Once upon a time many moons ago, Darrell Royal once remarked, “It’s not about the Xs and the Os it’s about the Jimmys and the Joes."
About 95-percent of the time in college football, I'd say Royal is exactly right, especially if the Jimmy or Joe in questions is a bad ass at the quarterback position.
However, every so often you'll see a game when the Jimmys and the Joes on both sides of the ball are cancelled out by each other and it makes the Xs and the Os really, really important.
Saturday at the Cotton Bowl looks to be one of those games.
Both teams have great quarterbacks. Both teams have great receiver units. Both teams have defenses that can be had, both in terms of yards and points. Both teams generally look like two of the best teams in all of college football.
From this Monday Morning Quarterback Couch in my living room, this is a week when game plans, in-game strategy and management, and the general overall approach in this high stakes match-up will matter significantly, maybe as much as any Jimmy or Joe in the entire game on either side of the ball.
Herman vs. Riley
I can't help but recall back in November of 2016, just hours after he was hired, being told by a high-level Texas official that Herman was hired to specifically win the Oklahoma game. It was his offensive innovation that was coveted. His development of the quarterback position. His chef's kiss touch.
This set of comments was made before Lincoln Riley's name was even a household name in the NFL coaching rumor mill.
The truth of the matter is that Riley has somewhat left Herman in the dust through two seasons, given that the task for each coach was quite different upon their arrivals at their respective head coaching office. Yet, no matter how we slice it, Oklahoma has won the last two Big 12 titles (four and counting overall going back to 2014) and the last two Heisman winners were under Riley's watch. Herman is in Riley's rear-view mirror and the question is whether Herman can catch and pass him before Riley eventually departs for the NFL.
Saturday is a chance to close the gap a little, while keeping national playoff hopes alive all in one swoop.
Personally, I'm fascinated by the approach Herman will take in a game that could very well turn into one of the highest-scoring contests in all of college football this season. Everything about Tom Herman's football soul is likely going to tell him that the best approach to winning on Saturday will involve a balanced offense, which features a sound running game, in an effort to keep Oklahoma's offense off of the field for as much game time as humanly possible.
The rub in trying to run the football against the Sooners, especially early in the game, is the reality that the Texas running game isn't the most consistent or potent aspect of its offense. In trying to establish the run against the Sooners, there's some risk that you're bringing a knife to a bazooka fight. I know that a number of you want to disbelieve that these Sooners are all that and a bag of chips on the offensive side of the ball, but I'm here to tell you ... OU's offense is legit. Hurts is legit. Those receivers are legit.
All season long, I've been of the frame of mind that if Texas just gives Sam Ehlinger the ball and lets him just sling it all over the field to his own group of receivers, I'm not sure that the other teams on the schedule can match them stride for stride. It turns out that LSU was UT's huckelberry. It's quite possible that Oklahoma is even more dangerous.
It leaves a little bit of a potential damned if you, damned if you don't situation ... unless ... unless ... unless Herman is able to dig into a bag of magic that allows his team to impose its will over Oklahoma over four quarters, something it did 12 months ago. On that day, Herman looked like the head coach that warrants NFL head coaching inspection.
It's what will be needed this week.
In a coin-flip match-up, the head coach with the better game plan, in-game strategy/management and the general overall approach is almost certainly going to win.
Herman vs. Riley.
It should be a hell of a lot of fun.
No. 2 - The running game discussion ...
There's going to be a lot of talk about who starts at running back on Saturday, but I don't think it matters.
Herman can roll out Keaontay Ingram on Saturday and if he doesn't produce, he can be quickly replaced. No problem. The bigger question in my mind is who Herman is going to lean on in the running game for the majority of the game and in its pivotal moments. Going into the West Virginia game, the coaches surely would have named Ingram as the guy they'd trust the most to handle the heavy lifting with Roschon Johnson in support.
Can the coaches go into Saturday believing the same thing after witnessing the respective efficiency of Johnson and Ingram? Would the coaches make a major personnel change at such a key role this week? Would the coaches be ready to go into the game putting this much responsibility on a redshirt freshman who has only been playing at the position for two months?
It's not a question with an easy answer. Against LSU, Johnson averaged 1.7 yards more per carry than Ingram. Against Oklahoma State, Ingram averaged 2.1 yards more per carry than Johnson, while recording his first 100-yard game of the season. Yesterday, it was Johnson who averaged 4.2 yards more per carry than Ingram.
It's a hell of a place we've found ourselves heading into this weekend where Johnson is the key to the 2019 running game, but if this team needs someone to crank out 15-20 carries against the Sooners, can anyone be trusted more than Johnson?
In reality, we'll almost certainly see a fairly even share of the running game workload, but is that the right call? Is there a right call? How could you possibly know, given the inconsistency of each player from week to week?
Chalk this up as another area where Herman and his coaches have to get it right.
No. 3 - A season of disappointment ...
For four seasons, almost all of us at Orangebloods have been waiting for the light switch to turn on for senior linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch. In fact, some of us believed that one of the keys to this defense truly taking off this season was his ability to fill the void left by departed starter Gary Johnson.
A month ago, it was nearly impossible to know what Texas would do if something happened to McCulloch.
A month later, McCulloch's playing time is in serious decline and he's no longer to be viewed as a critical player that this defense can't succeed without his playing at a high level.
Coming into the West Virginia game, McCulloch had played 73.76% of the snaps played on defense, but one of the things about the Oklahoma State game that quietly stood out upon review was the decline of participation for McCulloch, as he played in 51 of 89 (57%) defensive snaps.
I'll have to wait until Alex's Deep Dig later in the week before the numbers are confirmed, but I'm going to be shocked if the snap count is anywhere near 57-percent. It seemed like every time I noticed the linebacker personnel on Saturday, either Juwan Mitchell or Ayodele Adeoye was on the field instead of McCulloch.
At the end of the game, McCulloch was stuck on one single solo tackle, while Mitchell and Adeoye had combined for seven tackles, an interception and 0.5 tackles for loss.
All of this happened on a day when the defense was probably the best it’s been all season, certainly in terms of game-changing plays.
Perhaps, the presence of McCulloch bounces back this weekend against Oklahoma, but if we're being honest, 24 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and zero created turnovers isn't good enough. It appears that the coaches decided it was time for change.
No. 4 - Stats that might only interest me ...
Oklahoma Offensive Plays Per Game:
Vs. Houston: 61
Vs. South Dakota: 69
At UCLA: 64
Vs. Texas Tech: 64
at Kansas: 66
Average through 5 games: 64.8
Texas Defensive Snaps Per Game:
Vs. La. Tech: 80
Vs. LSU: 68
Vs. Rice: 54
Vs. Oklahoma State: 89
At West Virginia: 69
Average though 5 games: 72
I kind of feel like the key to beating Oklahoma on Saturday is keeping the number of offensive snaps closer to Oklahoma's yearly average and not Texas' yearly average. If nothing else, they can't let Oklahoma's offensive snaps approach the 80-mark.
A year ago when the Longhorns defeated Oklahoma, the Sooners were limited to 58 offensive snaps. In the rematch, Oklahoma defeated the Longhorns with 74 offense snaps, while averaging 6.9 yards per play.
No. 5 - Pick One ...
In 25 years from now, which play will you remember most?
This one?
Or This one?
I can't decide.
No. 6 - If I had a vote that mattered ...
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. LSU
4. Clemson
5. Oklahoma
6. Georgia
7. Florida
8. Wisconsin
9. Texas
10. Notre Dame
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) Not right now.
(Sell) No, I'm not ready to say that yet, but I'm not sure the quarterback area is the thing that might make them not quite as good as the team from a year ago.
(Buy) However, I think he'd be a first-round pick if he came out this year.
(Sell) I think it's the other way around if I'm being honest.
(Buy) He's not a ***********.
(Buy) It's time. At least, it better be.
(Sell) It's not out of the question, though.
(Sell) I'm not expecting him to play much.
(Sell) You're overcooking Baylor's grits.
(Sell) Two - Collin Johnson and DeMarvion Overshown.
(Buy) That's any day of the week at the fair grounds. You have my permission to go big.
(Sell) See below.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... The Big 12's third best team will apparently be handed around from week to week between Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Baylor and Texas Tech. None should be trusted.
... Tennessee almost feels like the Texas A&M of the SEC, except they won a national title within the last 75 years, so almost.
... Did Ohio State even try against Michigan State?
... Michigan might be the ugliest 4-1 team in the nation.
... Typical Jason Garrett trash today in Big D. The Cowboys were poorly prepared. The team was completely undisciplined (including Garrett on the sideline). Oh, and he struggled to count by intervals of 40 in a way that would allow him to plan for the needed game management once the Packers reached midfield on offense with about five minutes to go. Basically, Garrett is the red-headed version of Charlie Strong. We're being naive if we think this Dallas team has another unreached level under Garrett.
... Don't make Deshaun Watson mad, you won't like him when he's mad.
... I'll be honest, I didn't think Christian McCaffrey would be THIS good.
... Colt McCoy was reminded on Sunday that playing is fun, but those NFL paychecks are more easily earned from the sideline.
... You'd have to have been quite the sad bastard to sit through the full 60 minutes of Buffalo/Tennessee on Sunday.
... Tip of the cap, Gerrit Cole. That was awesome stuff.
... Yankees/Astros is going to be fun.
... Say it loud enough for those in the back to hear you.
... Thank you, Wolves.
... First, Israel Adesanya did this.,.,
... Then, Israel Adesanya did this...
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Comic Book Movie Acting Performances ...
In honor of this weekend's release of Joker, I thought I'd rank my top 10 all-time comic movie acting performances.
10. Brandon Lee (The Crow)
9. Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool in Deadpool)
8. Gene Hackman - (Lex Luthor in Superman)
7. Robert Downey Jr. - (Tony Stark in Ironman 3)
6. Hugh Jackman Wolverine in Logan)
5. Alfred Molina (Doc Oc in Spiderman 2)
4. Christopher Reeve - (Superman in Superman II)
3. Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger in Black Panther)
2. Joaquin Phoenix (The Joker in Joker)
1. Heath Ledger (The Joker in The Dark Knight)
No. 10 – And Finally ...
Movie Review: Joker (A)
I think the detractors of the movie have it all wrong. With all due respect for those concerned about a movie glorifying another nutcase male shooting up a bunch of people in an era when too many nutcase males are shooting up a bunch of people on the regular, I found Joker to be much more nuanced as a character study than any comic movie has ever produced. It's a movie about the disenfranchised and mentally unstable, and there are a ton of indictments of how we treat each as a society. As raw as the entire movie is, I didn't find this character to be within a 100-foot pole of the chaos and disturbing stuff that Heath Ledger's "Joker" character unleashed in The Dark Knight. This is a much more personal movie and Joaquin Phoenix's performance carries it into rarified air as a comic movie. Was it a perfect movie? No. But, was I glued to the movie from beginning to end in a way that I'm not sure I have been all year? Yeah, I'd say it's in my top two 2019 movies in that respect.
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