Wednesday might turn out to be pretty boring.
The only thing that seemingly looms in the distance of the next 72 hours or so is Texas landing the No. 1 offensive lineman in the nation for the first time since Mack Brown signed Justin Blalock in 2002.
That's it.
Pretty boring, huh?
Of all the unlikely things that could happen in 2022, the event of a five-star offensive lineman signing with the Longhorns turning into a bit of an expected ho-hum affair might be at the top of the list.
Maybe that's a little bit of a stretch. Maybe Orangebloods will turn into a rave and drug tests will needed for everyone on Thursday. Maybe this is just what it looks like on the second National Signing Day when 47 of the state's top-50 prospects have already signed letters of intent. Maybe this feeling that the air in the 2022 recruiting balloon has already been released was unavailable.
All I know is that when Campbell announces his decision on Wednesday at 4 p.m. CST, a victory for the Longhorns will serve as one of the most important football wins of the last half-decade. It's sad to say, but it might be more like the last full-decade.
From my perspective, Campbell's arrival is more important than anyone Texas has landed in this off-season outside of Quinn Ewers. When he arrives on campus in June, he'll immediately be the best offensive lineman on the team.
Not the best prospect ... best player.
Whatever improvements are made up front on the offensive side of the ball for the 2022 season begin with the insertion of a new best player into the line-up. The previous owner of that title was probably ... Junior Angilau (?) ... and doesn't feel like a player that's at the level needed to anchor a major college offensive line as its best player.
Insert Campbell, who Rivals' Adam Gorney calls "the toughest, meanest, strongest, most competitive offensive lineman we saw during the all-star season." Like Blalock nearly 20 years earlier, you can almost plug any hole that needs plugging by inserting Campbell into that hole. There's been a lot of talk about where Campbell is destined to play for the Longhorns based on his size and optimal positioning.
You know what? Guard was Blalock's best position as well. It's where he started 125 games in the NFL. Yet, while he was in Austin, Blalock started 51 consecutive games at tackle for the Longhorns.
Why?
Texas didn't have anyone better and plus-tackle play is more important and valuable than plus-guard play. Simple as that. No offense to the interior guys out there.
I'm not telling you that Campbell is going to play tackle. I'm just telling you that he will arrive into town with a wallet that reads "Bad MF" on it and that he possesses the kind of talent where options exist. That's the moral of the story. There's not a place along the entire offensive line for the Longhorns where inserting Campbell immediately into that spot won't upgrade the position.
When he makes his announcement on Wednesday, it'll represent the most important Signing Day announcement for the Longhorns in the modern era of college football recruiting. His talent, should he select the Longhorns, is the kind of thing that gets this program closer to being ready for the move to the SEC.
I'm not telling you to take Wednesday off from work in the name of celebrating his potential signing. I'm just suggesting the moment might be worthy of making sure that you're off work by 4 p.m. for the celebration his arrival would warrant.
No. 2 - I might be in the minority ...
I just don't care what kind of car Quinn Ewers is driving.
Or Bijan Robinson. Or Steve Sarkisian, for that matter.
We all know that Ewers is going to make millions from NIL money and that he comes from Southlake, so I'm just not sure a photo of him in his car is the sort of thing that should turn into a viral deal.
I'm weirdly more interested in how long he's going to go with the Mullet. Maybe it's because I don't have any hair.
No. 3 - About Saturday's basketball game ...
On one hand, Texas nearly suffered a disaster of a loss.
On the other hand, it probably picked up its most important win of a men's college basketball season that hasn't yet reached February, let alone March.
You know what they call a win that almost gets away from a team?
A win.
We all know that this team has to get better and that closing out games in March like it did on Saturday night will probably cause its season to end, but before you can run, you have to walk. Texas hasn't won enough games against really good teams this season to take for granted the ones that it gets at this point.
With a brutal schedule in front of it, Chris Beard's team just needed to emerge from Saturday night moving forward instead of taking a step backwards. No matter how it might have looked from an optics standpoint, all that will matter at the end of the season is that the outcome was good for its resume.
No. 4 - Rick's Homecoming ...
Sometimes in this world we wait too long to let someone know how much they've meant to us.
That Rick Barnes was able to come back to Austin this weekend while he's still an active coach and receive a welcome fitting for a man that lifted the standards around the 40 Acres in men's basketball was kind of beautiful.
Nothing can heal wounds quite like time and the 48 hours leading up to the game felt like a healing moment. From the fireside chat with Chris Beard to the hugs from TJ Ford to the ovation from the crowd, all the steps that were needed to put to bed all of the bad feelings were taken.
Rick felt the love and it made for an awesome little moment.
It made me realize how awesome a moment like this would be for Mack Brown, if only such a thing could occur.
No. 5 - Witnessing greatness...
In retrospect, it's quite something that we witnessed the birth of what might be an all-time great quarterback. Joe Burrow is headed to the Super Bowl and it feels like his journey towards greatness truly began in Austin on that 3rd and 17 throw.
I know it still stings, but just a few years later... it feels like we witnessed something truly special in that shootout loss and that has value from my perspective.
No. 6 - What the hell is up with Brian Kelly?
Here's the thing about the dancing and all of the other stuff that LSU's new head football coach is willing to do in the name of recruiting ...
Kelly is supposed to hate recruiting.
Ok, maybe hate is a strong word. However, recruiting was never his strongest suit and one of the reasons he seemed like such a strange fit when he signed with LSU was the reality that the LSU football culture views recruiting like it views air ... it has to have it.
Is this just overcompensation? Like the attempted Cajun accent? Simple as that?
Probably.
Did this video get more than 8.2 million views in 48 hours?
Definitely.
I hope he keeps dancing. I'd be lying if I said it didn't make my weekend better.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) While I expect there to be some really good talent available post-spring ball all over the country, I'm not sure it will top what was available in January.
(Buy) I can't believe we've gone this deep into the column this week without a Manning section. Shame on me.
(Buy) He's a Manning.
(Buy) Until some of the defensive personnel issues from last year no longer exist, this is going to be a team with an inexperienced quarterback that plays in a lot of 50-50 games with a sketchy defense.
(Sell) Vince Young in 2005 would have been dripping in NIL dollars.
(Sell) On the list of motivations that inspire Banks, I have to believe losing his fifth star with Rivals will be down the list.
(Sell) Only? I think there's a world out there where he has a Ricky-like season and could make it, but more than likely he'll need to be on a very good team.
(Buy) The plan is to have things ready to go in by the time the season opens with the Rice series.
(Sell) Put some respect on Rick Barnes' name until actual evidence in the history books that warrants placing him second.
(Sell/Sell/Buy) - Cracking the top three at quarterback and running back is incredibly tough sledding. Ewers will need at least a Big 12 title to be able to make such a claim, right? I can't say that Robison is knocking on Cedric Benson's door.
(Sell) Realistically, he has a lot of hurdles he'll have to clear that have nothing to do with his talent level. Let's be honest - he was closer to being second-team All-Big 12 this year than he was making it to New York.
(Sell) I was 13 when the Icky Shuffle was a thing and doing it in the mirror wasn't a thing. Doing it actual pick-up games was the thing to do and I definitely did that.
(Buy) The kicking game is a major question mark in ways it never was in 2021. Texas might have the worst kicker/punter combo on paper in the entire Big 12.
(Sell) I wish I could say otherwise, but it's nearly impossible for me to believe he'll get the call over Ewers for many of the same reasons why it was impossible for many Longhorns fans to believe that Tyrone Swoopes would ever start the 2016 season-opener over Shane Buechele.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the sports weekend ...
... Matt Stafford now has as many playoff wins in the last month as the Dallas Cowboys have had in the last 25 years. FML.
... What happened in Los Angeles today with the 49ers fans taking over is kind of my worry if the Cowboys ever hosted an NFC Championship game in Jerry World.
... What will Kyle Shanahan be able to do as a head coach if he can ever have great quarterback play?
... The damn Bengals made it back to the Super Bowl with Mike Brown as their owner before Jerry was able to get the Cowboys back.
... I love Patrick Mahomes as a quarterback, but the final minute of the AFC title game was not his finest hour.
... I love Tony Romo as an announcer, but the final minute of the AFC title game was not his finest hour. There was a moment there when I wasn't sure he knew the score of the game.
... Lulz @ the CBS Halftime Show on Sunday.
... It feels like Tom Brady should have a bigger sendoff in retirement than to simply have it end in a timing dispute. If anyone ever deserved a rocking chair ceremony in a stadium full of fans, it's Brady.
... Purdue is going to be a popular team when it's time to fill out brackets in March.
... If you think the return of Chris Beard to Lubbock has some heat connected to it, just wait until Ben Simmons returns to Philly, if he ever dares to do so. That dude is going to sit out an entire season because his feelings got hurt. That city will never forget.
... Consider me so pleased to have been able to watch Rafa Nadal make history on Sunday at the Australian Open. As someone that has been #TeamRafa for the last 16 years or so, it was hard not to wonder if he had missed the chance to win major No. 21. It was especially hard not to wonder that after he dropped the first two sets to Daniil Medvedev in Sunday's Final. Yet, in true Nadal fashion, he just kept fighting and fighting and fighting ... and his will refused to break until he crossed the finish line. We've been so lucky to have this guy. Now go get No. 22 in Paris!
... Bravo, Rog.
... The only thing really matters in the Mason Greenwood story that emerged on Sunday is that his girlfriend receives more help, compassion and focus than her own father seemed willing to give her on Sunday. And we wonder why women have a hard time getting out of abusive relationships. My blood boils over the details of this story.
... Canada beat the USMNT on Sunday with a goal-keeper that looked like he was dressed for a pick-up football game against Vince Papale, so yeah, bring on the World Cup.
No. 9 - The List: AC/DC ...
I definitely lean towards the Bon Scott era ...
Last five songs out: TNT , Shoot to Thrill , Down Payment Blues , Girls Got Rhythm and Big Balls
10. Touch Too Much
The difference between Bon Scott and Brian Johnson is as evident in this song as any in the group's catalog. Scott was just on a different level. He could have been an elite front man in any band.
9. Night Prowler
The early blues vibe that the group played with before Bon Scott died was so fine in this under-the-radar classic from the Highway to Hell album. The whole damn thing is as sinister as it gets and it almost feels like the devil is luring you in with a rock lullaby. Seriously underrated song.
8. Whole Lotta Rosie
As Bon Scott says in this clip, "it's a song about the biggest, fattest women who ever fornicated." You'll find some of Angus Young's finest work in this one. If you're a fan, you HAVE to watch the video linked because the band is in awesome early form.
7. Thunderstruck
The best song from the group in the last 30 years.
6. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Bon Scott is at his grimiest in a song that is perfectly named. The group was in its infancy when they released this song and it channels a beastly energy nearly 40 years later. A case can be made that I have this jam underrated, but it's a stacked top 10.
5. You Shook Me All Night Long
The most female-friendly song in their entire catalog. The dances that have been performed to this song over the last 30 years demand its inclusion into the top five of the list. Three of the top five songs on the list are from the Back in Black album … that's how good that record is and will forever remain.
4. It's a Long Way to The Top If You Wanna Rock and Roll
The signature song for Bon Scott and a song that he destroyed in concert. When Scott brings in the bagpipes 90 seconds into the song, it creates one of the most unique jamming sounds you'll hear in the history of rock. It just all works together beautifully.
3. Hells Bells
The open to the song is one of the most iconic in rock music history. The song practically screams, "I'm a bad ass MF." One of three songs that I think can argue for a place at the top of the list, but placed it at No.3.
2. Highway to Hell
A case can be made for this song to land in the No. 1 spot, as it represents the best of the Bon Scott Era. One of the great songs about life as a rocker that has ever been created. Scott was just reaching his peak as a performer when this song was released.
1. Back in Black
Yes, the most iconic song in this group's catalog does not feature Bon Scott. The truth of the matter is the entire Back in Black album is a masterpiece and this song sits at the top of the mountain representing its greatness. Angus Young is at his mind-melting best. Please forgive me.
No. 10 - And Finally...
We'll have you covered on national Signing DayII like we did on National Signing Day I.
It starts on Wednesday morning at 8am with a live four-hour NSD Show on the Youtube channel.
We'll go live again for a wrap-up at the end of the day.
Last edited by a moderator:
