48-10
50-7
31-9
Don't look away from it. Don't pretend it doesn't exist. Don't pretend that it exists, but doesn't matter.
Over the course of the last three years, TCU has beaten your Texas Longhorns by a combined score of 129-26. No, TCU doesn't have anywhere near the history of the Texas program. Historically, it's a one-sided series in favor of the Longhorns.
However ...
*Coughs*
However ... over the last three years, all of which represent the Charlie Strong Era ... Gary Patterson has been UT's daddy.
D-A-D-D-Y.
The games have been so lopsided that I'm not sure the 103-point differential actually tells the full story of the dominance that has taken place. It makes what happens on Saturday night in Fort Worth critically important because as competitive as this team has been in games against USC, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (with all due respect to those programs), this has been the Big 12 match-up that has defined this program recently upon Herman's arrival.
Don't tell me that last year doesn't matter. Don't tell me that revenge doesn't matter.
If there's a game on the schedule where the Longhorns need to prove more than any other that the past is dead and a new tomorrow has arrived, it's the one scheduled for this weekend.
It's time for the "Gary Patterson is daddy"| stuff to come to an end.
I don't care what any of you say. There's business that needs to be tended to this weekend.
No. 2 – The elephant in the room ...
It's almost certainly going to be Shane Buechele's show this weekend against the Horned Frogs, as true freshman Sam Ehlinger continues to recover from a concussion.
In general, I've become a big fan of taking a conservative approach towards bringing players back from concussions. Whatever the minimum amount of time is required for a player to sit on the sideline until he is cleared for full football activities, I'm in favor of doubling it.
We're not talking about an ankle sprain that you can give a shot of playing on if it's at 75 percent with some extra tape and a needle. It's critical that these situations be handled correctly, which is why extreme caution should always be the approach. When you consider that Ehlinger wasn't cleared last week, it makes sense to give him more than the minimum amount of time suggested for recovery. Same for Zach Shackleford.
I don't care if they participated today or not.
What I'm saying is that this might end up being a situation that is measured in weeks and not days, especially when you consider the seriousness with which Tom Herman seems to take the subject.
Add in the fact that this team probably needs to build off of a little offensive momentum from Saturday and the fact that I'm just not sure this game in Fort Worth is the game you want to insert Ehlinger back into the fray, it just makes sense that Buechele will start, even if Herman sandbags the conversation into the end of the week.
In Buechele, this team must trust this week.
No. 3 – The offensive approach in Fort Worth ...
Twenty-four hours after the Longhorns moved to 4-4, the thing that still stands out in my mind is that for one of only a few times this season, I felt like the offensive coaching staff implemented a game-plan that fit its personnel throughout the entire game.
Specifically, I thought the coaches did a great job of using Buechele in a way that fits his developed skill set very well. Time and time again, the coaches got the ball out of Buechele's hands quickly with the short passing game, even working in some slants across the middle of the field. With the Baylor defense determined to keep the Longhorn passing game in front of it, it practically begged the Longhorns to do the very things in the passing game that UT wanted to do.
My guess is that TCU won't play so soft against the Texas receivers this week, which could force the Longhorns into a bit of a plan B if the Horned Frogs decide to sit on all of the short, pre-determined throws in a way that warrants switching up tactics.
The book on Buechele is that he struggles with play concepts that require him to read the defense once his first read is taken away from him. It's really that simple. The game just hasn't slowed down for him yet, in part because he's being asked to do things in the passing game that he's still soaking in.
I'm fascinated by this weekend's game because it could give us the best evaluation opportunity of the sophomore quarterback that we've had all season, which isn't the best thing in the world when you're entering week nine, but it's the hand he and the team have been dealt this season.
TCU is going to make Buechele uncomfortable, make no mistake about that. Gary Patterson will push Buechele out of his comfort zone.
How he responds to the challenge will be paramount to the team's chances of having a shot in the fourth quarter to win this game.
No. 4 - What's good for the goose ...
A popular narrative over the weekend was that because the offense finally played well this weekend against a bad defense, it meant that THIS was the week that Tom Herman finally got seriously involved.
Not against USC.
Not against Oklahoma.
Not against Oklahoma State.
But Baylor.
Forgive me, but you can still think Tim Beck isn't the right offensive coordinator for this program and still acknowledge that the offense did good things behind his direction on Saturday afternoon.
What I won't allow is for Beck to be slotted into a spot where he gets ALL the blame when things go bad and NONE of the credit when things go good.
Let's not be intellectually dishonest about this, folks. It's okay to be fair.
No. 5 – The greatness of Derrick Johnson ...
It's been 13 years since Derrick Johnson last suited up for the Longhorns and yet his impact and legacy as the greatest linebacker of the modern era of Texas football casts a large shadow for all other linebackers that follow in his footsteps.
With Malik Jefferson playing at a very high level, I thought we'd compare his numbers against those Johnson posted in his Butkus-winning season in 2004.
Johnson (12 games): 130 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 10 quarterback hits and NINE forced fumbles
Jefferson (projected 12 game numbers): 114 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 0 INT, 6 quarterback hits and zero forced fumbles.
Jefferson's numbers actually hold up pretty well to Johnson, but there's a next step that he still needs to take from a making game-changing plays standpoint that is keeping him from that last level.
Derrick Johnson had the glow. Malik Jefferson isn't quite there ... yet.
No. 6 - While we're comparing current players to all-time greats ...
Let's compare DeShon Elliott's numbers against Earl Thomas' productivity from Thomas’ monster 2009 season, arguably the greatest season any Texas defensive back has ever had.
Thomas (14 games): 77 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 8 interceptions, 16 pass break-ups and one forced fumble.
Elliott (projected 12 game numbers): 60 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 9 interceptions, 5 pass break-ups and 3 forced fumbles
Let's appreciate the season that Elliott is having. Clearly, it's borderline special.
No. 7 – Buy or Sell …
BUY or SELL: Holton Hill, DeShon Elliott and Malik Jefferson all declare early?
(Sell) I think Holton and DeShon are fringe second-day prospects at this point, which makes it a tougher decision than for Malik, who I believe will have first-round whispers in his ear, whether he ends up in that territory or not. It's still probably a little too early to feel strongly one way or another.
BUY or SELL: 3-1 finish down the stretch, bowl game and top-5 finish in recruiting?
(Buy) I've said all year that this team would finish strongly in November and I'm not backing down now as the schedule begins to present lower hurdles. The top five thing in recruiting is probably going to be close, but Anthony Cook will help a lot..
BUY or SELL: Shane Buechele should be the starter at QB due to his ability to throw the ball more accurately than Sam.
(Sell) I think he should start this week, but I believe that Ehlinger's long-term upside and ability to create more off-schedule plays gives him the edge if all things are equal, which they really have been for most of the season.
BUY or SELL: The Big 12 championship will hurt more than help causing the conference to once again miss out on the college football playoff?
(Buy) You can see it coming from a mile away, can't you?
BUY or SELL: This staff has an “eye for talent” problem as proven by their correcting personnel issues too slowly?
(Sell) It didn't have an "eye for talent" problem with Derek Kerstetter, Daniel Young, Toneil Carter and Cade Brewer all playing key roles as players recruited by this staff, three of which arrived with three-star ratings. Also, given the circumstances, I'm less worried about it taking some time in year one to figure it out than I would be if they never figured it out. This won't be an issue in 2018.
BUY or SELL: We see no offensive coach changes for Herman views this season as a mulligan/bad luck with injuries?
(Buy) Nothing has changed with my stance on this issue. #RideorDieCrew
BUY or SELL: The short fuses, temper tantrums, and general angst of some Orangebloods posters regarding the performance of the Texas football team and its coaches is in part driven by the anonymity and impatience of all things Internet?
(Sell) Let's not pretend that short fuses, temper tantrums and angst is limited to the Internet.
BUY or SELL: The majority of the personnel on offense has either regressed or stayed the same since last year.
(Buy) Players that I believe have definitely improved on that side of the ball: Reggie Hemphill-Mapps and Patrick Vahe. That's it.
BUY or SELL: Herman convinces both QBs that two minimum are needed to play next season. So, neither transfers?
(Push) The next few weeks are going to matter significantly in defining what happens after the season.
No. 8 – If I had a vote that mattered ...
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Wisconsin
4. Oklahoma
5. Ohio State
6. Clemson
7. Penn State
8. Notre Dame
9. TCU
10. Oklahoma State
No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
* J.T. Barrett is and has been one hell of a college quarterback. This kid would have changed UT's fortune had the Longhorns gone all-in after him and won him over in recruiting.
* The biggest Texas de-commitment of the last half-decade might have been the loss of current Notre Dame starting tight end Durham Smythe. He's EXACTLY what this offense is missing at that position.
* If Matt Campbell isn't Big 12 Coach of the Year, the award should never be handed out again.
* I keep waiting for the trap door to hit Georgia's championship dreams, but that team is playing a terrific brand of football. Color me impressed.
* Oh, to have been a fly on the wall anywhere near Major Applewhite on Saturday night ...
* DeShaun Watson is the truth. Man, he was good today.
* The Cowboys played one of its best games of the season today and tomorrow a completely different team might exist...
* Good grief, the NFL sends garbage football to London every single time.
* I hate that the Eagles are good.
* Photo of the Weekend:
* What the hell is a Girona and how did the best team in the world lose to it this week?
No. 10 – And Finally…
Saw Tom Cruise's new movie American Made over the weekend and I have to say, it was a solid A- for me. Very quietly, Mr. Top Gun keeps cranking out quality movies. This one will be very re-watchable in future years.
