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Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (It's all on the line vs. KSU)

I did too. Turns out I wish I hadn’t. Wouldn’t have ever paid for it, but wish I had watched instead of read the recap. Time to give Francis some damned respect. Everyone laughed at him for dropping the bag with the UFC but he’s the only one laughing now. Great story for a guy that literally came out of the dumpster.
I just can't take any of it seriously.
 
Ol' Gundy just won't go away.
I have to say, I’m not sure many Texas coaches in recent memory would give me confidence to completely reinvent a team that is bombing the way he has mid season. The guy can coach.
 
Well he’s admitted on multiple occasions that he’s fouled up the play calling that lead to failing to capitalize. So technically that’s saying I am part of the problem. Haha.
I wonder if that's just because he's covering for blaming others.
 
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I just can't take any of it seriously.
You would if you were on the other end of it. 😂 Just saying the guy bet on himself and won, in a big way. Good for him. Respect due.
 
You would if you were on the other end of it. 😂 Just saying the guy bet on himself and won, in a big way. Good for him. Respect due.
Fury looked like he gave zero shits coming in from the images I saw.
 
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With a month to go in the regular season, the Big 12 is getting a little crazy.

All it took was for Oklahoma to reveal itself to be the team we thought the Longhorns would be playing in the Cotton Bowl a few weeks ago and the league is suddenly a free-for-all.

Five teams sit atop the conference with a 4-1 record and four of them will play each other on Saturday.

Bedlam, indeed.

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As it relates to the Longhorns, it's not out of line to call Saturday's game against Kansas State a critical contest. If the Longhorns want to make the Big 12 Championship game, they simply can't lose to Kansas State because a loss would mean that the Longhorns would be in a tie-breaker disadvantage against two of the four teams they’re fighting against to make the title game.

It wouldn't be a death blow, but it could be close, considering what would be left on the schedule for all of the teams involved following this weekend.

Meanwhile, what a difference a week has made for the Sooners. Forty-eight hours ago, the Sooners were thinking about making the playoffs and now they are in a position where they will be playing for their Big 12 Championship game lives in Stillwater against a Mike Gundy team that has won four in a row.

We all know that Brett Yormark would desperately love to see the Longhorns and Sooners shut out of the title game and the Wildcats and Cowboys have a chance to give him an early Christmas gift by 6 p.m. on Saturday. Can you imagine how good the wine will taste on Saturday night if the Longhorns and Sooners are tied for fourth place at 4-2?

In that situation the Longhorns would be in fifth place because of the loss to the Sooners at the beginning of the month. As good as this season has been through eight games (first 7-1 start since 2009), the feel-goods will vanish quickly if the Longhorns end up boxed out of the Big 12 title game.

It's a lot of responsibility for Maalik Murphy as he prepares for his second start. Hell, it's a lot of responsibility for everyone in the program, from Steve Sarkisian to Jaylan Ford to Jaydon Blue. This is a must-win week.

My mantra for this season called for the Longhorns to be better in October than they were in September and better in November than in October. I can't say that the Longhorns finished the month of October as an improved team from September. We can't find ourselves asking this question at Thanksgiving.

It's time for the best version of the Longhorns to emerge. If the Longhorns don’t achieve that, the first eight weeks of this season could all be for nothing.

No. 2 - The remaining schedules ...

(Remaining Schedules for the top 5 in the Big 12)

Iowa State: vs. Kansas, at BYU, vs. Texas and at KSU

Kansas State: at Texas, vs. Baylor, at Kansas, vs. Iowa State

Oklahoma: at Oklahoma State, vs. West Virginia, at BYU and vs. TCU

Oklahoma State: vs. Oklahoma, at Central Florida, at Houston and vs. BYU

Texas: vs. Kansas State, at TCU, at Iowa State, vs. Texas Tech

It's hard to know what to expect when you look at what remains for all five teams, but the two Oklahoma teams have the easiest remaining schedules following the upcoming weekend.

The Longhorns are going to have to navigate a tricky next three weeks. All three games will see Texas enter the action as favorites, but none of the games are sure things if the Longhorns don't bring at least a B+ level of football.

If they win out, they'll be in the Big 12 title game. If they lose even once, all bets are off.

No. 3 - Sark Should Give Up Play-calling? ...

Man, if you want to go down a rabbit hole for 10 minutes, go do a search of "Sark play calling" on the site formally known as Twitter.

It's something else.

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It just goes on and on and on...

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Several thoughts ...

a. I feel like it'll be over Sark's dead body before he ever admits that his play-calling is an issue holding this team back and gives up control of his offense to someone else.

b. Sark was hired largely for his play-calling. His reputation across the country is that he's one of the best play-callers in the country. As recent as a couple of weeks ago, opposing coaches were saying things like this in TheAthletic.com:

“Sark is the best play caller I’ve ever faced," one Big 12 coach said. "He hardly had any tendencies going in, and if he did, he broke them during our game. He really keeps you off balance. They have a great chance to make a deep run.”

c. For the record, of course, I believe that Sarkisian should remain the play-caller. Taking play-calling away from him is literally not something I have ever once considered. I think it’s crazy talk. Who are you hiring that is better?

d. He needs to do a better job the rest of this season. While everyone seems focused on the red zone offense, I'm more concerned about the fact that the Longhorns have gone into an offensive funk in the last two games once Texas comes off of the opening-game script.

After going up 21-0 against Houston in the second quarter, the Longhorns went 37:12 of real game time without scoring a single touchdown.

On Saturday, the Longhorns scored a single touchdown in 40:03 of actual game time once they went up 14-0 with 4:10 left in the first quarter.

The Longhorns were able to get away with that against the likes of Houston and BYU, but that kind of meek production on the offensive side of the ball might get Texas beat in the coming weeks.

It's time for him to be at his best. His team dearly needs it from him.

No. 4 - More Texas/BYU randomness ...

... It's kind of strange that the Longhorns won the game by 29 points and had fewer first downs, passing yards and total snaps on offense, while also being outperformed in the red zone (2 of 5 vs 2 of 3).

... Here's a look at Byron Murphy's last four games:

vs. KU: 3 tackles, 1 solo, 0 TFL and 0 sacks, 0 QBH
vs. OU: 1 tackle, 1 solo, 0 TFL and 0 sacks, 0 QBH
at Houston: 2 tackles, 1 solo, 1 TFL and 0 sacks, 0 QBH
vs. BYU: 0 tackle, 0 solo, 0 TFL and 0 sacks, 3 QBH

... Running backs YPC through 8 games:

Keilan Robinson: 6.8
Jonathon Brooks: 6.4
Jaydon Blue: 5.8
CJ Baxter: 4.1
Savion Red: 3.4

a. Maybe Blue should be getting some of Baxter's reps.
b. Maybe just give Brooks the ball instead of Red in the red zone and in short yardage.

... Have a look at Jonathon Brooks' NCAA rankings...

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... I don't really understand the complete lack of playing time for Johntay Cook at this point. It's not like putting him on the field is going to risk disrupting a well-oiled offensive machine. He's going to need to be a huge piece of the offense next season and I'm not sure how ready he's going to be for the task at this point.

... Is the injury to Quinn Ewers going to cost Ja'Tavion Sanders the chance to break all of the Texas tight ends records this season? Maaaaaybe.

No. 5 - Thoughts on the Final Four Opponents ...

Kansas State: The Wildcats have won their last three games by a combined score of 120-24. Whatever this team is, the Longhorns will be seeing it in its best form. Will the Wildcats play a two-quarterback system this week? They didn't do much of it in the win over Houston. Over on the other side of the ball, the Wildcats held Donovan Smith to 88 yards passing.

TCU: Is Chandler Morris going to be back in two weeks or will it be Josh Hoover? Will it even matter?

Iowa State: I don't have any idea what we should make of the Cyclones, but I'm thinking the Longhorns need Ewers to be back for the game in Ames in a few weeks.

Texas Tech: Tech has to win three of its last four games if it wants to qualify for a bowl game. Getting two of the next three against TCU at home, Kansas on the road and UCF at home might be the difference between them even bothering in the season-finale or not.

No. 6 - If I had a vote that mattered ...

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Washington
5. Florida State
6. Oregon
7. Texas
8. Alabama
9. Oklahoma
10. Penn State

(Heisman Trophy)

1. Michael Penix - QB - Washington
2. Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR - Ohio State
3. Malik Nabers - WR - LSU

No. 7 – BUY or SELL …

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(Buy) Texas isn't playing good enough football right now for me to truly believe they win out.



(Buy) That's probably right, but I can kind of understand the deep ball stubbornness more than these red zone issues.



(Buy) Take nothing for granted going into this weekend, but there's no getting away from the fact that they've mostly outclassed the Wildcats in this series since Tom Herman arrived in 2017.



(Buy) That's where the smart money would go.



(Sell) Make what defensive plays? What plays has he made this season that would make you hold into that hope?



(Sell) I think they absolutely hope to have him back by the Iowa State game.



(Buy) That's probably a decent overview of what should happen, even if it's not realistic to think Cook will get five touches per game at this point in his career when he has a hard time getting one.



(Buy) Yes. IF.....



(Buy) Yes, he's not being used in the red zone enough.



(Sell) No.



(Sell) No, I'm not expecting the game to be that high-scoring. 27 might do it.

No. 8 - 3 Quick Texas Volleyball Notes ...

a. The Longhorns just keep on keeping on. After dropping the first two sets against Baylor on Thursday night, the Longhorns rolled off three straight sets to beat the Bears and then won all three sets on Friday night for the series sweep. Teams in the Big 12 keep throwing their A-game at the Longhorns and the Longhorns keep dealing with it.

b. With seven Big 12 games left to play this season, the Longhorns maintain a three-game lead in the loss department over UCF and KU. Barring an outright collapse, we're probably two weeks away from the Longhorns clinching the final Big 12 title before departing for the SEC. Up next is a two-game road trip to West Virginia (2-9 in Big 12 play). Both games can be seen on ESPN+.

c. Here's a reminder of UT's record against ranked teams this season based on the latest AVCA rankings:

No. 3 Stanford (L 3-0)
No. 6 Washington State (L 3-1)
No. 8 BYU (W 3-1, W 3-1)
No. 14 Kansas (W 3-1, W 3-0)
No. 20 Baylor (W 3-2, W 3-0)
No. 22 Houston (W 3-1, W 3-0)

That's an 8-0 record against teams ranked eighth or lower and a 0-2 record against teams ranked higher than eighth.

No. 9 – Scattershooting on anything and everything …

... Nothing about KU's win over OU was an accident. If those two teams played that game 10 times, the Jayhawks probably win with their back-up quarterback six times.

... Marvin Harrison Jr. is the difference between Ohio State being in the top three or being at the bottom end of the top 25.

... If Oregon had beaten Washington, would the Ducks deserve to be No. 1 in the polls?

... Oh, no, Mack! It's getting away from the Tar Heels in October.

... It's hard watching the Cowboys be so good like they were on Sunday, only to know what is eventually coming. Yet, it was nice kicking the Rams' ass.

... The Giants stole defeat from the jaws of victory against the Jets.
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... I really don't know what the Falcons are trying to do with Bijan Robinson.

... It feels like the Rangers and Diamondbacks might be going seven. I have to admit that it's hard to watch after the Phils lost this week. It's too soon.

... Jude Bellingham is some kind of player. If only Liverpool could have closed the deal. UUUGGGHHHH!


... I don't know what you do to Marseille after their fans caused a match against Lyon to be cancelled because they attacked the team's bus, but I'm not sure a fine is enough.


... Man United is about eight tiers below Man City. That game could have been 5-0 or 6-0 fairly easily.

... This is an oldie, but this is some kind of routine.


... Movie Review in 200 Words or Less (Killers of the Flower Moon): There's another world out there where in the hands of someone else, this is a fantastic who-done-it movie. But, the who-done-it is revealed early on and what it means is that we get a long look at the done-it part of the who-done-it through the eyes of those doing the who-done-it. We're getting the POV from a wolf in sheep's clothing. It's unsettling to watch the destruction of an entire family and people. Lily Gladstone just ate up the camera when she was on screen. She is absolutely captivating. Leo is pretty fantastic and I think it's probably Bobby DeNiro's best performance in three decades. I'm not sure I thought he still had it in him. It's kind of impossible to love, even if you hugely respect it. It's like watching an R-rated snuff film. It's not a film designed for enjoyment, the way so many of Scorsese's best movies are. I'm still processing it all. I thought it was really, really good, but it's just a slooooooow burn.

... Rest in peace, Matthew Perry. You're already significantly missed. My wife is still inconsolable.

F9mLHuOXYAAVC4n


No. 10 - The List: Dwight Yoakam ...

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It's been too long since I spent a week listening to Dwight Yoakam.

That is no longer a problem and I'm guessing there won't be any objections to this list.

Discuss.

Honorable mention: It's Never Alright, Sorry You Asked, Things Change, Johnson's Love and If There Was A Way

10. Ain't That Lonely Yet

This song won Best Male Country Vocal performance at the 1994 Grammys.

9. Honky Tonk Man

A personal favorite.

8. I Sang Dixie

This was his second No. 1 hit.

7. You're The One

I love a waltz. I definitely love a Dwight waltz.

6. Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room

5. Suspicious Minds

A Dallas Night Club dancing favorite.

4. Streets of Bakersfield

It's Dwight + Buck Owens. Come on, what else do you need?

3. Guitars and Cadillacs

This is the song that made him a star.

2. A Thousand Miles From Nowhere

This song reminds me of Dallas Night Club and with it gone, this song keeps the memories alive.



1. Two Doors Down

The acoustic version of this song deserves the No. 1 spot. Full stop



I cannot believe the Marseille thing - violence in sports is a turnoff. I never even got in a fight OU weekend and now thinking it might have been a good idea is ludicrous.

I haven’t listened to dwight yoakum much but I have loaded up the top ten and will listen today - thanks
 
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I cannot believe the Marseille thing - violence in sports is a turnoff. I never even got in a fight OU weekend and now thinking it might have been a good idea is ludicrous.

I haven’t listened to dwight yoakum much but I have loaded up the top ten and will listen today - thanks
You'll listen to Two Doors Down a million times.
 
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(Buy) Yes, he's not being used in the red zone enough.

Sark threw a pass to Sanders on 4th and goal and he did his best Henry Melton vs Ohio St impersonation on a failed attempt to get into the end zone by running like a 180 LB scat back.

I'll say it. If I was an NFL team, I wouldn't touch Sanders with a 1st round pick based on the body of work he has put on film this year. I wouldn't spend a day 2 pick on him if I was grading him based on his play instead of his potential.
 
Fury looked like he gave zero shits coming in from the images I saw.
I don’t imagine he gave it much concern going in, but he “said” he had a full 12 week serious training camp and Francis just shocked him. But yeah I think he thought he could roll out of bed and having a sparring session and beat the guy. Not so much. But he’s still the lineal undefeated HW champion for a reason so going ten rounds like that and putting him down in the third while losing a razor thin decision is no joke.
 
Sark threw a pass to Sanders on 4th and goal and he did his best Henry Melton vs Ohio St impersonation on a failed attempt to get into the end zone by running like a 180 LB scat back.

I'll say it. If I was an NFL team, I wouldn't touch Sanders with a 1st round pick based on the body of work he has put on film this year. I wouldn't spend a day 2 pick on him if I was grading him based on his play instead of his potential.
Sark historically doesn't use the TE Incredibly well.
 
I don’t imagine he gave it much concern going in, but he “said” he had a full 12 week serious training camp and Francis just shocked him. But yeah I think he thought he could roll out of bed and having a sparring session and beat the guy. Not so much. But he’s still the lineal undefeated HW champion for a reason so going ten rounds like that and putting him down in the third while losing a razor thin decision is no joke.
I think everything he said after the fight was about trying to sell the next one.
 
I think everything he said after the fight was about trying to sell the next one.
Key word being after the fight. He didn’t plan to get embarrassed to stage it.
 
good leaders put the heat on themselves

.
Good leaders really truly examine themselves honestly and tend to be their own worst critic, regardless of contrived answers at press conferences and saying what they think people might want to hear.
 
You keep harping on this, and it’s not necessarily the root of the problem. The issue in the red zone isn’t all on the inside OL. The defenses are stacking the box, daring Sark to run it inside and he keeps doing it. You can have three 400 lb mauling OL in there and you still won’t move 6-7 DL/LB defenders.

This is not just an OL problem. It’s a scheme problem. When the defense stacks the box, use the speed of your skill players and go outside, or play action and throw anywhere in the end zone.

Pretty simple really.
My 340 guy should move their 300 pound guy if he is better. Players have to do a better job. I hate them but everyone knows what the Eagles are doing and they still cant stop them. I would love to see the ball go to the TE more but I am not a fan of the fade. Its not just running it up the middle they give pressure up the middle on pass plays. IF they put Red in throw with him or hand it off. But it all starts with blocking.
 
That Olga Korbut routine can’t be good for the body, longterm.

It’s not like that was her only time doing it. Probably ran it in practice dozens of times.

PAINFUL.
 
Wait a damn minute now @Ketchum but…..

Did you just publish a got damn Dwight Yoakam lost that didn’t even have Fast As You or Little Ways listed as honorable mentions?

AND

In what universe is Ain’t That Lonely Yet not in his Top 5 if not Top 3?

Kidding aside (sort of) it’s a solid list but Suspicious Minds will always my DY #1.
 
Hard to believe how much my confidence has shaken about this team. The OU game would have been manageable to get over- call it a bad game for Texas or OU playing with pride after the last year result (or both) but the Houston game was very concerning (particularly defensively) and while the play was better for BYU I also attribute to BYU offense being that bad. I feel like PK doesn’t always adjust mid game (sounds familiar?)

I think Texas will need to win the turnover battle pretty substantially (like a 2-0 or 3-1 kind of advantage) to pull this game out. Also, I admit to being spoiled by the Ewers efficiency and ball protection. Hope Murphy can play a great game next Saturday.
 
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With a month to go in the regular season, the Big 12 is getting a little crazy.

All it took was for Oklahoma to reveal itself to be the team we thought the Longhorns would be playing in the Cotton Bowl a few weeks ago and the league is suddenly a free-for-all.

Five teams sit atop the conference with a 4-1 record and four of them will play each other on Saturday.

Bedlam, indeed.

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As it relates to the Longhorns, it's not out of line to call Saturday's game against Kansas State a critical contest. If the Longhorns want to make the Big 12 Championship game, they simply can't lose to Kansas State because a loss would mean that the Longhorns would be in a tie-breaker disadvantage against two of the four teams they’re fighting against to make the title game.

It wouldn't be a death blow, but it could be close, considering what would be left on the schedule for all of the teams involved following this weekend.

Meanwhile, what a difference a week has made for the Sooners. Forty-eight hours ago, the Sooners were thinking about making the playoffs and now they are in a position where they will be playing for their Big 12 Championship game lives in Stillwater against a Mike Gundy team that has won four in a row.

We all know that Brett Yormark would desperately love to see the Longhorns and Sooners shut out of the title game and the Wildcats and Cowboys have a chance to give him an early Christmas gift by 6 p.m. on Saturday. Can you imagine how good the wine will taste on Saturday night if the Longhorns and Sooners are tied for fourth place at 4-2?

In that situation the Longhorns would be in fifth place because of the loss to the Sooners at the beginning of the month. As good as this season has been through eight games (first 7-1 start since 2009), the feel-goods will vanish quickly if the Longhorns end up boxed out of the Big 12 title game.

It's a lot of responsibility for Maalik Murphy as he prepares for his second start. Hell, it's a lot of responsibility for everyone in the program, from Steve Sarkisian to Jaylan Ford to Jaydon Blue. This is a must-win week.

My mantra for this season called for the Longhorns to be better in October than they were in September and better in November than in October. I can't say that the Longhorns finished the month of October as an improved team from September. We can't find ourselves asking this question at Thanksgiving.

It's time for the best version of the Longhorns to emerge. If the Longhorns don’t achieve that, the first eight weeks of this season could all be for nothing.

No. 2 - The remaining schedules ...

(Remaining Schedules for the top 5 in the Big 12)

Iowa State: vs. Kansas, at BYU, vs. Texas and at KSU

Kansas State: at Texas, vs. Baylor, at Kansas, vs. Iowa State

Oklahoma: at Oklahoma State, vs. West Virginia, at BYU and vs. TCU

Oklahoma State: vs. Oklahoma, at Central Florida, at Houston and vs. BYU

Texas: vs. Kansas State, at TCU, at Iowa State, vs. Texas Tech

It's hard to know what to expect when you look at what remains for all five teams, but the two Oklahoma teams have the easiest remaining schedules following the upcoming weekend.

The Longhorns are going to have to navigate a tricky next three weeks. All three games will see Texas enter the action as favorites, but none of the games are sure things if the Longhorns don't bring at least a B+ level of football.

If they win out, they'll be in the Big 12 title game. If they lose even once, all bets are off.

No. 3 - Sark Should Give Up Play-calling? ...

Man, if you want to go down a rabbit hole for 10 minutes, go do a search of "Sark play calling" on the site formally known as Twitter.

It's something else.

370207129_301605032761092_1014381664986827840_n.jpg


It just goes on and on and on...

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Several thoughts ...

a. I feel like it'll be over Sark's dead body before he ever admits that his play-calling is an issue holding this team back and gives up control of his offense to someone else.

b. Sark was hired largely for his play-calling. His reputation across the country is that he's one of the best play-callers in the country. As recent as a couple of weeks ago, opposing coaches were saying things like this in TheAthletic.com:

“Sark is the best play caller I’ve ever faced," one Big 12 coach said. "He hardly had any tendencies going in, and if he did, he broke them during our game. He really keeps you off balance. They have a great chance to make a deep run.”

c. For the record, of course, I believe that Sarkisian should remain the play-caller. Taking play-calling away from him is literally not something I have ever once considered. I think it’s crazy talk. Who are you hiring that is better?

d. He needs to do a better job the rest of this season. While everyone seems focused on the red zone offense, I'm more concerned about the fact that the Longhorns have gone into an offensive funk in the last two games once Texas comes off of the opening-game script.

After going up 21-0 against Houston in the second quarter, the Longhorns went 37:12 of real game time without scoring a single touchdown.

On Saturday, the Longhorns scored a single touchdown in 40:03 of actual game time once they went up 14-0 with 4:10 left in the first quarter.

The Longhorns were able to get away with that against the likes of Houston and BYU, but that kind of meek production on the offensive side of the ball might get Texas beat in the coming weeks.

It's time for him to be at his best. His team dearly needs it from him.

No. 4 - More Texas/BYU randomness ...

... It's kind of strange that the Longhorns won the game by 29 points and had fewer first downs, passing yards and total snaps on offense, while also being outperformed in the red zone (2 of 5 vs 2 of 3).

... Here's a look at Byron Murphy's last four games:

vs. KU: 3 tackles, 1 solo, 0 TFL and 0 sacks, 0 QBH
vs. OU: 1 tackle, 1 solo, 0 TFL and 0 sacks, 0 QBH
at Houston: 2 tackles, 1 solo, 1 TFL and 0 sacks, 0 QBH
vs. BYU: 0 tackle, 0 solo, 0 TFL and 0 sacks, 3 QBH

... Running backs YPC through 8 games:

Keilan Robinson: 6.8
Jonathon Brooks: 6.4
Jaydon Blue: 5.8
CJ Baxter: 4.1
Savion Red: 3.4

a. Maybe Blue should be getting some of Baxter's reps.
b. Maybe just give Brooks the ball instead of Red in the red zone and in short yardage.

... Have a look at Jonathon Brooks' NCAA rankings...

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... I don't really understand the complete lack of playing time for Johntay Cook at this point. It's not like putting him on the field is going to risk disrupting a well-oiled offensive machine. He's going to need to be a huge piece of the offense next season and I'm not sure how ready he's going to be for the task at this point.

... Is the injury to Quinn Ewers going to cost Ja'Tavion Sanders the chance to break all of the Texas tight ends records this season? Maaaaaybe.

No. 5 - Thoughts on the Final Four Opponents ...

Kansas State: The Wildcats have won their last three games by a combined score of 120-24. Whatever this team is, the Longhorns will be seeing it in its best form. Will the Wildcats play a two-quarterback system this week? They didn't do much of it in the win over Houston. Over on the other side of the ball, the Wildcats held Donovan Smith to 88 yards passing.

TCU: Is Chandler Morris going to be back in two weeks or will it be Josh Hoover? Will it even matter?

Iowa State: I don't have any idea what we should make of the Cyclones, but I'm thinking the Longhorns need Ewers to be back for the game in Ames in a few weeks.

Texas Tech: Tech has to win three of its last four games if it wants to qualify for a bowl game. Getting two of the next three against TCU at home, Kansas on the road and UCF at home might be the difference between them even bothering in the season-finale or not.

No. 6 - If I had a vote that mattered ...

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Washington
5. Florida State
6. Oregon
7. Texas
8. Alabama
9. Oklahoma
10. Penn State

(Heisman Trophy)

1. Michael Penix - QB - Washington
2. Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR - Ohio State
3. Malik Nabers - WR - LSU

No. 7 – BUY or SELL …

giphy.gif




(Buy) Texas isn't playing good enough football right now for me to truly believe they win out.



(Buy) That's probably right, but I can kind of understand the deep ball stubbornness more than these red zone issues.



(Buy) Take nothing for granted going into this weekend, but there's no getting away from the fact that they've mostly outclassed the Wildcats in this series since Tom Herman arrived in 2017.



(Buy) That's where the smart money would go.



(Sell) Make what defensive plays? What plays has he made this season that would make you hold into that hope?



(Sell) I think they absolutely hope to have him back by the Iowa State game.



(Buy) That's probably a decent overview of what should happen, even if it's not realistic to think Cook will get five touches per game at this point in his career when he has a hard time getting one.



(Buy) Yes. IF.....



(Buy) Yes, he's not being used in the red zone enough.



(Sell) No.



(Sell) No, I'm not expecting the game to be that high-scoring. 27 might do it.

No. 8 - 3 Quick Texas Volleyball Notes ...

a. The Longhorns just keep on keeping on. After dropping the first two sets against Baylor on Thursday night, the Longhorns rolled off three straight sets to beat the Bears and then won all three sets on Friday night for the series sweep. Teams in the Big 12 keep throwing their A-game at the Longhorns and the Longhorns keep dealing with it.

b. With seven Big 12 games left to play this season, the Longhorns maintain a three-game lead in the loss department over UCF and KU. Barring an outright collapse, we're probably two weeks away from the Longhorns clinching the final Big 12 title before departing for the SEC. Up next is a two-game road trip to West Virginia (2-9 in Big 12 play). Both games can be seen on ESPN+.

c. Here's a reminder of UT's record against ranked teams this season based on the latest AVCA rankings:

No. 3 Stanford (L 3-0)
No. 6 Washington State (L 3-1)
No. 8 BYU (W 3-1, W 3-1)
No. 14 Kansas (W 3-1, W 3-0)
No. 20 Baylor (W 3-2, W 3-0)
No. 22 Houston (W 3-1, W 3-0)

That's an 8-0 record against teams ranked eighth or lower and a 0-2 record against teams ranked higher than eighth.

No. 9 – Scattershooting on anything and everything …

... Nothing about KU's win over OU was an accident. If those two teams played that game 10 times, the Jayhawks probably win with their back-up quarterback six times.

... Marvin Harrison Jr. is the difference between Ohio State being in the top three or being at the bottom end of the top 25.

... If Oregon had beaten Washington, would the Ducks deserve to be No. 1 in the polls?

... Oh, no, Mack! It's getting away from the Tar Heels in October.

... It's hard watching the Cowboys be so good like they were on Sunday, only to know what is eventually coming. Yet, it was nice kicking the Rams' ass.

... The Giants stole defeat from the jaws of victory against the Jets.
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... I really don't know what the Falcons are trying to do with Bijan Robinson.

... It feels like the Rangers and Diamondbacks might be going seven. I have to admit that it's hard to watch after the Phils lost this week. It's too soon.

... Jude Bellingham is some kind of player. If only Liverpool could have closed the deal. UUUGGGHHHH!


... I don't know what you do to Marseille after their fans caused a match against Lyon to be cancelled because they attacked the team's bus, but I'm not sure a fine is enough.


... Man United is about eight tiers below Man City. That game could have been 5-0 or 6-0 fairly easily.

... This is an oldie, but this is some kind of routine.


... Movie Review in 200 Words or Less (Killers of the Flower Moon): There's another world out there where in the hands of someone else, this is a fantastic who-done-it movie. But, the who-done-it is revealed early on and what it means is that we get a long look at the done-it part of the who-done-it through the eyes of those doing the who-done-it. We're getting the POV from a wolf in sheep's clothing. It's unsettling to watch the destruction of an entire family and people. Lily Gladstone just ate up the camera when she was on screen. She is absolutely captivating. Leo is pretty fantastic and I think it's probably Bobby DeNiro's best performance in three decades. I'm not sure I thought he still had it in him. It's kind of impossible to love, even if you hugely respect it. It's like watching an R-rated snuff film. It's not a film designed for enjoyment, the way so many of Scorsese's best movies are. I'm still processing it all. I thought it was really, really good, but it's just a slooooooow burn.

... Rest in peace, Matthew Perry. You're already significantly missed. My wife is still inconsolable.

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No. 10 - The List: Dwight Yoakam ...

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It's been too long since I spent a week listening to Dwight Yoakam.

That is no longer a problem and I'm guessing there won't be any objections to this list.

Discuss.

Honorable mention: It's Never Alright, Sorry You Asked, Things Change, Johnson's Love and If There Was A Way

10. Ain't That Lonely Yet

This song won Best Male Country Vocal performance at the 1994 Grammys.

9. Honky Tonk Man

A personal favorite.

8. I Sang Dixie

This was his second No. 1 hit.

7. You're The One

I love a waltz. I definitely love a Dwight waltz.

6. Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room

5. Suspicious Minds

A Dallas Night Club dancing favorite.

4. Streets of Bakersfield

It's Dwight + Buck Owens. Come on, what else do you need?

3. Guitars and Cadillacs

This is the song that made him a star.

2. A Thousand Miles From Nowhere

This song reminds me of Dallas Night Club and with it gone, this song keeps the memories alive.



1. Two Doors Down

The acoustic version of this song deserves the No. 1 spot. Full stop


Is the WI guy we hired helping our offense at all? Already forgot his name.

I wasn’t a big fan of Friends. Todays news on Perry passing away was kinda difficult to read. I watched a bunch of clips from the tv show and he was genuinely the funniest of the six characters. Sad.

I think the team gets up for this game against KSt. Personally hoping we win out the next 3 and then go buy some tix to the TT game.
 
Sark threw a pass to Sanders on 4th and goal and he did his best Henry Melton vs Ohio St impersonation on a failed attempt to get into the end zone by running like a 180 LB scat back.

I'll say it. If I was an NFL team, I wouldn't touch Sanders with a 1st round pick based on the body of work he has put on film this year. I wouldn't spend a day 2 pick on him if I was grading him based on his play instead of his potential.
But that’s not how NFL scouts evaluate. If it was, Jermichael Finley probably wouldn’t have been drafted at all.
 
Hard to believe how much my confidence has shaken about this team. The OU game would have been manageable to get over- call it a bad game for Texas or OU playing with pride after the last year result (or both) but the Houston game was very concerning (particularly defensively) and while the play was better for BYU I also attribute to BYU offense being that bad. I feel like PK doesn’t always adjust mid game (sounds familiar?)

I think Texas will need to win the turnover battle pretty substantially (like a 2-0 or 3-1 kind of advantage) to pull this game out. Also, I admit to being spoiled by the Ewers efficiency and ball protection. Hope Murphy can play a great game next Saturday.
You’d think we were playing Georgia given your comments. As long as we don’t lose the turnover battle, we win this game.
 
That ain't true.

That ain't true.
Quick question. Who is better Swoopes or Murphy? I think we see a diffrent game plan this week or I hope we do. Lots of running game and moving formations. If we get turnovers and pressure the QB we should be ok. If not it will be a long day. Dont be scared to take the points.
 
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Reactions: Walt Longmire
My 340 guy should move their 300 pound guy if he is better. Players have to do a better job. I hate them but everyone knows what the Eagles are doing and they still cant stop them. I would love to see the ball go to the TE more but I am not a fan of the fade. Its not just running it up the middle they give pressure up the middle on pass plays. IF they put Red in throw with him or hand it off. But it all starts with blocking.
The Eagles are an anomaly, and this isn’t the NFL.

I’m sorry, but your 340 guy ain’t moving two 250-280 defenders that are quicker than him, especially in college.
 
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