These are things I think going into one of the biggest games on the schedule at the Cotton Bowl this weekend ...
* On a day when the Texas football team received a subpar offensive passing game performance, a pretty run of the mill defensive performance and was generally sloppier than it had been at any other point this season, Steve Sarkisian's team still went on the road to Ft. Worth and won a game that it clearly deserved to win. That's not insignificant.
* Contrary to what a lot of folks in burnt orange might want to think, Oklahoma looked very good to these eyes in an impressive road performance in Manhattan, a performance that had the Sooners ahead 34-17 in the fourth quarter with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game. Spencer Rattler and the Oklahoma offense looked like a version of the unit it is supposed to be. As a team, OU faced adversity and emerged from the fire better for it. It was exactly the performance the OU coaching staff would have dreamed up if given a chance.
* Texas has the better offense coming into this game for the first time since perhaps 2009, mainly because it has the best player on the field on its offense with Bijan Robinson. Even if you wanted to give Oklahoma small advantages at quarterback and wide receiver coming into the game, the presence of Robinson in the Texas offensive backfield gives the Longhorns the ace of spades in the conversation between these two teams. The Texas rushing offense is averaging a league-best 268.6 yards per game as it approaches the midway point in the season.
* Oklahoma has the better defense coming into this game, primarily because it stops the run better than anyone in the Big 12, as it has limited opposing teams to 79.4 yards per game and only 2.6 yards per carry. Meanwhile, the Texas defense is allowing 172.4 yards per game and 4.7 yards per carry.
* Both of these teams can find some big plays against the other in the passing game.
If you add all of that up, it's hard to ignore the incredible importance of the looming strength vs. strength battle between the Texas run game and the Oklahoma run defense.
It puts the Texas offensive line at the forefront of the conversation. This group has its flaws but has still managed to allow Texas to lead the Big 12 in total offense, rushing offense and scoring.
Arkansas dominated this group in September, but the unit has been more good than bad by a significant margin in each of the last three weeks.
Of course, when you have Robinson carrying the football, the effectiveness of the Texas offensive line doesn't always need to be dominant, as much as it needs to not be a total negative. If the line can just do a solid job, Robinson (and the rest of the Texas running back room) can do the rest.
How much do you believe in the Texas offensive line, its tight ends and its stable of running backs to show up and be the best in the Big 12 at running the football when the team on the other side of the ball is Oklahoma?
It's the match-up that has a chance to define the outcome of this game.
No. 2 - The stakes of this game ...
A win in this game will put the Longhorns in the driver's seat for qualifying for the Big 12 Championship game going into a suddenly super important game against Oklahoma State in Austin next week.
A win means that when Arch Manning comes to town, the game he'll be watching will be a borderline top-10 Oklahoma State taking on what could be a borderline top-10ish type of team in the Longhorns. A win means that next week's game will arguably be the most important in college football in week seven, with only Georgia hosting Kentucky challenging its potential significance.
A victory gives Sarkisian a signature win that the biggest of big-name recruits will be paying significant attention to. With Texas A&M close to falling off the map, it's a chance for the Longhorns to put a marker down in the Sarkisian era that will accomplish the thing that recruits so dearly want to see Texas do, which is justify the talk with big actions.
A loss means that the Longhorns fall into a pit of teams inside the Big 12 with one loss, with the second spot in the race to make the Big 12 Championship game turning into a bit of a free for all each week, starting with a suddenly very critical game the following week against Oklahoma State.
A loss means that when Arch Manning comes to town, the Longhorns will be unranked and few nationally will have eyes turned towards this game.
A loss means that Sarkisian would likely miss a chance to grab the type of signature win that can hugely impact recruiting. It would remain to be seen whether another such opportunity will occur before the monsters left in the 2022 recruiting class start making final decisions.
There's a lot on the line.
No. 3 - Let's just talk about the quarterback stuff ...
I'm not overly concerned about the stinker from Saturday from Casey Thompson, mainly because of the poise he constantly displays, even when he's in a bit of a struggle.
There's no need to make too much out of his not seeing TCU linebackers a couple of times at this point, but it's a seed that will be planted in our minds moving forward. It might have been a one-off or it might be the kind of thing that he simply has to clean up in his continued development, but until he does ... occasional turnovers will occur.
Also, his ability to make plays with his feet was so important throughout the game that it makes it impossible to not remember that Hudson Card was a bit of a hesitant runner when he was the starter. Two or three times a game, Thompson's ability to convert third-down situations because of his wheels makes for a pretty critical piece of the offense.
Teams are getting more film of Thompson and are making some adjustments, which means he has to adjust a little moving forward. It's something that all inexperienced quarterbacks have to go through. My worry for him on a 1-10 scale going into the Oklahoma game is probably at a 2 or 3. I believe Thompson will be just fine.
Meanwhile, the situation with Texas backup quarterback Hudson Card has become curious.
One week after Sark saying that he wouldn't look to protect Card's redshirt status by potentially taking him off of holder duties on special teams, Card was off of holder duties against TCU, presumably to potentially protect Card's redshirt status (he's at the limit of four games played this season).
What does this mean? What happens if Thompson takes a shot to the ribs next week and needs a one-play break to catch his breath? Would Charles Wright come on at that point? Will Card not take snaps if the Longhorns make a switch at quarterback in the fourth quarter?
What exactly are the parameters to Card's usage for the rest of the season?
I'm sure it's something that Sarkisian will be asked about on Monday and I'm fascinated by his framing of an answer.
No. 4 - Is Anthony Cook this team's defensive MVP ...
I've mentioned this before, but when Jordan Whittington mentioned Anthony Cook as the standout defensive back for the Longhorns through the early stages of August practices, part of me wondered if he was just hooking up his boy with a public shoutout.
Honestly, as he kept showing up as a name that was earning a starting job in the Texas defense, I'm not sure when I totally believed that he was going to be someone that could be counted on.
Part of me didn't think he'd last the season in that starting nickel spot.
It might have been the Arkansas game when I realized that among all the players having bad nights in Fayetteville, he wasn't among them. One-time monster recruit Anthony Cook and one-time completely dismissed as a viable cornerback Anthony Cook were once the same exact person, but no one is dismissing him as non-viable anymore.
What a player he's been all season. At the risk of jinxing him going into the OU game, he's been airtight in his coverage responsibilities all season. On Saturday against TCU, he was a game-changer.
He'd be on any mid-season All-Big 12 list I'd put together at this point.
No. 5 - Giving Kyle Flood some love ...
After calling him out a few weeks ago for a number of areas of needed improvement, Texas offensive line coach Kyle Flood deserves some credit for getting better play from his unit over the course of the last few weeks after a very rocky early season.
There is still some proper apprehension when it comes to the trust that unit deserves to receive, but there's no doubt that the line is playing better, mostly with the same exact group of players that had previously been so poor.
Flood has to get some credit for that. Attaboy.
Going into this week, the loss of Denzel Okafor and the corresponding moves of Derek Kerstetter to left guard and Andrej Karic to right tackle might turn out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. It feels like this is the move he felt most comfortable making and you have to cross your fingers in hoping he isn't asked to make another change in the line-up because I'm not sure it will include a player he completely trusts.
No. 6 - More randomness with a day to chew on things ...
... Texas is averaging almost six points per game more than Oklahoma coming into this game. It's been a long damn time since that happened. Of course, the Texas defense is averaging 5 points more scored against it than Oklahoma.
... This has a chance to be a game that puts Bijan Robinson into the Heisman conversation. He's not there yet, but he's knocking on the door.
... It feels like Texas needs more out of the player starting in Luke Brockermeyer's linebacker position. He's a perfectly fine player, but he's not making enough of an impact from week to week. Frankly, it's a problem that Brockermeyer and DeMarvion Overshown have combined for only five tackles for loss as a tandem all season.
... If Texas is going to win this weekend, it feels like it needs a monster game from Overshown.
... Even more problematic about the Texas defense is that no player through five games has more than three tackles for loss and only one player has recorded more than one sack all season. There just aren't enough plays being made.
... Casey Thompson is completing 11-percent more of his passes than Sam Ehlinger did a year ago.
... It's kind of surprising that Bijan Robinson is averaging only two receptions per game. I'd want to double that if I was Sarkisian.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) At this point, no, I don't expect him to play.
(Sell) That performance against Nebraska felt like Goliath being taken down, which is not what TCU is.
(Sell) If the Longhorns put that performance in from yesterday on the field again this season, a team receiving better quarterback play can put an L on it.
(Sell) Not unless Texas wins the Big 12.
(Buy) The Aggies can still make a big impact from Saturday's game against Alabama as long as they don't get run off the field.
(Sell) Not yet on the win total, but maybe on making the Big 12 Championship Game.
(Buy) Of course, there's a trick play or wrinkle that he hasn't debuted yet. Same for OU.
(Buy) His current pace has him as 1,560 yards over 12 games.
(Sell) Texas currently has the Big 12's leader in passing efficiency.
(Buy) He didn't ham it up enough for my taste.
(Buy) X will mark the spot.
(Buy) It's not a very good defense at this stage of the season. It's ok.
(Buy) Yeah, I would have expected a double-digit win.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on the sports weekend ...
... Anyone still have any doubts about Georgia after it pistol-whipped Arkansas?
... Oregon absolutely stole defeat from the jaws of victory at Stanford. I still can't quite fathom how they gave that game away.
... Brian Kelly losing to Cincinnati at home is all kinds of ironically humorous.
... lol. @ Aggie
... Trevon Diggs is having some kind of first quarter of the NFL season. That man carried himself on Hard Knocks like he was a damn star on that team and he is backing that confidence up. He's been the best defensive player in the NFL through four games.
... Caden Sterns made more plays against Baltimore Sunday for Denver than he did in all of the 2020 season combined. TWO SACKS!
... I don't know what to make of Kliff Kingsbury possibly having the best team in the NFC.
... What is the purpose of the 2021 Houston Texans season?
... Ben Simmons is basically Nate from Ted Lasso. He's a scared little boy, who is controlled by his insecurities. Hence ... letting Kendall Jenner walk all over him. Hence ... not shooting in games. Hence ... running away from the city of Philadelphia at all costs.
... Bryce Harper for MVP.
... Premier League Thoughts From The Weekend Because I'm Trying To Force Soccer Down Your Throat: Mohamed Salah deserved to walk out of Anfield with a game-winning goal, but Man City and Liverpool sharing the points on the day was probably fair. That was the football everyone else in the league wishes they played. Manchester United is Manchester United in the sense that it is the same team now that it has been for the last few years, Ronaldo or not. Man, Watford didn't waste much time. Leicester looks like a team that will finish outside of Europe this season.
No. 9 - Top 10 Most talented UT Running Backs Since 1984 ...
Bijan or Ced?
If you were building a team from scratch, who would you take? When I asked the question on Twitter this weekend, more than 50 percent of the responses were in favor of Bijan.
Is this recency bias? Have folks forgotten what a workhorse and what a winner Cedric Benson was? Have they forgotten that he was the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft?
Or is this just about Bijan being a freak and unlike any running back we've ever seen in burnt orange?
After thinking about it all weekend, here's a look at my Top 10 Texas running backs, based on talent more than created legacies. I'm admitting in advance that I have Bijan-mania.
10. Erick Hardeman
9. Selvin Young
8. Hodges Mitchell
7. Ramonce Taylor
6. Priest Holmes
5. Eric Metcalf
4. Cedric Benson
3. Jamaal Charles
2. Bijan Robinson
1. Ricky Williams
No. 10 - And Finally ...
It's all there for the taking this week if you're the Longhorns. They just have to take it.
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