I know you want blood.
I know you want anger.
I know you want to hear that changes to the defensive staff are on the way.
The 2019 Longhorns have been stuck in a pattern of non-top 15 football for the entire month of October. We're talking about a team that played its way into a fourth quarter game against an Oklahoma State team that was begging to be beaten by three touchdowns at DKR and another fourth quarter game in Morgantown coming out of a bye week.
Then it lost to Oklahoma.
Then there was Kansas.
Yes, the Longhorns are a 5-2 team and still in control of their own destiny in the Big 12 race, but it's also a team that is seemingly taking on a lot of water because of countless holes in the dam and not enough fingers to plug them (several fingers suffered stingers on Saturday night ... go figure). The recent play on the defensive side of the ball absolutely warrants concern and apprehension.
Bu, you know what? The schedule might just create a break for this team. While the Longhorns seem to pretty much turn every quarterback they play into Joe Burrow, the reality of what awaits the Longhorns is that they will take on the worst quarterback in the Big 12 this weekend in TCU's Max Duggan and arguably the second-worst quarterback in the Big 12 in Kansas State's Skylar Thompson in two weeks at home.
The presence of Sam Ehlinger in the line-up for the Longhorns should almost 100-percent guarantee the Longhorns of a 7-2 record 21 days from today. As uneven as this team has been all season, a top-10 ranking in November as this team heads into the final three regular season games on the schedule will be entirely possible
I write these words with zero expectations that the defense will play plus-games in either of the next two weeks. Instead, my expectations for Todd Orlando and his defensive coaches look like this:
a. Survive this week until the final bye week of the season arrives.
b. Get healthier by getting some players back by November 16 when the team heads to Ames.
c. Make some damn improvement.
Come hell or high water, defensive improvement must take place over the course 27 days because this team won't be returning to Dallas for a rematch with Oklahoma unless it takes place.
If that can't happen, then the Longhorns probably won't make it to Dallas, the season will have been a disappointment and all eyes will be on Herman
It's that simple.
Herman believes he has built a nationally elite coaching staff and it's time for the coaches to prove it.
No. 2 - I might just be a dope ...
While I have to believe that a Texas team quarterbacked by Sam Ehlinger has to beat a team quarterbacked by Max Duugan (145 passing yards per game), Vegas disagrees with me, having listed this game as basically a pick-em, depending on your sports book of choice.
This is the same TCU team that has lost three of its last four games, including a 25-point loss in Ames two weeks ago.
Of course, TCU is pretty salty on defense, ranking first in the Big 12 in total defense by a mile, second in pass defense and third in run defense.
Still, give me the better team with the much, much, much better quarterback play.
No. 3 - Stats of the Weekend ...
Through the first seven games of the 2019 season, the Longhorns have a total of two sacks from their entire roster of defensive linemen.
Keondre Coburn and Ta'Quan Graham each have one. Every other defensive lineman on the roster has none.
There are 20 different players in the Big 12 with at least 2.5 sacks and 14 of them are defensive linemen.
In terms of quarterback hits, the Longhorns have one defensive lineman with more than one. Moro Ojomo has two. The rest of the Texas defensive line has combined for four.
That means the Longhorns are averaging a sack from their defensive line every 3.5 games and less than a single quarterback hit per game.
No. 4 - I asked because I'm curious ...
No. 5 - Five Players I'm Still Thinking About 24 Hours Later ...
Cameron Dicker - Did anyone doubt that he would make the game-winner? I didn't. Having that kicking weapon at your disposal is so incredibly critical.
Sam Ehlinger - This is just a tip of the cap to Ehlinger's ability because he wasn't at his best from an accuracy standpoint in this game and he still put up 514 yards of total offense if you don't include the sack numbers. Texas basically needed every yard that he had in him.
BJ Foster - Something has to give here. If his problem is health, the coaches are doing him and the team a disservice by forcing him onto the field out of necessity. If he's not playing hurt, I'm not even sure what to say other than he's a shell of the player we've seen him be.
DeMarvion Overshown - He made plays in every way a player can make plays, whether it was rushing the passer, dropping into coverage or coming in for run support. Play No. 31 more.
Byron Vaughns - After watching about 30 minutes of Vaughns on defense on Saturday night, it was hard not to ask where the hell has he been on the defensive side of the ball all season? Yes, he's still in need of a few dozen ham sandwiches and another year or two in the weight room, but his speed and playmaking ability are too good to keep on the bench all season until injuries forced Todd Orlando's hand. Play No. 50 more.
No. 6 - If I had a vote that mattered ...
1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. Oklahoma
5. Clemson
6. Penn State
7. Florida
8. Georgia
9. Notre Dame
10. Auburn
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) Oh, boy. It's going to be one of those Buy or Sell sessions...
(Buy) Three things...
a. Herman has more than $13 million left on his deal that Texas would have to eat if it did remove him prior to 2022.
b. Herman's not under any real pressure at all at this point in year three.
c. I think Herman will have enough success, even if not the ultimate success to get a sixth season.
(Sell) The most surprising thing that could happen this season is Herman firing Orlando in the middle of the season.
(Sell) Orlando stays, there is already a co-DC on the staff (Craig Naivar) and Chris Del Conte isn't forcing Herman to do anything.
(Buy) From his perspective, this excuse is THE reason, even if there can be a very blurry line between those two things.
(Buy) This staff needs upgrading.
(Sell) Texas beats Baylor, loses to Iowa State and finishes 9-3.
(Buy) Just turn Joseph Ossai loose.
(Sell) No, I don't believe that.
(Sell) I believe the Bears still have at least two losses left in them.
(Sell) This staff isn't inventing a new ideology in the next few weeks. What you see is what you get.
(Buy) The Texas offense is averaging 40 points per game. That should be enough each week to win fairly easily.
(Sell) That's the kind of thing old people say when they want to romanticize the good ol' days. As someone that went to Texas from 1995-1999 and has covered UT athletics on a professional level for 25 years, I feel like I have a basis for my opinion and I still find the women on the Texas campus to be pretty amazing. On the other hand, I do think the older male fans don't look as good as they used to.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... On days when I'm feeling blue, I'm just going to watch this on repeat.
... Ohio State is going to blow the doors off of Wisfraudsin.
... The Heisman might be down to Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts after the injury to Tua Tagovailoa this weekend. I'm not sure Tagovailoa makes it back in time for the LSU game in a few weeks.
... Who told Lovie Smith that the Santa Claus look was a good one?
... It might be time to consider the possibility that Mike Gundy is not doing a very good job in Stillwater this year.
... Maryland is a weird college football program.
... I don't care what anyone says, I love me some Herm Edwards.
... The Houston Texans are a walking, talking, forever disappointing Elmo shrug gif.
... Sean Payton might be having his best season ever as a head coach. The Saints were missing Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook, and they still pistol-whipped the Bears in Chicago.
... I'm sorry if you happened to face Aaron Rodgers in fantasy football on Sunday. That just feels unfair.
... I KNOW Earl Thomas enjoyed the hell out of kicking Seattle's ass in Seattle.
... This will sound a little mad, but the Dallas/Seattle MLS playoff game might have been the most entertaining soccer match of the weekend.
... Consider me very disappointed that Liverpool didn't punish its mid-table opposition on Sunday. That's a game the Reds should have won by two goals and the team just didn't play very well coming out of the international break.
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 2019-2020 NBA season predictions ...
With the NBA season getting started this week, it's time to go on the record. No guts, no glory.
10. Russell Westbrook will learn very quickly and emphatically that playing second fiddle to James Harden is quite different than playing second fiddle to Kevin Durant. Harden is going to win the scoring title, one way or the other.
9. The Thunder will struggle to win 35 games.
8. The Warriors will win 50 games and lose in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
7. San Antonio misses the playoffs.
6. LeBron misses 25 games and the Lakers finish as the 6-seed in the West.
5. The Raptors fall back into the Eastern Conference pack to a slight degree, finishing fourth and losing in the first-round of the playoffs.
4. The Clippers beat Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.
3. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series on its way to winning the East and earning a spot in the NBA Finals.
2. Kawhi Leonard will win his first regular-season MVP trophy, besting the Freak in Milwaukee.
1. Sixers over the Clippers in the Finals in six. Joel Embiid wins his first Finals MVP.
No. 10 – And Finally ...
Jose Altuve deserves his own section. How incredible was that? Sorry,
@Suchomel.
