Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (I'm still sitting at 9-3)

Seems like the analysis is pretty simple. The entire record depends on Ewers’ consistent level of play this season. If he plays in the 170+ zone, we may go undefeated. If he plays in the 150ish zone (likely pulled down by a dud or two), we lose 2-3. If he plays in the 140ish zone (likely including 3-4 duds), we lose 3-5.

Ketch doesn’t believe the Ewers hype. And thus, he thinks we are good for two losses on top of Bama. He doesn’t believe the run game or defense is good enough to overcome a dud from Ewers. The team is only hyped based on skill talent. If Ewers can’t efficiently get the ball to those guys we are left with a decent defense and above average run game.

Fair enough. I don’t disagree with Ketch. Last year, Ewers struggled to maintain his mechanics when any pressure was applied. Often opting to fling a ball towards Worthy on a post route to avoid the rush. Those flings were performed from various arm angles and many times, off his back foot.

We won’t know if Ewers has matured until the bullets start flying. But I do remember Ketch bolstering his “Ewers may struggle as a freshman” argument of 2022 by noting the leaps made by many QBs from year one to year two.

Under Sark, Ewers is going to start reaching his ceiling this year. He may not consistently hit that mark in year two, but he should establish a new floor and new ceiling. The only question for me is whether I believe the NFL scouts who continue to gush over him. Is Ewers’ ceiling starting in the NFL in 2024? 2025? Is that where this is headed? Many think so. If he is going to get there, we will start seeing it under Sark this year. Sarks track record with NFL arms is unmatched.

I’m drinking the Kool Aid because it is a lot more fun than the alternative (Ketch). Either you believe Ewers is going to be NFL good by 2024 or you aren’t sure. If you are unsure, you can be positive or negative. Ketch has chosen to err on the side of caution. And I would bet my brokerage account it is directly linked to Ewers’ play while under pressure. An issue ketch has leaned heavily on since Ewers was a recruit.

Think back to every good Ewers pass - steps up, mechanics are solid in the feet, and lets it rip. Now think back to the errant throws - open chest, weight on back foot, side arm fling to get it out early.

After writing this post, I can boil down the season to two things - 1) can Ewers show improved/consistent mechanics and 2) do those improvements hold up under pressure. If you answer yes to both, he will be at 165+ and we may be a 0-1 loss team.
Is it reasonable to believe that if Quinn is more knowledgeable of the offense and reading defenses than that he will know were he is going with the pass? Would that confidence lead to stepping into the pass and better mechanics? It seems to me that it would.
 
I don't think Patterson was worth a win last year.
Oh Come On Jim Carrey GIF
 
They went 8-4. 🤷‍♂️
Freshman QB (injured), Big 12 officials and Sark’s poor performance. Defense was much improved. Also the Neyor loss was huge in retrospect. Sark hired 3 special assistants (going for four) for a reason. You may be right, but those losses are for the reasons stated above.
 
@Ketchum I’m with you. Neither Texas or Sark has earned the benefit of the doubt. If we are strictly going on expectations vs performance for Texas football, even odds would put the record at 8-4.
 
Can we stop for a moment and discuss the fact that it still sounded as if the performer (Cardi B?) was still "singing" despite her throwing her microphone and not even bothering to pretend. I would be pissed if I spent that much to see an artist perform and the artist wasn't actually performing. Maybe that's why the drink was thrown.
 
Nothing about Sark's career suggests that he wins that game.

Yeah I hope we win against Bama , but I think people are forgetting where we are as a program and what Bama has been and still is . I just don’t get how people forget how ewers struggled last year, how poor we play on the road and the last game we played we got beat by a Washington team essentially playing in hostile territory lol

I can’t just expect or chalk up a win based on hope lol

Sark has proven to be nothing but a mediocre game day coach. He has his chance to show otherwise this year though , but he has not shown that so far in his career
 
100% I have never liked prime rib. It’s never seasoned enough for me and, in most instances, it’s lacking in smoke flavor. No amount of liquid poured over it can change my mind

Pepper the crap out of it before eating and dip your cuts in the horse radish before dipping in the au jus. Otherwise I agree.
 
Freshman QB (injured), Big 12 officials and Sark’s poor performance. Defense was much improved. Also the Neyor loss was huge in retrospect. Sark hired 3 special assistants (going for four) for a reason. You may be right, but those losses are for the reasons stated above.
This team still has QB/coaching questions, + running game questions + personnel issues on defenses + Big 12 screw-job potential + positions that lack important depth...
 
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@Ketchum I’m with you. Neither Texas or Sark has earned the benefit of the doubt. If we are strictly going on expectations vs performance for Texas football, even odds would put the record at 8-4.
The last time this team played, it was bossed around by a second-tier Pac-12 team.
 
Can we stop for a moment and discuss the fact that it still sounded as if the performer (Cardi B?) was still "singing" despite her throwing her microphone and not even bothering to pretend. I would be pissed if I spent that much to see an artist perform and the artist wasn't actually performing. Maybe that's why the drink was thrown.
seems like ot was a woman and the woman started apologizing as soon as she did it. 😂
 
Got to see John Fogerty in 97. Saw him in 71 too with my uncle but don’t remember much of that one. Interesting that you list only has 6 songs that he wrote. Would take off at least two of the ones he didn’t and replace with Green River and Who’ll Stop the Rain. Love his version of The Midnight Special by Lead Belly.
 
Growing up in Houston during the late 60’s and very early 70’s we had a few Brahma Bulls living just 3 blocks away. Once in a while they blew through the fence and were running around the suburban neighborhood back behind Gessner and Fondren SW. Dont mess with any bulls ever.

Would like to ask that OB starts to report on Sark coaching and improvements we need to see in 2023. We have a bounty of solid to great players on our OL, skill positions. Want to see him mix things up against inferior teams such as everyone in our conference.

I had three uncles who each had their own ranch/farm. I learned at an early age never get in a corral with a Brahma bull. The others were less of a worry but you had to be careful. The Brahma was an entire other beast
 
Travelin’ Band has to at least get an honorable mention GK. C’mon Man….
 
She is such a damn clown….

She's also got no ****ing talent and her recorded (and likely autotuned) music sucks ass.

She's no better than Milli Vanilli (actually, I'd rather listen to them...she's that bad). So someone threw some water and ice at her...big ****ing deal? Why isn't anyone talking about the clear as day lip syncing? She's a fraud.
I can't believe (a) people listen to that shit and (b) actually pay to see her sorry ass. You know what...I can. People are that stupid.
 
6. Xavier Worthy

It's kind of crazy that arguably the best player on the team doesn't crack the top five, but it all comes down to positional scarcity. There are other very, very talented players in the wide receiver room that can step up if Worthy is missing. That's not the case elsewhere on the roster.
I’m not yet convinced that X is even the best WR on the team, much less the “best player” overall. Can’t wait to see how he performs this year.
 
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My favorite CCR song is Some Day Never Comes and I’d also have Run Through the Jungle in the top ten. They really had a lot of great songs.
 
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To all of the posters in this thread that have shared a shockingly naive view regarding the perceived “ease” of this year’s schedule, I’ll defer to the real experts on such matters:

Nick Saban once said, “Success is not a continuum, it’s momentary, and it’s a constant grind to try to help your team improve and get better.”

Urban Meyer noted, “Every week is a battle. You have to be at your best each and every week. There’s no such thing as an easy schedule in college football.”

Tom Osborne stated, “It’s a process that’s never-ending in football. It’s a journey, not a destination. You never arrive because as soon as you think you have, you’re going to fall off.”

Lou Holtz said, “In this game, the margin for error is so small. One half step too late or too early, and you don’t quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast, you don’t quite catch it.”

Bo Schembechler asserted, “Every season presents new challenges. You have to play the hand you’re dealt and strive for excellence. There are no easy games in this sport.”

Mack Brown stated, “You can’t rest on your laurels in this game. The moment you start thinking a game is a gimme, you’re on your way to a loss.”

Joe Paterno asserted, “The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital. The schedule is never easy. You have to be ready every week.”

Bob Stoops noted, “Every game in college football is an opportunity and a danger. The minute you forget that, you’re in trouble.”

Pete Carroll once said, “It’s not about the games that you can predict; it’s about those you can’t. That’s what makes a season.”

Jim Harbaugh noted, “Attacking each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind is the only way to navigate a season. Anything less, and you’ll falter.”

Bobby Bowden said, “Success is not a final destination, it’s a continuous journey. In college football, every game is a chapter of that journey.”

Mark Dantonio noted, “You can’t overlook any team. It doesn’t matter what their record is. On any given day, in any given game, anything can happen.”

Brian Kelly stated, “It’s not just the big games that define you. It’s every single one. It’s how you prepare, compete, and recover. Every week presents a new challenge.”
 
10. Junior kicker Bert Auburn

With all the coin-flip games the Longhorns could find themselves in this year after playing in roughly six of them a year ago, it stands to reason that at some point this team will need Auburn to make a kick or two that will determine whether victory or defeat has occurred.
If we are in a bunch of coin flip games, 9-3 is probably our ceiling. Among other things, that means our margins are small enough for the refs to steal a game or two.

The key to a good season is going to be blowing doors off the weaker teams teams, right from the opening kick. If you let them hang around, they start to believe they can win. And if they believe they can win, some of them will.

In other words, the goal of the offense should be to make Auburn somewhat irrelevant most weeks.