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Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (The Big 12 is soooooooo weak)

Thanks for the number crunch supreme, think you can get one at Taco Bell now. Talent in Texas is not the problem, keeping it at Texas has been. Three of the top six picks in this draft grew up within 20 minutes of each other in DFW. Unfortunately none went to Texas!
 
Texas and Oklahoma are likely going to have very little margin of error moving forward. Not sure they'll be getting a ton of benefit of the doubt,

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Before I get into my annual nerdy number-crunching from the NFL Draft, you’ll have to forgive me for climbing on top of one of my favorite soap boxes.

This can’t wait.

Here goes … the Big 12 is soooooo weak.

One of the things that was impossible to not notice over the course of a three-day window on Thursday night was just how little respect the NFL has for the players in the Big 12.

Consider the following ...

* The conference's Doak Walker Award winning running back was the No. 89 pick of the draft and went in the third round.

* Two of the best skill position players in the history of the Oklahoma program (Sam Perine and Dede Westbrook) didn’t get drafted until day three.

* Only one damn defensive player in the Big 12 was drafted in the first five rounds/in the first 192 picks of the draft. ONE!!!

* No Big 12 offensive linemen were drafted in the first 243 picks in the draft. Baylor’s Kyle Fuller saved the league from being shut out by being the only lineman drafted at pick No. 244 in the seventh round.

* Forty-three percent (6 of 14) of the players drafted from the Big 12 went in the final two rounds.

* Oklahoma was the only school in the conference to have more than two players drafted.

When those of us with really loud mouths scream bloody murder about the conference suffocating from a lack of natural resources in the talent bed department, these are the type of results that we’re constantly warning about.

My sense in talking to Texas decision-makers over the course of this decade has always been that the financial advantages, along with the competitive advantages that exist in theory if the Longhorns can ever get good again, make the conference an attractive place for those that don’t want to be remembered in history as someone that helped change college athletics forever by pushing the school out of the league for a more attractive collection of partners.

The Big 12 is comfort for those that are apprehensive about the unknown.

While I understand where those seeking comfort are coming from, even in the best of times, no one wants to build a mansion in a trailer park and that’s exactly the position in which Texas finds itself. Overall, only 14 players (two per round or one every 18 picks) from the conference were selected in the draft, the lowest in the history of the Big 12, breaking the previous low of 17 from three years ago.

Nothing about this is an accident. This is the present and there’s very little reason to believe that the future will be any different outside of whatever Texas and Oklahoma can create from year to year.

It’s just so uninspiring.

Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox and move on to other things, but allow me to say one more word about the conference before moving on.

Yuck.

No. 2 – Nerdy Draft Stuff ...

In an effort to hold on to some of you that might get lost in the numbers crunching, I’m going to do my best to keep this from getting too numbery (did I just make up a word?).

A few things that need to be established.

1. There are currently 128 FBS programs playing college football in 2017, which means there are 10,880 scholarship players in college football if every school has maxed out its 85-man scholarship limit.

2. From 2012-2014 (the three classes that almost exclusively made up the 2017 NFL Draft Class), Rivals.com rated on the average 3,803 players per year (including JUCO and prep schools), with the average star distribution breakdown looking like this:

Five stars (6.1): 33.67
Four stars (6.0): 42.67
Four stars (5.9): 69.67
Four stars (5.8): 218.33
Three stars (5.7) 302.67
Three stars (5.6) 411.00
Three stars (5.5) 617.33
Two stars (5.4) 889.00
Two stars (5.3) 593.67
Two stars (5.2) 619.00

With those numbers serving as the foundation of the average Rivals.com recruiting class numbers over a three-year window, let's break down what the numbers look like over the course of all seven rounds of the NFL Draft this year, beginning with a look at the numbers in the first round:

Five stars (6.1): 10
Four stars (6.0): 3
Four stars (5.9): 3
Four stars (5.8): 3
Three stars (5.7) 4
Three stars (5.6) 5
Three stars (5.5) 1
Two stars (5.4) 0
Two stars (5.3) 1
Two stars (5.2) 0
Two stars (5.1) 0
Unranked: 2

Here's what that translates to when you crunch the numbers:

a. 30.30-percent of five-star (6.1) prospects were drafted in the first round.
b. 7.03-percent of high-four star (6.0) prospects were drafted in the first round.
c. 4.30-percent of mid-four star (5.9) prospects were drafted in the first round.
d. 1.37-percent of low-four star (5.8) prospects were drafted in the first round.
e. 1.32-percent of high-three star (5.7) prospects were drafted in the first round.
f. 1.22-percent of mid-three star (5.6) prospects were drafted in the first round.
g. 1.37-percent of low-three star (5.5) prospects were drafted in the first round.
h. 0.00-percent of high-two star (5.4) prospects were drafted in the first round.
i. 0.17-percent of mid-two star (5.3) prospects were drafted in the first round.
j. 0.00-percent of low-two star (5.2) prospects were drafted in the first round.

The thing that just jumps out you is the incredible prominence of five-stars in the first round, as nearly a third of all players drafted were among the top 0.85-percent of all players that are ranked in the Rivals rankings.

Translation: 31.35 percent of the first-round pie was comprised of the top 0.85-percent of all players ranked by Rivals.

By five country miles, it represents the highest volume of five-star prospects going in the first round of the draft in the history of the Rivals rankings.

Now let’s take a look at the top three rounds.

Five stars (6.1): 20
Four stars (6.0): 9
Four stars (5.9): 9
Four stars (5.8): 13
Three stars (5.7) 12
Three stars (5.6) 14
Three stars (5.5) 8
Two stars (5.4) 8
Two stars (5.3) 1
Two stars (5.2) 5
Unranked: 9

Here's what that translates to when you crunch the numbers:

a. 59.40-percent of five-star (6.1) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds.
b. 21.10-percent of high-four star (6.0) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds.
c. 12.92-percent of mid-four star (5.9) prospects were drafted in the first round.
d. 5.96-percent of low-four star (5.8) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds.
e. 3.97-percent of high-three star (5.7) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds.
f. 3.41-percent of mid-three star (5.6) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds.
g. 1.30-percent of low-three star (5.5) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds.
h. 0.90-percent of high-two star (5.4) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds.
i. 0.17-percent of mid-two star (5.3) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds.
j. 0.81-percent of low-two star (5.6) prospects were drafted in the first three rounds

Now let’s take a look at all seven rounds.

Five stars (6.1): 28
Four stars (6.0): 13
Four stars (5.9): 11
Four stars (5.8): 35
Three stars (5.7) 26
Three stars (5.6) 28
Three stars (5.5) 27
Two stars (5.4) 15
Two stars (5.3) 8
Two stars (5.2) 8
Unranked: 34

Here's what the translates to when you crunch the numbers:

a. 83.16-percent of five-star (6.1) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
b. 30.47-percent of high-four star (6.0) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
c. 15.79-percent of mid-four star (5.9) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
d. 16.03-percent of low-four star (5.8) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
e. 8.59-percent of high-three star (5.7) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
f. 6.57-percent of mid-three star (5.6) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
g. 4.37-percent of low-three star (5.5) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
h. 1.69-percent of high-two star (5.4) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
i. 1.35-percent of mid-two star (5.3) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.
j. 1.29-percent of low-two star (5.6) prospects were drafted in one of the seven rounds.

No. 3 – The Big Takeaways ...

After nearly a decade of crunching recruiting rankings within the NFL Draft, here are the two themes that prove to be true each year and nothing changed this year.

First, in terms of producing the highest of the high-end talent in the draft (first round), five-star prospects generate at first round rates that are 10-15 times the rate of four stars, 30-40 times the rate of three stars and 80-150 times the rate of two stars.

The margins when you get into the different variations of the star rankings will differ slightly from year to year, but typically the rates double or triple every time you drop between one star to the next.

Second, in terms of producing talent over the course of all seven rounds, five-star prospects generate at 4-5 times the rate of four stars, 15-20 times the rate of three stars and 40-60 times the rate of two stars.

Again, the margins within very specific variations of each star ranking might differ slightly from year to year, but you can safely triple or quadruple the rates every time you drop from one level of star ranking down to the next one when talking about drafted players.

It’s getting to the point that I can set my watch by the results, even if the five-star category performed at a historic level, which it did.

No. 4 – D’Onta’s decision proves to be the right one …



All along, I’ve felt like D’Onta Foreman needed to be drafted in one of the first three rounds to strongly justify his decision to turn pro and when the Houston Texans scooped him up in the third round on Friday night, it was hard to imagine the decision working out better, with all due respect to the added cash that he would have netted if drafted earlier.

From Texas City to the University of Texas to the Houston Texans, you can just feel the symmetry.

On top of that, it’s probably a perfect spot for him to fall from a depth chart standpoint. While Lamar Miller is a decent No. 1 for the Texans, he averaged a career-low 4.0 yards per carry last season and could use someone to share the workload.

His primary competition for that role is Alfred Blue, who is a former sixth-round pick and the definition of a JAG in the NFL.

It shouldn’t take Foreman more than 15 minutes in training camp to take Blue’s spot, which should create a very nice year one role for the Doak Walker Award winner.

This isn’t a stop the presses prediction, but I fully expect Foreman to be the starting tailback in 2018.

No. 5 – Buy or sell …

BUY or SELL: Texas has 8 or more players drafted in a single draft within the next 5 drafts?

(Buy) If you’d set the number at 7.5, I’d take the over, but if you set it at 8.5, I’d take the under.

BUY or SELL: The 2016 and 2107 NFL drafts are proof positive that nothing can be as devastatingly ineffective as the combination of Mack Brown recruiting and Charlie Strong coaching?

(Buy)
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BUY or SELL: Texas has more than 20 players drafted over the next 5 drafts, starting with the 2018 draft. Some of those kids aren't even on campus, but the development they receive and the evaluation ability of this staff is a huge improvement over the last seven seasons?

(Buy) I feel like someone hooked up the Kool-Aid Off-season Drip in an IV to my arm.

BUY or SELL: Holton Hill has the type of season that could have him in "Day 2" draft consideration in 2018?

(Buy) Yup, I’m hooked up to the drip.

BUY or SELL: Charlie's guys have fully bought into Herman by now?

(Buy) No one is ever going to bat 1.000 on this type of deal, but I have to believe Tom is in the 90s.

BUY or SELL: Malik Zaire saying he'll announce after ND graduation (before SEC spring meetings) means that Anwar is underestimating the chances of Zaire to Texas?

(Sell) I don’t feel like Anwar or anyone on the staff is underestimating the chances. In fact, he was pretty vocal in expressing that he challenged his source from the Zaire camp on the sincerity of the interest and they gave strong indications that the interest was very serious. Tom Herman and Tim Beck are not to be underestimated.

BUY or SELL: Three or more different RBs start games this season because of injuries or otherwise?

(Buy) A whole lot of injuries and otherwise.

BUY or SELL: Andrew Jones comes back for his sophomore season?

(Sell) I just don’t have a positive vibe on his return.

BUY or SELL: The Cowboys defense will be better than last year's unit?

(Buy) If you’re giving the field or the bottom three in a bunch of important categories, I’ll take the field. It can’t be much worse than a season ago.

BUY or SELL: The Anwar Richardson Texas curse is real?

(Sell) I reserve the right to change my mind. One more season of sub-.500 play and I’m going to be of the opinion that there are no accidents in life, which means he’s a witch and we all need to be very careful about our next steps.

No. 6 – Texas Baseball weekend in a gif …

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Yes, I like Grease 2. Don’t judge me.

No. 7 – The Houston Texans just became must-see-TV ...

I’ve been hard on Rick Smith over the years, but I love what the Texans did in the draft.

In drafting Deshaun Watson, I believe the Texans have finally found their quarterback of the future and the kind of guy that should make Texans fans feel really excited about the future.

Although the fan base hasn’t suffered like the Browns have suffered at the position, when all you have to champion in the entire franchise’s history is the best of Matt Schaub, you’ve never truly known the taste of elite quarterback play.

That means the Texans are essentially the 40-year old virgin of the NFL. Maybe the team has been to second or third base a time or two (maybe second base once), but you can't be taken seriously when your franchise history looks like this.

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With the selection of Watson (and D’Onta Foreman), I think Texans fans can put down their tubas because for the first time, I think the franchise has a real chance to emerge as the kind of team its fans have dreamed of.

The next couple of years should be fun.

No. 8 – Cue up the Ashford and Simpson ...

Perhaps there weren’t a lot of whistles and bells in the 2017 Dallas Cowboys draft class, but there were a few things that stood out to me about what the team did over three days.

* It didn’t get cute. Jerry likes a razzle dazzle whenever he can get a razzle dazzle, but the team seemed to play things out of a safe playbook, which is comforting because the Cowboys often make poor decisions when they look to create a razzle dazzle.

* Very few risks. Usually, the team will take a flyer on some great-testing small school player and more times than not, the team regrets it. This year, seven of the eight selections were from power conference schools and the eighth player was from Louisiana Tech. There wasn’t some dude from William and Mary that no one has ever heard of in the entire bunch.

* Addressed needs. Four defensive backs, three defensive linemen and two wide receivers.

* Zero reaches. It’s rare when I say this (if I’ve ever said it), but it seemed like the Cowboys got good value in every round.

While I’m a little worried that Taco Charlton is a cross between Shante Carver and a semi-stable Alonzo Spellman, I think the Cowboys got a half-dozen guys that can help the team this year, especially on defense.



No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …

Other thoughts on the NFL Draft …

a. I think it must suck to be a Bears fan right now.

b. I think Mike Williams in San Diego, Christian McCaffrey in Carolina and John Ross in Cincinnati are all going to be monsters.

c. Jameis Winston is going to love playing with fellow Alabaman O.J. Howard. Man, Winston has some weapons to throw to.

d. Of the nine Texans taken in first three rounds, seven were rated high-three stars or greater. The two anomalies were D’Onta Foreman and Zay Jones.

e. What is in K.D. Cannon’s past that kept him from being drafted?

f. The Ravens got a steal in Tyus Bowser. I could see him playing there for the next 10 years.

g. Former Carolina Panthers GM Marty Hurney told me last year that he thought Brad Kaaya was a special player that would eventually be a franchise NFL quarterback. He was selected late in the sixth round on Saturday.

h. I kind of feel like Aaron Rodgers is going to bring the best out of seventh-round pick Malachi Dupree.

i. Rivals rankings of the first 10 tight ends drafted this week: 6.1, 5.6, 5.6, unranked, unranked, 5.2, 5.5, 5.9, 5.5 and unranked.

… I have a feeling Washington/Boston is going to be a hell of a lot of fun in the NBA playoffs.

… The Clippers are done. Break’em up.

… Give me the Spurs over the Rockets in seven. This series is a big test for Kawhi.

… Kevin Durant is the Vegas money favorite for Finals MVP.

… P.J. Tucker will be a household name by the end of this week. I have a feeling he’s drawing nightly duty on Lebron and I think he’s going to prove to be a pest.

… Anthony Renden’s three homers and 10 RBI on Sunday had to have made McComas feel warm all over.

… I’m not sure if Chelsea is a special team, but it is having a special season. Every time the moment has called for it all season, the Blues have displayed a spine of steel.

… Good for Tottenham.


… Come on Klopp, the doorway is open. Get these boys to finish strong, starting today.

No. 10 – And finally…

Texas quarterback commit Casey Thompson had a few things to say on Twitter this weekend about his commit. Kind of thought it deserved its own section.




And then there was this, which Thompson retweeted.

I agree with most of what you have said about the Houston Texans. In fact, I would expect an incredible season and future if they had gotten Romo for a something like a 4-5th round draft pick. To see Watson learning from Romo and being able to sit and watch until Romo was hurt or finished after one to two seasons would have enormous in Watson's development. However, since this did not happen, it will probably be 2-4 years before you see Watson come-on in way that has Houston playing for something meaningful. So now comes the haters of Romo and the trade after this post.
 
Those numbers tell me a few things...

Texas bred talent is lacking...

if you are a 5 star...your athletic talent gets you drafted and you dont need as much coaching in college...

staggering numbers on 5 stars
Yeah, the five star numbers were crazy this year. Probably 20-percent higher production than normal.
 
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Oh, those two schools will always get more than the rest of the Big 12 combined, but in a four-chair dance for the playoff, Texas plays in a space that doesn't get many benefits of the doubts lately.
 
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Ketch, I may be interpreting this wrong, but from the wording it sounds like rivals rated on average 33.67 5 stars per a year from 2012-2014. which would be a total of 101 five stars over the 3 year period. but when you worked out the draft numbers if looks like you only used 33 total 5 stars versus 101. example: 10 five stars were drafted in the first round. you said 30.30 percent of 5 stars(6.1) prospects were drafted in the first round. would that real percentage be 9.90 percent of 5 stars drafted in the first round? Please let me know if I am wrong.
It's impossible to compare apples to apples because a single draft year is comprised of prospects spanning numerous classes.

Therefore, I create an average year over the three classes that are primarily responsible for the make-up of the class. You wouldn't use the 101 number because some of those kids were in the last year's class and will be in next year's class or the year after.

So, no, the real percentage would not be 9.90. You're wrong.;)
 
Oh, those two schools will always get more than the rest of the Big 12 combined, but in a four-chair dance for the playoff, Texas plays in a space that doesn't get many benefits of the doubts lately.

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In '15 OU got in ahead of 1-loss Iowa and 1-loss tOSU.
 
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Grease 2????? You are off the team, I can't handle that.


And Anwar isn't a witch. A warlock maybe. But if we suck again he is going to have to be sacrificed. He may be my favorite mod, but I just can't take this losing shit any longer.
 
Might have to bookmark this reply for future years when Texas isn't 5-7.

Please do. Unless there are 4 other undefeated conference champs, I pretty much like either ours or OU's chances of making the CFP w/no more than 1 loss and a conference title.
 
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It's impossible to compare apples to apples because a single draft year is comprised of prospects spanning numerous classes.

Therefore, I create an average year over the three classes that are primarily responsible for the make-up of the class. You wouldn't use the 101 number because some of those kids were in the last year's class and will be in next year's class or the year after.

So, no, the real percentage would not be 9.90. You're wrong.;)
forgive me, but I think these numbers and percentages are flawed. I have a strong feeling their were more than 33 5 stars draft eligible this year.
 
Someone should do a breakdown of everyone drafted in 2017 and see what high schools, in which states, they graduated from. I think that would tell us a lot.
 
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In '15 OU got in ahead of 1-loss Iowa and 1-loss tOSU.
In the three-year history of the league, one Big 12 team has made the cut.

Oklahoma as the last team in back in 2015.

The trends for this league are not moving forward.
 
Please do. Unless there are 4 other undefeated conference champs, I pretty much like either ours or OU's chances of making the CFP w/no more than 1 loss and a conference title.
More times than not, you'll be right, I think.

The possibility exists in my mind where the league could prove costly at some point.
 
Carrying his team deep into the playoffs as the absolute alpha male on the team.

Was outclassed by KD a year ago in this round.




I guess you forgot that he was the alpha male that won the MVP and championship in 2014. Also KD and Westbrook played equally well last year against Kawhi to say he was outclassed by one player is not accurate. I would argue the refs helped okc as well. I have my avatar for a reason. Spurs are up 3-1 in that series if the refs make the call on my avatar. To say Kawhi was outclassed is comical frankly. Kawhi has already been the MVP in the finals going head to head against the best player in the game in his prime. He doesn't need to prove anything. He has taken his game to new levels even after that MVP. Everybody who follows basketball knows it. [/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

Anything from here on just makes him more great.
 
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I guess you forgot that he was the alpha male that won the MVP and championship in 2014. Also KD and Westbrook played equally well last year against Kawhi to say he was outclassed by one player is not accurate. I would argue the refs helped okc as well. I have my avatar for a reason. Spurs are up 3-1 in that series if the refs make the call on my avatar. To say Kawhi was outclassed is comical frankly. Kawhi has already been the MVP in the finals going head to head against the best player in the game in his prime. He doesn't need to prove anything. He has taken his game to new levels even after that MVP. Everybody who follows basketball knows it.
[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
He wasn't the lead dog on that team, even if he was the best player. That wasn't HIS team.
 
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In the three-year history of the league, one Big 12 team has made the cut.

Oklahoma as the last team in back in 2015.

The trends for this league are not moving forward.
I thought that your original post was fine, but in some of your responses to people's comments it seems like you are sitting down with a bag of popcorn and yelling fire in a theater.

"Back in 2015" as if that wasn't only 17 months ago. A one loss Texas or OU is almost always going to be in the playoffs. Other Big XII schools not so much. The committee has shown it favors the blue bloods.
 
[/QUOTE]
He wasn't the lead dog on that team, even if he was the best player. That wasn't HIS team.[/QUOTE]
Tim was the leader but in presence only. Kawhi was the lead dog when we needed a bucket. He was MVP for a reason. Not just on offense but defense- making life impossible for the best player in the game
 
I thought that your original post was fine, but in some of your responses to people's comments it seems like you are sitting down with a bag of popcorn and yelling fire in a theater.

"Back in 2015" as if that wasn't only 17 months ago. A one loss Texas or OU is almost always going to be in the playoffs. Other Big XII schools not so much. The committee has shown it favors the blue bloods.
It's just my opinion in conversation that the Big 12 is a bad date to try and attend the ball with. At some point, it's going to be a problem.
 
He wasn't the lead dog on that team, even if he was the best player. That wasn't HIS team.[/QUOTE]
Tim was the leader but in presence only. Kawhi was the lead dog when we needed a bucket. He was MVP for a reason. Not just on offense but defense- making life impossible for the best player in the game[/QUOTE]
That was not HIS team. Last year was really the first year when it became his team and he was played off the floor by another superstar.
 
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If the rumors are true and we do go to the BIG 10 the new rivalries we'd get would more than offset OU bit being in the same conference. We've played them before not in the same conference. I'm not one for believing we HAVE to go together.
I think more and more people are coming around to that idea.
 
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I am shocked and appalled that there was recognition of the the great Drew Pearson.
 
- The lack of respect for Big 12 football by NFL scouts is evident. That being said, Texas needs to start kicking ass in this conference at some point.

- It seems like when Rivals puts a 5-star ranking on a guy, it says a lot. If we are still seeing lots of 3-stars getting drafted, does that mean they're really good at evaluating elite talent, but struggle to see the upside in guys who they slap a 3-star label on? Innocent question.

- The Anwar Richardson Texas curse will be broken this year. If Tom Herman can't do it, there is no hope. However, if he doesn't, I will start a business where you can pay me to curse your boss, ex wife or husband, neighbor, judge, or anyone else who does you wrong.
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- I am starting to like the upside of Holton Hill.

- Jameis Winston is starting to look like a fantasy option. I have Kirk Cousins as a sleeper, but not really thrilled with his receiving options.

- Casey Thompson ain't afraid of competition. I give him a lot of props for that.
 
* It didn’t get cute. Jerry likes a razzle dazzle whenever he can get a razzle dazzle, but the team seemed to play things out of a safe playbook, which is comforting because the Cowboys often make poor decisions when they look to create a razzle dazzle.
===========================================

I really don't think this has been the case since 2012, when there was the trade UP to pick Claiborne. If you want to say that picking Randy Gregory falls into this category or picking Smith last year does, I would disagree and call those picks calculated risks to get a guy at a spot he would never have been able to be gotten under normal circumstances.


a. I think it must suck to be a Bears fan right now.
=============================================

At the register to pick up my pizza at my favorite local Italian place Saturday night and two Bears fans are in line as well arguing. One is saying he's through, done, had it...renouncing his fandom. The other is telling him he can't do that, he has to tough it out. I thought it funny that two obvious Chicago guys (by their accents) were arguing about the Bears in Arlington, Texas.
 
Two different conversations.

Neither is very flattering.
The way the game is played in Texas has completely changed what types of players are created.

This state used to be the leader in lbs, offensive and defensive linemen and running backs. Now it is qbs, skill position players and DBs. Since football is won in the trenches, it seems like our OL and DL have gotten less dominant and our linebackers are meh at best since they very rarely have more than 2 on the field at any time and aren't ever playing against the old "pro style"/SEC offenses.

OF course, A&M has had several top flight DL and OL drafted the past several years and I wonder if that is about the perception that they are bigger/stronger/better than they really are because of the reputation of the SEC. I can't think of an OL that has done. They've had 9 OL/DL drafted since 2013 (3 in '17) and it is hard to think of any of them who have made much of an impact. Hell, they've had 4 OL drafted in the first round and only Jake Matthews has made much of a dent. Germain Ifedi starter as a rookie, but was also called the worst guard in the league by Pro Football Focus.

Anyway, this is all to say that football in the state of Texas probably produces enough talent at the skills positions and DE, but the big uglies and tough guys that kind of define NFL football seem to be produced less and less by this style.

While Texas high school qbs seem to put up great numbers in college, the only one I can think of who played in the Big 12 and has performed well in the pros is Tannehill, and he was in a more pro-style offense at A&M.

In other words, the spread puts up great numbers but it isn't doing the best at producing NFL talent. If Herman turns Texas into Ohio State, that will obviously change.
 
In the three-year history of the league, one Big 12 team has made the cut.

Oklahoma as the last team in back in 2015.

The trends for this league are not moving forward.

1. Well, I do like how you think 3 times is sufficient date.
2. I do like how "last team" and "back in '15" are somehow ancient history.
3. In the long illustrious history of the CFP, one Pac 10 team has made the cut. See what I did there.
4. This discussion has been based on OU and TX "having little to no room for error." Best I can, the 2 are batting a combined 1.000 when in contention for a CFP.
 
My guess is Texas, OU and KU and maybe a 4th team better get used to visits to Champagne, Madison , Lincoln, Chicago, Bloomington etc.

the BIG 10 desire to create BIG 10 WEST rivalries , the TV money and The Academic money and prestige will be where Texas leans.
 
Out of the entire 10 items, I choose to look at the positives. Spurs bout to outlast the Rockets (6 games) and Casey Thompson's responses are indeed comforting.

He also mentioned that McKee's visit wouldn't affect he or Rising because he's essentially a 2020 recruit b/c of his 2-year mission work requirement for the Mormon church.

Herman is all about these Cali QB recruits... I'm not mad about it.
 
He wasn't the lead dog on that team, even if he was the best player. That wasn't HIS team.
Tim was the leader but in presence only. Kawhi was the lead dog when we needed a bucket. He was MVP for a reason. Not just on offense but defense- making life impossible for the best player in the game[/QUOTE]
That was not HIS team. Last year was really the first year when it became his team and he was played off the floor by another superstar.[/QUOTE]
Ketch he was not played off the floor by ONE superstar. He got beat in six games by 2 super stars and with refs giving okc atleast one game. It was well ducumented.
 
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