Two months from today, we're going to know everything we need to know about what's possible for the 2014 Texas Longhorns.
Whether it's fair or not, there will be a bit of an early referendum on the Charlie Strong Era, as contests against UCLA, Oklahoma and Baylor in the first 44 days of the season leaves the program in a position where It could be much-improved in a lot of areas and still be staring down the barrel of a 3-3 start to the season, but before these new Longhorns can walk and then run, we've got to find out if this team can crawl.
Enter the BYU Cougars on September 6 in Austin in front of a national audience on FS1.
In case anyone has forgotten or simply blocked it out of their memories (and rightfully so), when these two teams met in 2013, one of the most embarrassing scenes in the Mack Brown era (not including any number of pistol-whippings provided by Bob Stoops over the years) took place. After Mack challenged the Texas fan-base to get on the bandwagon or else risk getting left behind, Taysom Hill and Co. unceremoniously sent the Texas coach towards retirement with a beat-down that was so savage in nature that Brown was forced to fire Manny Diaz two weeks into the season.
Five-hundred-fifty rushing yards. Forty points. Countless missed tackles and assignment.
A team that ended up losing five games, including three by double digits, didn't so much as dominate the Longhorns as much as it obliterated them. The scene reminded me of the original Predator movie when Carl Weathers' character Dillon was full of so much confidence … right up until he had his arm shot off and was impaled by a seven-foot alien.
The Longhorns are never going to get that arm back that was lost last season and they can't ever change what happened that night when they allowed the Cougars to take their football souls. Forget about the Bruins, Bears and Sooners for just a moment because the first order of business this season once the Longhorns get through North Texas in the opening non-conference scrimmage is re-take their football souls from the same BYU team that took it from them.
I'm not saying that the Longhorns have to win the game by three touchdowns, but yeah, they owe this team a five-knuckle sandwich of a butt-kicking. Period. And to be completely honest, if the Longhorns are going to make any kind of a statement in games against the teams on the schedule that can help move the needle for some of the elite prospects across the nation the coaches covet, they better be able to handle the Cougars.
This game isn't about the scoreboard, as much as it's establishing an identity that this program is done taking those kinds of public humiliations kindly. You know that when BYU flies into Austin on the Friday before the game, it'll have a picture of the Longhorn program in its minds that the Longhorns must shatter.
Before this team can walk and run with the big dogs on its schedule, it must crawl against the Cougars, and by crawl I mean it must bludgeon them with a hard object.
No. 2 - The importance of Johnathan Gray …
In the midst of changing diapers and watching a lot of soccer this week during my one-week sabbatical away from Orangebloods (not including the time I spent on the message boards all week), I had a lot of time to think about the upcoming season for the Longhorns and one of the inescapable truths about this team centers on the return of its junior running back from Aledo.
The Longhorns need Gray to not only return to full-strength, but they need him to be the difference-maker everyone envisioned when he arrived.
One of the great underrated truths about the offensive failures for the Longhorns was the constant misuse of the 5-11, 210-pound running back. Recruited as an all-purpose weapon that was supposed to give the program a big-play weapon in the running game, Gray was used less in space and more between the tackles as the Longhorn coaching staff leaned on him as an every-down player, which led to some grumblings behind the scenes from those that kept wondering when Gray was going to be used in the fashion that resembled the sales pitch he heard during the recruiting process.
Of course, if Gray's absence, senior Malcolm Brown finally started to tap into his own five-star talent, which has given the Longhorns the battering ram, between-the-tackles runner that they kept trying to seemingly create out of Gray.
Finally, the Longhorns would appear to have the running game right where they want it, with Brown representing the thunder and Gray giving the team its lightning. When you think about the way this team is going to want to win games this season, Gray's ability to give the team a fastball to go along with its off-speed ground and pound is critical because it will potentially provide an identity that an offense with major question marks in the passing game is going need very quickly this season.
The question is whether Gray can be a difference-maker less than a year after a torn Achilles and to be perfectly honest it feels like it's too much to ask for on the surface, but if there's one thing about Gray that makes me think it's possible, it's the fact that he's probably the hardest grinder in the program and owns expectations for himself that are far greater than any we as an audience might have for him.
While we wonder if he can even make a full return, Gray is aiming for the type of return that could launch him into the NFL as a high draft pick. Chuckle if you will, but Gray didn't come to Texas to be a pretty good player, which is what he's been thus far, as evidenced by his career 4.8 yards per carry and career-long run of 49 yards.
An offense with Gray and Brown both clicking on 100-percent capacity opens up all the colors in the crayon box for the Longhorns offense because of the carryover it has to every other player on the unit.
You want David Ash to stay healthy and perform like a plus-player? Take the damn pressure of his shoulders with a running game that doesn't ask for him to do it all.
You want the offensive line to take step forwards? Give it a pair of backs running behind it that doesn't require linemen to record the time needed to hold their blocks with an hour-glass.
I'm not sure the combination of Brown, Joe Bergeron and Daje Johnson is enough, which means my suspicion is that if this team is going to emerge as the type of team that can win its toughest games because of a running game that can rank as the best in the conference, it's going to take the return of Gray to put it over the top.
Sooooo….. no pressure at all, Johnathan, but injury or no injury this team needs you to be the best you've ever been and it's going to need that from you soon.
No. 3 - A little birdie talks quarterbacks …
Here's a smattering of comments made via a source of mine who is keeping a close eye on the offense this summer …
On David Ash …
"He's getting there. The difference between when he's on the field and when the other quarterbacks are on the field is so different that it's like he's speaking a different language than them. Everything just runs smoother when he's on the field and everyone is on the same page that we need to do whatever we have to do to keep him on the field."
On Jerrod Heard …
"It's too soon to know how good he's going to be, but I like what I see from the kid. He takes football seriously and he has the right attitude about coming in and learning. He's going to be better in August than he is now and that could be pretty scary for the other (quarterbacks). He doesn't really make the same mistake twice and I'll be honest when I tell you that's not a quality we've had with all of our quarterbacks lately. The coaches are going to like him."
On Tyrone Swoopes …
"I don't think you can trust him yet to play right now and if David gets hurt and we have to play him a lot, he's going to have to get a lot better really quickly. There are times when he looks really good and then on the next play you're kind of questioning him. He still needs a lot of coaching."
No. 4 - Four scattershots on The Opening …
… How much damage is Kyler Murray going to do with the remaining Longhorn targets on hand? A month ago Murray was strongly trying to carve out a spot with the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge after initially declining an invite and it's believed that a big reasons for the sudden interest was directed in large part to the possible recruiting he could do with other A&M targets in Baltimore. A month later, Murray is a prime ring-leader of the 21 Texas prep products on hand in Oregon and there's not a single UT commit in sight to deter the attention he'll likely give the likes of Malik Jefferson, Holton Hill, Kris Boyd and Kendall Sheffield, along with the other six A&M commits on hand.
…. Who emerges from the pack of Texas defensive backs? Sheffield, Boyd, Hill, P.J. Mbanasor, Larry Pryor, Deontay Anderson and Jaylon Lane are all big-time prospects on hand from the state of Texas and I'm fascinated to see if one or two truly stands above the pack this week.
… What will Ryan Newsome do? This seems to be exactly the kind of setting that could see the speedster emerge as Top 100 level prospect.
…. Will John Burt bounce back from what was an uneven couple of days in Baltimore? I didn't get the sense when the Rivals Five-Star Camp ended that Burt had emerged as a sure-fire top 100 level prospect after two full days of in-person evaluation, but the extended week of work should allow for a better look at the possible Longhorns commit.
No. 5 - And then there were four …
Brazil vs. Germany. The Netherlands vs. Argentina.
After all of the organized three-week chaos cleared, soccer fans across the globe are left with a Final Four of which the blueblood football and basketball programs in the NCAA could be proud.
Three of the four semifinalists feel like No. 1 seeds, while the fourth might have the best player in the world on its side, which means that the storylines going into the final three games of the Tournament feel pretty epic. The record of all four teams since group play started is a smoking hot 18-0-2 record.
On one side you've got a Germany squad that is probably the best team these eyes have seen in the last few weeks, going up against a wounded world power that has never lost a single International match on its home soil.
On the other side, you've got perhaps the greatest trio in the world (The Dutch pairing of RVD, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben) going up against the guy that might represent greatness at its highest level (Lionel Messi) like no other player remaining in the field.
Behind it all is a storm-cloud of concern for the South Americans, as home-underdog Brazil (that doesn't even feel right typing) tries to deal with the broken back that has robbed it of superstar Neymar and the yellow card that will have it also without Thiago Silva against the ferocious Germans, while Argentina tries to figure out how to replace Angel Di Maria.
My heart is pulling for a Brazil/Argentina final because the drama of those two rivals playing for everything in Brazil just feels like must-see-theater, but my eyes tell me that Germany and The Netherlands will be playing each other if the two best teams are to advance.
Although my brain tells me it would be foolish to discount the home team, I'm thinking the Germans will be unstoppable once they get through the Brazilians.
Honestly, as long as Arjen Robben doesn't win anything, I'm cool with any of the possible results.
No. 6 - Confession time (and other World Cup scattershots) …
With a week to go until the World Cup says goodbye and my attempt to stick with world-class soccer beyond such a huge event begins, my quest to find a favorite non-US soccer player and a favorite non-US team has reached a roadblock of a problem.
I don't know that I'm proud to admit this, but I just can't stop being greatly intrigued by Luis Suarez. Try as I might to find another player to latch onto, none of them have come close to capturing the imagination for all of the right and (really) wrong reasons.
It's not that I want to root for him as much as I can't stop wanting to watch more of him. I want to see him booed. I want to see him score and booed even louder. Hell, I want to see if he can keep from biting another player down the road.
Does that make me a fan? I don't know about all of that, but I will be watching him moving forward.
How could you not?
… Speaking of the bite heard round the world, I've spent almost two weeks thinking about his bite crimes and I still can't decide where it fits on the scale of unacceptable aggressions.
Although he has to stop biting people, on a scale of one to Mike Tyson biting off Evander Holyfield's ear, everything we've seen from Suarez in the way of biting has been pretty tame.
It's not as bad in my mind as throwing a shattered bat at him.
It's not as bad as what what the Mailman did to Zeke .
Hell, I see worse things happen in the NFL on a weekly basis, so I'm not even going to wade into those dangerous waters.
Look, there's no doubt that Suarez is a little crazy and needs to stop this biting mess, but I think a strong case can be made that a little too much has been made of a little ol' love bite.
... Non-American players that I plan to follow one the World Cup ends: Suarez, James Rodriguez, Lionel Messi and Neymar.
… Considering that Neymar broke his back in the last game, is it possible FIFA needs to reconsider having guys transported off the field on a stretcher in rushed fashion when they are seriously injured enough that it's apparent that s trip to the hospital is in order? I mean … damn.
No. 7 - Silly-season in the NBA...
As we wait impatiently for Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James to make decisions that will almost certainly be more boring than the process that led to their final decisions, we've now reached the plane-tracking portion of NBA free agency.
Oh boy.
In case anyone out there had any doubts at all, the silliness will end this week with LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony back in their Heat and Knicks jerseys, respectively. The real action is going to begin once they finalize what we all probably knew deep down was going to occur.
Where do Luol Deng, Pau Gasol and Lance Stephenson end up?
Can Pat Riley actually get something done to improve the Heat or will Marvin Williams and Anthony Morrow represent the extent of the Miami reload? Will Oklahoma City make any improvements or will it continue to offer lip service about championships being the goal, while hiding behind the luxury tax as it counts its fifth-best league profits in the process?
After a week of rumors and plane-tracking fun, the real action is about to do down this week, just don't expect it to include new zip codes for the two players that have the entire process at a standstill.
While we're talking about the Association, I have a few questions coming out of my vacation ….
a. If it's all about winning for Carmelo Anthony, how in the hell have the Lakers emerged as a finalist for his services? Do what? In the West? Ok.
b. When is Charlotte going to step forward and offer Lance Stephenson a 10 million per year offer?
c. What in the world was Detroit thinking in giving Jodie Meeks a three-year, $19 million deal?
d. What is Oklahoma City going to do when the top free agents on the board turn down its offer of food stamps for play? Mark my words, OKC is going to emerge from this free agency period with nothing more than Mike Miller to show for its efforts, a player it should have signed a year ago.
e. Speaking of food stamps, surely Pat Riley knows that Deng isn't taking a deal for less than 10 million per year, right?
No. 8 - Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
… I've really warmed up to Novak Djokovic over the years, especially as he's added domesticated and lovable to the list of words you can use to describe him. After a five-set win over Roger Federer that tested all of his mental make-up, Djokovic touched all the right notes in the post-match interviews. Man, have we been lucky to live through the collective greatness of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal in the last decade. On any given day in their primes, all three have been as good as any player that I've ever seen.
… Four UFC175 thoughts:
a. Chris Weidman handled his business against Lyoto Machida, winning convincingly four rounds to one on my scorecard. All this dude does is outclass world-class fighters. Give the man his due if you had doubts.
b. Ronda Rousey = Beatemdown. I guess she's not just the arm-bar queen.
c. Fightin' Texas Aggie Bubba Bush? Lulz.
d. Uriah Hall has been a guy that has taken a lot of grief in the UFC for not having the heart that matches his raw talent, but him raising his game after breaking his toe in the first round against Thiago Santos might have represented the highlight moment of his entire career. You can't say that dude doesn't care.
…. The Oakland A's are going for it in 2014 and right on for that, but it sure seems like the Cubs brought in quite a haul for two starters and I can't help but remember that every move the Phillies ever made in going for a championship push pretty much failed to get them over the top and now look at them …. guh.
… Josh Gordon is turning himself into a verb of the non-flattering variety.
... Patience is a virtue, right? More than a year after blowing up the entire team in an effort to begin a rebuild around him, the Philadelphia 76ers got a taste of Nerlens Noel's upside on Saturday in Orlando: 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 7-7 FTs, 4 steals, 3 assists and a block in 26 min vs ORL. The Sixers will be awful again this season, but there's a major building piece in place if he can stay healthy.
No. 9 - Pop goes the culture because the culture goes pop …
… Hottie of the Weekend: Meet Genevieve Morton (God Bless America)…
… Oh Florida: Man Arrested After Stealing Alcohol, Breaking Dog Out of "Jail"
… D-I-V-O-R-C-E: Kendra Wilkinson Threw Wedding Ring in Toilet When She Discovered Hank Baskett's Affair With Transgender Model
… Another couple bites the dust: Jewel and Ty Murray calling it quits
… Sign that the apocalypse is upon us: Man Rescued After Attempting to Wrestle Alligator Because Alligator Ate His Dog
… Casual Candice: Swanepoel Bares Midriff and Flashes legs Wearing Shorts in NYC
… Uhhhhhh, no thanks: Inside that Eric-Jason 'True Blood' sex dream you can't stop watching
… Miley Link of the Weekend: Miley Cyrus Twerks, Sings and Shows Off Some Serious Skin in NBC Special First Look'
… 100 Words or Less Movie Review: Edge of Tomorrow (A)
If Groundhog Day had a baby with Independence Day, it would probably come out looking a lot like this Tom Cruise summer blockbuster that I went in convinced I wouldn't like and left thinking it was the best film I've seen all summer. Cruise is Cruise for nearly two hours, Emily Blount steals a lot of scenes (and she's a great sweater) and the story is just strange and out there enough that I bought into the entire idea. Consider it Cruise's best leading-man work since Valkyrie or The Last Samurai.
No. 10 - The List: Best of 2014 (Thus Far) (Listen/Subscribe Via Spotify)
The jury is still out on what kind of year in music we're having in 2014 because for most of the week I've been wondering where all the great music is, but then The Black Keys, Jack White, Big K.R.I.T and a host of others convinced me that there's a lot more meat on the bone than I first suspected.
Obviously, this is a working list and I'm 1,000-percent sure that I'll receive a recommendation or two that deserves to be on the list, but here's a look at my mid-year Top 10.
Last five songs out: Ariana Grande, featuring Iggy Azalea (Problem)
10. Michael Jackson (Love Never Felt So Good)
You'll notice a number of all-timers making their way onto the list in July and perhaps none is as big of a surprise as this song off of Jackson's 2014 album Xscape, which features vocals recorded during Michael's prime (1983).
9. Mariah Carey (Make it Look Good)
The best song Mimi has released in a long minute.
8. Lyke Li (No Rest For the Wicked)
I can't say that I know a lot of this Swiss pop star's work, but this song is a standout.
7. John Legend (All of Me)
Probably ranks as the greatest song of his career.
6. Parquet Courts (Raw Milk)
This group is emerging as one of my favorite Indie rock bands going. After opening my eyes and ears with Stoned and Starving last year, they've raised the stakes with this new track off of their new album Sunbathing Animal.
5. Lana Del Rey (Shades of Cool)
I'm a big fan of her latest album and any number of tracks could have made the list, but I selected this one to represent her work in the top 10.
4. Ages and Ages (Do The Right Thing)
This song has been stuck in my head all week. I dare you to listen to it twice and try to avoid singing it in your head in the days that follow.
3. Jack White (That Black Bat Licorice)
America's most authentic modern-day rock star with another masterpiece.
2. Big K.R.I.T. (Mt. Olympus)
This Mississippi boy drops the damn mic in this track and in my mind he easily shattered all post-Control retorts that we've seen in the last year.
1. The Black Keys (Weight of Love)
I'm pretty sure this is the only song I listened to all week that felt like No. 1 song material a few minutes into my first listen. Spotify needs to step up its game and get this song in the mix.
Archives List
Blues/Jazz: Listen via Spotify )
Classical: Listen via Spotify)
Country: Listen via Spotify )
Electronic: Listen Via Spotify
Funk: Listen Via Spotify (Part II ? After Hours))
Metal: Listen Via Spotify
Pop: Listen via Spotify )
Punk: Listen via Spotify)
Random: My Number 1's on Spotify
Rap: Listen via Spotify),
R&B: Listen via Spotify)
Reggae: Listen via Spotify)
Rock: Listen via Spotify )
and Listen via Spotify )
This post was edited on 7/6 11:38 PM by Ketchum
