He might work
What about the specifics on the positions I listed?
Which ones do you agree with and which ones do you disagree with and why?
I know you think the defense will be better according to your article on development of the defense by Ash.
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (Coaching update, Sam's meeting with Tom and more...)
- Thread starter Ketchum
- Start date
Which ones do you agree with and which ones do you disagree with and why?
I know you think the defense will be better according to your article on development of the defense by Ash.
I think the following about the 2021 team.
a. Hard to predict quarterback at the moment.
b. Running back should be a major strength.
c. Wide receiver position regresses a bit but will be fine.
d. Tight ends will be a strength.
e. Offensive line won't be a plus, but might not be a negative.
f. Run defense will be stout
e. The team has no pass rush.
f. A full off-season will help.
Add all of that together and it's not 11 wins minimum.
Thanks for responding. Very reasonable.
I think that anything less than 10 wins will be a failed season for any coach.
That's the best season in a decade and you're potentially asking it from a quarterback with zero experience, a defense with a critical mortal weakness and a severe lack of team depth.
we've never been ZerOU's stepson and ZerOU has been in a worse position in the past than we are now. Gary Gibbs/Howard Schnellenberger/John Blake era ring a bell?
then they hired an untested as HC assisant named Bobbo Stoops. that turned out pretty good. Bud Wilkinson was also an assistant under Jim Tatum before he left for Maryland. Tatum was a one season coach at ZerOU but posted a 8-3 record. Tatum was almost certainly the most successful coach in Maryland history, going 73-15-4 and winning the 1953 national championship. you have to wonder why he left after only one year?
Wilkinson of course did even better at ZerOU.
and if you mean "rather be Houston" you'd want Dana Boogersen as coach??? really?
We would have won nine this year and I think both the offense and defense will be improved.
But of course, I am an admitted optimist.
Sark certainly earned the award this year. of course Lane Kiffin was also a finalist for the award at Alabama. both haven't fared so well as head coaches. this would be Sark's third time as head coach, and someone will probably make a run at Sark it just shouldn't be Texas.
If Mack had the energy and motivation at the end that he is showing now, there never would have been a desire to make a change. But he was burned out. He recovered. Today's Mack is one I would love to have here but not the one that left.
My only gripe with Mack is that I think he probably interfered with the Saban hire (IMO). If he actually did that (I don't know it as a fact, I just suspect it), it would have been a selfish act in an emotional point in time. In retrospect, we might have been better off giving him a one year sabbatical and then letting him get back in the saddle. Its been nothing short of a painful 10 years with intermittent moments of hope with a few glorious victories sprinkled in there like fool's gold.
So let me get this straight: it’s not a failure to win 1 of 5 against OU, 1 of 4 against TCU, 2 of 4 against ISU, and win ZERO championships at Texas in 4 years? And I love how you extrapolate out that we would have beaten LSU.
But to answer your question in a previous post, yes, for $6+ million and the resources and built-in advantages of the richest athletic program in the country, you’re damn right he’s been a failure here. What the hell would your definition be?
why do you think the defense will improve when it loses its only pass rush piece?
Saban was never coming to Texas. i'm aware of all of the rumors at the time. and the lunch that Hicks had with Brown where Hicks was under the assumption Brown was going to retire. i wonder why Hicks assumed that? perhaps he was trying to make it happen?
and if you were Brown would you step away if you weren't ready to?
remember that Oliver Luck turned down the AD job because the job offer came with a condition that he fire Brown and he wouldn't take the job under that condition. Steve Patterson of course was perfectly willing to take the AD job, force Brown out and hire Strong to replace him. we all know how that turned out.
Let’s watch the bowl game first. It might provide some insight. I will go back and read your report on the defense and development.
I think if most of the 10 other positions are improved we can make up for the loss of one really good pass rusher. If, as you said, we were developing players on the defensive side of the ball.
Did you not say that, or have you changed your mind .
the improvement that hasn't happened all season that you're banking on to happen in a 60-minute sample size as a means to justify your optimism?
Not having a pass rush is poison to all of the other things that you do on a defense.
It significantly undermines a quality secondary.
That's problematic in 2020 in the Big 12.
especially the pass happy Big 12 but equally true in any conference. any time you get your opponent in a long yardage down i don't care if your secondary are all clones of Deion Sanders, the best thing you can do is get pressure on the QB and if not sack him make him throw it away or throw into coverage for an INT.
what did DKR say? "When ya throw the ball only three things can happen and two of them are bad". and this from the run on first, second and third down coach who famously went against type and threw the ball for a critical first down in the 15-14 game against Arkansas.
my one problem with Orlando when he was DC is that he would never go to zone cover when it was clear we couldn't get a pass rush going. that was a huge factor in the LSU game two seasons back when he just stood there and let Burrow pick apart the secondary. he did that game after game too. one of the things that make the difference between a good coach and a great coach is in-game adjustments. i don't recall seeing Orlando do that last year.
and you can throw some shade at MENSA boy for letting it happen. he is the Head Coach after all. Mack Brown did call out Manny the SPAZ Diaz over it on the sideline of the infamous BYU game.
speaking of the SPAZ he's giving MulletMan fits after losing King to an injury, was away on a supply run most of the game so didn't see what happened to King but as i post it's 37-34 and Miami has the ball with 1:41 to go. an FG ties it up. we shall see how it turns out.
game update by the time i posted Miami failed to pick up a first down and OSU has it run the clock out.
Last edited:
speaking of that, it's early but it's breaking Texas's way big time out of the gate. i found this comment by one of the announcers interesting to say the least given all the rumor mill surrounding the program ..
"Texas looks like they want to be here".
i'm on my second Gin and Tonic so let me just throw this out here ..
is there one poster willing to reply that they actually want Texas to lose this bowl game against Colorado just to see Herman fired over it?
it's 14-0 Texas as i post.
is there one poster willing to reply that they actually want Texas to lose this bowl game against Colorado just to see Herman fired over it?
it's 14-0 Texas as i post.
well. interesting turn. Ehlinger is out with a shoulder injury and Thompson started the second half and is looking good. Texas is not being conservative and he's thrown several good passes. midway in the 3rd and Texas is in command 31-10.
Thompson is getting real playing time in a game that matters. and so far he's looking good. Robinson is looking like the real deal too.
Thompson is getting real playing time in a game that matters. and so far he's looking good. Robinson is looking like the real deal too.
Although Texas plays in a bowl game in less than 48 hours (it's true!), I know what you want from me.
You want an update, even if there's not much to say.
Well, when it comes to using a lot of words to say absolutely nothing at all, I'm your man! So, let's get into it.
a. All of the quiet that has taken place for the last couple of weeks was completely expected. In fact, I told you guys 22 days ago to expect a very ominous silence to follow the program around for the rest of December and through the bowl game. Barring Urban Meyer calling Texas officials and telling them that he wanted the job immediately, the expectation has always existed that Tom Herman would coach the bowl game.
b. There remains an intense desire to make a coaching change following the bowl game. If you want to know why Chris Del Conte's vote of confidence from a couple of weeks ago was so.... hmmm... let's call it wishy-washy... it has everything to do with this desire.
Make no mistake about it, the talk among BMDs (big money donors) is that change is on the way, come hell or high water. The talk is emphatic, defiant and cocksure. Meanwhile, the rhetoric coming out of the athletic department is less emphatic. My highest-level sourcing is somewhere in between, meaning that depending on the day and the source, the confidence level can range anywhere between 3 and 10.
c. Everyone agrees that vetting the availability of the desired candidates continues to take place behind the scenes.
d. The Urban Meyer stuff is tough to get a handle on. There continues to be an expectation that the Longhorns will go after Meyer with an improved gameplan or offer, but ironclad details have been tough to come by. In talking with sources connected to Meyer's family on Sunday, there was laughter about the persistence of the Texas pursuit. Frankly, the folks in Ohio would be so shocked to see Meyer end up at Texas that the entire state would take it as a sign of the apocalypse. The NFL speculation this weekend is being taken more seriously than Texas when talking to non-Texas sources. Pay attention to anything YahooSports' Pete Thamel reports in the coming days.
e. Although the most desired back-up choices are considered long-shots, I've spoken to sources who believe potential opportunities could exist. Texas absolutely will not reveal its cards with those potential targets before their seasons are complete.
f. The vibe inside the athletic department can best be described as pragmatic. While the BMDs want change no matter what, decision makers are still dubious over Texas being able to land Meyer or another top-tier coach in the next couple of weeks. These folks are more lukewarm about making a change for the sake of change unless there's a home run available.
Bottom line from my perspective?
I haven't had my highest-level sourcing tell me that change is definitely happening, and until that happens, I'm going to ride the fence a little. I refuse to believe that Texas will fire Herman without a replacement in place because the school does not want to "pull an Auburn".
No. 2 - About Sam's pending decision...
A week ago, I would have told you there's no way in hell Sam Ehlinger returns for the 2021 season.
The combination of Ehlinger hearing positive NFL talk behind the scenes and the fact that 2020 has been miserable on so many levels had me thinking he would be on the first train out of town as soon as the final snap of the season is played.
Yet, sources with knowledge of the situation informed me over the weekend that Ehlinger is giving serious thought to returning for another season after meeting with Herman less than two weeks ago to talk about the possibility. Herman made a strong enough case that it has given his quarterback something to think about.
At the root of the argument for Sam's return:
* Improve his NFL draft stock with a second season under the care of Mike Yurcich and come out in a year when there aren't potentially 10 quarterbacks ranked ahead of him.
* Improve the taste in his mouth from what has been a dreadful final season. Returning would give him a chance to not only beat Oklahoma and contend for a Big 12 Championship, but it would likely be a re-do with a full off-season, fans returning to the stands in large numbers and no Eyes of Texas distraction.
It's under consideration.
No. 3 - My reaction to the Sam stuff ...
If I'm Herman, I totally understand hoping Ehlinger returns.
It's like being on "Let's Make A Deal" and having $10,000 in your hand and being asked to give it up because there's a strong chance there might be a new car behind curtain No.3.
As the president of the Hudson Card Fan Club, I think his upside as a passer is higher than Ehlinger's, especially in 2022 and 2023. Yet, I can't say for certain that a kid that has never had a full off-season in a college program is definitely going to be better than a guy who is pretty much a Top 6 quarterback in the history of the program.
I can't imagine it would make the quarterbacks on campus happy, but Ehlinger's return makes the 2021 team better. Period.
The big question is whether being better in 2021 potentially hurts you in 2022 or 2023 because of curbing the development of Card. That's a tough one to answer.
No. 4 - A quick personal rant ...
As Texas looks to add pieces to the 2021 recruiting class through transfers, there are a couple of rules that should be followed.
a. Transfers that can make a definite impact on the 2021 season are more important/valuable than taking three-star or two-star talent that have 85-90 percent miss rates and almost certainly will take two or three seasons before they might make good on that 10-percent hit rate.
b. If you're going to take a flyer on three-star level prospects, they need to be from the state of Texas. Full-stop.
In a situation where failure exceeds success by a margin of 10 to 1 with high school prospects, all offers should be seen as investments into areas where you'll want to have success in the future. Metroplex. Houston. East Texas. When Texas received a commitment over the weekend from Bryan (Texas) Rudder receiver Keithron Lee, it ticked multiple boxes beyond his talent.
The Texas program should never go out of state for non-premium recruits. Never. Unless it’s a special situation, like landing an offensive lineman from the West or Midwest regions of the country, all lower-end recruiting targets should be from the state of Texas. When I see the Texas coaches combing out of state areas for players that should easily be found at home, it makes me think they can't see the forest because of the trees.
Details matter.
No. 5 - Five things to watch in the Alamo Bowl ...
a. Sam, Sam, Sam. Given his current situation, what kind of performance will we see and through which lens will we see it? If Texas wins and he's the MVP, is that good or bad for a return? Same with losing? Would he dare get up on a stage, accept the MVP trophy and then shout out, "I'm coming baaaaaaaack!"
b. Feed Bijan. It feels like he's the future, which means that treating him as such in the final game of the 2020 season would represent a good thing. Ending the season with the third 100-yard outing in his last four games would be a sign that he's the top weapon for the program going into the 2021 season.
c. A suddenly young team at center and left tackle looked pretty damn good the only time we saw them. Another quality performance from Jake Majors and Andrej Keric would go a long way toward feeling good about the offensive line going into 2021.
d. How will Chris Ash create a pass rush without Joseph Ossai?
e. Does this team show up and play for Herman?
No. 6 - The Greg Brown Show ...
Without any hoops this weekend, I stumbled across this from January and thought I would share it.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) That has not happened.
(Sell) I hope I described the situation well in the first section, but I understand why they are saying 100 percent, but I wouldn't quite go that high, even if I'm sure we've heard from similar folks that it will be 100 percent. I just know that not everyone involved in the process would use that number, which is why I won't.
(Sell) I love your optimism though.
(Buy) It's just a game.
(Buy) I just don't know when.
(Sell) I'm not convinced of that just yet, but I'm open-minded.
(Sell) Texas will take a shot and might get him a raise, but the betting favorite would be against it happening for the Longhorns. From what I know, there are a few areas where Texas believes it might be able to exploit - money, recruiting advantages and a willingness to pay assistants top salaries.
(Buy) I'll always believe that so much more could have been accomplished.
(Buy) Can? Sure. Will or would? I don't know if I believe that at all.
(Buy) Casey Thompson would probably find that to be a tough pill to swallow.
(Sell) The original is one of the GOATs and cannot be defeated, but I'm all-in on giving it every chance to prove me wrong.
(Sell) I don't sense that the people in the program believe he's going to be THAT good.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the world of sports...
... Rest in peace, Ty Jordan.
... I lied. Outside of a little bit of Liberty/Coastal Carolina, I didn't watch any bowl games last week.
... All it took for me to get into the Dallas game and root for a win was to see DeSean Jackson clowning on the Cowboys in the first quarter. Anger activated. Draft position be damned.
... Go ahead and extend Mitchell Trubisky. I double-dog dare you, Chicago.
... The Steelers are back?
... Until Arizona kicks Kliff Kingsbury to the curb, that franchise is going nowhere.
... I still can't believe the Raiders lost that game.
... I still can't believe the Jets are on a two-game winning streak and blew the chance to land Trevor Lawrence.
... If you faced Alvin Kamara in your fantasy championship game this weekend, you never had a chance.
... This needs to be a reality TV show.
... Ridiculous
... The Clippers should be relegated for losing by 51 points to Dallas. That just can't happen.
... The Brooklyn Nets look like a team to watch in May.
... This felt like the truest tweet I saw all weekend.
No. 9 - The List: Hall and Oates
I've been on a huge Hall and Oates kick over the course of the last few weeks. In fact, after decades of listing "Maneater" as my top choice, I've decided a change must be made.
10. Kiss on My List
9. I Can't Go For That
8. Say It Isn't So
7. Private Eyes
6. One on One
5. Rich Girl
4. You Make My Dreams (Come True)
3. She's Gone
2. Maneater
1. Sara Smile
The following lyrics from Daryl Hall might be the sexiest verse in the history of popular music (no hyperbole):
"If you feel like leaving, you know you can go
But why don't you stay until tomorrow?
If you want to be free, you know, all you got to do is say so
And when you feel cold, I'll warm you
And when you feel you can't go on, I'll come and hold you
It's you and me forever"
No.10 - And finally...
Short and sweet - here's to 2020 ending and 2021 being the kind of year that we can all embrace with open arms.
Cheers!
Ketch...Best Hall & Oates song ever @ #1! Long time listener from your days at what is now 104.9 The Horn. Just joined OB paysite...So hope to be contributing to the community! Glad to be back in Austin after a 4 yr hiatus in SA! Happy Née Year all! Cheers!
But, that's not what IT is stating according to you, right? "Herman is toast." LOL
IT owned this thing..
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
MAGA Outraged by Super Bowl Black National Anthem Performance
- Latest: Denz Washington
-
-
-