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Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (The good and bad of college football attrition...)

Saying "Happy Memorial Day" or "have a great Memorial Day" are very common and accepted expressions. They don't imply that we should be happy when we remember our fallen soldiers, rather that we take the time to be happy while we're stopping down to celebrate their remembrance and sacrifice for our freedoms, which includes the freedom to be happy. There's not a single thing wrong with wishing someone a "Happy Memorial Day." This from a guy whose family (and buddies' families) knows and has lived that sacrifice.

Second, Fruity Pebbles are terrible, not least because they go soggy in about 4 seconds and you're left eating limp bits of disgusting, runny mush instead of cereal.

Third, the Beatles blow wet diarrhea ass, and that's literally the nicest thing I can say about them. I hate that stupid ass group of overrated assholes with the fire of a million suns.
 
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Saying "Happy Memorial Day" or "have a great Memorial Day" are very common and accepted expressions. They don't imply that we should be happy when we remember our fallen soldiers, rather that we take the time to be happy while we're stopping down to celebrate their remembrance and sacrifice for our freedoms, which includes the freedom to be happy. There's not a single thing wrong with wishing someone a "Happy Memorial Day." This from a guy whose family (and buddies' families) knows and has lived that sacrifice.

Second, Fruity Pebbles are terrible, not least because they go soggy in about 4 seconds and you're left eating limp bits of disgusting, runny mush instead of cereal.

Third, the Beatles blow wet diarrhea ass, and that's literally the nicest thing I can say about them. I hate that stupid ass group of overrated assholes with the fire of a million suns.
I don't agree with everything in this post, but I appreciate the spirit it was made with.

p.s. Gotta eat the fruity pebbles before it becomes mush. The window isn't large. It's why it's best to pour the milk in moderation.
 
With all due respect @Ketchum, Texas' problem since 2010 has not been the 70 players out of 157 recruited from 2010 - 2016 departing for various reasons... b/c none of them went on to do much with their respective football career's... the problem with Texas football has been what the 87 players who did not leave the program in that time span failed to become... very few of those guys turned into impact players, All-conference players and/or NFL Draft picks.

All great programs have attrition, the difference between those programs (Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, LSU, Oklahoma, etc.) and Texas has been the fact that the power house programs find and develop impact players that influence the W/L column. Texas hasn't had enough of those type of guys over the last 7 years.

Failure to recruit and develop elite talent has crippled Texas, not the attrition. If that weren't the case, that list of departures would be littered with All-Americans and NFL draft picks. But it isn't.

Just my $0.02.

I tend to agree with you that attrition is not the bulk of the problem. Given "normal" attrition based on previous work Ketch has posted (if I'm not mistaken) we should have expected about 50 kids leaving vs the 70.

That is a healthy difference and undoubtedly contributed to the poor results - but we had enough talent to win more games than we did and at LEAST play .500 ball or better with the talent on hand.

Bad play, bad player development, bad coaching was the main problem.

Edit: Forgot to mention the hype squad. They are also responsible for several losses.
 
Mass attrition is simply the end result of many problems. It's not a cause. It's an effect. Not sure you clearly grasp the concept.

Yep, attrition is like sneezing when you have a cold ... it is just a symptom of a malady. A little attrition (like a sneeze here or there) is normal, while a lot of attrition (like a lot of sneezing) means the body is sick ... and our program has had a cold for 7 years now.
 
I tend to agree with you that attrition is not the bulk of the problem. Given "normal" attrition based on previous work Ketch has posted (if I'm not mistaken) we should have expected about 50 kids leaving vs the 70.

That is a healthy difference and undoubtedly contributed to the poor results - but we had enough talent to win more games than we did and at LEAST play .500 ball or better with the talent on hand.

Bad play, bad player development, bad coaching was the main problem.

Edit: Forgot to mention the hype squad. They are also responsible for several losses.
Literally, no one suggested it was the only problem.

If someone read the article and can't understand that extreme roster turnover can be an issue when it can't be controlled, I'm not sure that me holding their hand through the discussion will help.

Texas needs to stop averaging 40+ players worth of turnover every four years.

It needs that number to drop to 25-30 over the same time frame moving forward.
 
Damn Ketch, after reading this thread you seem to be the one nitpicking most comments. Relax brother, it's a holiday.
 
Damn Ketch, after reading this thread you seem to be the one nitpicking most comments. Relax brother, it's a holiday.
The only people I have nitpicked are the people who have incorrectly made assertions about what was written in the column, some of whom make a sport out of incorrectly nitpicking.;)
 
You married a woman who doesn't like the Beatles?

And he's fortunate that she also has bad taste in men? :D
Froot Loops over all

I'll see your fruit loops and raise a captain crunch the GOAT aka the top dog of the Mount Rushmore of breakfast cereals.

Fruity pebbles @Ketchum? Not sure it's even a top 5. If you have fruit pebbles at the top let's see your 2-5?
 
Literally, no one suggested it was the only problem.

If someone read the article and can't understand that extreme roster turnover can be an issue when it can't be controlled, I'm not sure that me holding their hand through the discussion will help.

Texas needs to stop averaging 40+ players worth of turnover every four years.

It needs that number to drop to 25-30 over the same time frame moving forward.

You obviously have little clue on this. Let me simplify for you. Once Herman solidifies the program, the attrition slows down accordingly. Really, that shouldn't be difficult to understand. Unless of course you somehow think it's just a coincidence we' ve had bigger attrition over the last 4-5 years which encompasses 3 different HCs compared to let's say '01-'05.
 
And fruity pebbles blow. Cocoa Pebbles beats it easily and Froot Loops blows it away.
 
And he's fortunate that she also has bad taste in men? :D


I'll see your fruit loops and raise a captain crunch the GOAT aka the top dog of the Mount Rushmore of breakfast cereals.

Fruity pebbles @Ketchum? Not sure it's even a top 5. If you have fruit pebbles at the top let's see your 2-5?
Yes I'll take that
My two favorites
Though Life cereal was also in the rotation
 
You obviously have little clue on this. Let me simplify for you. Once Herman solidifies the program, the attrition slows down accordingly. Really, that shouldn't be difficult to understand. Unless of course you somehow think it's just a coincidence we' ve had bigger attrition over the last 4-5 years which encompasses 3 different HCs compared to let's say '01-'05.
I have no clue, but I'm the only person on the planet that has actually done the research on this. I've actually had UT staffers thank me for the research because they had no idea.

Yes, it is possible that the attrition will slow down. My larger point is that it needs to because you can't be a championship team with the turnover that has taken place in the last decade.

I'm not even sure you read the article because I mention that what is taking place RIGHT NOW in the area of attrition is natural and needed.

The object of the column was to explain what the bigger picture over the last decade-plus looks like.

You're debating with me, despite the fact that my column's larger point is the one that you are also making.

The irony of you not understanding that is delicious. Just go enjoy your day.
 
Yes I'll take that
My two favorites
Though Life cereal was also in the rotation

Life isn't bad and also was in the rotation. Apple Jacks, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops and Coco Puffs would round out my top 5.
 
And he's fortunate that she also has bad taste in men? :D


I'll see your fruit loops and raise a captain crunch the GOAT aka the top dog of the Mount Rushmore of breakfast cereals.

Fruity pebbles @Ketchum? Not sure it's even a top 5. If you have fruit pebbles at the top let's see your 2-5?
Top five

1. Frioty Pebbles
2. Fruit Loops
3. Frosted Flakes
4. Captain Ctunch (Berries)
5. Honey Smacks
 
Top five

1. Frioty Pebbles
2. Fruit Loops
3. Frosted Flakes
4. Captain Ctunch (Berries)
5. Honey Smacks

I completely forgot about Frosted Flakes. Man I'm going to have to make an HEB now. C Cruch orig, with berries or even peanut butter all good but man fruity pebbles just a soggy bowl of mess for me.
 
The Beatles will always be the greatest band of all time and their music will be playing a thousand years from now. I have seen Paul live twice and little 4 and 5 year old kids know all the lyrics.
 
Enjoyed it all, as usual. And thanks, Ketch, for #10 especially. Well said.
 
Regarding a special uniform within 2 years, I really really hope not. I cannot understate how much I hate teams going away from their trademark uniforms that identify them. When the steelers wear their bumble bee uniforms they look like fools. When the aggies wear their all gray uniforms, you are not only taken aback by how ugly they are, but also wonder who the team is. When you find out its the aggies, you wonder how a team that prides itself on tradition to the point of being ridiculous can make this change. We have a classic and one of the most identifiable uniforms in football. I am proud that we haven't gotten caught up in this Nike inspired foolishness.

Regarding Kevin Durant, I don't understand how anyone can hold leaving the Thunder against him. Not only will this decision get him more rings, which he has the right to want to pursue, but it has enabled him to become a part of a historically great team. I agree that not only will the next two weeks define him more than the decision to take his talents west, but his career will be remembered as him being a part of a great team for years. His time at the Thunder will be but a footnote. Yes I miss the days of stability and players staying with a team, but those days ended a long time ago.
 
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Just as a follow-up to the larger point in the column's lede:

Massive decade-long attrition is how you end up with 11 seniors one year after having only a dozen or so (including walk-ons that were given scholarships) last year.

When was the last time the Longhorns had a large, leading the team senior class?
 
Top five

1. Frioty Pebbles
2. Fruit Loops
3. Frosted Flakes
4. Captain Ctunch (Berries)
5. Honey Smacks
Love 'em all... gotta go old school and refer to it as Sugar Smacks...

When I was a kid Fruit Loops was #1... as my palate matured, Sugar Smacks and Golden Grahams was 1a and 1b... followed closely by Cap'n Crunch... Golden Grahams is like crack now for me and my girls.
 
I had a buddy from Florida who passed away this year. We would debate this topic endlessly. Whenever he started bragging about their '08 title, I would tell him, at best, UF and UT were co- champs.

After all, we both finished with 1 loss and both beat OU by 10 on a neutral field.

Then he would tell me UF won the tie breaker - the team they lost to (Ole Miss) smoked the team we lost to (Tech) in the Cotton Bowl.

I never could come up with a counter argument to that last one.

1. Florida lost at home, Texas lost on the road.
2. Florida's schedule leading up to the Ole Miss game was Hawaii, Miami, Bye, at Tennessee. None ranked. Texas' schedule leading up to the Tech game was OU (#1), Missouri (#11), Oklahoma St. (#7) and at Tech (#6). Not at all comparable.
3. Bowl game results, in isolation, are questionable at best. Motivation heading in to bowl games is exceptionally difficult to gauge.
 
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1. Florida lost at home, Texas lost on the road.
2. Florida's schedule leading up to the Ole Miss game was Hawaii, Miami, Bye, at Tennessee. None ranked. Texas' schedule leading up to the Tech game was OU (#1), Missouri (#11), Oklahoma St. (#7) and at Tech (#6). Not at all comparable.
3. Bowl game results, in isolation, are questionable at best. Motivation heading in to bowl games is exceptionally difficult to gauge.
UT was lucky to beat Ohio State. Their heads weren't in that game.
 
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