On a weekend when the Longhorns pulled off the coup of the off-season with the commitment of Georgia Tech grad transfer Parker Braun, I feel like this week's top spot should be reserved for a group of guys that truly earned it.
Ladies, gentlemen and the rest of you, let me introduce the 2019 Texas Longhorns baseball team, fresh off an emphatic three-game sweep of the No. 2 team in the nation.
I'll be completely honest that I've been cautious with this team, mostly because everyone has seemed to think this group might be a year away and in a bit of a rebuild mode, so my expectations have been tempered, especially going into this weekend against LSU.
But, goodness gracious, the Longhorns did the damn thing this weekend. First, they kicked the visitors in the teeth in the opening two games by running off a combined 16-5 butt-kicking over the course of the first 18 innings in the series. Then, they truly stunted on the Tigers in the series-finale, roaring back from a late 6-3 deficit and winning with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth.
While no one should get carried away 12 games into the season, I think it's safe to say the bar for what this team might be reasonably capable of this season has been lifted. It feels like everything is on the table for this team. This weekend is proof of that. We now know what this team is capable of, even when rough patches arrive.
This group has grabbed our attention.
No. 2 - Parker Freaking Braun ...
As crazy as it might sound, the Texas Longhorns might have added a new best player in the program for 2019 with the addition of the two-time first-team All-ACC offensive line selection from Georgia Tech.
Yes, Sam Ehlinger might have a case in a debate, especially because of the value at his position, relative to that of an interior offensive lineman. However, with all due respect to every other player on the roster, Braun has been an ass-kicking force at the major college football level for multiple seasons, as he heads into his senior campaign. He was arguably the best offensive lineman in the ACC last season, and he's generally considered to be the best offensive lineman of the 11-year era of football under Paul Johnson.
The fact that you insert him into the Texas line-up in this upcoming season turns a bit of a question mark at the position into an absolute strength.
A year after Oklahoma had the best offensive line in football, the Longhorns might have the league's best young tackle (Sam Cosmi), the league's best guard (Braun) and the league's second-best top returning center (Zack Shackelford) holding down the left to center side of the offensive line.
Texas hasn't been that good along the offensive line since the likes of Justin Blalock, Kasey Studdard, Lyle Sendlein, Cedric Dockery and Tony Hills were holding it down back in 2006. It's like a dream come true for Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand, as his task in putting together his 2019 group was made much, much easier. Suddenly, there's one open interior spot and one tackle spot that needs to be filled, which will create a super sense of urgency for every other lineman in the program.
So, yeah ... the addition of Braun is a pretty big deal.
No. 3 - Texas Recruiting Scattershots ...
... Mansfield Timberview cornerback Jalen Kimber is ranked No. 63 in the current LSR Top 100, but after he threw down the fastest time at The Opening event in Dallas on Sunday, along with an impressive shuttle time to boot, expect him to rise significantly in everyone's rankings. It's easy to see why his offer list has exploded, and it's not yet done.
That Texas blew the doors off in an unofficial visit this weekend feels pretty important.
... The more I see of Duncanville 2019 star Ja'Quinden Jackson, the more I wonder how determined he's going to be to play quarterback in college, or at least give the position a shot before moving elsewhere at the next level. If I were him, I think I'd want to give quarterback a chance. The fact that he worked out at quarterback at The Opening was telling.
... 2021 offensive line prospect Tommy Brockermeyer might be the best sophomore offensive line prospect I've ever seen in Texas. Perhaps this is hyperbole, but no one is jumping out to me as being better at the same point in their high school development. He has the makings of a future high-end five-star.
No. 4 - NFL Combine Musings ...
... Let's be honest, the times that Lil'Jordan Humphrey posted over the weekend at the NFL combine went over like a lead balloon. No matter how good of a college player he might have been, the NFL does not go crazy for skill players that can't scoot like a blur over 40 yards, which means that I'm suddenly not sure what his draft round range is. I'm also not sure that another year of school would have improved his draft range if his 40 times were still going to end in the 4.75-.4.79 range. It goes without saying that he needs to have one hell of a Pro Day in a few weeks.
... On the other hand, I have to believe that linebacker, Gary Johnson's stock will be on the rise after running a 4.43 on Sunday. He's not going to be everyone's cup of tea because of his size, but in a league where high end athletic upside matters a ton, the fact that he can run with almost any skill player on the field means he has an elite accessory in his tool bag.
... From my vantage point, Charles Omenihu helped himself this week, even if his 40-time was just ok. Everything else pretty much came up roses, including a 36.5-inch vertical, and it seems pretty clear that he's going to be the first Longhorn drafted. If he can improve on that 40-time in his Pro Day, he's going to be a guy that someone at the end of the first round might fall in love with.
No. 5 - Give the Texas basketball team a smidge of credit ...
With as madly as this season has gone, complete with enough roller coaster rides to last a weekend at Six Flags, I'm going to be 100-percent honest when I tell you after Kerwin Roach II’s suspension, I thought the ship was about to sink for good.
Considering this team has lived in the narrowest of margins through the entire season, the idea of Texas crumbling over the loss of its leading scorer for an undetermined length of time seemed like an incredibly safe bet. Oh, you knew this group would fight its guts out, but I didn't know if this team would win another game this season.
Norman seemed to indicate that things were headed that way,
The loss in Waco was a sledgehammer to the soul.
So, what does Shaka Smart's team do when it plays its third straight game without Roach against a ranked team just after two knockdowns in the previous week?
It delivered one of the best performances of the season, with or without its leading scorer, in an absolute thumping of Iowa State at the Erwin Center.
The Longhorns probably aren't in a safe zone as it relates to its NCAA Tournament chances, but the team finds itself in a much safer zone than it seemed headed for entering the game, which was almost as a must-win as it gets.
If we can forget the final eight minutes of the game against Waco, the short-handed Longhorns haven't played very short-handed in the other 72 minutes they have played the last week. Jase Febres has evolved into the most important player in the program with 20 made three-pointers in his last three games, which coincides with the departure of Roach from the program.
Frankly, if Roach returns to the team before the season is over, he'd be coming off the bench if I was Smart. No offense to Roach, but the offense has been as good as it has been all season in the last couple of games, and the chemistry this group seems to be finding needs to be ridden to the finish line.
Texas is simply a better team when Febres is taking 15 shots a game instead of six, and as weirdly it seems, this reality has become obvious with the forced removal of Roach. I'm of the opinion that Texas cannot turn back at this point.
No. 6 - Hottest Hot Take of 2019 ...
You guys are going to love this one.
If we can all agree that Shaka Smart's team this season hasn't been good enough for the expectations everyone should have for the program in his fourth year, and that the program could almost certainly receive more from its head coaching position, I'd like to make a confession that will certainly cause many of you to cry foul.
A strong case can be made that Shaka Smart is doing a better job in his fourth year than Karen Aston in year seven.
In the most up-to-date NCAA Net rankings, the men rank No. 33 nationally this season, while the Texas women rank No. 32 nationally. Of course, we're comparing apples to oranges in this discussion, but consider how each program has done this season against its toughest competition.
In games against ranked opponents this season, the Texas women are 1-5, and that includes losses by 18 and 29 points against the likes of Mississippi State and Baylor, respectively. Meanwhile, in its games against ranked opponents this season, the Texas men are 3-5 (with wins over North Carolina and Kansas) and have been absolutely competitive in every single one of them, with a 10-point loss to Michigan State on a neutral court representing the worst of the bunch.
At home against ranked opponents, the men are a perfect 2-0, while the women are 0-4.
Keep in mind, I'm not arguing that Smart is having a good year, or that he's been a success. I'm just arguing that against a much tougher schedule, his teams have accomplished slightly more.
Flame away.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
BUY or SELL: With all the positive vibe about 2019 recruiting, it is, somewhat of a concern that Texas hasn’t gotten more commitments at this point versus some other nearby major programs that we compete against for talent?
(Sell) Not even a little.
BUY or SELL: In three years we will crown Herb Hand as the best O-line coach in Texas history?
(Buy) It's on the table, in part because I'm not even sure who I would label as the best offensive line coach in school history. If we're talking about the last 30 years, I suppose it would have to be Mac McWhorter, although I thought Mike Deal was very good under John Mackovic, and Leon Manley was regarded as quite the line coach under Darrell Royal during the championship years. However, in the near 20 years I've been running this site, I'm not sure I remember anyone ever really mentioning his name. I would have to say that level of status is there to be taken by Hand in the next few seasons.
BUY or SELL: At this point in his career, B.J. Foster has proven he is more than just potential?
(Buy) Of course. That doesn't mean that there's not still a level of all-round play that he needs to obtain. It's part of his natural evolution at this level.
BUY or SELL: David Pierce wins a national championship before Tom Herman
(Buy) I truly don't know the correct answer to this question, but Pierce has been closest at this point.
BUY or SELL: The 2020 and 2021 OL classes that Texas will sign will go down as the best classes ever signed back to back?
(Sell) I'm not ready to go that far just yet, but I totally get the optimism.
BUY or SELL: Outside of Charles Omenihu, Gary Johnson and Kris Boyd, the losses on defense are of little concern?
(Sell) Until proven otherwise, the loss of Chris Nelson on this defense will matter.
BUY or SELL: Lincoln Riley will turn pro at some point?
(Buy) It's only a matter of when in my opinion, although I must admit that I thought he would have been gone after this season, considering the options Riley would have had if he had been ready to depart this year.
BUY or SELL: That loud sucking sound you hear is not coming from Oklahoma, but rather Liverpool, England?
(Sell) The Reds have lost once all season in league play, have allowed 15 goals in 29 games and neck and neck with one of the truly great teams in the history of the Premier League. I think that loud sucking sound I hear is your lack of perspective.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... The signing of Bryce Harper by the Phillies has me all kinds of excited, even if I know that it's likely that a 13-year contract in professional sports will never end well. It's a little like eating a great hamburger in that the signing is about living in the here and now, and not the bigger picture. All I know is that I'm excited about the Phillies again for the first time in half a decade. As a Phillies fan, I needed this to remind me of what this team can be when it has it going.
... Mike Trout to Philly in the next few years ... it's going to happen.
... Can I just confess that I don't completely understand the angst towards LeBron James. No athlete in modern sports history has ever had as much weight on their shoulders at such a young age and actually lived up to the hype to such a degree that he's actually surpassed it. We're talking about a guy that has never been in any trouble away from the court and gives massive amounts of time, money and energy to his community. Even The Decision, which is widely regarded as his biggest public mistake, did a bunch of good for the Boys Club of Akron. It's one thing to discuss him in the terms of basketball, but it's quite another to see the vile regard some have for the guy, when the bar is set so low for so many others that receive widespread support.
... I was going to purchase this week's UFC pay-per-view, but I fell asleep on Saturday night at halftime of the Sixers-Warriors game, which was easily my No. 1 old man moment of the weekend.
... I quite enjoyed the opening weekend of the MLS.
... Barcelona is pretty much Real Madrid's daddy right now. Leo Messi needs to out Sergio Ramos over his knee and give him a good whipping because he continued to be a bad boy over the weekend.
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Favorite Designers ...
After a little fashion debate following the Academy Awards last week on Orangebloods, which included an admission from yours truly that he is a loyal viewer of Project Runway, someone challenged me to do a Top 10 list of my favorite designers.
I accepted that challenge, so here we are. Yes, I'm a 42-year old dude that wears shorts every day, but I still like fashion. Don't judge me. It should be noted that my overall rankings lean very heavily towards project Runway participants.
10. Dom Streater
9. Irina Shabayeva
8. Jeffrey Sebelia
7. Leanne Marshall
6. Dmitry Sholokhov
5. John Elliott
4. Vera Wang
3. Mondo Guerra
2. Giorgio Armani
1. Christian Siriano
No. 10 – And Finally ...
Dear OB Diary...
It might be a tough week. One of my dogs (Houdini) has been heading to his life finish line and I just don't know how or when to call the race.
On one hand, he's a 12-year old Weim that has a hard time lifting himself up off the ground, and generally has weakness in his legs that make things like squatting to go poop very difficult. In fact, I've had to clean him up multiple times over the last few weeks because he fell into his business in the middle of doing it. On top of that, I've had very little quality sleep in the last couple of weeks because he wakes me up multiple times per night because he needs help going up the stairs once he goes outside to go to the bathroom.
On the other hand, I still see a dog that wants to live. When we go out on walks, he can still go for a mile or so, although I might need to help him up after a fall from time to time.
When one of our dogs (Spanky) died last year, cancer had taken the life out of him to the point that I knew he was just relieved to not be in pain. I suppose I always thought there would be a day when Houdini would give me the same look, but that hasn't happened and now I'm in a position where I feel like a cornerman in boxing wondering when I'm supposed to throw the towel in for his own good.
Sometimes it sucks being a responsible adult.
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