I had to re-check the score after reading to make sure we still won.Ok, we've all gotten the confirmation bias for the 2020 season out of the way, right?
Me?
I'm good.
After spending the entire off-season warning of the problems potentially facing this team and going with a 7-3 prediction for the season, I'm as guilty as anyone of forgetting the very words that kept coming out of my mouth for nine months, so don't feel like I'm lecturing anyone with these comments.
We're all so damn thirsty for this program to be good that all it took was Texas to whip UTEP and the rest of the Big 12 to put on a horror show for a few weekends and we all started acting like a bunch of dudes hanging out with SheHooksEm when she takes her shoes off around the time rent is due.
This was a 7-5 team a year ago (regular season) that lost four conference games and replaced seven coaches in the most turbulent off-season in the history of the sport. Even after a dominant UTEP performance, there were areas of the team that looked a bit sketchy. Hell, I wrote a column about it.
Yet, there I was this week predicting Clubber Lang levels of "Pain" for Texas to inflict on Texas Tech in Lubbock, as if I didn't know that questions about the offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, special teams and coaching (among other things) remain unanswered.
Well, we got some answers and one of the important things we all need to keep in mind about this program is that it's still closer to the outfit that lost five games a season ago than it is to being the thing we've imagined in our collective minds that deserves to exist.
Texas won on Saturday and remains undefeated in a very flawed conference, which is why no one should be pushing the panic button, even if the play this weekend warranted us having our fingers all over it for a while early Saturday evening.
Fasten your seatbelt. The 2020 ride is probably going to have some bumps along the way. Can everyone put the "playoff" thought away until it's slightly deserving?
Moving forward, this is a week-to-week ordeal and I'm not just talking about Covid results.
Don't freak out. Don't overreact. Know who you are, what you've been and what still has to happen before you're what you desire to become.
The process can't be cheated. Just ask Spencer Rattler. Before the 2020 Texas Longhorns can run full speed, they have to prove that they won't trip over their own feet when they first start to jog.
We're still in the stage of building up to a brisk walk.
No. 2 - About the offensive line ...
I have so much to say and I'm not sure how to approach this other than to go step-by-step through my thoughts.
a. Somehow Texas scored 56 points in regulation and 63 points in the game, yet I'm coming away from watching the game a second time not knowing how it could be possible with me feeling so negative about the overall play of the line. At no point in the first three quarters of the game did the running game get productively unleashed and right about the time the line was constantly caving in when faced with the most dominant three-man rush the sport has ever seen, it felt like the game was lost ... yet, here we are. That tells me that there's more good inside of this discussion that we'll want to allow for and I want to acknowledge it before I start striking matches. Texas has scored 122 points in two games. It's a critically important acknowledgement to make.
b. The right side of the line is a big problem. Senior starting right guard Denzel Okafor is a player that I'm rooting for, but he just wasn't good on Saturday. It's not that he can't have moments of productivity, it's just that he's not very good. It felt like the Tech interior linemen were making an And-1 mix tape against him at one point in the second half when all elements of his game seemed to desert him too many times. Meanwhile, Christian Jones also isn't a plus-player at this point, but I can see the upside to him. Hell, I'd contend his best bits on Saturday were better than anyone's best bits. There are times in the run game when he's really athletic and impressive in his ability to get his pads on players at the second level. He's just not good ... yet. I think he's going to get there, but one of his problems is that he isn't playing next to a player that can pick up some slack for him when he needs it. In fact, too often these two combine for poor reps at the same time and it becomes as problematic as it sounds when I write the words down. I'm not sure what Texas can do, but if a change in personnel can be made, it has to be made at right guard before anything else can be addressed.
c. I'm not seeing a lot of progress from last year to this year from sophomore starting left guard Junior Angilau. Honestly, he doesn't look like a player that has started more than a dozen games.
d. Derek Kerstetter has been solid at the point of attack and in pass protection, but his snapping needs to improve and his occasional mistakes in play seem to be more costly on a damage per mistake basis than almost anyone. It almost seems unfair that he'll be steady for a nice stretch of football, but when he makes a play worthy of docking his score, it's one that has left damage to the offense as a whole.
e. Sam Cosmi doesn't play like a guy ready for Sundays. He's good, don't get me wrong, but I promise you some Tech players are wondering what all the first-round buzz is about after the game on Saturday. Maybe my bar is aimed too high, but I'd like to see him whip some dudes a little more frequently.
f. The tight end play was poor all game. All of them.
g. I don't understand why the offense has to be so right-handed. On paper, the place to run behind is the Kerstetter, Angilau and Cosmi trio, and when the team went their way in the running game on Saturday in limited doses, the offense had some real success. Yet, time and time again, it feels like the offense is trying to force the right side of that line into a performance it's not ready to produce. I don't get it. Texas is about to head into the third game of the season and I don't have the faintest idea what this team's bread and butter in the run game is.
h. Keaontay Ingram has to hit the hole faster. There were times in the first half when there were MASSIVE holes created by the Texas line and it felt like everyone was waiting on Ingram to finish a sandwich before he found the hole, if he ever did. Roschon Johnson hits the holes quicker, but he's like a bull in a china closet determined to run into everything that's breakable. Too often this line doesn't allow its backs to get to the second level, but on the rare chances when they do get there, they aren't winning one-on-one matchups in space ... and on the rare occasions when they do win those one-on-one matchups, the line commits a penalty.
This is where we are.
No. 3 - The defense simply lacks playmakers ...
The good news about the Texas defense is that I'm not sure anyone is going to run the football on them this season. Oh they might miss five tackles in a single play and give up a 75-yard run, but by the end of the game, I won't be surprised when the guy with the 75-yard run finished with 29 yards on his other 15 carries.
For the most part, this team is stout at the point of attack.
The bad news is that what it has in size, strength and mass at the point of attack, it trades off in the form of the ability to make plays. When it comes to the front four, the entire pass rush seems to be connected to Joseph Ossai's ability to do everything. If he doesn't create the pass rush, no one off the edge is. What I know about Moro Ojomo as a pass rusher is that he can stop the run and that in the fourth quarter against Tech, he'd been replaced by Jett Bush.
Meanwhile, the linebacker position hasn't been impactful at all and when Alan Bowman wasn't lobbing the ball to Texas defensive backs like Neil O'Donnell in Super Bowl XXX, it was hard to find a playmaker in the secondary.
The other bad news is that stuffing the run is great and all, but if the other team doesn't want to run the ball as badly as your own offense does, it leaves a lot of room for the weaknesses to be exposes.
Mix in roughly 20 missed tackles and that's how you get 56 points scored against you.
Chris Ash has a lot of work to do.
No. 4 - About the special teams ...
I don't want to spend much time here, but how embarrassing ...
Texas just looked like a team that hadn't spent a lot of time working on the details of the third phase all off-season and then it seemed to avoid working on the details during the game as well when Tech blocked a punt that it probably should have reached on the previous opportunity, which the Longhorns didn't adjust to at all.
This was supposed to be addressed. It's an awful reflection on the work and attention to detail that we were promised when the new staff changes were made nine months ago. Tyler Owens' blocked punt and a little magic from Cameron Dicker don't change that.
No. 5 - The Big Five ...
The five best players in a Texas uniform on Saturday ...
1. Sam Ehlinger - Finished with six total touchdowns on the night, despite not playing well for almost two full quarters. It says everything about the bar that is set for him. Without Ehlinger, Texas loses on Saturday by three touchdowns. Hell, it almost lost by two touchdowns with him.
2. Cameron Dicker - The onside kick was probably the best onside kick I can remember seeing in a critical moment for Texas in a long time. Maybe I'm forgetting one. On top of that, he knocked in a pair of field goals, was perfect on PATs and kept Tech from ever returning a kickoff. Maybe Tim Brando was right ...
3. Joshua Moore - I'm pretty sure Moore said the following after the third touchdowns, "I don't know whose reps Jake Smith is taking when he gets back, but it ain't gonna be mine. KING KONG AIN'T GOT NOTHING ON ME!" Or something like that.
4. Chris Adimora - He didn't have a perfect game, but he had the best night of any of the defensive backs and was the best player on the defense for my money.
5. Joseph Ossai - Would have been higher on the list if we were playing a game of horseshoes and hand grenades.
No. 6 - Scattershooting ...
... B.J. Foster led the team in total tackles (seven) and solo tackles (five). Go figure.
... One of Ehlinger's best throws of the day was one that went uncaught. That third and six throw to Brenden Schooler on the second drive of the game was an absolute dime, but it went through the transfer's fingers in the end zone. Ehlinger didn't have anything open to him when the pressure started to reach him, so he put it where Schooler was supposed to be and it should have been a touchdown. Would it have been a tough catch? Yes. Still, was it basically a perfect throw? Yup.
... Sam had a 118 game rating with 5 minutes to go in the game.
... Underrated Play of the Game: Roschon Johnson's fourth down conversion with the team trailing 42-41 in the fourth quarter. That play was stopped in the backfield and he just willed his way to the first down. That proved to be a three-point saving play.
... Underrated Terrible Moments of the Game: Texas is down by eight facing a first and goal situation with 48 seconds to go and the Texas offensive line committed back to back penalties to make it first and goal from the 18 yard line,. That could have been a disaster if not for Ehlinger's heroics. Oh, and if you look closely, Junior Angilau moved early on the game-tying touchdown pass to Joshua Moore. It could have easily have been 1st and goal from the 23 yard line.
... The Longhorns were up 17-7 and had forced the Tech offense off the field quickly at the beginning of the second quarter when Texas got the ball back. That was the moment the Longhorns could have stepped on the neck of the Red Raiders. Instead, the Texas offense went three and out, nearly had a punt blocked and gave the ball back to Tech on the Texas side of the field.
… The Texas running game in the first half was not pretty, but Tom Herman never gave up on it. Fifteen of the first 22 plays on offense were run plays, which included 74 yards (4.1 YPC) on 18 carries. By the 20 minute mark of the first half, Texas was on pace for 60 carries. Through 30 minutes, Texas still wasn't far off the pace. The question was whether the payoff would be there in the second half when Tech should have been dead tired (at least in theory) and the answer is that it didn't. All of that investment in the first half into the running game was wasted once the team completely shut down on offense in the third quarter and then was forced to mostly rely on the passing game to get back into the game.
... Texas gave up 35 second-half points after forcing a three and out on Tech's opening drive. That just sunk in. Yikes. The Jamison fumble on an attempted fair catch was such a game-changer to say the least. He wasn't even under any pressure. It was just terrible technique.
... I'm just not going to talk about the tackling of B.J. Foster on the KeSean Carter touchdown reception that made it 17-14, but I'm thinking of some really awful metaphors for what happened. That being said, it should be noted that Foster finished the game leading the team in tackles, but my goodness, that attempt on Carter was something else in all the wrong ways. Oh, and Caden Sterns should sue Spencer Tillman for calling out his name in the TV review of the play. Wrong dude, Spencer.
... Alan Bowman will both keep you in a game and take you out of it in a matter of minutes.
... It really needs to be noted that Texas Tech didn't get points directly following the onside kick and the blocked punt. Nice job, Texas defense. Upon closer inspection, that's really good sudden change defense.
... How did Chris Adimore not score?
View attachment 86
... All joking aside, Adimore played a pretty damn good game.
... How on earth did the official miss the hold on DeMarvion Overshown on the Tech touchdown to end the third quarter? How did the touchdown stand with his foot out of bounds? What is the point of Big 12 officials?
... I few thoughts on Brennan Eagles (three receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown):
a. He caught a pass on the first drive of the game.
b. It didn't seem like a huge deal at the time, but his touchdown catch to cut the lead to eight before the successful onside kick was an underrated big moment in the game.
c. They went to him with the game on the line at 56-54 in the all-important two-point conversion.
What's interesting about the touchdown catch is that Ehlinger hadn't gone to him with the ball much since the second drive of the game (maybe twice), but he was dialed in late. Rome won't be built in a day with Eagles, but Saturday represented a big step forward for the junior receiver after seemingly taking steps backwards in the opener vs. UTEP.
.... Consider me very surprised that Tarik Black had almost no role in the passing game. Hell, consider me shocked.
... As a Tyler Owens #truther, consider myself pleased with his blocked punt. The coaches have to find a way to get his talent on the field more. JMO as someone not there at practice every day.
... Caden Sterns totally held T.J. Vasher on the third-down play before the blocked punt. It happens.
... I thought Josh Thompson was solid, even if he had a few balls caught on him. That being said, he caught a huge break on that last deep ball to T.J. Vasher along the sideline because he got smoked (worst coverage bust of the day).
... On the other hand, I thought D’Shawn Jamison and Jalen Green took some real lumps. At times, I thought Green really hindered the defense (see Vasher's touchdown to make it 38-35).
.... Two thoughts on specific Tom Herman game management decisions:
a. Really liked that he went for it on fourth and two from the four-yard line on the opening drive. After going 71 yards in the first 6+ minutes in the opening drive, seven points instead of three points felt imperative, even if there's some thought to scooping up the three points and making sure you don't come up empty. Three points on that drive would have been a letdown and Herman sensed it. Of course, the Longhorns never actually ran a play on fourth down because they were able to get the Red Raiders to jump offside. I wonder what would have happened without the penalty.
b. I didn't really like the game management at the end of the first half. With three timeouts on the board, there were still around 40 seconds on the clock with Tech facing a third and 13 after a disaster on second down with a lateral that went for a loss. I understand wanting to get into the half with a 10-point lead, but there was a chance to get the ball back in good field position for your senior All-American quarterback. I probably would have put my foot on the gas. I understand why he didn't want to, but I'm just saying for the record my own instincts yearned for a little more aggression, especially with Texas Tech getting the ball back to start the third quarter. There's probably not a right or wrong decision with this one, but it's a strategy decision I noted along the way in real time and felt even stronger about after the third quarter unfolded.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) I'm not sure that any would have come back from 15 down in the final three-plus minutes, but plenty of teams wouldn't have been in that position, potentially. I'm not sure that Tech wins five games this season, so you'll forgive me if I don't put them on a mountaintop.
(Buy) Maybe three.
(Sell) I don't know Yurcich well enough yet to draw that kind of conclusion. Yes, forcing the run game felt like a Herman initiative, but I can't say that he impacted the game with certainty. It's possible that when Herman tells us he's a brother from another mother with Yurcich, he means they truly see eye to eye on things.
(Buy) It's not show friends, it's show business.
(Buy) I think we know what Sterns is and isn't at this point. I'd love to see his game evolve a little more, but we keep wishing for something that might not ever happen.
(Sell) Maybe even this week.
(Buy) Even in a year when a two-loss team might get in.
(Sell) The season wouldn't be done with a loss next weekend. Not even close.
(Sell) Texas needs to recruit all the in-state super blues, but it also needs to make going out West and into Florida a major priority. No area of this country produces a better success rate with offensive linemen than the Western part of the USA (including Oregon, Washington, Arizona, etc...) and it just happens to be the area most ripe for plucking big-time prospects.
(Sell) I think Kerstetter stays, but I feel you.
(Buy) It really can't be worse.
(Buy) 3-0, baby!
(Buy) See the lede of this column.
(Buy) We just signed a new sponsorship deal with Spec's after the last 24 hours!
(Sell) We living in a world where the Pirate wins things, all of a sudden?
(Buy) Legit possibility ... just kidding ... kinda.
(Sell/Buy/Buy/Sell/Buy) - You got all that?
(Sell) It wasn't more important than the on-side kick.
(Sell) Sorry, Charlie.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the world of sports ...
.... Oklahoma has a host of problems. That looked like a team with multiple losses still left in it. Of course, every team in the Big 12 looks like it might have multiple losses still in it.
... I dare you to find a stat that tops this one.
... Not a single in-state program offered Kansas State freshman running back Deuce Vaughn, who hails from Round Rock Cedar Ridge. Not a single one.
.... I don't expect Mike leach to have much success, but there will be occasional nights like Saturday night when he reminds the smash mouth boys in the SEC how the other half lives from week to week.
.... Mississippi State rushed for nine yards on Saturday and scored 44 points in Baton Rouge. Someone send that sat to Herman.
... A&M looked a little trashy against Vanderbilt. The Aggies might be headed for a harsh set of results this season.
... Someone sent me a text on Saturday night asking me if Manny Diaz is further ahead at Miami in year two than Tom Herman is at Texas in year four and all I could tell him was slow down ... let's not get too crazy over Miami being 3-0.
... Baylor might still be pretty good. You can't judge anything off of playing Kansas, but they beat the Jayhawks by 33, so that's not a terrible first-game performance.
... Dallas lost to Seattle exactly the way I expected Dallas to lose to Seattle.
... I don't have a single positive thing to say about the entire Texans team right now.
... I really could have done without playing Rex Burkhead and Dalvin Cook in fantasy this week.
... The season for the 2020 Phillies died this weekend and I do not wish for it to rest in peace. In fact, I spit on its grave.
... I no longer think it's completely impossible to have a discussion about LeBron approaching GOAT status. I'm not saying I'd ever sign off on it, but a conversation is warranted. I know 6 for 6 can't ever be topped, but he's slowly creeping towards six and might double up MJ in Finals appearances when his career is over.
... LeBron facing a Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat team would be all kinds of ironic and I'm here for it.
... UFC253 did nothing for me from a sales appeal. It came and went without much attention from me.
... Wait, the French Open is happening right now?!?
... My Official Soccer Thoughts From The Weekend: No way Bayern lost 4-1 to Hoffenheim. I blame aliens. I do not blame the aliens for Man City losing 5-2. Unpopular opinion: Eric Dier needed to not have his arm so far outside of his body in the box. Luis Suarez scoring a brace in his Atletico debut has me thinking he's going to have a number of unofficial FUs to Barcelona all season. Dear Chelsea, keep Frank Lampard and that defense forever. Brighton deserved better. Everton is a legit top four threat. Come on you, Redmen! Get those three points today! YNWA!
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Will Smith movies ...
Will Smith turned 52 over the weekend.
It occurred to me that I haven't seen many of his movies recently, so I decided to look it up. Outside of Bad Boys For Life (this year) and Suicide Squad (2016), I've only seen Smith in the movie theater one other time since 2008.
I wonder if he'll ever have another resurgence before he's done. As it stands...
10. Hitch
9. Enemy of the State
8. I Am Legend
7. Six Degrees of Separation
6. Hancock
5. Bad Boys
4. Pursuit of Happiness
3. Ali
2. Independence Day
1. Men In Black
No.10 - And finally...
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (A heavy dose of "Uh oh")
- Thread starter Ketchum
- Start date
I have no idea how good Wiley is as a pass catcher. We've hardly seen it. I wouldn't mind having him get bigger and playing offensive tackle though.
... must, not, say it.... too soon, don't say it... must, abort, tasteless joke here...
Whew. That was a close one.
Can score from anywhere on the floor against any defender the NBA has ever had. Can score 80 in any game. Can make impossible shots from really difficult angles that are impossible to defend. Great with his left and right. Can post up and demand 3 defenders. Those are just a few reasons why he was called the black mamba. Lethal weapon offensively.
“I want some butts!” Comes from topgun after maverick and goose doing A fly bye the first time when the captain of the ship is coming out of the office after spilling coffee down his shirt. The next memorable line is “I’ll have you flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog sh*t out of Hong Kong.” In response to the next time maverick buzzes The tower
Right, but what did he specifically do better than Kobe?
Kobe career: 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 44.7% FG, 32.9% 3%, 48.2 eFG%, 22.9 PER, 172 WS
LeBron career: 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 50.4% FG, 34.4% 3%, 54.1 eFG%, 27.5 PER, 236 WS
I guess Kobe was a better free throw shooter...
Lebron is the ultimate stat stuffer no doubt. What did Kobe average per game(not counting his last 3 seasons where he barely played due to playing on one leg)?
Trust me, I think Lebron is a top 7 guy of all time. His ability to be so consistent for this many years is amazing.
Just talking about scoring though....Kobe scored 40+ points a game 122 times in his career. Lebron is at 65 times in his career which shows that ability to be dangerous and be dominate offensively with big time scoring games. A lot of guys score 30+ in a game but that 40+ in a game is at another level imo. Kobe has scored 50+ in a game 25 times while Lebron is at 12 times in his career.
The fact that Lebron is 3-6 in the NBA finals hurts though. If he was 7-2 he would be number 3 on my list behind Wil and MJ. Here is my top 10 list of all time.
1. Wilt(scored 40+ points in a game 271 times)
2. MJ(6-0 in NBA Finals)
3. Oscar(Average over 30+ points per game 6 times in his career including 10+ assists 5 times in a season)
4. Magic(6 foot 9" point guard that literally made everyone better around him. Best passer of all time).
5. Shaq(2nd most dominate big man of all time)
6. Kobe(Could score from anywhere on the floor while locking up the other teams best offensive player)
7. Lebron(2nd most complete player of all time behind Oscar)
8. Hakeem(My favorite player of all time. Nobody could dominate both ends of the floor like Dream)
9. Abdul-Jabbar(Most dominate scoring big man not name Wilt)
10. Bird(His ability to score, rebound, pass, and the ability to hit big shots in big games was amazing)
You said a lot of words.... none of them made a case for what Kobe did that is better than LeBron as a player.
You asked me what made Kobe more dangerous then Lebron on the offensive side of things. Being a more dynamic scorer(Kobe 40+ points in a game 122 times compared to Lebron only 65 times and Kobe scoring 50+ points in a game 25 times compared to only 12 times for Lebron). I'm a huge Lebron fan. I just think Kobe had that scare factor that Lebron just never had for me if I was playing or coaching against him. I would never be afraid of Lebron scoring 60 in a game against us, but I would always have that feeling that Kobe could go off for 70-80+ points in a game playing against him.
Also Ketch, you ask any NBA General Manger or coach over the last 25+ years nobody would ever say Lebron was a better on the ball or off the ball defender then Kobe(tied for first of all time with 9 first team all nba first team defensive with MJ, Garnett, and Gary Payton the glove). Kobe was at another level compared to Lebron who is a good defender but not elite like Kobe was. That's 50% of the game right there.
k. you're making a fairly weak case that literally no one that covers the sport would ever make.
LeBron passed Kobe miles ago and I respect the hell out of Kobe. It's not really about him.
Regardless of what it looks like, the "publisher" is not really answering questions as much as giving opinions. The weekly BUY/SELL is read every week by me, but I do not necessarily look forward to it. Opinions are a dime a dozen. Just review his 10+ Opinions From The Weekend but please don't place bets on his thoughts.
With all due respect, he is around the ball a lot more than others. To make (and miss) tackles you need to be at the point of attack. I think at this point, I appreciate his 7 tackles more than I will condemn his misses (2 ?).
Yep. I did have it right, per @Alex Dunlap
Missed Tackles
LB Demarvion Overshown - 5
DE Moro Ojomo - 2
LB Joseph Ossai - 2
S B.J. Foster - 2
S Caden Sterns - 2
CB D'Shawn Jamison - 1
CB Josh Thompson - 1
DB Chris Adimora - 1
DT Ta'Quon Graham - 1
LB Ayodele Adeoye - 1
LB Juwan Mitchell - 1
S Chris Brown - 1
Foster missed a tackle trying to throw that stupid shoulder. Then he missed another tackle on the long TD run. In between those he got turned around on that slant TD. I gues technically since he got turned around so badly that it wasn't a missed tackle.
Semantics.
I was speaking of the BUY/SELL section. Those are questions ONLY when someone mistakenly puts a " ? " after their statement.
B/S is not a Q&A. Those are statements followed by your opinion. You designed it that way for a reason and it gets solid participation.
That's the only point I was making to the many out there losing sleep over the lack of receiving your opinion.
I, like everyone, enjoy 10TFTW. Goes good with my Monday cup o coffee!
