If he was my son I would be furious at the double standard that has been applied. I also would be furious that Sark wasted a year of his eligibility for one play.
You're assuming, like Ketch, that there haven't been any conversations between the player and the coaching staff.
Agree....what would he be saying if Card had played the way Casey this week. 1 downfield completion
Me too
I truly believe that he's been instructed to go through 4 progressions before seeking to run and the O line can't give him time.I'd say go through the first two and then run, with this line he doesn't haven the luxury of a lot of time.He needs to scramble like Sam did
Hello darkness, my old friend.
Seven games deep into a season that suddenly feels lost inside the abyss that often leads to either Houston or San Antonio in late December, the Texas football program is bro-hugging uncertainty at the most important position in college football.
Perhaps winning a Big 12 title was too much to expect this season. Perhaps competing for a Big 12 Championship spot when November rolls around was expecting too much as well.
If someone wants to point out that everyone is making too big of a fuss out of the Longhorns being 4-3 in the circumstances that currently exist because this team always had some personnel limitations, I might not completely agree with you, but I certainly understand the point being made.
Sill, for all of the hedging of bets over what represents a fair set of first-year expectations, there's no getting around the fact that identifying the correct quarterback choice between Casey Thompson and Hudson Card was a non-negotiable one. It has to happen.
Heading into a two-week break before heading to Waco, I can't say that I fully know what the call should be. After Hudson Card blinked against Arkansas, the obvious call was to turn to Thompson. After Thompson has somewhat blinked in the last three weeks, I'm not sure an obvious call exists.
When it comes to Thompson, there are multiple ways of viewing his current performance.
On one hand, Thompson is currently the Big 12's leading passer in efficiency and is one game removed from posting the single-best half of football that any quarterback in the history of the program has ever had against its No. 1 rival.
On the other hand, take a look at this quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the last 12 quarters of football that Thompson has played:
1st quarter vs. OSU - 7 of 11 for 119 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 154.0 rating
2nd quarter vs. OSU - 4 of 8 for 34 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 104.1 rating
3rd quarter vs. OSU - 3 of 7 for 26 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 75.3 rating
4th quarter vs. OSU - 1 of 2 for 0 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 50.0 rating
1st quarter vs. OU - 6 of 8 for 176 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 383.6 rating
2nd quarter vs. OU - 4 of 8 for 68 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 162.7 rating
3rd quarter vs. OU - 4 of 6 for 30 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 108.7 rating
4th quarter vs. OU - 6 of 12 for 114 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 155.9 rating
1st quarter vs. TCU - 4 of 7 for 36 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 100.3 rating
2nd quarter vs. TCU - 2 of 7 for 9 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 10.8 rating
3rd quarter vs. TCU - 3 of 4 for 57 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 194.7 rating
4th quarter vs. TCU - 3 of 4 for 40 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 241.5 rating
When you dig into the numbers just a little bit, you'll find that ...
a. His completion percentage from the first four games (77.7%) has dropped by more than 20 points (56.7%) since the end of the Texas Tech game.
b. There's too much inconsistency. In six of the 12 quarters of football, Thompson has posted a quarterback efficiency below 110, which represents awfulness. Three of his quarters featured ratings of better than 194.7. Three others were in the rock-solid territory.
c. He's played at least one half of football in each game that ranged from beyond terrible vs. OSU in the second half to not really all that good vs. Oklahoma in the second half and back to pretty awful in the first half against TCU.
The purpose of this column isn't to make a public cry for Thompson to be replaced. As I stated directly following the game, I'd stick with Thompson going into Baylor. Instead, the purpose of this piece of the column is to simply address one of many elephants in the room with regards to this football team.
We're kind of back into the territory where folks are going to wonder if the right quarterback is starting, which isn't where you want to be eight weeks into the season.
As for Card, I haven't heard a lot of loud whispers about discontent from Lakeway since he got the hook in the third quarter against Arkansas. He's kept his head down and seemingly been a pretty good soldier. Still, if I'm Card I'd personally have some questions about the following:
a. When Thompson had a statistically worse half of football vs. TCU than Card had in the first half against Arkansas, Card didn't sniff the field, which would have been an eye-opener for a player likely being told that he needs to prepare like he's a starter because you'll never know when he might be needed ... except apparently really poor play by Thompson isn't when he's needed.
b. Why was Sarkisian so vocally supportive of Thompson when he named Card the starter at quarterback, even to the extent of mostly talking Thompson up and publicly selling him on staying (and not transferring) instead of talking about Card on the day Card actually won the job, but hasn't done the same for Card since the job switched hands?
Right or wrong, I would absolutely feel like I'm in the process of being treated wildly different than Thompson was when the shoe was on the other foot. It would put me in a position where I'd be wondering if I truly have a future in Austin playing football.
So, here we are.
You've got one quarterback that is having an awful quarter of football once out of every two quarters in the last 12 quarters of football and another quarterback that likely wonders why he never had a chance to have 12 quarters.
Whatever happens from here on out through December, the Texas quarterback position can't look like this when we get there.
No. 2 - Improving the offensive line for the 2022 season ...
I think everyone has come to grips with the fact that the Texas offensive line is going to be a group that this program just kind of gets by with what it can from week to week.
There's no magic potion or a genie that can fix what ails this group with five games to go in the season.
On some level, the attention turns to 2022 when this group loses Derek Kerstetter (maybe the team's most important offensive lineman because of his versatility), along with guards Denzel Okafor and Tope Imade.
It leaves a core group of Christian Jones and Andrej Karic at tackle, Junior Angilau and Hayden Conner at guards and Jake Majors at center. I'm not sure there's a single player behind them that remains on the roster that looks like a major contributor for a good offensive line ... ever.
While recruiting is currently slated to add Connor Robertson and Cole Hutson from the 2022 recruiting class, neither should be expected to contribute immediately, especially for a staff that has seemed hesitant to play young players over older players up-front on offense. Even if the Longhorns find a way to land five-star lineman Devon Campbell to top off the 2022 class, the reality is that the Longhorns won't have enough up-front on paper going into the season with this group.
Texas has to achieve some level of success in the transfer portal this off-season. Simple as that. Even if it's just to improve the depth like it did at linebacker this season through the portal, the program can't afford to drop down to the level of current reserves when an injury or two demands on a next man showing up.
In fact, I'd argue that it's so important to find improvement this off-season through transfers that Steve Sarkisian can't afford to sit back and wait for whatever falls from the transfer tree. He needs to shake the tree.
The Longhorns need to have a team of analysts dedicated to the transfer market and part of their daily tasks needs to be following the success and failure of every prospect from the state of Texas that doesn't sign with the Longhorns. If there's a kid playing for UTSA, Utah, USC ... you name it .... and he hails from the Lone Star State, the Longhorns need to be letting people behind the scenes connected to those players know that they have a home if they enter the portal.
All of the schools that sign players from Texas and achieve levels of success with those players need to be treated as farm system prospects. Few states can generate hundreds of developmental prospects like the state of Texas can and the Longhorns have to be ready to take advantage of it. If that means slightly stretching the rules of the grey area into the greeeeeeey area, so be it.
Failure in the transfer market might doom the 2022 season before it ever lifts off if the offensive line issues remain unsolved.
If luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation, then the Longhorns need to start preparing right now to make their luck.
No. 3 - The Bottom Line with Arch Manning ...
Texas is in great shape for the nation's No. 1 (or No. 2) prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.
Steve Sarkisian is going to the wedding, it's just a matter of whether he's going to say vows at the wedding or stand by as a bridesmaid holding flowers. In fact, there continues to be a lot of buzz that this recruitment is turning into a Texas/Georgia battle.
One of those teams is currently ranked No. 1 and has finished the last four seasons prior to this one ranked 7th, 4th, 7th and 2nd.
The other team is Texas.
From my vantage point, this entire recruitment is going to come down to Sarkisian's ability to paint a picture for Manning that doesn't involve Texas looking like a much riskier pick than Georgia. As much as the Mannings respect Sarkisian and feel at home in Austin, a business decision will eventually be made and good business decisions often come down to minimizing risks.
Part of what has to happen in these final five games includes the Longhorns finishing the season not looking like they are absolute light years behind Georgia on the national level. I've said for months that I believe the Longhorns will land Manning if they make the Big 12 championship game and just show signs of progress in year one as part of a process headed for big things. Anything less than that makes it hard to believe that Texas will finish as anything more than the maid of honor.
No. 4 - Move over Michael Dickson?
In 2017, Michael Dickson won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter and in the process, he cemented his status as perhaps the best player the program has had in the entire decade of the 2010s.
He averaged 47.4 yards per punt, a 50+ yard punt on 42.9% of his punts and had punts downed inside of the 20 yard line on 50 percent of his kicks.
Four years later, take a look at Cameron Dicker, who is averaging 49.6 yards per punt and 50% of his kicks going 50+ yards.
The only area that trickles below Dickson's numbers is Dicker's rate of punts being downed inside the 20 yard line, which currently stands at 18.1%.
Still, who could have believed that we'd fairly be mentioning Dicker's punting exploits in the same sentence with Dickson when this season began?
He's quietly been one of the best players on the team.
No. 5 - More randomness with a day to chew on things ...
... I'd guess that DeMarvion Overshown is questionable next week coming off of a "head injury" of some variety in Saturday's game. When he does return to the line-up, I'd contend the Longhorns will be better off of if he's teamed with Jaylan Ford at linebacker instead of Luke Brockrmeyer. Teams have figured out that they can get a lot of success in running to the outside on Brockermeyer's side of the field. Whether he's not seeing plays or getting off blocks or making athletic enough plays to close down those runs at the first or second line of the defense, something is happening that is causing teams to almost go out of their way to challenge that area of the defense.
... Shout out to Ray Thornton, who had the best day of his career with three tackles for loss on Saturday. Tackles for loss have been so consistently hard to find inside this defense that Thornton suddenly ranks second on the team with 4.5 after one really nice performance.
... Speaking of solid performances, Ovie Oghoufo was even better on the rewatch than he was when I watched him live.
... Alfred Collins is now a co-leader on the team in sacks with 2.0.
... Casey Thompson is tied with three other players with the most interceptions (five) in the Big 12.
... Of players with more than 18 carries this season in the Big 12, only TCU's Zach Evans (7.9) averages more per carry than Baylor's Abram Smith (7.5). He'll be a handful in two weeks.
... Whatever we think of Oklahoma State's offense and UT's defensive performance on Saturday, much better offensive opponents await, including the league's No. 3 (West Virginia), No. 4 (Iowa State) and No. 5 (Baylor) teams in total offense.
No. 6 - Acknowledging queens on campus ...
The No. 1-ranked Texas volleyball team moved to 15-0 on the season and 6-0 in conference play this weekend with a sweep of TCU.
Maybe we are all focused on the wrong sport?
If nothing else, make sure you are following the Texas Volleyball account on Twitter. No sport on campus does it better.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) The Longhorns will likely sign three in the 2022 class and I'm not sure this staff brings in four through the portal.
(Buy) See my first section of the column.
(Buy) I don't believe he's in immediate danger.
(Sell) I'm thinking they lose one of the next two and win the final three to make for an 8-4 season.
(Buy) I looked at 1993, 1997 and a host of teams from the last decade. I can't find one.
(Sell) That feels like a bridge too far, but it's concerning to see the lack of adjustments with that 0-19 stat when losing at halftime hanging in the backdrop.
(Sell) I thought Texas would be 5-2 and positioned to compete for a spot in the Big 12 title game at this point.
(Buy) This particular Rome won't be built in a year or two.
(Sell) I wouldn't be shocked if he brings everyone back.
(Sell) It's a million things and not just one or two. It's all of those things and more. This isn't an uncomplicated rebuild.
(Sell) He was hired because the feeling is that he represented an immediate upgrade over Tom Herman and that is not what the win-loss record indicates.
(Buy) I don't think they'll have any other choice.
(Sell) This team would be 4-3 and he'd have a sub 160 rating if he was the quarterback based on all of the things we witnessed over four years.
(Buy) This is a real that exists in my head when I think about someone like Devon Campbell.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the sports weekend ...
... It feels like Texas is responsible for Oklahoma unleashing a Godzilla in Caleb Williams.
... It's going to be fascinating to see what LSU does in replacing Ed Orgeron. Is there a wow hire out there for them to make?
... Iowa rising to No. 2 in the polls and then getting dump-trucked by Purdue at home felt very predictable.
... You'll have to forgive me for being indifferent about Cincinnati as the new No. 2 team in the polls.
... Stay classy, Tennessee fans.
... So, Arkansas is just an ok football team, huh?
... I was impressed with Baylor's performance against BYU.
... That was one hell of a satisfying win for the Cowboys. Ceedee caught the game-winning touchdown and waved with the grin like the cat that ate the canary at the defensive back that shoved him in the end zone. Inject that into my veins!
... I feel for Texans fans. This team can't be easy to watch for three hours each week.
... Nice job, DeShon.
... Come on Miami, Urban was supposed to stay winless.
... This Astros/Red Sox series feels like it has a chance to be one for the ages. As a neutral observer, here's hoping for seven games of absolute bonkers.
... Bring on the NBA regular season. I'm down.
... Premier League Thoughts From The Weekend Because I'm Trying To Force Soccer Down Your Throat: Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Running down the wing! Salaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, The Egyptian king! Leicester City seems to be putting it together. That dude must stay forever. Ho-hum, Chelsea won ugly. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want Newcastle relegated. Brighton in 4th place through eight games is worthy of a tip of the cap.
.... Am I crazy in thinking that if a pro athlete in an American pro sports league captained his opponent in fantasy that there would be a slew of hot takes on First Take?
No. 9 - Top 10 Johnny Cash Songs ...
With everyone on tilt following a second straight loss, I figured I might as take on the impossible and just cause a riot in the OB streets.
YOLO!
10. Mean Eyed Cat
9. One
8. Cry, Cry, Cry
7. Jackson (with June Carter)
6. Cocaine Blues
5. Ring of Fire
4. Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
3. Hurt
2. Folsom Prison Blues
1. I Walk The Line
No. 10 - And Finally...
Rest in peace, Mr. Derrick Foreman. My heart goes out to Armanti, D'Onte and everyone that loved him.
The Orangebloods family mourns your loss.
Ketchum, you said "if they make the Big 12 championship game", I didn't realize it was expanded to 4 teams.
Hello darkness, my old friend.
Seven games deep into a season that suddenly feels lost inside the abyss that often leads to either Houston or San Antonio in late December, the Texas football program is bro-hugging uncertainty at the most important position in college football.
Perhaps winning a Big 12 title was too much to expect this season. Perhaps competing for a Big 12 Championship spot when November rolls around was expecting too much as well.
If someone wants to point out that everyone is making too big of a fuss out of the Longhorns being 4-3 in the circumstances that currently exist because this team always had some personnel limitations, I might not completely agree with you, but I certainly understand the point being made.
Sill, for all of the hedging of bets over what represents a fair set of first-year expectations, there's no getting around the fact that identifying the correct quarterback choice between Casey Thompson and Hudson Card was a non-negotiable one. It has to happen.
Heading into a two-week break before heading to Waco, I can't say that I fully know what the call should be. After Hudson Card blinked against Arkansas, the obvious call was to turn to Thompson. After Thompson has somewhat blinked in the last three weeks, I'm not sure an obvious call exists.
When it comes to Thompson, there are multiple ways of viewing his current performance.
On one hand, Thompson is currently the Big 12's leading passer in efficiency and is one game removed from posting the single-best half of football that any quarterback in the history of the program has ever had against its No. 1 rival.
On the other hand, take a look at this quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the last 12 quarters of football that Thompson has played:
1st quarter vs. OSU - 7 of 11 for 119 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 154.0 rating
2nd quarter vs. OSU - 4 of 8 for 34 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 104.1 rating
3rd quarter vs. OSU - 3 of 7 for 26 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 75.3 rating
4th quarter vs. OSU - 1 of 2 for 0 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 50.0 rating
1st quarter vs. OU - 6 of 8 for 176 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 383.6 rating
2nd quarter vs. OU - 4 of 8 for 68 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 162.7 rating
3rd quarter vs. OU - 4 of 6 for 30 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 108.7 rating
4th quarter vs. OU - 6 of 12 for 114 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 155.9 rating
1st quarter vs. TCU - 4 of 7 for 36 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 100.3 rating
2nd quarter vs. TCU - 2 of 7 for 9 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 10.8 rating
3rd quarter vs. TCU - 3 of 4 for 57 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 194.7 rating
4th quarter vs. TCU - 3 of 4 for 40 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 241.5 rating
When you dig into the numbers just a little bit, you'll find that ...
a. His completion percentage from the first four games (77.7%) has dropped by more than 20 points (56.7%) since the end of the Texas Tech game.
b. There's too much inconsistency. In six of the 12 quarters of football, Thompson has posted a quarterback efficiency below 110, which represents awfulness. Three of his quarters featured ratings of better than 194.7. Three others were in the rock-solid territory.
c. He's played at least one half of football in each game that ranged from beyond terrible vs. OSU in the second half to not really all that good vs. Oklahoma in the second half and back to pretty awful in the first half against TCU.
The purpose of this column isn't to make a public cry for Thompson to be replaced. As I stated directly following the game, I'd stick with Thompson going into Baylor. Instead, the purpose of this piece of the column is to simply address one of many elephants in the room with regards to this football team.
We're kind of back into the territory where folks are going to wonder if the right quarterback is starting, which isn't where you want to be eight weeks into the season.
As for Card, I haven't heard a lot of loud whispers about discontent from Lakeway since he got the hook in the third quarter against Arkansas. He's kept his head down and seemingly been a pretty good soldier. Still, if I'm Card I'd personally have some questions about the following:
a. When Thompson had a statistically worse half of football vs. TCU than Card had in the first half against Arkansas, Card didn't sniff the field, which would have been an eye-opener for a player likely being told that he needs to prepare like he's a starter because you'll never know when he might be needed ... except apparently really poor play by Thompson isn't when he's needed.
b. Why was Sarkisian so vocally supportive of Thompson when he named Card the starter at quarterback, even to the extent of mostly talking Thompson up and publicly selling him on staying (and not transferring) instead of talking about Card on the day Card actually won the job, but hasn't done the same for Card since the job switched hands?
Right or wrong, I would absolutely feel like I'm in the process of being treated wildly different than Thompson was when the shoe was on the other foot. It would put me in a position where I'd be wondering if I truly have a future in Austin playing football.
So, here we are.
You've got one quarterback that is having an awful quarter of football once out of every two quarters in the last 12 quarters of football and another quarterback that likely wonders why he never had a chance to have 12 quarters.
Whatever happens from here on out through December, the Texas quarterback position can't look like this when we get there.
No. 2 - Improving the offensive line for the 2022 season ...
I think everyone has come to grips with the fact that the Texas offensive line is going to be a group that this program just kind of gets by with what it can from week to week.
There's no magic potion or a genie that can fix what ails this group with five games to go in the season.
On some level, the attention turns to 2022 when this group loses Derek Kerstetter (maybe the team's most important offensive lineman because of his versatility), along with guards Denzel Okafor and Tope Imade.
It leaves a core group of Christian Jones and Andrej Karic at tackle, Junior Angilau and Hayden Conner at guards and Jake Majors at center. I'm not sure there's a single player behind them that remains on the roster that looks like a major contributor for a good offensive line ... ever.
While recruiting is currently slated to add Connor Robertson and Cole Hutson from the 2022 recruiting class, neither should be expected to contribute immediately, especially for a staff that has seemed hesitant to play young players over older players up-front on offense. Even if the Longhorns find a way to land five-star lineman Devon Campbell to top off the 2022 class, the reality is that the Longhorns won't have enough up-front on paper going into the season with this group.
Texas has to achieve some level of success in the transfer portal this off-season. Simple as that. Even if it's just to improve the depth like it did at linebacker this season through the portal, the program can't afford to drop down to the level of current reserves when an injury or two demands on a next man showing up.
In fact, I'd argue that it's so important to find improvement this off-season through transfers that Steve Sarkisian can't afford to sit back and wait for whatever falls from the transfer tree. He needs to shake the tree.
The Longhorns need to have a team of analysts dedicated to the transfer market and part of their daily tasks needs to be following the success and failure of every prospect from the state of Texas that doesn't sign with the Longhorns. If there's a kid playing for UTSA, Utah, USC ... you name it .... and he hails from the Lone Star State, the Longhorns need to be letting people behind the scenes connected to those players know that they have a home if they enter the portal.
All of the schools that sign players from Texas and achieve levels of success with those players need to be treated as farm system prospects. Few states can generate hundreds of developmental prospects like the state of Texas can and the Longhorns have to be ready to take advantage of it. If that means slightly stretching the rules of the grey area into the greeeeeeey area, so be it.
Failure in the transfer market might doom the 2022 season before it ever lifts off if the offensive line issues remain unsolved.
If luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation, then the Longhorns need to start preparing right now to make their luck.
No. 3 - The Bottom Line with Arch Manning ...
Texas is in great shape for the nation's No. 1 (or No. 2) prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.
Steve Sarkisian is going to the wedding, it's just a matter of whether he's going to say vows at the wedding or stand by as a bridesmaid holding flowers. In fact, there continues to be a lot of buzz that this recruitment is turning into a Texas/Georgia battle.
One of those teams is currently ranked No. 1 and has finished the last four seasons prior to this one ranked 7th, 4th, 7th and 2nd.
The other team is Texas.
From my vantage point, this entire recruitment is going to come down to Sarkisian's ability to paint a picture for Manning that doesn't involve Texas looking like a much riskier pick than Georgia. As much as the Mannings respect Sarkisian and feel at home in Austin, a business decision will eventually be made and good business decisions often come down to minimizing risks.
Part of what has to happen in these final five games includes the Longhorns finishing the season not looking like they are absolute light years behind Georgia on the national level. I've said for months that I believe the Longhorns will land Manning if they make the Big 12 championship game and just show signs of progress in year one as part of a process headed for big things. Anything less than that makes it hard to believe that Texas will finish as anything more than the maid of honor.
No. 4 - Move over Michael Dickson?
In 2017, Michael Dickson won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter and in the process, he cemented his status as perhaps the best player the program has had in the entire decade of the 2010s.
He averaged 47.4 yards per punt, a 50+ yard punt on 42.9% of his punts and had punts downed inside of the 20 yard line on 50 percent of his kicks.
Four years later, take a look at Cameron Dicker, who is averaging 49.6 yards per punt and 50% of his kicks going 50+ yards.
The only area that trickles below Dickson's numbers is Dicker's rate of punts being downed inside the 20 yard line, which currently stands at 18.1%.
Still, who could have believed that we'd fairly be mentioning Dicker's punting exploits in the same sentence with Dickson when this season began?
He's quietly been one of the best players on the team.
No. 5 - More randomness with a day to chew on things ...
... I'd guess that DeMarvion Overshown is questionable next week coming off of a "head injury" of some variety in Saturday's game. When he does return to the line-up, I'd contend the Longhorns will be better off of if he's teamed with Jaylan Ford at linebacker instead of Luke Brockrmeyer. Teams have figured out that they can get a lot of success in running to the outside on Brockermeyer's side of the field. Whether he's not seeing plays or getting off blocks or making athletic enough plays to close down those runs at the first or second line of the defense, something is happening that is causing teams to almost go out of their way to challenge that area of the defense.
... Shout out to Ray Thornton, who had the best day of his career with three tackles for loss on Saturday. Tackles for loss have been so consistently hard to find inside this defense that Thornton suddenly ranks second on the team with 4.5 after one really nice performance.
... Speaking of solid performances, Ovie Oghoufo was even better on the rewatch than he was when I watched him live.
... Alfred Collins is now a co-leader on the team in sacks with 2.0.
... Casey Thompson is tied with three other players with the most interceptions (five) in the Big 12.
... Of players with more than 18 carries this season in the Big 12, only TCU's Zach Evans (7.9) averages more per carry than Baylor's Abram Smith (7.5). He'll be a handful in two weeks.
... Whatever we think of Oklahoma State's offense and UT's defensive performance on Saturday, much better offensive opponents await, including the league's No. 3 (West Virginia), No. 4 (Iowa State) and No. 5 (Baylor) teams in total offense.
No. 6 - Acknowledging queens on campus ...
The No. 1-ranked Texas volleyball team moved to 15-0 on the season and 6-0 in conference play this weekend with a sweep of TCU.
Maybe we are all focused on the wrong sport?
If nothing else, make sure you are following the Texas Volleyball account on Twitter. No sport on campus does it better.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) The Longhorns will likely sign three in the 2022 class and I'm not sure this staff brings in four through the portal.
(Buy) See my first section of the column.
(Buy) I don't believe he's in immediate danger.
(Sell) I'm thinking they lose one of the next two and win the final three to make for an 8-4 season.
(Buy) I looked at 1993, 1997 and a host of teams from the last decade. I can't find one.
(Sell) That feels like a bridge too far, but it's concerning to see the lack of adjustments with that 0-19 stat when losing at halftime hanging in the backdrop.
(Sell) I thought Texas would be 5-2 and positioned to compete for a spot in the Big 12 title game at this point.
(Buy) This particular Rome won't be built in a year or two.
(Sell) I wouldn't be shocked if he brings everyone back.
(Sell) It's a million things and not just one or two. It's all of those things and more. This isn't an uncomplicated rebuild.
(Sell) He was hired because the feeling is that he represented an immediate upgrade over Tom Herman and that is not what the win-loss record indicates.
(Buy) I don't think they'll have any other choice.
(Sell) This team would be 4-3 and he'd have a sub 160 rating if he was the quarterback based on all of the things we witnessed over four years.
(Buy) This is a real that exists in my head when I think about someone like Devon Campbell.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the sports weekend ...
... It feels like Texas is responsible for Oklahoma unleashing a Godzilla in Caleb Williams.
... It's going to be fascinating to see what LSU does in replacing Ed Orgeron. Is there a wow hire out there for them to make?
... Iowa rising to No. 2 in the polls and then getting dump-trucked by Purdue at home felt very predictable.
... You'll have to forgive me for being indifferent about Cincinnati as the new No. 2 team in the polls.
... Stay classy, Tennessee fans.
... So, Arkansas is just an ok football team, huh?
... I was impressed with Baylor's performance against BYU.
... That was one hell of a satisfying win for the Cowboys. Ceedee caught the game-winning touchdown and waved with the grin like the cat that ate the canary at the defensive back that shoved him in the end zone. Inject that into my veins!
... I feel for Texans fans. This team can't be easy to watch for three hours each week.
... Nice job, DeShon.
... Come on Miami, Urban was supposed to stay winless.
... This Astros/Red Sox series feels like it has a chance to be one for the ages. As a neutral observer, here's hoping for seven games of absolute bonkers.
... Bring on the NBA regular season. I'm down.
... Premier League Thoughts From The Weekend Because I'm Trying To Force Soccer Down Your Throat: Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Running down the wing! Salaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, The Egyptian king! Leicester City seems to be putting it together. That dude must stay forever. Ho-hum, Chelsea won ugly. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want Newcastle relegated. Brighton in 4th place through eight games is worthy of a tip of the cap.
.... Am I crazy in thinking that if a pro athlete in an American pro sports league captained his opponent in fantasy that there would be a slew of hot takes on First Take?
No. 9 - Top 10 Johnny Cash Songs ...
With everyone on tilt following a second straight loss, I figured I might as take on the impossible and just cause a riot in the OB streets.
YOLO!
10. Mean Eyed Cat
9. One
8. Cry, Cry, Cry
7. Jackson (with June Carter)
6. Cocaine Blues
5. Ring of Fire
4. Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
3. Hurt
2. Folsom Prison Blues
1. I Walk The Line
No. 10 - And Finally...
Rest in peace, Mr. Derrick Foreman. My heart goes out to Armanti, D'Onte and everyone that loved him.
The Orangebloods family mourns your loss.
This defense is ranked 8th in the Big 12. Texas is currently tied for 9th in sacks allowed within the Big 12 (that's tied for last). Thompson didn't have a good game and those two turnovers weren't good. The second INT was worst than the first IMO. The defense and offensive line have struggled more throughout this season nore than any other unit.
Sark should call me. I have all kinds of thoughts about procedures.
I was being nice in saying Texas will not make the Big 12 championship game.....sorry for the confusion.
Arch Manning beware of Texas signing a QB from Austin. The Austin crowd will be working to undermine you from the beginning in favor of the local guy. Even if that guy has demonstrated nothing other than being a scared statue. Look, Thompson is not the kind of QB that can carry a team of average performers to a championship. But people still pushing Card, who has shown nothing, is antithetical to the idea of the best player plays. I hope Card becomes a great QB, I really do. But putting him out there now would be a disaster for the team, and likely for Card the player.
Hello darkness, my old friend.
Seven games deep into a season that suddenly feels lost inside the abyss that often leads to either Houston or San Antonio in late December, the Texas football program is bro-hugging uncertainty at the most important position in college football.
Perhaps winning a Big 12 title was too much to expect this season. Perhaps competing for a Big 12 Championship spot when November rolls around was expecting too much as well.
If someone wants to point out that everyone is making too big of a fuss out of the Longhorns being 4-3 in the circumstances that currently exist because this team always had some personnel limitations, I might not completely agree with you, but I certainly understand the point being made.
Sill, for all of the hedging of bets over what represents a fair set of first-year expectations, there's no getting around the fact that identifying the correct quarterback choice between Casey Thompson and Hudson Card was a non-negotiable one. It has to happen.
Heading into a two-week break before heading to Waco, I can't say that I fully know what the call should be. After Hudson Card blinked against Arkansas, the obvious call was to turn to Thompson. After Thompson has somewhat blinked in the last three weeks, I'm not sure an obvious call exists.
When it comes to Thompson, there are multiple ways of viewing his current performance.
On one hand, Thompson is currently the Big 12's leading passer in efficiency and is one game removed from posting the single-best half of football that any quarterback in the history of the program has ever had against its No. 1 rival.
On the other hand, take a look at this quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the last 12 quarters of football that Thompson has played:
1st quarter vs. OSU - 7 of 11 for 119 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 154.0 rating
2nd quarter vs. OSU - 4 of 8 for 34 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 104.1 rating
3rd quarter vs. OSU - 3 of 7 for 26 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 75.3 rating
4th quarter vs. OSU - 1 of 2 for 0 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, -50.0 rating
1st quarter vs. OU - 6 of 8 for 176 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 383.6 rating
2nd quarter vs. OU - 4 of 8 for 68 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 162.7 rating
3rd quarter vs. OU - 4 of 6 for 30 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 108.7 rating
4th quarter vs. OU - 6 of 12 for 114 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 155.9 rating
1st quarter vs. TCU - 4 of 7 for 36 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 100.3 rating
2nd quarter vs. TCU - 2 of 7 for 9 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 10.8 rating
3rd quarter vs. TCU - 3 of 4 for 57 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 194.7 rating
4th quarter vs. TCU - 3 of 4 for 40 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 241.5 rating
When you dig into the numbers just a little bit, you'll find that ...
a. His completion percentage from the first four games (77.7%) has dropped by more than 20 points (56.7%) since the end of the Texas Tech game.
b. There's too much inconsistency. In six of the 12 quarters of football, Thompson has posted a quarterback efficiency below 110, which represents awfulness. Three of his quarters featured ratings of better than 194.7. Three others were in the rock-solid territory.
c. He's played at least one half of football in each game that ranged from beyond terrible vs. OSU in the second half to not really all that good vs. Oklahoma in the second half and back to pretty awful in the first half against TCU.
The purpose of this column isn't to make a public cry for Thompson to be replaced. As I stated directly following the game, I'd stick with Thompson going into Baylor. Instead, the purpose of this piece of the column is to simply address one of many elephants in the room with regards to this football team.
We're kind of back into the territory where folks are going to wonder if the right quarterback is starting, which isn't where you want to be eight weeks into the season.
As for Card, I haven't heard a lot of loud whispers about discontent from Lakeway since he got the hook in the third quarter against Arkansas. He's kept his head down and seemingly been a pretty good soldier. Still, if I'm Card I'd personally have some questions about the following:
a. When Thompson had a statistically worse half of football vs. TCU than Card had in the first half against Arkansas, Card didn't sniff the field, which would have been an eye-opener for a player likely being told that he needs to prepare like he's a starter because you'll never know when he might be needed ... except apparently really poor play by Thompson isn't when he's needed.
b. Why was Sarkisian so vocally supportive of Thompson when he named Card the starter at quarterback, even to the extent of mostly talking Thompson up and publicly selling him on staying (and not transferring) instead of talking about Card on the day Card actually won the job, but hasn't done the same for Card since the job switched hands?
Right or wrong, I would absolutely feel like I'm in the process of being treated wildly different than Thompson was when the shoe was on the other foot. It would put me in a position where I'd be wondering if I truly have a future in Austin playing football.
So, here we are.
You've got one quarterback that is having an awful quarter of football once out of every two quarters in the last 12 quarters of football and another quarterback that likely wonders why he never had a chance to have 12 quarters.
Whatever happens from here on out through December, the Texas quarterback position can't look like this when we get there.
No. 2 - Improving the offensive line for the 2022 season ...
I think everyone has come to grips with the fact that the Texas offensive line is going to be a group that this program just kind of gets by with what it can from week to week.
There's no magic potion or a genie that can fix what ails this group with five games to go in the season.
On some level, the attention turns to 2022 when this group loses Derek Kerstetter (maybe the team's most important offensive lineman because of his versatility), along with guards Denzel Okafor and Tope Imade.
It leaves a core group of Christian Jones and Andrej Karic at tackle, Junior Angilau and Hayden Conner at guards and Jake Majors at center. I'm not sure there's a single player behind them that remains on the roster that looks like a major contributor for a good offensive line ... ever.
While recruiting is currently slated to add Connor Robertson and Cole Hutson from the 2022 recruiting class, neither should be expected to contribute immediately, especially for a staff that has seemed hesitant to play young players over older players up-front on offense. Even if the Longhorns find a way to land five-star lineman Devon Campbell to top off the 2022 class, the reality is that the Longhorns won't have enough up-front on paper going into the season with this group.
Texas has to achieve some level of success in the transfer portal this off-season. Simple as that. Even if it's just to improve the depth like it did at linebacker this season through the portal, the program can't afford to drop down to the level of current reserves when an injury or two demands on a next man showing up.
In fact, I'd argue that it's so important to find improvement this off-season through transfers that Steve Sarkisian can't afford to sit back and wait for whatever falls from the transfer tree. He needs to shake the tree.
The Longhorns need to have a team of analysts dedicated to the transfer market and part of their daily tasks needs to be following the success and failure of every prospect from the state of Texas that doesn't sign with the Longhorns. If there's a kid playing for UTSA, Utah, USC ... you name it .... and he hails from the Lone Star State, the Longhorns need to be letting people behind the scenes connected to those players know that they have a home if they enter the portal.
All of the schools that sign players from Texas and achieve levels of success with those players need to be treated as farm system prospects. Few states can generate hundreds of developmental prospects like the state of Texas can and the Longhorns have to be ready to take advantage of it. If that means slightly stretching the rules of the grey area into the greeeeeeey area, so be it.
Failure in the transfer market might doom the 2022 season before it ever lifts off if the offensive line issues remain unsolved.
If luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation, then the Longhorns need to start preparing right now to make their luck.
No. 3 - The Bottom Line with Arch Manning ...
Texas is in great shape for the nation's No. 1 (or No. 2) prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.
Steve Sarkisian is going to the wedding, it's just a matter of whether he's going to say vows at the wedding or stand by as a bridesmaid holding flowers. In fact, there continues to be a lot of buzz that this recruitment is turning into a Texas/Georgia battle.
One of those teams is currently ranked No. 1 and has finished the last four seasons prior to this one ranked 7th, 4th, 7th and 2nd.
The other team is Texas.
From my vantage point, this entire recruitment is going to come down to Sarkisian's ability to paint a picture for Manning that doesn't involve Texas looking like a much riskier pick than Georgia. As much as the Mannings respect Sarkisian and feel at home in Austin, a business decision will eventually be made and good business decisions often come down to minimizing risks.
Part of what has to happen in these final five games includes the Longhorns finishing the season not looking like they are absolute light years behind Georgia on the national level. I've said for months that I believe the Longhorns will land Manning if they make the Big 12 championship game and just show signs of progress in year one as part of a process headed for big things. Anything less than that makes it hard to believe that Texas will finish as anything more than the maid of honor.
No. 4 - Move over Michael Dickson?
In 2017, Michael Dickson won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter and in the process, he cemented his status as perhaps the best player the program has had in the entire decade of the 2010s.
He averaged 47.4 yards per punt, a 50+ yard punt on 42.9% of his punts and had punts downed inside of the 20 yard line on 50 percent of his kicks.
Four years later, take a look at Cameron Dicker, who is averaging 49.6 yards per punt and 50% of his kicks going 50+ yards.
The only area that trickles below Dickson's numbers is Dicker's rate of punts being downed inside the 20 yard line, which currently stands at 18.1%.
Still, who could have believed that we'd fairly be mentioning Dicker's punting exploits in the same sentence with Dickson when this season began?
He's quietly been one of the best players on the team.
No. 5 - More randomness with a day to chew on things ...
... I'd guess that DeMarvion Overshown is questionable next week coming off of a "head injury" of some variety in Saturday's game. When he does return to the line-up, I'd contend the Longhorns will be better off of if he's teamed with Jaylan Ford at linebacker instead of Luke Brockrmeyer. Teams have figured out that they can get a lot of success in running to the outside on Brockermeyer's side of the field. Whether he's not seeing plays or getting off blocks or making athletic enough plays to close down those runs at the first or second line of the defense, something is happening that is causing teams to almost go out of their way to challenge that area of the defense.
... Shout out to Ray Thornton, who had the best day of his career with three tackles for loss on Saturday. Tackles for loss have been so consistently hard to find inside this defense that Thornton suddenly ranks second on the team with 4.5 after one really nice performance.
... Speaking of solid performances, Ovie Oghoufo was even better on the rewatch than he was when I watched him live.
... Alfred Collins is now a co-leader on the team in sacks with 2.0.
... Casey Thompson is tied with three other players with the most interceptions (five) in the Big 12.
... Of players with more than 18 carries this season in the Big 12, only TCU's Zach Evans (7.9) averages more per carry than Baylor's Abram Smith (7.5). He'll be a handful in two weeks.
... Whatever we think of Oklahoma State's offense and UT's defensive performance on Saturday, much better offensive opponents await, including the league's No. 3 (West Virginia), No. 4 (Iowa State) and No. 5 (Baylor) teams in total offense.
No. 6 - Acknowledging queens on campus ...
The No. 1-ranked Texas volleyball team moved to 15-0 on the season and 6-0 in conference play this weekend with a sweep of TCU.
Maybe we are all focused on the wrong sport?
If nothing else, make sure you are following the Texas Volleyball account on Twitter. No sport on campus does it better.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) The Longhorns will likely sign three in the 2022 class and I'm not sure this staff brings in four through the portal.
(Buy) See my first section of the column.
(Buy) I don't believe he's in immediate danger.
(Sell) I'm thinking they lose one of the next two and win the final three to make for an 8-4 season.
(Buy) I looked at 1993, 1997 and a host of teams from the last decade. I can't find one.
(Sell) That feels like a bridge too far, but it's concerning to see the lack of adjustments with that 0-19 stat when losing at halftime hanging in the backdrop.
(Sell) I thought Texas would be 5-2 and positioned to compete for a spot in the Big 12 title game at this point.
(Buy) This particular Rome won't be built in a year or two.
(Sell) I wouldn't be shocked if he brings everyone back.
(Sell) It's a million things and not just one or two. It's all of those things and more. This isn't an uncomplicated rebuild.
(Sell) He was hired because the feeling is that he represented an immediate upgrade over Tom Herman and that is not what the win-loss record indicates.
(Buy) I don't think they'll have any other choice.
(Sell) This team would be 4-3 and he'd have a sub 160 rating if he was the quarterback based on all of the things we witnessed over four years.
(Buy) This is a real that exists in my head when I think about someone like Devon Campbell.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the sports weekend ...
... It feels like Texas is responsible for Oklahoma unleashing a Godzilla in Caleb Williams.
... It's going to be fascinating to see what LSU does in replacing Ed Orgeron. Is there a wow hire out there for them to make?
... Iowa rising to No. 2 in the polls and then getting dump-trucked by Purdue at home felt very predictable.
... You'll have to forgive me for being indifferent about Cincinnati as the new No. 2 team in the polls.
... Stay classy, Tennessee fans.
... So, Arkansas is just an ok football team, huh?
... I was impressed with Baylor's performance against BYU.
... That was one hell of a satisfying win for the Cowboys. Ceedee caught the game-winning touchdown and waved with the grin like the cat that ate the canary at the defensive back that shoved him in the end zone. Inject that into my veins!
... I feel for Texans fans. This team can't be easy to watch for three hours each week.
... Nice job, DeShon.
... Come on Miami, Urban was supposed to stay winless.
... This Astros/Red Sox series feels like it has a chance to be one for the ages. As a neutral observer, here's hoping for seven games of absolute bonkers.
... Bring on the NBA regular season. I'm down.
... Premier League Thoughts From The Weekend Because I'm Trying To Force Soccer Down Your Throat: Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Running down the wing! Salaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, The Egyptian king! Leicester City seems to be putting it together. That dude must stay forever. Ho-hum, Chelsea won ugly. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want Newcastle relegated. Brighton in 4th place through eight games is worthy of a tip of the cap.
.... Am I crazy in thinking that if a pro athlete in an American pro sports league captained his opponent in fantasy that there would be a slew of hot takes on First Take?
No. 9 - Top 10 Johnny Cash Songs ...
With everyone on tilt following a second straight loss, I figured I might as take on the impossible and just cause a riot in the OB streets.
YOLO!
10. Mean Eyed Cat
9. One
8. Cry, Cry, Cry
7. Jackson (with June Carter)
6. Cocaine Blues
5. Ring of Fire
4. Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
3. Hurt
2. Folsom Prison Blues
1. I Walk The Line
No. 10 - And Finally...
Rest in peace, Mr. Derrick Foreman. My heart goes out to Armanti, D'Onte and everyone that loved him.
The Orangebloods family mourns your loss.
It was!
Not sure if humor was your intent but that literally was my first reaction.
Agree on Ford. He was everywhere Saturday.
Hello darkness, my old friend.
Seven games deep into a season that suddenly feels lost inside the abyss that often leads to either Houston or San Antonio in late December, the Texas football program is bro-hugging uncertainty at the most important position in college football.
Perhaps winning a Big 12 title was too much to expect this season. Perhaps competing for a Big 12 Championship spot when November rolls around was expecting too much as well.
If someone wants to point out that everyone is making too big of a fuss out of the Longhorns being 4-3 in the circumstances that currently exist because this team always had some personnel limitations, I might not completely agree with you, but I certainly understand the point being made.
Sill, for all of the hedging of bets over what represents a fair set of first-year expectations, there's no getting around the fact that identifying the correct quarterback choice between Casey Thompson and Hudson Card was a non-negotiable one. It has to happen.
Heading into a two-week break before heading to Waco, I can't say that I fully know what the call should be. After Hudson Card blinked against Arkansas, the obvious call was to turn to Thompson. After Thompson has somewhat blinked in the last three weeks, I'm not sure an obvious call exists.
When it comes to Thompson, there are multiple ways of viewing his current performance.
On one hand, Thompson is currently the Big 12's leading passer in efficiency and is one game removed from posting the single-best half of football that any quarterback in the history of the program has ever had against its No. 1 rival.
On the other hand, take a look at this quarter-by-quarter breakdown of the last 12 quarters of football that Thompson has played:
1st quarter vs. OSU - 7 of 11 for 119 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 154.0 rating
2nd quarter vs. OSU - 4 of 8 for 34 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 104.1 rating
3rd quarter vs. OSU - 3 of 7 for 26 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 75.3 rating
4th quarter vs. OSU - 1 of 2 for 0 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, -50.0 rating
1st quarter vs. OU - 6 of 8 for 176 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 383.6 rating
2nd quarter vs. OU - 4 of 8 for 68 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 162.7 rating
3rd quarter vs. OU - 4 of 6 for 30 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 108.7 rating
4th quarter vs. OU - 6 of 12 for 114 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 155.9 rating
1st quarter vs. TCU - 4 of 7 for 36 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 100.3 rating
2nd quarter vs. TCU - 2 of 7 for 9 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 10.8 rating
3rd quarter vs. TCU - 3 of 4 for 57 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 194.7 rating
4th quarter vs. TCU - 3 of 4 for 40 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 241.5 rating
When you dig into the numbers just a little bit, you'll find that ...
a. His completion percentage from the first four games (77.7%) has dropped by more than 20 points (56.7%) since the end of the Texas Tech game.
b. There's too much inconsistency. In six of the 12 quarters of football, Thompson has posted a quarterback efficiency below 110, which represents awfulness. Three of his quarters featured ratings of better than 194.7. Three others were in the rock-solid territory.
c. He's played at least one half of football in each game that ranged from beyond terrible vs. OSU in the second half to not really all that good vs. Oklahoma in the second half and back to pretty awful in the first half against TCU.
The purpose of this column isn't to make a public cry for Thompson to be replaced. As I stated directly following the game, I'd stick with Thompson going into Baylor. Instead, the purpose of this piece of the column is to simply address one of many elephants in the room with regards to this football team.
We're kind of back into the territory where folks are going to wonder if the right quarterback is starting, which isn't where you want to be eight weeks into the season.
As for Card, I haven't heard a lot of loud whispers about discontent from Lakeway since he got the hook in the third quarter against Arkansas. He's kept his head down and seemingly been a pretty good soldier. Still, if I'm Card I'd personally have some questions about the following:
a. When Thompson had a statistically worse half of football vs. TCU than Card had in the first half against Arkansas, Card didn't sniff the field, which would have been an eye-opener for a player likely being told that he needs to prepare like he's a starter because you'll never know when he might be needed ... except apparently really poor play by Thompson isn't when he's needed.
b. Why was Sarkisian so vocally supportive of Thompson when he named Card the starter at quarterback, even to the extent of mostly talking Thompson up and publicly selling him on staying (and not transferring) instead of talking about Card on the day Card actually won the job, but hasn't done the same for Card since the job switched hands?
Right or wrong, I would absolutely feel like I'm in the process of being treated wildly different than Thompson was when the shoe was on the other foot. It would put me in a position where I'd be wondering if I truly have a future in Austin playing football.
So, here we are.
You've got one quarterback that is having an awful quarter of football once out of every two quarters in the last 12 quarters of football and another quarterback that likely wonders why he never had a chance to have 12 quarters.
Whatever happens from here on out through December, the Texas quarterback position can't look like this when we get there.
No. 2 - Improving the offensive line for the 2022 season ...
I think everyone has come to grips with the fact that the Texas offensive line is going to be a group that this program just kind of gets by with what it can from week to week.
There's no magic potion or a genie that can fix what ails this group with five games to go in the season.
On some level, the attention turns to 2022 when this group loses Derek Kerstetter (maybe the team's most important offensive lineman because of his versatility), along with guards Denzel Okafor and Tope Imade.
It leaves a core group of Christian Jones and Andrej Karic at tackle, Junior Angilau and Hayden Conner at guards and Jake Majors at center. I'm not sure there's a single player behind them that remains on the roster that looks like a major contributor for a good offensive line ... ever.
While recruiting is currently slated to add Connor Robertson and Cole Hutson from the 2022 recruiting class, neither should be expected to contribute immediately, especially for a staff that has seemed hesitant to play young players over older players up-front on offense. Even if the Longhorns find a way to land five-star lineman Devon Campbell to top off the 2022 class, the reality is that the Longhorns won't have enough up-front on paper going into the season with this group.
Texas has to achieve some level of success in the transfer portal this off-season. Simple as that. Even if it's just to improve the depth like it did at linebacker this season through the portal, the program can't afford to drop down to the level of current reserves when an injury or two demands on a next man showing up.
In fact, I'd argue that it's so important to find improvement this off-season through transfers that Steve Sarkisian can't afford to sit back and wait for whatever falls from the transfer tree. He needs to shake the tree.
The Longhorns need to have a team of analysts dedicated to the transfer market and part of their daily tasks needs to be following the success and failure of every prospect from the state of Texas that doesn't sign with the Longhorns. If there's a kid playing for UTSA, Utah, USC ... you name it .... and he hails from the Lone Star State, the Longhorns need to be letting people behind the scenes connected to those players know that they have a home if they enter the portal.
All of the schools that sign players from Texas and achieve levels of success with those players need to be treated as farm system prospects. Few states can generate hundreds of developmental prospects like the state of Texas can and the Longhorns have to be ready to take advantage of it. If that means slightly stretching the rules of the grey area into the greeeeeeey area, so be it.
Failure in the transfer market might doom the 2022 season before it ever lifts off if the offensive line issues remain unsolved.
If luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation, then the Longhorns need to start preparing right now to make their luck.
No. 3 - The Bottom Line with Arch Manning ...
Texas is in great shape for the nation's No. 1 (or No. 2) prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.
Steve Sarkisian is going to the wedding, it's just a matter of whether he's going to say vows at the wedding or stand by as a bridesmaid holding flowers. In fact, there continues to be a lot of buzz that this recruitment is turning into a Texas/Georgia battle.
One of those teams is currently ranked No. 1 and has finished the last four seasons prior to this one ranked 7th, 4th, 7th and 2nd.
The other team is Texas.
From my vantage point, this entire recruitment is going to come down to Sarkisian's ability to paint a picture for Manning that doesn't involve Texas looking like a much riskier pick than Georgia. As much as the Mannings respect Sarkisian and feel at home in Austin, a business decision will eventually be made and good business decisions often come down to minimizing risks.
Part of what has to happen in these final five games includes the Longhorns finishing the season not looking like they are absolute light years behind Georgia on the national level. I've said for months that I believe the Longhorns will land Manning if they make the Big 12 championship game and just show signs of progress in year one as part of a process headed for big things. Anything less than that makes it hard to believe that Texas will finish as anything more than the maid of honor.
No. 4 - Move over Michael Dickson?
In 2017, Michael Dickson won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter and in the process, he cemented his status as perhaps the best player the program has had in the entire decade of the 2010s.
He averaged 47.4 yards per punt, a 50+ yard punt on 42.9% of his punts and had punts downed inside of the 20 yard line on 50 percent of his kicks.
Four years later, take a look at Cameron Dicker, who is averaging 49.6 yards per punt and 50% of his kicks going 50+ yards.
The only area that trickles below Dickson's numbers is Dicker's rate of punts being downed inside the 20 yard line, which currently stands at 18.1%.
Still, who could have believed that we'd fairly be mentioning Dicker's punting exploits in the same sentence with Dickson when this season began?
He's quietly been one of the best players on the team.
No. 5 - More randomness with a day to chew on things ...
... I'd guess that DeMarvion Overshown is questionable next week coming off of a "head injury" of some variety in Saturday's game. When he does return to the line-up, I'd contend the Longhorns will be better off of if he's teamed with Jaylan Ford at linebacker instead of Luke Brockrmeyer. Teams have figured out that they can get a lot of success in running to the outside on Brockermeyer's side of the field. Whether he's not seeing plays or getting off blocks or making athletic enough plays to close down those runs at the first or second line of the defense, something is happening that is causing teams to almost go out of their way to challenge that area of the defense.
... Shout out to Ray Thornton, who had the best day of his career with three tackles for loss on Saturday. Tackles for loss have been so consistently hard to find inside this defense that Thornton suddenly ranks second on the team with 4.5 after one really nice performance.
... Speaking of solid performances, Ovie Oghoufo was even better on the rewatch than he was when I watched him live.
... Alfred Collins is now a co-leader on the team in sacks with 2.0.
... Casey Thompson is tied with three other players with the most interceptions (five) in the Big 12.
... Of players with more than 18 carries this season in the Big 12, only TCU's Zach Evans (7.9) averages more per carry than Baylor's Abram Smith (7.5). He'll be a handful in two weeks.
... Whatever we think of Oklahoma State's offense and UT's defensive performance on Saturday, much better offensive opponents await, including the league's No. 3 (West Virginia), No. 4 (Iowa State) and No. 5 (Baylor) teams in total offense.
No. 6 - Acknowledging queens on campus ...
The No. 1-ranked Texas volleyball team moved to 15-0 on the season and 6-0 in conference play this weekend with a sweep of TCU.
Maybe we are all focused on the wrong sport?
If nothing else, make sure you are following the Texas Volleyball account on Twitter. No sport on campus does it better.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) The Longhorns will likely sign three in the 2022 class and I'm not sure this staff brings in four through the portal.
(Buy) See my first section of the column.
(Buy) I don't believe he's in immediate danger.
(Sell) I'm thinking they lose one of the next two and win the final three to make for an 8-4 season.
(Buy) I looked at 1993, 1997 and a host of teams from the last decade. I can't find one.
(Sell) That feels like a bridge too far, but it's concerning to see the lack of adjustments with that 0-19 stat when losing at halftime hanging in the backdrop.
(Sell) I thought Texas would be 5-2 and positioned to compete for a spot in the Big 12 title game at this point.
(Buy) This particular Rome won't be built in a year or two.
(Sell) I wouldn't be shocked if he brings everyone back.
(Sell) It's a million things and not just one or two. It's all of those things and more. This isn't an uncomplicated rebuild.
(Sell) He was hired because the feeling is that he represented an immediate upgrade over Tom Herman and that is not what the win-loss record indicates.
(Buy) I don't think they'll have any other choice.
(Sell) This team would be 4-3 and he'd have a sub 160 rating if he was the quarterback based on all of the things we witnessed over four years.
(Buy) This is a real that exists in my head when I think about someone like Devon Campbell.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the sports weekend ...
... It feels like Texas is responsible for Oklahoma unleashing a Godzilla in Caleb Williams.
... It's going to be fascinating to see what LSU does in replacing Ed Orgeron. Is there a wow hire out there for them to make?
... Iowa rising to No. 2 in the polls and then getting dump-trucked by Purdue at home felt very predictable.
... You'll have to forgive me for being indifferent about Cincinnati as the new No. 2 team in the polls.
... Stay classy, Tennessee fans.
... So, Arkansas is just an ok football team, huh?
... I was impressed with Baylor's performance against BYU.
... That was one hell of a satisfying win for the Cowboys. Ceedee caught the game-winning touchdown and waved with the grin like the cat that ate the canary at the defensive back that shoved him in the end zone. Inject that into my veins!
... I feel for Texans fans. This team can't be easy to watch for three hours each week.
... Nice job, DeShon.
... Come on Miami, Urban was supposed to stay winless.
... This Astros/Red Sox series feels like it has a chance to be one for the ages. As a neutral observer, here's hoping for seven games of absolute bonkers.
... Bring on the NBA regular season. I'm down.
... Premier League Thoughts From The Weekend Because I'm Trying To Force Soccer Down Your Throat: Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Running down the wing! Salaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, The Egyptian king! Leicester City seems to be putting it together. That dude must stay forever. Ho-hum, Chelsea won ugly. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want Newcastle relegated. Brighton in 4th place through eight games is worthy of a tip of the cap.
.... Am I crazy in thinking that if a pro athlete in an American pro sports league captained his opponent in fantasy that there would be a slew of hot takes on First Take?
No. 9 - Top 10 Johnny Cash Songs ...
With everyone on tilt following a second straight loss, I figured I might as take on the impossible and just cause a riot in the OB streets.
YOLO!
10. Mean Eyed Cat
9. One
8. Cry, Cry, Cry
7. Jackson (with June Carter)
6. Cocaine Blues
5. Ring of Fire
4. Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
3. Hurt
2. Folsom Prison Blues
1. I Walk The Line
No. 10 - And Finally...
Rest in peace, Mr. Derrick Foreman. My heart goes out to Armanti, D'Onte and everyone that loved him.
The Orangebloods family mourns your loss.
It feels like the cautionary tale for him should be the Simms situation if we're going to offer him warnings, no?
