Confession time.
If I’m being completely honest, I don’t want to see Augie Garrido go.
From the moment he first arrived in Austin to take the job, which was just a few hours after I was part of a trio that caught him in his slippers in a DFW hotel lobby, he’s been a personal favorite of mine to cover. From his award-winning press conferences to his friendship with Kevin Costner to all of those championships, he’s given me endless reasons to enjoy covering his entire career at Texas.
Confession time No.2.
The results from the last half-decade have turned the baseball program into an absolute afterthought, which is pretty mind-blowing when you consider the natural love Longhorns fans have for the program. For so long, it was a clear No. 2 part of the Texas athletics food chain (behind football) and as of late I haven’t been able to find reasons to even pay attention.
The reality of the second confession and the truth that it permeates throughout Austin is the biggest reason why Saturday’s loss to TCU in an elimination game at the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City needs to be the last game of the Garrido era. It’s a thought I know the majority of you share, but counting down the final nine outs after TCU had blown the game open made it real instead of something we speak of in theories.
We didn’t just witness a one-year anomaly. Nope, this is a program that has a combined 45-51 record in the Big 12 over the last four seasons. After all those Big 12 titles, the Longhorns have become nothing more than a glorified JAG within the conference.
Simply put … it can’t continue.
As the final out of the season was recorded and UT’s chance of making the NCAA Tournament evaporated before the team could complete a Hail Mary in the championship game, the emptiness of thought and emotion towards every layer of the program quickly became apparent.
“I’m just glad the season is over,” one season-ticket holder texted me.
“The only name on the team I know is Clemens,” another friend texted me. “I used to go to 20+ games a season and I haven’t been to one in years.”
Like living through a failed marriage for years because you want to see the kids get to college, allowing the best coach in college baseball history to finish out his contract is just delaying the inevitable that should take place with urgency and not apathy.
If there’s a way to avoid the ugly end to the Gus era almost two decades ago, everyone involved needs to find a way to make it happen, but the bottom line is the bottom line and it needs to be executed.
It’s time for a change.
No. 2 – Ranking the offensive lines in the Big 12 ...
System. Development. Coaching.
Heading into the 2016 season, there isn’t a clear cut champion among the 10 offensive lines in the conference, as almost all of the units have at least one major question mark going into the fall.
At least one.
Most of these units remain major question marks coming out of spring workouts, as reports of the defensive lines whipping offensive lines was a fairly routine report when studying up on each group over the weekend.
Consider that only two of the top 10 offensive linemen on last year’s Coaches All-Big 12 teams remain and I’m guessing 90-percent of you reading this column would be hard-pressed to name either of them.
Go ahead … without cheating … try to name them.
The bottom line as far as I can tell, a lot of what we see from this position across the league will come down to each school’s ability to develop players and have them quickly adapt to the scheme concepts within each offense.
When specifically looking at the Longhorns, new offensive line coach Matt Mattox has as much raw talent to work with as almost any school in the Big 12. With three returning starters, including one of the most experienced tackles in the Big 12 returning with Kent Perkins, this shouldn’t be a group that ranks in the bottom half of the league. In fact, Texas is the only school that returns two players from last year’s coaches All-Big 12 teams, even if Patrick Vahe and Connor Williams were both only honorable mention.
For all of the issues with depth that Mattox faces, he’d likely find at least half of the league that would trade options right now, sight unseen. With that being said, let’s take a look at my pre-season offensive line group rankings within the Big 12.
No. 1 West Virginia: Third-year sophomore left tackle Yodny Cajuste (six starts in 2015 before injuring foot), senior left guard Adam Pankey (25 career starters), senior center Tyler Orlosky (2nd-team All-Big 12), junior right guard Kyle Bosch (started 13 games in 2015) and junior right tackle Marcell Lazard (career back-up)
Quick thoughts: Orlosky is one of the top two returning linemen in the conference if you go by last year’s All-Big 12 awards. The interior three might be the best three-man starting unit in the conference, based on quality of play and experience. Only right tackle ranks as a real question mark.
2. Oklahoma State: Junior right tackle Zach Crabtree (started 13 games in 2015), center Brad Lundblade (started 13 games in 2015), senior tackle/guard Michael Wilson (has started 21 career games at various positions), guard Victor Salako (played in one game in 2015) and tackle Jesse Robinson (played in 10 games/started seven in 2015)
Quick thoughts: There might not be a true standout in the group, but four of the five spots are filled with returning starters. Although this unit struggled this spring to take the next step as a unit, it has only one real question mark among the starters and it is a group that has played a lot of football together.
3. Oklahoma: Redshirt sophomore left tackle Orlando Brown (freshman All-American, honorable mention All-Big 12), redshirt freshman left guard Cody Ford, junior center Jonathan Alvarez (started 10 games in 2015, nine at guard), sophomore right guard Ben Powers (JUCO transfer) and sophomore right tackle Dru Samia (nine starts in 2015).
Quick thoughts: Those that follow the program believe this group looks much further ahead of the unit at the same exact point a year ago. Brown might be the best left tackle in the conference. The interior of the line will lean on two very unproven players in Ford and Powers.
4. Texas: Sophomore left tackle Connor Williams (started 12 games in 2015/Freshman All-American), junior left guard Brandon Hodges (Redshirted in 2015), true freshman center Zack Shackelford, sophomore right guard Patrick Vahe (started 12 games in 2015) and senior right tackle Kent Perkins (24 career starts)
Quick thoughts: Believe it or not, Williams and Perkins are the best tackle duo in the Big 12 on paper. It’s the interior of the line that ranks as the biggest question mark.
5. Baylor: Senior center Kyle Fuller (2nd-team All-Big 12), junior left tackle Dom Desouza (JUCO transfer), sophomore right tackle Patrick Lawrence, junior left guard Rami Hammad (played in 13 games in 2015) and junior right guard B.J. Autry (JUCO transfer)..
Quick thoughts: Fuller might be the best returning lineman in the league, but he’s the only starter that returns from a year ago. The two JUCO transfers will likely determine the overall quality of this group in the fall.
6. Kansas State: Redshirt freshman left tackle Scott Frantz, senior left guard Terrale Johnson (played in 10 games/four starts), sophomore center Dalton Risner (started 13 games/Freshman All-American), junior right guard Reid Najvar (played in two games in 2015) and sophomore right tackle Abdul Beecham (JUCO transfer)
Quick thoughts: Risner might be the best young lineman in the league that doesn’t play for Texas or Oklahoma. His presence alone was reason enough for me to slot KSU in the six-spot, even with all of its questions marks, which should tell you plenty about what’s to come.
7. TCU: Junior left tackle Joseph Noteboom (started 13 games in 2015), junior left guard Patrick Morris (played in 10 games in 2015), junior Austin Schlottman (started four games in 2015), junior right guard Matt Pryor (started four games in 2015) and senior right tackle Aviante Collins (played in three games in 2015)
Quick thoughts: Other than Noteboom, every projected starter fort the fall was a role player a year ago. With no real standouts and questions all over the place, I suppose in Gary Patterson every Horned Frog fan must trust.
8. Texas Tech: Redshirt freshman left tackle Terrance Steele, left guard Justin Murphy (started four games in 2015), senior center Tony Morales (played in 10 games/started six in 2015), redshirt freshman Madison Akamnonu and senior right tackle Baylen Brown (18 career starts)
Quick thought:: This group is perhaps Tech’s biggest question mark going into the season.
9. Iowa State: Junior left tackle Jake Campos (started 12 games in 2015), senior left guard Patrick Scroggins (JUCO transfer redshirted last year due to injury), redshirt freshman center Julian Good-Jones, senior guard Nick Fett (one career start) and junior right tackle center Jaypee Philbert (played in 10 games in 2015)
Quick thought:: This group is perhaps Iowa State’s biggest question mark going into the season.
10. Kansas: Sophomore left tackle Clyde McCauley (played in six games/started three), junior left guard Jayson Rhodes (played in three games in 2015), junior center Joe Gibson (played in six games/started three in 2015), sophomore right guard Jacob Bragg (played in 10 games/started five) and senior right tackle DeAndre Banks (started nine games at guard)
Quick thoughts:: This group is perhaps KU’s biggest question mark going into the season.
No. 3 – The Patrick Hudson situation ...
In the aftermath of Art Briles’ dismissal on Thursday, the foundation of what was a top-20 recruiting class in February appears to be re-thinking the idea of attending school in Waco, as numerous players who signed with Briles nearly four months ago have asked to be released from their letters of intent.
The crowned jewel of the entire bunch is Silsbee offensive lineman Patrick Hudson and it looks like he’s among the players who want out after Thursday’s events, as a source close to the player confirmed he won’t be enrolling in school this week.
In addition to that little tidbit, the same dialed-in source mentioned that Hudson was “leaning towards Texas.”
Whoa.
When the spring game ended and it was clear the Longhorns not only need help in the way of depth, but the program likely needed someone else to step up at the starting left guard position, you could have never guessed that a national top-50 prospect might become available to fill perhaps the only void among the starters. Yet, we’re two months away from the team reporting in August and it feels like a critical recruitment is about to begin.
After finishing as the bridesmaid on Signing Day, Charlie Strong could have a chance to get his favorite offensive lineman from the 2015 class after all and the impact of landing Hudson can’t be underestimated because you can make a case he would arrive as a day-one starter.
That makes the free-for-all that might take place if these players are officially released from their letters of intent critically important.
Perhaps it appears a little dirty to be poaching players from a dumpster fire, but college coaches all over the country are going to be involved in trying to scoop up a few elite pieces of talent and you can bet Strong will be one of them.
With a possible immediate starter, one who Strong could potentially pencil in for 40-50 starts over the next three or four years, can you blame him? It’s not Charlie’s fault that Briles was exposed as a dangerous, rape-enabling monster.
Go get your starting left guard, Charlie.
No. 4 – Scattershooting on the Longhorns ...
… I promise to never write about a certain former back-up center if you promise to never ask about him. The nicest, smartest, most-likable people in the world might not be right for each other in terms of a long-term relationship and that is definitely the case in this relationship, which is two seconds away from turning into an episode of Cops.
… Tweet of the Weekend
… Prediction: Because we’re talking about waiting on a test score and then submitting it to the NCAA Clearinghouse, I’m not sure we’ll know by the time the team reports whether five-star freshman linebacker Erick Fowler will be ruled eligible or ineligible. Twenty years of being in this business tells me there will be some breath-holding in August.
… I still think Texas lands 2017 Temple defensive end Taquon Graham … no need to worry at this point.
… If Kam Martin wants in, I’m letting him in if I’m Charlie Strong.
… Wondering whatever happened to former Longhorns offensive lineman Ken Hackemack. Who has the answer?
No. 5 – Buy or sell …
(As always, all of these questions were submitted by actual Orangebloods subscribers.)
BUY or SELL: Arguably, we lost at least 2 games last year due to special teams especially kicking, unless something changes we will lose 2 games this year due to special teams?
(Sell) Outside of the place-kicker spot, which is kind of a big deal, I like the potential make-up of this team in the punt and return games. Michael Dickson enters the season as one of the more underrated players in the program.
BUY or SELL: As many as 10 signees of the 2016 Baylor recruiting class ends up at other schools?
(Sell) I have to think it won’t be quite that many, but it’s likely to be very close, especially if those that might have enrolled early have the option as well.
BUY or SELL: Charlie is still here if he wins 5?
(Sell) Even Charlie would know it would be time to put the house on the market if that happens.
BUY or SELL: Charlie Strong will allow Tim Irvin to transfer to Texas even if could impact future scholarship numbers, influence existing players and potential future recruits?
(Sell) I don’t think it will come to that. If the kid wants to come to Texas and Charlie still wants him, I don’t think it will impact all of those things you listed, at least not automatically.
BUY or SELL: Joe Mixon will be kicked off the BlowU team once the video tape is made public due to a public outcry, especially in light of the recent Baylor transgressions?
(Sell) Bob Stoops will claim you can’t double jeopardy the kid and dig in his heels.
BUY or SELL: Art Briles is coaching again in the 2017 season?
(Sell) No way. This is not the same as the Bobby Petrino situation. Not even close.
BUY or SELL: Does your win expectation for the Horns football team in 2016 go up after the issues Baylor is having?
(Sell) Not yet. Let me see the dust clear a little more and if the whole thing comes apart, I reserve the right to change my mind. They still have a monster edge at quarterback coming into the season.
BUY or SELL: You sometimes have second thoughts, and even feel a touch hypocritical, about allowing the posting of scantily clad women on the site because you worry that the photos could contribute to a societal problem of seeing women as an object, which is a part, even though small, of the culture that can lead to sexual assaults, especially date rape?
(Buy) It’s the reason why I eliminated the “Hottie of the Weekend” component of this column. As I get older and my daughter gets older, some of the commentary and ideology on the site bothers me and more.
BUY or SELL: Both Marcel Southall and Eric Fowler pass remaining academic hurdles/join the team by August?
(Sell) Texas gets one of the two, but not both. That’s just history talking.
BUY or SELL: Kendall Briles remains the OC and the Baylor BR approves of him being HC in 2017?
(Sell) They can’t have anyone with the Art Briles stink anywhere close to the head coaching position in my opinion. This situation s only going to get worse in the coming weeks and months.
No. 6 – A few thoughts on Baylor …
It’s absolutely laughable to think that Art Briles is the only public dismissal we’ve seen from the university. If it believes Ken Starr or Ian McCaw can possibly survive this and retain positions within the school, every board of regent living in dream land needs to wake up. This is one of the ugliest scandals in the history of collegiate athletics and it easily surpasses the situation at SMU in the mid-80s as the biggest scandal in the history of this state’s athletic college programs.
b. Baylor cannot enter this season without providing more details on the situations involving this staff meeting with victims and their families because some of the charges in the findings it released are so damning that it would seem the school is endangering its campus again if there’s even a single member of the athletic department that was involved in those findings who is still around. Every single coach on that staff will be viewed as a possible guilty participant unless the public knows for certain who was and wasn’t involved.
c. It’s absolutely insulting to think the school might try to name Phil Bennett as the interim head coach, all in the name of preserving the football season, when it is virtually impossible to believe he was unaware of what was going on. The Baylor BOR is still viewing this through a football prism and it means that it is pussyfooting around in actually taking all of the steps that are needed to take to start making this right.
d. Art Briles is an evil, narcissistic monster. It needed to be said again.
No. 7 – Monday night is everything for Kevin Durant …
Kevin Durant is in his ninth season as an NBA player. He’s played in an NBA Finals, he’s been an MVP, he’s been to seven straight All-Star games and if he stays healthy, he night hit the 20,000-point mark before he turns 29 years old.
Yet, all of those accomplishments do not change the fact that game six of the Western Conference Finals became the defining moment of his entire career on Saturday night and that is far, far away from a good thing.
In what will be remembered as one of the great conference championship games in the history of the sport, Durant flinched at all the wrong times. Everyone will remember the 10 for 31 shooting numbers, but worse than that was the reality that he just never seemed comfortable all night with the stakes as high as possible.
As he prepares to enter his 10th season later this year, this moment stands to partly define his career … unless.
Oklahoma City wins game seven. Durant must play out of this world. Nothing else will do.
Monday night is everything.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… With all due respect to Steph Curry, I have never seen anything like Klay Thompson shooting the basketball in the second half on Saturday night. It was absolutely awe-inspiring. There will be a 30-for-30 on that game down the road and he’ll be the majestic star of the show.
… Prediction for Monday night: Golden State 119 Oklahoma City 98.
… We’re four weeks away from the NBA Draft and it seems very certain that my Sixers are going to select Ben Simmons with the first pick. What happens after that is anyone’s guess, but I’m anticipating Jahlil Okafor being traded, quite possibly in a deal that will net the No. 3 pick in the draft. Depending on what the market looks like, Nerlens Noel could be on his way out of town as well, which means that the Sixers might be even younger in 2016-17 than they’ve ever been.
… RIP, Bryce Dejean-Jones. Your daughter deserves better than to have lost her father in such fashion. Damn.
… Jordan Speith needed that win he picked up on Sunday, his eighth of his career. He’s looking pretty dialed in heading into the US Open.
… No mas, no mas, Cubs. My Phillies have lost seven out of nine and were taken to the woodshed by Chicago’s finest.
… Death, taxes and Chase Utley owning the Mets.
… You would not have been able to convince me in the spring of 2013 that Domonic Brown would be a bad AAA player in 2016. He’s only 28. Makes me sad.
… The Yankees have a $228 million payroll this year and currently have the No. 24 team OPS in the majors. Yikes.
… Looks like I need to start watching YouTube videos of Florida lefty A.J. Puk, who seems likely to go No. 1 overall to the Phillies in the upcoming MLB Draft.
… Doesn’t Hugh Freeze have to lose his job at Ole Miss? Athletic director Ross Bjork, too?
… The Champions League Final is the biggest championship game in the world where all of the participants seem more afraid of losing than eager to take glory.
… I pretty much never want to go to Mexico.
… Get used to this kid’s name, folks.
No. 9 – Game of Thrones - Live blog stream of conscious thoughts...
The following are my stream of conscious thoughts on season-six, episode two of Game of Thrones.
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a. Isn't it about time we see Zombie Mountain do some damage? Just a random thought while I wait for the DVR to go through seven minutes of promos/reviews/theme song.
b. Don't we pretty much have to start with whatever in the hell is about to happen to Bran? You can't just cut to that scene in the middle of the episode.
c. Yup, Bran's up to bat. Did he just download the entire history of the world in 10 seconds?Wait, did Johnny Blaze just save Bran and Meera? What. The. ^%$#.
d. The entire world is on the verge of ending and Sam's out here showing off his woman and baby to his family? It seems like there are more important things he should be doing with his time right about now.
e. Hmmmm.... not sure what to make of Margaery's comments.
f. It kind of feels like Sam is going to prom.
g. Gilly doesn't take any shit. Too bad Sam crumpled up like a 12-year old in front of his father.
h. Geez, Sam, she was practically begging you to stay the night...
i. Hahahaha. Sam stole the sword in the middle of the night.
j. Needle is back!!!!
k. The High Sparrow is as smug as Steph Curry staring down a dude while his shot is still in the air.
l. Tommen is just the worst. Where's his kitten, anyway?
m. The Lannister family is just a mess. They're like the late 90s Cowboys... once upon a time, they meant something. Now, we're at the point where Jake Plummer is beating them in the playoffs.
n. Am I about to be introduced to Benjen Stark?
o. Yup.
p. Dany has tons of confidence and literally no idea what awaits her on the other side of the world.
q. Weakest episode of the season this far. There... I said it.
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No. 10 - And finally… The Top 10: INXS
It seems pretty crazy that it has almost been 20 years since Michael Hutchence passed away.
All these years later, the music from INXS reminds me so much of my childhood, as my mom and I listened to the album Kick over and over and over on our trips to Waco and back in my middle school years.
It felt like a good time to put together a Top 10 list. Enjoy.
10. By My Side
9. Mediate
8. Original Sin
7. Suicide Blonde
6. New Sensation
5. The One Thing
4. Devil Inside
3. What You Need
2. Never Tear Us Apart
1. Need You Tonight
If I’m being completely honest, I don’t want to see Augie Garrido go.
From the moment he first arrived in Austin to take the job, which was just a few hours after I was part of a trio that caught him in his slippers in a DFW hotel lobby, he’s been a personal favorite of mine to cover. From his award-winning press conferences to his friendship with Kevin Costner to all of those championships, he’s given me endless reasons to enjoy covering his entire career at Texas.
Confession time No.2.
The results from the last half-decade have turned the baseball program into an absolute afterthought, which is pretty mind-blowing when you consider the natural love Longhorns fans have for the program. For so long, it was a clear No. 2 part of the Texas athletics food chain (behind football) and as of late I haven’t been able to find reasons to even pay attention.
The reality of the second confession and the truth that it permeates throughout Austin is the biggest reason why Saturday’s loss to TCU in an elimination game at the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City needs to be the last game of the Garrido era. It’s a thought I know the majority of you share, but counting down the final nine outs after TCU had blown the game open made it real instead of something we speak of in theories.
We didn’t just witness a one-year anomaly. Nope, this is a program that has a combined 45-51 record in the Big 12 over the last four seasons. After all those Big 12 titles, the Longhorns have become nothing more than a glorified JAG within the conference.
Simply put … it can’t continue.
As the final out of the season was recorded and UT’s chance of making the NCAA Tournament evaporated before the team could complete a Hail Mary in the championship game, the emptiness of thought and emotion towards every layer of the program quickly became apparent.
“I’m just glad the season is over,” one season-ticket holder texted me.
“The only name on the team I know is Clemens,” another friend texted me. “I used to go to 20+ games a season and I haven’t been to one in years.”
Like living through a failed marriage for years because you want to see the kids get to college, allowing the best coach in college baseball history to finish out his contract is just delaying the inevitable that should take place with urgency and not apathy.
If there’s a way to avoid the ugly end to the Gus era almost two decades ago, everyone involved needs to find a way to make it happen, but the bottom line is the bottom line and it needs to be executed.
It’s time for a change.
No. 2 – Ranking the offensive lines in the Big 12 ...
System. Development. Coaching.
Heading into the 2016 season, there isn’t a clear cut champion among the 10 offensive lines in the conference, as almost all of the units have at least one major question mark going into the fall.
At least one.
Most of these units remain major question marks coming out of spring workouts, as reports of the defensive lines whipping offensive lines was a fairly routine report when studying up on each group over the weekend.
Consider that only two of the top 10 offensive linemen on last year’s Coaches All-Big 12 teams remain and I’m guessing 90-percent of you reading this column would be hard-pressed to name either of them.
Go ahead … without cheating … try to name them.
The bottom line as far as I can tell, a lot of what we see from this position across the league will come down to each school’s ability to develop players and have them quickly adapt to the scheme concepts within each offense.
When specifically looking at the Longhorns, new offensive line coach Matt Mattox has as much raw talent to work with as almost any school in the Big 12. With three returning starters, including one of the most experienced tackles in the Big 12 returning with Kent Perkins, this shouldn’t be a group that ranks in the bottom half of the league. In fact, Texas is the only school that returns two players from last year’s coaches All-Big 12 teams, even if Patrick Vahe and Connor Williams were both only honorable mention.
For all of the issues with depth that Mattox faces, he’d likely find at least half of the league that would trade options right now, sight unseen. With that being said, let’s take a look at my pre-season offensive line group rankings within the Big 12.
No. 1 West Virginia: Third-year sophomore left tackle Yodny Cajuste (six starts in 2015 before injuring foot), senior left guard Adam Pankey (25 career starters), senior center Tyler Orlosky (2nd-team All-Big 12), junior right guard Kyle Bosch (started 13 games in 2015) and junior right tackle Marcell Lazard (career back-up)
Quick thoughts: Orlosky is one of the top two returning linemen in the conference if you go by last year’s All-Big 12 awards. The interior three might be the best three-man starting unit in the conference, based on quality of play and experience. Only right tackle ranks as a real question mark.
2. Oklahoma State: Junior right tackle Zach Crabtree (started 13 games in 2015), center Brad Lundblade (started 13 games in 2015), senior tackle/guard Michael Wilson (has started 21 career games at various positions), guard Victor Salako (played in one game in 2015) and tackle Jesse Robinson (played in 10 games/started seven in 2015)
Quick thoughts: There might not be a true standout in the group, but four of the five spots are filled with returning starters. Although this unit struggled this spring to take the next step as a unit, it has only one real question mark among the starters and it is a group that has played a lot of football together.
3. Oklahoma: Redshirt sophomore left tackle Orlando Brown (freshman All-American, honorable mention All-Big 12), redshirt freshman left guard Cody Ford, junior center Jonathan Alvarez (started 10 games in 2015, nine at guard), sophomore right guard Ben Powers (JUCO transfer) and sophomore right tackle Dru Samia (nine starts in 2015).
Quick thoughts: Those that follow the program believe this group looks much further ahead of the unit at the same exact point a year ago. Brown might be the best left tackle in the conference. The interior of the line will lean on two very unproven players in Ford and Powers.
4. Texas: Sophomore left tackle Connor Williams (started 12 games in 2015/Freshman All-American), junior left guard Brandon Hodges (Redshirted in 2015), true freshman center Zack Shackelford, sophomore right guard Patrick Vahe (started 12 games in 2015) and senior right tackle Kent Perkins (24 career starts)
Quick thoughts: Believe it or not, Williams and Perkins are the best tackle duo in the Big 12 on paper. It’s the interior of the line that ranks as the biggest question mark.
5. Baylor: Senior center Kyle Fuller (2nd-team All-Big 12), junior left tackle Dom Desouza (JUCO transfer), sophomore right tackle Patrick Lawrence, junior left guard Rami Hammad (played in 13 games in 2015) and junior right guard B.J. Autry (JUCO transfer)..
Quick thoughts: Fuller might be the best returning lineman in the league, but he’s the only starter that returns from a year ago. The two JUCO transfers will likely determine the overall quality of this group in the fall.
6. Kansas State: Redshirt freshman left tackle Scott Frantz, senior left guard Terrale Johnson (played in 10 games/four starts), sophomore center Dalton Risner (started 13 games/Freshman All-American), junior right guard Reid Najvar (played in two games in 2015) and sophomore right tackle Abdul Beecham (JUCO transfer)
Quick thoughts: Risner might be the best young lineman in the league that doesn’t play for Texas or Oklahoma. His presence alone was reason enough for me to slot KSU in the six-spot, even with all of its questions marks, which should tell you plenty about what’s to come.
7. TCU: Junior left tackle Joseph Noteboom (started 13 games in 2015), junior left guard Patrick Morris (played in 10 games in 2015), junior Austin Schlottman (started four games in 2015), junior right guard Matt Pryor (started four games in 2015) and senior right tackle Aviante Collins (played in three games in 2015)
Quick thoughts: Other than Noteboom, every projected starter fort the fall was a role player a year ago. With no real standouts and questions all over the place, I suppose in Gary Patterson every Horned Frog fan must trust.
8. Texas Tech: Redshirt freshman left tackle Terrance Steele, left guard Justin Murphy (started four games in 2015), senior center Tony Morales (played in 10 games/started six in 2015), redshirt freshman Madison Akamnonu and senior right tackle Baylen Brown (18 career starts)
Quick thought:: This group is perhaps Tech’s biggest question mark going into the season.
9. Iowa State: Junior left tackle Jake Campos (started 12 games in 2015), senior left guard Patrick Scroggins (JUCO transfer redshirted last year due to injury), redshirt freshman center Julian Good-Jones, senior guard Nick Fett (one career start) and junior right tackle center Jaypee Philbert (played in 10 games in 2015)
Quick thought:: This group is perhaps Iowa State’s biggest question mark going into the season.
10. Kansas: Sophomore left tackle Clyde McCauley (played in six games/started three), junior left guard Jayson Rhodes (played in three games in 2015), junior center Joe Gibson (played in six games/started three in 2015), sophomore right guard Jacob Bragg (played in 10 games/started five) and senior right tackle DeAndre Banks (started nine games at guard)
Quick thoughts:: This group is perhaps KU’s biggest question mark going into the season.
No. 3 – The Patrick Hudson situation ...
In the aftermath of Art Briles’ dismissal on Thursday, the foundation of what was a top-20 recruiting class in February appears to be re-thinking the idea of attending school in Waco, as numerous players who signed with Briles nearly four months ago have asked to be released from their letters of intent.
The crowned jewel of the entire bunch is Silsbee offensive lineman Patrick Hudson and it looks like he’s among the players who want out after Thursday’s events, as a source close to the player confirmed he won’t be enrolling in school this week.
In addition to that little tidbit, the same dialed-in source mentioned that Hudson was “leaning towards Texas.”
Whoa.
When the spring game ended and it was clear the Longhorns not only need help in the way of depth, but the program likely needed someone else to step up at the starting left guard position, you could have never guessed that a national top-50 prospect might become available to fill perhaps the only void among the starters. Yet, we’re two months away from the team reporting in August and it feels like a critical recruitment is about to begin.
After finishing as the bridesmaid on Signing Day, Charlie Strong could have a chance to get his favorite offensive lineman from the 2015 class after all and the impact of landing Hudson can’t be underestimated because you can make a case he would arrive as a day-one starter.
That makes the free-for-all that might take place if these players are officially released from their letters of intent critically important.
Perhaps it appears a little dirty to be poaching players from a dumpster fire, but college coaches all over the country are going to be involved in trying to scoop up a few elite pieces of talent and you can bet Strong will be one of them.
With a possible immediate starter, one who Strong could potentially pencil in for 40-50 starts over the next three or four years, can you blame him? It’s not Charlie’s fault that Briles was exposed as a dangerous, rape-enabling monster.
Go get your starting left guard, Charlie.
No. 4 – Scattershooting on the Longhorns ...
… I promise to never write about a certain former back-up center if you promise to never ask about him. The nicest, smartest, most-likable people in the world might not be right for each other in terms of a long-term relationship and that is definitely the case in this relationship, which is two seconds away from turning into an episode of Cops.
… Tweet of the Weekend
… Prediction: Because we’re talking about waiting on a test score and then submitting it to the NCAA Clearinghouse, I’m not sure we’ll know by the time the team reports whether five-star freshman linebacker Erick Fowler will be ruled eligible or ineligible. Twenty years of being in this business tells me there will be some breath-holding in August.
… I still think Texas lands 2017 Temple defensive end Taquon Graham … no need to worry at this point.
… If Kam Martin wants in, I’m letting him in if I’m Charlie Strong.
… Wondering whatever happened to former Longhorns offensive lineman Ken Hackemack. Who has the answer?
No. 5 – Buy or sell …
(As always, all of these questions were submitted by actual Orangebloods subscribers.)
BUY or SELL: Arguably, we lost at least 2 games last year due to special teams especially kicking, unless something changes we will lose 2 games this year due to special teams?
(Sell) Outside of the place-kicker spot, which is kind of a big deal, I like the potential make-up of this team in the punt and return games. Michael Dickson enters the season as one of the more underrated players in the program.
BUY or SELL: As many as 10 signees of the 2016 Baylor recruiting class ends up at other schools?
(Sell) I have to think it won’t be quite that many, but it’s likely to be very close, especially if those that might have enrolled early have the option as well.
BUY or SELL: Charlie is still here if he wins 5?
(Sell) Even Charlie would know it would be time to put the house on the market if that happens.
BUY or SELL: Charlie Strong will allow Tim Irvin to transfer to Texas even if could impact future scholarship numbers, influence existing players and potential future recruits?
(Sell) I don’t think it will come to that. If the kid wants to come to Texas and Charlie still wants him, I don’t think it will impact all of those things you listed, at least not automatically.
BUY or SELL: Joe Mixon will be kicked off the BlowU team once the video tape is made public due to a public outcry, especially in light of the recent Baylor transgressions?
(Sell) Bob Stoops will claim you can’t double jeopardy the kid and dig in his heels.
BUY or SELL: Art Briles is coaching again in the 2017 season?
(Sell) No way. This is not the same as the Bobby Petrino situation. Not even close.
BUY or SELL: Does your win expectation for the Horns football team in 2016 go up after the issues Baylor is having?
(Sell) Not yet. Let me see the dust clear a little more and if the whole thing comes apart, I reserve the right to change my mind. They still have a monster edge at quarterback coming into the season.
BUY or SELL: You sometimes have second thoughts, and even feel a touch hypocritical, about allowing the posting of scantily clad women on the site because you worry that the photos could contribute to a societal problem of seeing women as an object, which is a part, even though small, of the culture that can lead to sexual assaults, especially date rape?
(Buy) It’s the reason why I eliminated the “Hottie of the Weekend” component of this column. As I get older and my daughter gets older, some of the commentary and ideology on the site bothers me and more.
BUY or SELL: Both Marcel Southall and Eric Fowler pass remaining academic hurdles/join the team by August?
(Sell) Texas gets one of the two, but not both. That’s just history talking.
BUY or SELL: Kendall Briles remains the OC and the Baylor BR approves of him being HC in 2017?
(Sell) They can’t have anyone with the Art Briles stink anywhere close to the head coaching position in my opinion. This situation s only going to get worse in the coming weeks and months.
No. 6 – A few thoughts on Baylor …
It’s absolutely laughable to think that Art Briles is the only public dismissal we’ve seen from the university. If it believes Ken Starr or Ian McCaw can possibly survive this and retain positions within the school, every board of regent living in dream land needs to wake up. This is one of the ugliest scandals in the history of collegiate athletics and it easily surpasses the situation at SMU in the mid-80s as the biggest scandal in the history of this state’s athletic college programs.
b. Baylor cannot enter this season without providing more details on the situations involving this staff meeting with victims and their families because some of the charges in the findings it released are so damning that it would seem the school is endangering its campus again if there’s even a single member of the athletic department that was involved in those findings who is still around. Every single coach on that staff will be viewed as a possible guilty participant unless the public knows for certain who was and wasn’t involved.
c. It’s absolutely insulting to think the school might try to name Phil Bennett as the interim head coach, all in the name of preserving the football season, when it is virtually impossible to believe he was unaware of what was going on. The Baylor BOR is still viewing this through a football prism and it means that it is pussyfooting around in actually taking all of the steps that are needed to take to start making this right.
d. Art Briles is an evil, narcissistic monster. It needed to be said again.
No. 7 – Monday night is everything for Kevin Durant …
Kevin Durant is in his ninth season as an NBA player. He’s played in an NBA Finals, he’s been an MVP, he’s been to seven straight All-Star games and if he stays healthy, he night hit the 20,000-point mark before he turns 29 years old.
Yet, all of those accomplishments do not change the fact that game six of the Western Conference Finals became the defining moment of his entire career on Saturday night and that is far, far away from a good thing.
In what will be remembered as one of the great conference championship games in the history of the sport, Durant flinched at all the wrong times. Everyone will remember the 10 for 31 shooting numbers, but worse than that was the reality that he just never seemed comfortable all night with the stakes as high as possible.
As he prepares to enter his 10th season later this year, this moment stands to partly define his career … unless.
Oklahoma City wins game seven. Durant must play out of this world. Nothing else will do.
Monday night is everything.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… With all due respect to Steph Curry, I have never seen anything like Klay Thompson shooting the basketball in the second half on Saturday night. It was absolutely awe-inspiring. There will be a 30-for-30 on that game down the road and he’ll be the majestic star of the show.
… Prediction for Monday night: Golden State 119 Oklahoma City 98.
… We’re four weeks away from the NBA Draft and it seems very certain that my Sixers are going to select Ben Simmons with the first pick. What happens after that is anyone’s guess, but I’m anticipating Jahlil Okafor being traded, quite possibly in a deal that will net the No. 3 pick in the draft. Depending on what the market looks like, Nerlens Noel could be on his way out of town as well, which means that the Sixers might be even younger in 2016-17 than they’ve ever been.
… RIP, Bryce Dejean-Jones. Your daughter deserves better than to have lost her father in such fashion. Damn.
… Jordan Speith needed that win he picked up on Sunday, his eighth of his career. He’s looking pretty dialed in heading into the US Open.
… No mas, no mas, Cubs. My Phillies have lost seven out of nine and were taken to the woodshed by Chicago’s finest.
… Death, taxes and Chase Utley owning the Mets.
… You would not have been able to convince me in the spring of 2013 that Domonic Brown would be a bad AAA player in 2016. He’s only 28. Makes me sad.
… The Yankees have a $228 million payroll this year and currently have the No. 24 team OPS in the majors. Yikes.
… Looks like I need to start watching YouTube videos of Florida lefty A.J. Puk, who seems likely to go No. 1 overall to the Phillies in the upcoming MLB Draft.
… Doesn’t Hugh Freeze have to lose his job at Ole Miss? Athletic director Ross Bjork, too?
… The Champions League Final is the biggest championship game in the world where all of the participants seem more afraid of losing than eager to take glory.
… I pretty much never want to go to Mexico.
… Get used to this kid’s name, folks.
No. 9 – Game of Thrones - Live blog stream of conscious thoughts...
The following are my stream of conscious thoughts on season-six, episode two of Game of Thrones.
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a. Isn't it about time we see Zombie Mountain do some damage? Just a random thought while I wait for the DVR to go through seven minutes of promos/reviews/theme song.
b. Don't we pretty much have to start with whatever in the hell is about to happen to Bran? You can't just cut to that scene in the middle of the episode.
c. Yup, Bran's up to bat. Did he just download the entire history of the world in 10 seconds?Wait, did Johnny Blaze just save Bran and Meera? What. The. ^%$#.
d. The entire world is on the verge of ending and Sam's out here showing off his woman and baby to his family? It seems like there are more important things he should be doing with his time right about now.
e. Hmmmm.... not sure what to make of Margaery's comments.
f. It kind of feels like Sam is going to prom.
g. Gilly doesn't take any shit. Too bad Sam crumpled up like a 12-year old in front of his father.
h. Geez, Sam, she was practically begging you to stay the night...
i. Hahahaha. Sam stole the sword in the middle of the night.
j. Needle is back!!!!
k. The High Sparrow is as smug as Steph Curry staring down a dude while his shot is still in the air.
l. Tommen is just the worst. Where's his kitten, anyway?
m. The Lannister family is just a mess. They're like the late 90s Cowboys... once upon a time, they meant something. Now, we're at the point where Jake Plummer is beating them in the playoffs.
n. Am I about to be introduced to Benjen Stark?
o. Yup.
p. Dany has tons of confidence and literally no idea what awaits her on the other side of the world.
q. Weakest episode of the season this far. There... I said it.
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No. 10 - And finally… The Top 10: INXS
It seems pretty crazy that it has almost been 20 years since Michael Hutchence passed away.
All these years later, the music from INXS reminds me so much of my childhood, as my mom and I listened to the album Kick over and over and over on our trips to Waco and back in my middle school years.
It felt like a good time to put together a Top 10 list. Enjoy.
10. By My Side
9. Mediate
8. Original Sin
7. Suicide Blonde
6. New Sensation
5. The One Thing
4. Devil Inside
3. What You Need
2. Never Tear Us Apart
1. Need You Tonight
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