Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (Reality Checks)

[Ketchum]

Only what I have seen on here. How does this connect?

a. He's commenting on it.
b. He believes Drake stole from him.

 

[Ketchum]

I hate to say it - but it seems like we need like 5-6 absolute impact players for next year to be able to make a serious run - not sure I see it

1-2 wideouts
Running back
Two offensive lineman
Defensive tackle

If this season is an indication of its importance, I totally agree.

 

[Ketchum]

It’s been 5 years since we’ve fired a coordinator so it’s understandable that a lot of people are getting the itch. We were used to firing them all the time.

That's funny.

 

[Ketchum]

All this progress and we of all places cant get any billionaires on board?

Stunningly crazy.

 

[Ketchum]

Not gonna lie I was looking forward to having my B/S question addressed. I worked hard on it. O well maybe next time.

what was it?

 

[Ketchum]

Honestly, without a couple billionaires (or at least 1) enthusiastically leading on the NIL front, I don’t see how Texas is going to be as serious a portal player as we need to be to win consistently at a high level. A few guys like me donating a few bucks a month ain’t gonna cut it year in and year out. Texas needs a heavy hitter or 4 ala Phil Knight at Oregon. Unfortunately for us, our wealthy guys don’t GAF.

They like to proclaim that they don't believe in NIL and then they show up and enjoy the fruit of it.

 

[TexLex]

B/S-We are beginning to emerge from the Winning Close to the Winning Big phase.
B/S-When you Win Close, you sometimes still Lose Close.
B/S-We likely will still not be in the Winning Big phase next year but might be.
B/S-Sark will get us to the Winning Big phase in his career at Texas.
B/S-Sark wins a Natty for Texas before he leaves Austin.

(Buy) Ryan Day is proof that if you keep knocking on the door with a super amount of talent, you'll kick the door down at some point. Also see Mack Brown.

Excellent article. Thanks for answering the B/S. From your article it appeared that your conclusion could be implied before I got down to your answer o the B/S, but I appreciate your addressing it in your answer to the B/S. And Day and Mack are both good examples. Thanks.

 

[Ketchum]

Fair question Ketch. If Sark’s offense was a top 20 offense in scoring, passing, rushing and red zone-I would agree that Sark is an elite play caller. Facts don’t support his reputation and I wonder why he keeps the status as an elite play caller when it’s simply not true. He has moments of brilliance yet he’s a guy that should be considered a competent finesse style of offense play caller. Physical and well balanced offenses don’t struggle with power concepts and execution like his offenses do-especially in the red zone. Just my opinion and not trying to dump on Sark. He’s an asset as a HC and ultimately, his offense needs to produce more effective results.

The offense has to be better. 100 percent agree.

 

[Ketchum]

"Here's what I think the Longhorns should shop for, if at all possible and available ... and enough money is available:

Starting tackle: At the very least, Texas needs someone to compete with Brandon Baker and give it an insurance policy if there's an injury at the position. Right now, a single injury at tackle could represent a personnel disaster.

Multiple interior offensive linemen: What Texas has isn't good enough. Not a single guard or center. I'm not even sure that a returning DJ Campbell deserves a free pass without better competition if he can't be trusted in a national semifinal. The fact that the Longhorns hosted former USC offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon this weekend is proof they know they need more quality options."



Not one that is a truly plus player.

This. Ketch has hinted at it several times but tonight he just let the truth rip. Goosby looks like a possible 1st RD LT but as far as Connor Robertson, Neto and Hutson, just to name 3, they have done nothing in their snaps this year to put confidence in anyone that they are ready for tOSU to start the season or the SEC conference. Flood is actually going portal shopping for the first time that I can remember. There's a reason for that.

Hutson has been the worst rated OL for 3 years running of the OL players who got enough snaps to rate.

Neither Connor Robertson nor Neto have played a meaningful snap in 3 years...only for garbage time and even then they moved no one out of the inside box. I watched every garbage time OL insert and they had one decent drive all year, I think it was against Miss. St. Yes there are occasions where a player doesn't play or show much and develops in their 4th year, but not often. Goosby showed big in his second year. Banks started as a true Fr. Majors started 2 games as a Freshman. Connor Wiliams started as a Freshmen LT nearly a decade ago. There are others who really contributed as either Fr or Sophs

You can develop talent, and Flood is good at that as he proved at Bama and Texas. But slow feet and basic lack of athleticism can't be "coached up" much at all. Good luck protecting Arch unless we go heavy into portal shopping.

Some posters are going to go Thick as a Brick and insist we are fine with the totally inexperienced OLs being looked at as starters right now. We'll see how that works.

Need Pregnon badly...like really badly. Need another OT badly as well and have to hope for health at OL next year.

I hope for the best for the current OL players. But not having an experienced OL that can protect Arch, if it happens, will be inexcusable.

Agree with Ketch 100%.

 

[Ketchum]

Agree with your thoughts on QB1. And I imagine covering that issue really has been exhausting. Lord knows it’s been exhausting reading all the back and forth on the board here.

Ready to discuss anything else.

 

[Ketchum]

Man would the national media roast Texas as scared for doing that.

Meh. Go beat Georgia and Florida. They'll move on.

 

[Ketchum]

He never has. His interests are in more serious things like Dell Med.

And Larry doesn’t have any passion around football. He’s a tennis guy through and through. It’s his wife and maybe a kid or two. Sustainability is question, especially at his age.

Texas needs someone's mistress to care a lot about football.

 

[Ketchum]

What the f*ck are chicken fajitas? WTH is happening to this place. @joeywa, @LONGHORNREALTOR(RIP), @TexLex, @Reverent Horn , @TheDude41, @Gonzo26
this is beginning to become sad

 

[Ketchum]

@Ketchum level 1, we had that refereeing crew bc the ACC’s #1 crew’s chief went to UT.

So, that was the No.2 crew?

 

[Ketchum]

Flair versus Rhodes were classics but Valentine versus Bull Curry, Wahoo Mcdaniel versus Boris Malenko and Fritz von Eric versus the Spoiler were incredible pro wrestling matches and anything the Terry Funk did was going to be a classic!

Terry Funk looks so much like a family friend of ours that every time I looked at him I was a little unconvinced it wasn't actually Funk.

 

[Ketchum]

Well...at least Liverpool are still first in the league...for now.

Big week for the Reds.

 

[Ketchum]

Are there any big names we are still waiting on in the portal from playoff teams?

Not at the moment

 

[snoop9928]

So if rumors are true about Mack maybe coming back in some capacity. Does he have better working relationships with some of these said billionaires who aren’t donating? Loreal’s cookie recipe bland?

 

[Ketchum]

For that one game, the UT fanbase turned into Philly fans (no disrepect to Philly fans - you're passionate). There was a legitimate intense seething anger in that stadium and an uneasy murmur turned into a crowd on the verge of something really ugly as we got close to HT. I'll never forget that feeling of the crowd (and me) just completely turning.

Yup. Maybe you had to be there.

 

[Ketchum]

Good stuff as always. Love your response to aggy.

That said, you told me unequivocally that Cam was gone. Is this new info?

Yes.

 

[Ketchum]

To Colts defense going from 2008 to 2009…he had arguably the worst OL in this century IMO

Hicks, huey,hall, tanner and Ulotosky (spelling).


Love Ewers, but he had the best talent out of all the three Qbs going into his Sr year.

The 2008 and 2009 OLs were basically the same.

Only Cedric Dockery was on the 2008 OL and didn't return in 2009. Ulatoski, Tanner, Hall and Hix were all returning starters.

 

[Ketchum]

It's odd how some people get into their feelings when the truth is told about QE. The reality is that there was not more than a hand full of games over his three seasons where you could unequivocally say he was the best player on the field. There were even a few games where Sark decided to take the risk away by not allowing him to throw the ball at all to finish off the game (Baylor '22, Kentucky '24). The fact that QE's passer rating this year was lower than Sam Elingher's rating in his final 2 years was somewhat surprising and disappointing, especially given the fact that Ewers is playing behind a much better OL and with better receivers and tight ends.

I don't think people understand the reality and push back against it when its talked about because they can't stand anything that isn't overly positive.

 

[Ketchum]

Is it crazy to wonder if Flood is an above average pass blocking coach and sub par run game coach? Or a better developer of Tackles vs Guards and Centers?

Anything limiting UT from adding a coach to focus on developing IOL and the run game?

No, but Flood won't be undermined like that.

 

[Ketchum]

Why is capitalism a problem?

What's happening right now is indication that these guys should have been getting paid for a long time. The schools are telling them what their values are.

 

[Ketchum]

(Buy) Ryan Day is proof that if you keep knocking on the door with a super amount of talent, you'll kick the door down at some point. Also see Mack Brown.

Excellent article. Thanks for answering the B/S. From your article it appeared that your conclusion could be implied before I got down to your answer o the B/S, but I appreciate your addressing it in your answer to the B/S. And Day and Mack are both good examples. Thanks.

Always look forward to your B/S Qs. If I see your handle, I know it will be a good one.

 

[Ketchum]

So if rumors are true about Mack maybe coming back in some capacity. Does he have better working relationships with some of these said billionaires who aren’t donating? Loreal’s cookie recipe bland?

I doubt it. The school has tried almost everything, including getting these guys into spreads in Aspen and having all the important people like Eltife, CDC and the coaches there to beg.

I also don't know how hard Mack wants to work in the name of elevating someone else to surpass his legacy.

 

[PG44]

So, that was the No.2 crew?

Yes. The crew that officiated the Rose Bowl was supposed to have our game but their crew chief is a UT alum.

 

[Ketchum]

Yes. The crew that officiated the Rose Bowl was supposed to have our game but their crew chief is a UT alum.

I don't know that I would have any more faith in the No.1 crew. Officiating in the sport is poor.

 

[Buda Horn]

(Sell) It felt like people were suicidal after the 2001 game.

Yeah, I don't know what the point spread going into the 2001 game was, but that game was against a team that we beat by 35 points earlier that season.

Anyone freaking out over a loss in a game where we were a TD underdog going in needs a reality check.

 

[3xHorn]

Georgia is losing a ton and Gunnar Stockton doesn't scare anyone.

I remember before Joe Burrows’ last year at LSU people said the same about him. Stockton was better than Beck in the SEC championship game. I wouldn’t discount him yet.

 

[Ketchum]

I remember before Joe Burrows’ last year at LSU people said the same about him. Stockton was better than Beck in the SEC championship game. I wouldn’t discount him yet.

He's a scrub.

 

[Sunheightshorn]

Waiting for me from people who I believe would tell you that they consider themselves to be friends of mine were messages related to UT's loss to Ohio State. Lots of them. All Aggies and Sooners.

"How do I get on your site? I want to enjoy yalls pain," an actual family member, who identifies as an A&M fan, wrote to me while I was in the middle of doing the post-game show.

I get it. I was in Target yesterday and passed a lady wearing an OSU sweater, told her nice game she said thanks.
Walking to the register an aggy in full on gear moves in front of me and goes off about us choking and Ewers sucking as a QB

According to my better half telling him loudly to Suck my D in the Heights Target, and in front of his wife was warranted but not necessarily appropriate. I don't understand what he thought he would get out of the interaction.

my relatives, all aggy have given up the crap talking. Full on cofession, I can be a sore loser

 

[DFWHorn214]

I'd cancel the Ohio State game. A loss really eliminates some wiggle room.

Been screaming this from the rooftops for years. No reason to play this game while other SEC teams are playing Syracuse and 3 creampuffs in non-con.

Maybe we don’t feel it next year because the SEC schedule is still pretty favorable, but as early as 2026 we are going to be wondering why we are willingly scheduling Ohio State when teams like LSU, Bama, Auburn, Tennessee, OU, A&M, etc. are already on the schedule. It made a lot more sense when the marquee home game in some seasons was Kansas State. This will especially be true if the SEC moves to 9 conference games at any point.

 

[Ketchum]

Been screaming this from the rooftops for years. No reason to play this game while other SEC teams are playing Syracuse and 3 creampuffs in non-con.

Maybe we don’t feel it next year because the SEC schedule is still pretty favorable, but as early as 2026 we are going to be wondering why we are willingly scheduling Ohio State when teams like LSU, Bama, Auburn, Tennessee, OU, A&M, etc. are already on the schedule. It made a lot more sense when the marquee home game in some seasons was Kansas State. This will especially be true if the SEC moves to 9 conference games at any point.

 

[Ketchum]

I wonder how many announcements we see today.