My challenge for all of you today, tomorrow and for the next few months is to prepare yourself for the inevitable.
I understand that your instincts will be to fight the good fight on a subject matter that you believe can be easily defended, but the reality of this situation is that your words aren't going to stop the metaphorical train coming down the tracks.
Assuming Charlie Strong can’t win his last seven games or at the very, very least six of his last seven, he’s going to lose his job and there are going to be those that sling arrows at the collective alumni base and administrators.
It can’t be stopped. It’s going to happen. Brace yourselves.
The anything-but-blame-Charlie crowd exists and it is going to look to protect Charlie at all costs, even if it means ignoring obvious realities and in a lot of instances pure common sense. This campaign to wipe the blame of what’s occurring with Texas football in year three under Strong off of his fingertips reached the national stage on Saturday when ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, a longtime devout Charlie apologist (see the 2015 episode of Game Day before last year’s Texas/OU game), ripped every other person associated with the program for the problems that are occurring.
“If you’re Charlie Strong, you have to have peace of mind,” Herbstreit said. “If they ask you to leave, you’re going to get paid well and you’re going to get released. When I say released, I mean you’re going to get released from the cesspool of being in Austin, Texas, and the attitude that comes with being the head coach at Texas. Who would want the job at Texas to be the head coach, dealing with the boosters, the presidents, the ADs, the insensitive attitudes and how they react in chat rooms and talk shows? Just relax and let the guy coach.”
When Herbstreit was done setting fire to the chances of eating free queso at El Arroyo the next time he visits our little cesspool in Austin, he failed to follow up on one pretty key piece of the discussion, which is the fact that Charlie has been a disaster in almost every important shape, form or fashion since he’s been here.
Is it going to be unfair to fire Strong, while giving him a 10-million dollar parting gift, after three seasons?
I suppose the answer could be yes if you’re unwilling to give much thought to the steady stream of failures in hiring assistant coaches, the abyss of horrible in-game management that often features failures in simple addition/subtraction and the fact that his third-year product is taking steps back from a failing second-year product. That we’ve now reached the stage where finger pointing is going away from the actual product is quite telling.
To be clear, the evidence that Charlie doesn’t have the support he always needs is from a three-year old quote from Red McCombs … is that it? If we’re going to keep it absolutely 100 in this discussion, it needs to be pointed out that there aren’t any other boogie men out there undercutting Charlie. The reason why that three-year old quote keeps getting attention is that there aren’t any other examples of it occurring. It’s just Red.
I think anyone with knowledge of what has happened in the last three years in the athletic department as it relates to the athletic director would concede that the situation was less than ideal for everyone, but did any of that have anything to do with Oklahoma putting up 45 points and 672 yards on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl? Or the constant sloppiness? Or the tackling? Or having your team ready to play? Or putting your team in the best position with game strategy? Or having the worst won-loss record in school history?
All things being equal, you’d love for the AD situation to be finalized with a long-term answer, but none of that has anything to do with what’s happening on the field, not now and not at any point in the last three seasons.
Also, are we supposed to ignore the fact that the Texas administration has given Strong the money needed to put together one of the most expensive staffs in all of college football.
Are we going to ignore the fact that his athletic director and school president flew to Tulsa to help close the door and get out of the way of an offensive coordinator that dictated terms to them, even though they were being ridiculed across the country while doing so?
Are we supposed to ignore the fact that the Board of Regents has given Strong’s assistant coaches raises after each of his first two seasons?
I asked a high-level Texas official a year ago about the salaries that had been given to Bedford and former offensive coordinator Shawn Watson and the response to the question was telling.
“You think we wanted to pay Vance Bedford nearly a million dollars?” the source said. “He has the highest-paid staff in the Big 12 and one of the highest-paid in the entire nation. Any time he’s asked for money, he’s received it because we don’t want there to be any excuses if he fails. We want him to succeed and we want him to have everything he needs. We’ve given him the money to hire basically anyone he wants and he’s been the one that makes the decision on who gets that money.”
The only thing that matters is that Texas make the best decision for the program and if that means making a change at head coach, so be it. When programs around the country are thriving with new coaches in less time and money committed to the product than Strong has been given, it’s okay to forgive yourself for setting a high bar.
Blaming anyone other than Strong for the things happening on the football field is a little like blaming your clothes for not fitting when you’ve gained too much weight. Yes, I suppose you can place the blame on the clothes not being made to account for your weight gain, but at the end of the day there’s only one person that’s in total control of calorie intake and it’s not anyone designing the clothes you purchased at the mall.
Texas needs Charlie to be better and he hasn’t been.
No. 2– In a room full of elephants, look at the one wearing flip-flops ...
Whenever I’m asked about Charlie Strong’s two greatest strengths, without fail I mention his proven elite-level evaluation and development skills.
When it comes to the discussion of the latter, all of us that follow the program were able to see Strong’s ability in that area pay immediate dividends in the 2014 season, as players like Mykkele Thompson, Steve Edmond, John Harris, Geoff Swaim and a number of others on his first team in Austin made significant strides as players from 2013 to 2014.
Watching players like Swaim and Thompson develop into draftable NFL prospects seemed to be proof that once Strong is given talent, he’ll get the most out of it.
Fast forward two seasons later and it seems to be the thing that is missing most this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball, as the likes of Malik Jefferson, Holton Hill and Davante Davis have all struggled to lift their level of play above the levels seen a year ago in their freshman seasons. When we look at the lack of playmakers, the inability to tackle and repeated mistakes of the exact same variety from game to game, well, that’s part of player development.
In fact, a strong case can be made that not only have players not made obvious progress, but some have regressed. Some significantly.
There are a lot of things within the program that have contributed to this season’s struggles, but this area really is at the top because the only way a 5-7 team can actually get better is through player development, the very thing Charlie is a noted expert at, except apparently this season.
Frankly, it’s really hard to believe that we’re having this conversation, but there’s really no avoiding it heading into week six of the season.
No. 3– What’s going on with Malik? ...
Take a look at the production levels for sophomore linebacker Malik Jefferson through the first five games of his first two seasons.
2016 stats through five games: 30 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and two pass breakups
2015 stats through five games: 31 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, one quarterback hit and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
On the surface, the Longhorns are getting the exact same level of production that they received a year ago in his heralded freshman season, but the one thing you don’t really want from your best sophomore is the same production from the first five games of his career. The expectation is that you’ll see better play by the end of the season than at the beginning of a season, but we just haven’t seen that from Jefferson and it’s a pretty big deal.
This Texas team has no chance at a bowl game if it can’t produce a few defensive playmakers in the final seven games of the season and Jefferson has to be one of those players that provides the game-changing plays because so few other candidates currently exist.
Making matters worse, you get the sense that Jefferson, perhaps more than any player on the defense, is pressing and scrambled a bit mentally over the defensive meltdowns. No player in the program has accepted more responsibility than Jefferson and you have to wonder if all of this is just a little bit too much, too soon for a young man that is still a teenager for another month.
There have been suggestions that Jefferson needs to be moved from middle linebacker to outside linebacker so that he can have more freedom to use his athleticism, rather than being asked to be a rock between the hashmarks, but if Charlie Strong felt like he could get more out of Jefferson elsewhere, you’d have to think that move would have already been made.
It seems unfair to put this kind of pressure on Jefferson’s shoulders, but there’s no hiding from the fact Texas needs more from him and there’s no hiding that he might not be ready to deliver on those demands.
No. 4– Scattershooting on the Longhorns ...
… D’Onta Foreman is just a sensational football player and probably the best offensive player the Longhorns have had since Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley departed. I just can’t give the guy enough props after the fire he ran with on Saturday. Enjoy him in a UT uniform while you can.
… Anthony Wheeler hasn’t had a breakout game yet, but he’s playing at the highest level of anyone on the defense from my perspective.
… Shane Buechele has posted the best quarterback rating in a Texas uniform since Colt McCoy’s junior season and is on pace to throw for more than 26 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions, but it’s not translating to wins yet, which is not something anyone would have believed before the season. That’s how bad the defense has been …
… It’s pretty amazing that the defense has two defensive backs coaches right now and can’t execute at a reasonably high level.
… When it’s all said and done, Devin Duvernay is going to be quite the nice college game-breaker.
… Texas still has to play four of the top-rated quarterbacks in the Big 12 and four of the top five offenses.
… How good of a job do we think Matt Maddox is doing through five games? I kind of have the mindset that he’s been just okay. I rarely find myself impressed with this group at the end of plays, as far too often there are too many guys on their knees or just standing around not blocking anyone.
No. 5 – Buy or sell …
BUY or SELL: The staff and players realize they are now playing out the string, and we should expect a corresponding effect on morale?
(Sell) I don’t believe for a second that we’re close to that stage.
BUY or SELL: Another major head coach besides Herman will be rumored for the UT job by the end of the season?
(Buy) Of course. I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear a few NFL names again, as we did in 2013.
BUY or SELL: Oliver Luck is hired as AD in December and he fires Coach Strong?
(Sell) I continue to hear that this is a spring of 2017 situation.
BUY or SELL: Mike Perrin's last official act will be firing Coach Strong?
(Sell) He’ll play a role in the hire, even if it’s not completely his decision.
BUY or SELL: Charlie Strong is an elite DC?
(Sell) There’s zero evidence right now that this is true.
BUY or SELL: The dumpster fire that is the Big 12 this year will hurt expansion talks going into the late winter and spring?
(Sell) Nothing happening on the field is impacting expansion.
BUY or SELL: We have a player make all Big-12 first team this year?
(Buy) You’d have to say D’Onta Foreman and Michael Dickson are going to be make it, while Connor Williams has a very good chance as well.
BUY or SELL: We will never pass or run sweeps out of the 18 Wheeler for the rest of the season, because apparently Swoopes doesn't know to throw or handoff the ball?
(Sell) It’s going to happen and when it does, heads will explode.
BUY or SELL: If Texas hires Herman, Jeff Traylor stays?
(Sell) It’s certainly possible, but there’s no way to know that right now. There’s a better chance that Herman brings in one of his guys than there is that he’ll retain coaches that remain.
BUY or SELL: The QB situation next year SHOULD be stable enough to let Sam Redshirt?
(Sell) Sam Ehlinger is one snap away from being the starter next year. I don’t see him redshirting.
BUY or SELL: The media will impact the school's decision to keep or fire Strong?
(Buy) The public conversation always has an impact on these situations.
BUY or SELL: Given the weakened state of the big 12 and the talent at Texas, the next coach could immediately turn the program around next year and be in the playoffs conversation?
(Sell) Texas fans need to stop thinking about the playoffs and start thinking about having a team capable of competing for a Big 12 championship, first and foremost. The talent base will be in place, but there’s a lot of steps that still need to be taken.
No. 6 – The pathway to Tom Herman opens up...
Yup.
If you’re wondering what kind of impact Houston losing to Navy over the weekend will have on the Herman Sweepstakes, it’s pretty simple - with the playoff possibility out of the way, any team that has an interest in hiring Herman won’t have to wait until the bowl season is complete.
From a timing standpoint, any school looking to fill a vacancy should be able to make a move before the recruiting dead period begins in mid-December, which would be ideal for both parties most of the time.
As for the question of Herman’s stock falling because of the loss… yeah… not likely. Barring a complete Cougars meltdown down the stretch, he’s going to be the hot name for potentially Texas, LSU and USC.
Saturday didn’t change that.
No. 7 – College Football randomness ...
… If I had a vote that mattered …
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan
4. Clemson
5. Texas A&M
6. Washington
7. Louisville
8. flip a coin
9. flip a coin
10. whatever
… Big 12 Power Poll
1. Oklahoma
2. Baylor
3. West Virginia
4. Kansas State
5. TCU
6. Oklahoma State
7. Texas Tech
8. Texas
9. Iowa State
10. Kansas
… You don’t have to like it, but Texas A&M has a team would be the best in the Big 12 this year. Nitpick the yards given up by the defense all you want, but that’s a team with wins over Arkansas and Tennessee. Best team in Texas right now.
… I’m a little shocked that Trevor Knight has emerged into Bucky Richardson 2.0.
… Freshman running back Trayveon Williams is an absolute beast. I had that guy rated waaaaay too low last year. Hell, everyone did.
… Michigan is a damn bully. Dropping 78 on Rutgers was just wrong.
… Washington might be a bully, too. I’m starting to believe.
… Missing PATs seems to be all the rage right now. I have a feeling Miami is going to have a hangover after losing in the fashion that it did against Florida State.
… I’m not sure that Larry Fedora is anything more than just a pretty good football coach.
No. 8 – Dak boy is good!
The thrill-ride continues.
On a day when Dak Prescott and the 2016 Dallas Cowboys were supposed to see their toughest challenge yet, Jason Garrett’s team went out and delivered its most impressive performance.
Dallas 28 Cincinnati 14
It wasn’t a game that was as close as the score suggests, as Prescott and Zeke Elliott combined to rip apart one of the best teams in the AFC like it stole something from granny. Both players looked like they’ve got this NFL thing down pat.
Watching them make it look easy made for another Sunday fun-day as a Cowboys fan and I just don’t care about Tony Romo right now. No offense to Tony, but I’m just pretending like he doesn’t exist.
Bring on Green Bay.
No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… Scattershooting on week five in the NFL:
a. Tom Brady is back and the Patriots are scary good at the moment. I don’t know how anyone could be the Super Bowl favorite over them five weeks in. Meanwhile, I think Martellus Bennett is on his way to double-digit touchdowns this season.
b. Houston just isn’t worth watching against good teams. Games against New England and Minnesota have exposed that outfit as well below elite.
c. Baltimore pretty much gave a game away to Washington. Thanks for nothing, Ravens.
d. The Eagles looked very mortal today in Detroit.
e. It’s time to start giving the Falcons mad respect. I never thought the birds would go down to Denver and whip the world champions.
… I hate the best of five Division Round Series in Major League Baseball. It just feels like a season can get away from you in the blink of an eye. See Boston. See Texas. See Toronto.
… Enjoy retirement Dan Henderson. I hope you saved your money.
No. 10 - And finally …
I can’t say that I ever had a chance to meet Laurie Way, wife of Texas play-by-play voice Craig Way.
Through the years, I can’t say that Craig and I have ever really been around each other enough to have any kind of relationship, but in listening to him on the radio over the years, it’s very clear that he’s as devoted of a husband as you’ll find and that his wife was quite a special woman.
Laurie passed away on Saturday with her loving husband by her side and my heart just breaks for everyone who lost a piece of themselves upon her death.
From the words I’ve heard from countless folks, the world is not as good today without her.
R.I.P. Laurie
