Virginia

Heisman Top 3: Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray and Gardner Minshew.

No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …

... I thought it was pretty gangsta of the Red Sox to come back and win game four of the World Series AFTER Yasiel Puig pimped that home run like he'd won the series with one swing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the hell out of it when it happened, but I couldn't be more impressed by the Red Sox.

... This will live for all-time. Sorry, McComas.


... Michael Dickson has brass ones.


... How can the Giants be this wretched on offense with Saquan Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. on that unit?

... NFL fan gonna NFL fan, even if it's a woman.
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... It kind of feels like Tottenham is playing for its season on Monday against Man City. Good luck with that.

... Luis Suarez kicked Real Madrid upside the head on Sunday with a hat trick and I loved every second of it. The fact that he celebrated his eruption of goals with his family was more than a little charming.
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No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Texas Longhorns wide receivers ...

Do I have Collin Johnson ranked too high or too low or just right?

10. Wane McGarity
9. Mike Adams
8. Collin Johnson
7. Johnny "Lam" Jones
6. Cotton Speyrer
5. Kwame Cavil
4. Limas Sweed
3. Quan Cosby
2. Roy Williams
1. Jordan Shipley

No. 10 – And Finally...

If you're like me, you could probably use a pick-me-up after the weekend that just went by. Therefore, I end with this...
Shaquem Griffin is what's right about pro football!
 
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