Forget about the Alabama game.
Bunch of fool's gold.
Like a person who tells their family on Thanksgiving Day that they can't go crazy with the spread because they are dieting, it doesn't do any good to watch your calories during the Cowboys game if you eat like a pig on leftovers in the days that follow.
If we're trying to determine the real state of the diet, ignoring the larger sample size in the name of pointing out how well things went on the day when few would have expected you to do well probably isn't the best way of evaluating the state of things.
See the Alabama game.
For 60 minutes against the Tide, Orangebloods everywhere saw the version of the program that they'd been dying to see. The physicality that day was off the charts. The defense was suffocating. The coaches seemed to do a better job on the whole than the greatest coach of all time. Ridiculous mistakes were mostly omitted from the proceedings.
On a week-by-week basis, that's just not who the 2022 Texas Longhorns are. It's who they can be on any given day when it all comes together, but it's not who they are every day.
Instead, this is a team full of uncertainty. From week to week on offense, it doesn't know what it wants to be once Steve Sarkisian's opening script ends. A defense that lacks playmakers has a hard time getting to the quarterback, creating turnovers or getting off the field when it has a chance to do so. Meanwhile, it struggles to finish games in the fourth quarter, win on the road, beat Power 5 programs and avoid the kind of costly boneheaded penalties that can lead to losing games.
Diets aren't built in a day. Neither was Rome. Neither will Sarkisian's football program be.
Moving forward through the rest of the season with eight games to go, the list of areas of needed improvement is plentiful.
There's one coach on the staff whose job it is to ensure that all of these areas become less problematic ... Sarkisian.
1. The offense going into funks after the early script ... that's on Sark.
2. The struggle to close out games in the fourth quarter ... that's on Sark.
3. The inability to play well on the road ... that's on Sark.
4. Not consistently beating Power 5 programs ... that's on Sark.
5. The boneheaded mistakes that kill the team ... that's on Sark.
Don't get me wrong, Pete Kwiatkowski owns some of the responsibility for improving the defense, but the 30,000-foot view of the franchise shows that the buck stops with Sark.
It doesn't mean that he can't recruit like gangbusters. It doesn't mean that the team isn't on the page that Sarkisian wants it to be on. It also doesn't mean that this team can't go on a big run.
What it means is that Sark still has a lot of work to do. If that wasn't clear to everyone before Saturday's demise in Lubbock, it is now.
No. 2 - Let's talk about the quarterbacks ...
It feels like there are two pieces of good news for the Longhorns at the quarterback position.
1. Quinn Ewers has to be close to returning. I suppose it's not out of the realm of possibilities that he could still need another week of rest when you consider how inactive he was in pre-game warm-ups on Saturday in Lubbock, but the hope is that this is the week he'll return.
The sooner he gets back, the better. He's still an incredibly young player that has a mere four quarters of experience under his belt entering week five. There will be highs and some lows, with each moment he experiences making him a better player in the process.
2. Hudson Card is improving. All of the experience he's accumulated in the last 11 quarters has made him more of a player that the Longhorns can depend on when needed. His ability to climb in the pocket, while picking out receivers in the passing game is something we hadn't seen before. Those throws he made in the final seconds to set up a game-tying field goal? Again, new stuff. Progress. A 141.1 rating isn't worth throwing a parade over, but you can see that he's maturing through this experience, slowly but surely.
No. 3 - The Xavier Worthy concern ...
It goes without saying that the Longhorns need their sophomore playmaker back on the field as soon as possible.
In fact, as much as this team needs Ewers to return, it might need Worthy back with even more urgency.
With Isaiah Neyor out for the season, the loss of Worthy on Saturday meant that the Longhorns didn't have a single player on the field in the second half that the Tech defense really had to worry about blowing the top off the defense. Once you add in a quarterback in Card that has struggled throwing the ball down the field when Worthy was actually on the field, the Texas offense became an offense mostly trapped in a phone booth.
What it leaves is a Texas wide receiver unit that has so many questions that the Texas staff could never quite figure out how to use its assortment of parts. Should Jordan Whittington play inside or replace Worthy on the outside? Not being able to figure that out left Card trying to win the game with Tarique Milton, Agiye Hall and Casey Cain in the passing game.
After Worthy and Jordan Whittington had combined for 7 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown in the first half, the entire group of Texas receivers combined for three catches for 49 yards and almost all of that yardage occurred on Milton's catch along the sideline while the Red Raiders were in a prevent defense.
What looked like one of the best receiver units in college football two months ago is suddenly just a pile of players as long as Worthy isn't on the field.
Get well, Xavier. Soon is possible.
No. 4 - The offensive line issue ...
It's a good news/bad news situation with the offensive line.
The good news is that the tackle combo of Kelvin Banks and Christian Jones continues to play anywhere between excellent and pretty good. I'm not sure I remember Banks taking a step wrong on Saturday, while Jones wasn't quite as good against the Red Raiders as he had been the previous week against UTSA.
The bad news is that the interior of the offensive line continued its regression against Tech. The trio of Hayden Conner, Jake Majors and Cole Hutson struggled both in the run game and in pass protection, especially in the second half.
From my perspective, I'm really not sure what the Longhorns can do. There have been calls for freshman DJ Campbell to take some of Hutson's reps, but the coaches have done nothing in the games to suggest they are thinking that's a solution or to prepare Campbell for more playing time.
Meanwhile, it feels like Majors and Conner are simply locked in fixtures at this point. Barring an injury, the five that keep playing each week and taking all the snaps are the five that are going to need to eventually be the solution.
These are issues the team is simply going to have to work around.
No. 5 - You can't panic if you're Sark ...
A week ago, many of you yelled at me when I pointed out that the defense wasn't yet a truly top-level defense and that there were areas of concern that I felt like were impossible to ignore.
A week later, some of you want Sarkisian to fire defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski after the defense struggled against Texas Tech.
Just stop. Sarkisian might very well need to replace his defensive coordinator after this season is over, but it would be nothing more than a panic move and a sign that he doesn't have the decision-making chops to achieve success at Texas.
Firing your DC in week five means that it should have happened nine months ago.
Kwiatkowski has eight games to continue to improve this side of the ball. In each of the last two weeks, the defense has looked nothing like what it looked like against Alabama. Instead of attacking from all angles, we've seen more bend but don't break.
The problem is that if you bend enough, you will eventually break. What we witnessed against Tech is kind of the stuff we witnessed throughout the 2021 season.
It's flat out not good enough, but we're not at a stage where an upheaval needs to occur.
That was his mulligan. I'm not sure how many more he has.
No. 6 - Football Scattershooting ...
... I'm not one of those people that automatically equates making a lot of tackles with playing well. If the defense is on the field for 100 snaps, yeah ... a few guys are probably going to have a lot of tackles. Other than Jahdae Barron in the first half, DeMarvion Overshown in the fourth quarter and Byron Murphy on a few snaps in the fourth quarter, I didn't really think anyone played well on defense.
... The Texas defense has forced two turnovers in two games. That ranks tied for 124th in the nation. Only two teams out of 130 across the country are worse at creating turnovers. Meanwhile, Texas ranks 71st in the nation in total sacks.
... Some good news? Only three starting quarterbacks in the Big 12 have a worse passing efficiency than Card, but one of them is West Virginia's J.T. Daniels (139.4), who is on deck this weekend at DKR.
... How is it even possible that the Longhorns’ rushing offense ranks seventh in the Big 12? Worse than that, the Longhorns are more than 40 yards per game away from sixth place.
... Texas ranks seventh against the run, seventh against the pass and fifth in pass defense efficiency.
... It might be time to have Ethan Burke take some of the timeshare away from Barryn Sorrell, who recorded one assisted tackle against Tech on Saturday. That La-Monroe appearance was almost a month ago ...
... Ovie Oghoufo is playing better than Ray Thornton did a year ago, but still not good enough.
... Attaboy, Bert Auburn.
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
(Sell) When push comes to shove, I think Sark sticks with Kwiatkowski through the end of the season. I don't expect Kwiatkowski to return in 2023.
(Sell) I had Texas going 8-4 this season with a 2-2 start through four games before the season and I'm sticking with it.
(Buy) This kind of says it all at the moment.
(Buy) I don't care who he recruits at quarterback, if you're .500 or worse through two seasons in Austin, the seat gets warm.
(Buy) He's solid.
(Sell) I'm not sure what personnel moves are really possible at this point. Maybe Burke for Sorrell, but I doubt they would do that. No one seems ready to push for more snaps at the Edge. There's no one available at linebacker. It is what it is.
(Buy) His in-game adjustments have been poor since he's been here. Period.
(Sell) The coaches have been telling us for weeks that they don't believe anyone else is even remotely ready to play with the lack of rotation.
(Buy) I think, but I'm tired of guessing his return.
(Sell) You think the team gave up because of Card? I don't know what you're watching.
(Buy) Without question.
(Sell) I'm tired of waiting on the jet sweeps. I've just assumed they've been taken out of the offense at this point. I've been waiting for it all season.
(Sell) Like I said earlier, I consider him solid.
(Buy) It's a baby buy, but Ewers will return and the team should be better because of it.
(Buy) I'm still on the 8-4 train.
No. 8 - Scattershooting on anything and everything ...
... The best thing that happened in the sports world this weekend was this...
... If I had a vote that mattered...
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. USC
5. Michigan
6. Clemson
7. Kentucky
8. Penn State
9. Ole Miss
10. Tennessee
.... KU quarterback Jalon Daniels is the most exciting player in college football. He makes watching KU football a doable thing.
... Shoutout to Adrian Martinez. That was one hell of a performance in Norman.
... I wonder if OU fans feel like they still got the better end of the coaching change?
... It kind of felt like A&M broke Arkansas on Saturday night. Maybe they also broke Miami.
... Damn, Lamar Jackson is good at playing football. Nothing quite like him. Imagine cheering for that dude every week.
... That Miami/Buffalo game was must-watch stuff. It even gave us a butt-punt.
... I don't know if Trevor Lawrence has arrived, but the Jags as a team might have.
... The Eagles are really good and I don't like it.
... Bring back the Premier League, please!
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Van Halen ...
Per request from last week.
Last five songs out: Everybody Wants Some!, Mean Street, And The Cradle Will Rock …, Jamie's Cryin' and When It's Love
10. Atomic Punk
In their four-decade evolution as a band, the group has gone through a number of different sounds, but in the very beginning their roots were made with some punk/metal roots and you can feel the raw power of their early sound in this track off their debut album.
9. Little Dreamer
This song gets my vote for most underrated song in their entire catalog.
8. Unchained
It pretty much HAS to be on the list because it has been a band staple for more than 30 years. I'm going to catch some grief from folks who believe this song should be higher.
7. Jump
The combination of the song/video turned me into a Van Halen fan at the age of eight. It's a little synthesized for me to slot it in the No. 1 slot, but in a lot of ways it is my favorite track for sentimental reasons.
6. Hot For Teacher
1984 is one of the great rock albums of all time and it came along at a very interesting time in rock history with the evolution of MTV into the mainstream. This video is iconic as any in rock and roll history. The band absolutely knew how to choose the talent that participated in their videos. Oh, and the song is a monster rock jam.
5. Eruption
Eddie is a freak.
4. Right Now
This might be more Sammy Hagar than a true Van Halen song, but a case can be made that this is the greatest song that the band ever recorded, which makes for a hell of an irony for those that believe the band doesn't exist without David Lee Roth. Give Sammy some credit because the song is an all-timer. Flame away.
3. Runnin' With The Devil
The soul and DNA of the band can be found in this track from their very first album. It's David Lee Roth at his wild-ass best and Eddie blazes a hell of a trail for those that had never heard their sound before.
2. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
Van Halen came out of the gates swinging for the fences with the first few albums and this is the masterpiece from the debut album Van Halen.
1. Panama
You can make a case for three different songs from the 1984 album that receive consideration for the top spot on the list, but there might not be a more Van Halen song that was ever recorded because Eddie was absolutely ferocious on the guitar and David Lee was never better than when he says the words, "Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight. I can barely see the road from the heat comin' off of it. Ah, you reach down between my legs. Ease the seat back."
No. 10 - And Finally ...
Shoutout to the No. 1-ranked Texas volleyball team.
After being pushed to the brink of a loss by Kansas in mid-week, the Longhorns responded by pummeling Oklahoma in three sets.
Now the team gets a week off before playing Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From The Weekend (Sark has a lot to do)
- Thread starter Ketchum
- Start date
With all the evidence we have on Sark, it feels like our only chance with him is to hope he brings in a capable DC that can at least field a top 50 unit along with hoping one of the QB's can become so elite that he takes us to another level despite some of Sarks limitations.
Also, this will sound like hindsight, but I can't get past the feeling of watching those guys come out for what is a conference game in Lubbock for maybe the last time, against a feisty team and hostile crowd on national television, they just didn't look like they gave a shit to be there. I didn't see much fire or body language that indicated they were ready to do what was required or excited about it at all. It very much looked like going through the motions.
Also, this will sound like hindsight, but I can't get past the feeling of watching those guys come out for what is a conference game in Lubbock for maybe the last time, against a feisty team and hostile crowd on national television, they just didn't look like they gave a shit to be there. I didn't see much fire or body language that indicated they were ready to do what was required or excited about it at all. It very much looked like going through the motions.
Big 12 is a very weak conference and all the Teams are equal and any team can beat the other. So Home field will matters and away games will be?? So you win with defense because all the offenses are equal.
I think we are not recruiting on the defense side because we don't have DC that kids like.
I think we are not recruiting on the defense side because we don't have DC that kids like.
For decades, I have maintained 2 passions about football: 1. An INTENSE dislike of Cowboys and all Cowboy fans (especially those who live in Houston (are you listening Ketch? I intend to mark as “dislike” on All You Tube videos where you even mention the Cowboys in any way, context or tone)., and 2. An even more intense love of UT sports all the way back to well before Mack came to Austin. I am sorry to say that the TT game has really put me on the verge of walking away from the the 2d
”passion”. The very sad conclusion I am coming close to accepting is: We suck until we don’t.
”passion”. The very sad conclusion I am coming close to accepting is: We suck until we don’t.
After watching Iowa State, Baylor, K St., and Kansas play this weekend, what games remaining on the schedule do you think we will win?
Seems like we're still in the Tale of Two Defenses stage of development: the near elite defense that showed up against Alabama and the bend, but keep bending over defense, reminiscent of last year's abysmal defense, that showed up against Tech. PK was certainly a flop last year and, with the exception of the Bama game, is not lighting the fires of confidence this year - even with GP's influence. I agree with your assessments that PK lasts through the season and that GP doesn't really want the DC position. He wants to chill a bit before finding an HC job somewhere he'd like to be. One thing that's for sure, if we keep running out the defense that showed up against Tech, we may not have another win this season.
On the other hand, knowing how Tech plays us in Lubbock and knowing that we have some key positions with very young guys in their first college road game, I thought it might come down to a last second field goal. I'd just hoped it would be Auburn for the win. I hope that getting Quinn back will help center this team again on the right path. I think Card has put in some heart and soul in his performances, but he just ain't the guy. He's a great kid, but he's just not going to put the team on his back, a la Ehlinger, and flat out will a win out of a sure loss. Quinn, I think, has that capacity.
Even with Quinn back, though, the coaching has to improve. Some of the mistakes - mostly on defense - and terrible calls - mostly on offense - just were mindboggling. I really like Sark and I want him to succeed, but he's got to shake up his routine, which just isn't working right now.
On the other hand, knowing how Tech plays us in Lubbock and knowing that we have some key positions with very young guys in their first college road game, I thought it might come down to a last second field goal. I'd just hoped it would be Auburn for the win. I hope that getting Quinn back will help center this team again on the right path. I think Card has put in some heart and soul in his performances, but he just ain't the guy. He's a great kid, but he's just not going to put the team on his back, a la Ehlinger, and flat out will a win out of a sure loss. Quinn, I think, has that capacity.
Even with Quinn back, though, the coaching has to improve. Some of the mistakes - mostly on defense - and terrible calls - mostly on offense - just were mindboggling. I really like Sark and I want him to succeed, but he's got to shake up his routine, which just isn't working right now.
and Mack had Greg Robinson, who was the best of the bunch.
But, I would never vote in a Rolling stones list. I'd feel inadequate.Doubful. Heck, you're a marginal fan yet you still posted a top 10 list.
Correct…he was hired to take being good to great…Herman capped out at 8-9 wins…we want and expect 10 plus now….
Everyone knows that…and so does the Tech coach. But to see a turnaround, we have to see their leaders plant a flag in the dirt. Yeah, Worthy and Bijon…I’m looking at you and some others too.
I guess the bottom line is I don't agree that it would be admitting he should have never hired him. Was it a mistake, obviously. But not making a the move makes Sark more negligent. Optics should not come into play.
I just never cared for the song at all.VH fans rank hot for teacher at No.3
Readers' Poll: The Best Van Halen Songs
Picks include ‘Right Now,’ ‘Panama,’ ‘Hot for Teacher,’ ‘Eruption’www.rollingstone.com
Yeah, the weekend should tell the tale. Are there "positive changes" or does the same negative stuff keep happening. Monday it is. Thanks Ketch!
Public perception notwithstanding, firing PK now is not a panic move. You yourself think it will happen at the end of the season. Better do it now if the team can win a couple more, get to 8-4 or 9-3 and get Sark off the hot seat. I am convinced that waiting too long on Orlando put Herman behind the 8 ball and Strong not recruiting a grad transfer QB sealed his fate. Moving slowly has its own risks.
I agree that they shouldn't, but in what world does optics not matter?
Yeah…your VH picks are not good. You have to have Ain’t Talkin Bout Love as Number 1….you have to have Jamie’s Cryin in there. Also, Right Now is not even in the top 20 Ketch. Sorry dude…just completely disagree on your top 10. Also, I think that I’ll Wait is an under valued gem.
Just last week people were yelling at me for even suggesting the defense could still improve.
Seven days later, fire the guy after the first game he doesn't hold a team under 20 points!
Kinda feels like panic.
Yeah more than a year and a half in and it doesn’t feel like much has changed in the big picture. Not a great sign.
Not in the definition of insanity territory yet, but we can see it in the distance.
We look at the world very differently. You are thinking PR and I am thinking about winning football games, which Robinson did. Who knows, maybe Mack would have kept his job if he waltzed into the Baylor game with a 6-5 record and no chance to win the conference. Isn’t that the definition of Pyrrhic victory?
