With 50 plus years of Longhorn football, I have never seen UT discard a QB (Shane). This board has him out the door and looking for someone to back up Sam. Shane has better stats and with a O line that is not a sieve he could play and be productive at UT. WE KEEP OUR OWN!!!!
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (The important attaboy that Tom Herman and staff deserve)
- Thread starter Ketchum
- Start date
It was a bad pick which led directly to points, but there are times as a coordinator that you have to take the candy from the baby. We were on the road in rainy conditions; we were on a roll playing smash mouth running the football, it was obvious that the WV defense was getting out muscled and on the ropes.
Ehlinger had just made a play running the football to get the ball in the red-zone. You either call QB power or you call a running play to Williams side of the line. The play call was as much or more at fault in that situation for putting Ehlinger in that position in the 1st place, run the ball.
And apparently he can play 18 holes in two and a half hours. You’re actually gonna have to slow down if you want a real glad handing job.
That's not really the point. We're talking about what Shane might feel he needs to do for himself.
I'm with you. It was the low-light of the coaching staff's day.
+1
It's a great fit for him. He's getting linked to Ole Miss, and that one just doesn't make sense for both parties.
Well that sucks he is showing signs of being a plus player at Hback. Hope Tom convinces him to stay.
If the losing QB in a battle between players one year apart in eligibility is going to transfer then I am for Herman's strategy of recruiting 2 QBs per class. For starters, more QBs means more depth. In addition, Rising and Thompson already know they both can't be on the field and are less likely to transfer than someone told they are the only QB in the class.
Unbelievable how much of a difference Conner makes. He just made himself a LOT of money Saturday. Can't imagine he will be coming back after that performance. He looks like a top 10 pick right now. DeShon made himself some money too. I think if he comes out this year he wouldn't last past the second round. Hell I think he has a chance to bring the Thorpe home where it belongs. This defense could possibly have 4 or 5 guys drafted over the next 2 years which is mind blowing considering how bad the defense was last year with essentially the same players. With the DB class coming in hopefully it won't be a big drop off next year if those guys can come in an play at a high level early but Conner proved that he is what makes this offense go. Incredible.
What about Carter? Saw someone mention that he wants to transfer (along with a footwork king tweet) on another thread and it seems like some prima donna ish.
He's gotten to play quite a bit for a freshman and, while the offensive staff should have fed him more when he's been hot, Carter got to play immediately and has had some nice TDs.
Are we really at the point where a player transfers after having a freshman season like he's had? Have some patience.
Warren, I understand.
I was going to leave this alone until well you went and did that Ketch.
1st things first: I'm a huge Liverpool fan (Ricky Fowler is my second favourite player of all time. Roy Keane being my all time favourite player).
That being said, the Salah and Messi comparison is pure and utter non-sense, and bragging about making said comparison because a small sample of a very young BPL season plays out in your favour is well...I'll let others decide what to call that but nothing flattering comes to mind.
To that end:
Messi is the greatest of all time. Its not Pele. Its not Maradona. Not Ronaldo. Not Beckenbauer (or a host of other greats I can think of). Its Messi.
To illustrate let's take a brief sampling of the incredible treasure chest of awards Messi has won:
- 5 Ballon D'Or (4 of them consecutively)
- Fifa Player of the Year
- 6 La Liga Player of the Year Awards
- 8 La Liga Ttitles
- An incredible 4 Champions League Titles
Mo Salah isn't even the best player on his team (its Continho), much less in club history (its up for some debate, but, I'd again offer Fowler for said recognition). Much less in England. Much less in Europe. So on and so forth. Messi is the greatest Barca has ever seen (which is really saying something), the greatest Spain has ever seen (again, that is really saying something), and his incredible rampage through European competitions is one for the ages.
Mo Salah? To date, he's won a few league games (maybe a man of the match in one of them), and depending on the matchup (and what's bouncing around Klopp's head) he may not start.
Salah doesn't belong in the same article as Messi. Much less the same paragraph. Putting them in the same sentence? Pure blasphemy.
This comparison is like suggesting a 15 day contract NBA player who has put together a recent streak is "Jordan'esque". It doesn't work as metaphor, analogy, or comparison on any level. We're not talking LeBron vs Jordan here, we're talking JAG vs GOAT. If Salah was to continue this streak over the rest of the league table? Still galaxy's away from even being in a discussion with Messi. Harry Kane went nuts in the premiership last year yet Messi comparisons would have gotten you laughed out of every pub in North London.
Totally applaud your emerging love of the game, and fairly interested to hear your premiership thoughts (kinda...I really enjoy more the discussion it evokes); however, taking a 12 game sample and coming away with a "Salah is Messi like" comparison? Well its probably time to put the ego back in check and show some deference to those "old heads" your "schooling" because they are playing chess and you're playing checkers.
I'll hang up and listen now.
I think this stuff happens in waves during the season and only becomes clearer after the season. Warren is a good example of that, potentially. Perhaps the end of this season will change his perceptions.
I was -16 years old.Come on now .... they won the NFL championship in 1960 !
True... wasn't that long ago when Kris Boyd was tweeting (or liking tweets) about the Aggies at halftime. That man bleeds burnt orange now.
I like Heard a lot but it's Herman's job to win FB games. Assuming Shane transfers, our team has a better shot at winning games with Heard as a backup QB, AND A CHANGE OF PACE QB, than we do rolling him out at WR and taking snaps away from RHM, LJR and CJ. I appreciate all he's given to the program but I think Heard could have a better chance of making an impact next year as a backup QB and one who gets 2-3 drives a game where he comes in to run his own package of plays. I think if Herman had Heard for an offseason to work with at QB, he could recapture a little of the CAL magic he displayed a few years ago.
Think you can add Antwuan Davis to the list of players who should have been playing ahead of other selections by the staff.
Out of the 4 team captains selected by the staff before the season started (Connor, Poona, Locke, and Hughes), only one of the 4 has been a consistent performer for this team all season. Was Beck also a captain this year?
Out of the 4 team captains selected by the staff before the season started (Connor, Poona, Locke, and Hughes), only one of the 4 has been a consistent performer for this team all season. Was Beck also a captain this year?
I don't think anyone wants Shane to leave. But it's probably the most likely outcome, unfortunately.
Kerstetter has been better than I would have ever expected
Scott Hall wasn't a sawed off, loudmouthed, chicken shit heel.
From a post I made during last December during Tom Herman's first week on the job as the new Texas head coach:
"In updating the 2017 LSR this week, I've been watching a lot of video of Herman and Co.'s commits/offers at Houston and I find myself really liking the eye for talent that his staff has.
Considering that Houston mostly lives in the world of three-stars, like Charlie Strong at Louisville, you have to be better than the bigger schools at evaluations because the elite of the three stars don't just find themselves.
Evaluations are one of Strong's top skills and I think Herman brings aces in that category as well.
If you see them offer and target someone you don't know about, I'd suggest going to HUDL or wherever you can because Herman and his staff have great eyes for talent from what I can tell.
Daniel Young is another guy I like a lot. Maybe the most violent runner in the state, but he's smooth in the passing game as well. Physical dude."
*****
As Daniel Young put the finishing touches on his best day of a very young career on Saturday with a touchdown in the fourth quarter, I thought back to this thread from last December.
Not so much about the Young part, but more about the fact that Tom Herman and Co. had such a good evaluation on a guy who didn't carry a huge recruiting profile and wasn't one of these guys that could wallpaper his room with scholarship offers.
It became real clear to me that Herman's staff had a good eye for talent, which is probably more valuable than simply being able to recruit, but if you can add both together, you can create real magic.
If you think about the freshman contributors on this team, most have been on the offensive side of the ball and outside of Sam Ehlinger, all of them have something in common ... they are Herman guys.
Young? Poached from UH after Herman arrived in Austin as a guy that wasn't heavily recruited by power five schools.
Derek Kerstetter? Poached from Oklahoma State after Herman arrived in Austin and wasn't heavily recruited by power five schools.
Cade Brewer? Poached from SMU and didn’t become a viable target until Herman showed up and made the mid-three star prospect a priority.
Toneil Carter? Another guy that wasn't giving Texas the time of day until Herman arrived and made him a critical target, but he doesn't really fall into the category of the other three.
As far as I'm concerned, getting it right with Young, Kerstetter and Brewer, especially this early in their careers, is the stuff I've seen from Gary Patterson in the last decade from this state and very few others.
It makes me inclined to trust them moving forward when it comes to player selection in recruiting.
I'm also inclined to suggest that those three players represent one of this staff's biggest early coups.
No. 2 – The elephant in the room ...
I wrote about this a few weeks ago and I'm going to say it again ...
It would greatly benefit the 2018 version of the Texas Longhorns if this coaching staff begins a low-key, but aggressive pursuit of a junior college quarterback who can provide just enough depth next season that the coaches don't have to play a true freshman next season out of desperation.
He doesn't have to be great. He just needs to be able to be playable ... if needed.
It would be dangerously naive to not be prepared for a possible transfer at the position in the off-season. Tom Herman comes across like someone who views life like a good boy scout would, which means he believes in being prepared.
This situation warrants that kind of boy scout-level detail in planning.
No. 3 – Speaking of the quarterback position ...
Relax with Sam.
There's no question that Sam Ehlinger has to learn when to be Superman and when to channel his inner-Clark Kent, but that's just part of the growing pains that come with playing a true freshman that juggles believing he has to be the chief play-maker on the offense, while also believing he has the ability to make any play that can be made on a football field.
You don't have to tell Ehlinger to go for it. He's got that part down. It's the knowing when to go for it and when not to that will come with time.
Recall that in Colt McCoy's sophomore season in 2007, he was such a turnover machine (22 of them) that a lot of people wondered if he could truly lead Texas to greatness, even if his high-end upside was obvious to the naked eye. All it took was added maturation to Colt's own gun-slinging nature and the Longhorns had the guy they needed for 2008 and 2009 championship runs.
Sam's not dumb. He's 19. The two are often confused for each other, which is understandable, but trust me on this one.
Just relax.
No. 4 - Good decision, Connor ...
If the all-American wanted to put some junior game-film together for NFL scouts that matched the type of play witnessed in 2016, well ... mission accomplished.
Watching Williams pistol-whip everything that crossed his path on Saturday was a reminder of just what Texas has been missing for so much of this season.
It wasn't an accident that the coaches kept running behind his backside in the second half when they needed to lock the game down.
The Longhorns might not get the most out of Williams this season because of the injury, but if this team closes the show with two more wins this season to reach 8-5 with a bowl win to boot, his role will be immense in getting there.
No. 5- One thought about Friday ...
It's pretty fascinating how quickly the game between Texas and Texas Tech went from being a total dud of a match-up to being a pretty critical game.
Winning four out of five to finish the regular season would be quite a statement and it's there for the taking.
No. 6- This dunk deserves its own thread ...
JERICHO!!!!!!!!!!
No. 7 – Buy or Sell …
BUY or SELL: Connor, Malik, Elliott and Hill all declare for the draft?
(Sell) I don't think Texas goes 0-fer on all four. I think Hill has the most to gain by getting his act together and returning for one more season.
BUY or SELL: If the coaches listened to fans earlier in the year, and played
Daniel Young
Toneil Carter
Gary Johnson
Malcolm Roach
Breckyn Hager
Texas would have a better record than it does today?
(Buy) Roach started the season injured, so I don't really count him, but the other four? Yeah, the coaches were wrong in some of their personnel decisions, which many hard-core fans could see coming a mile away.
BUY or SELL: Happiest man on OB after a win is Suchomel?
(Sell) While he might be the ban-master, which creates its own sort of outrage, the general masses tend to aim their collective pitchfork more towards me than anyone else on the staff, which means I win.
BUY or SELL: Texas plays A&M in Texas Bowl?
(Sell) That game needs to mean something when these two teams play. That would not be the case this season.
BUY or SELL: Texas names a new AD before 2018?
(Sell) I keep being told it'll be in the back-end of the first quarter of 2018.
BUY or SELL: With a healthy Connor Williams for the full season, Texas is 8-3 right now?
(Sell) I'll give them the USC game with a healthy Connor. You could argue Oklahoma State, but I think we would all be wise to try not to re-write history after one game against an average team that ended up losing its quarterback early in the game.
BUY or SELL: Daniel Young goes for over a 100 against Tech?
(Buy) Oh yeah.
BUY or SELL: Your pick of Texas to beat WVU was based more on your astute evaluation of the two teams than on pure contrarianism?
(Buy) I just thought Texas had been the better team against better competition than the Mountaineers and that it has beaten a better team on the road earlier in the season in Ames.
BUY or SELL: Shane transfers after the season?
(Buy) He's losing the job at the end of the season and he has three years to play two with a transfer, which means a year off and a fresh start might be the best possible thing for him. Not the team ... HIM. Texas will do everything it can to keep him, and I'm sure the staff will tell him that a battle will take place, which means that he'll stay through the spring. All in all, it's an unfair topic of discussion for him, but it's a big ol' elephant in the room.
BUY or SELL: Playing a bowl game in Houston is a big deal because it will help with recruiting there and in Louisiana?
(Buy) Houston is this school's most important recruiting region at the moment, so any and all extra exposure the Longhorns can get in that area is worth its weight in gold.
BUY or SELL: Tim Beck calling plays this time next year?
(Buy) *Ducking*
BUY or SELL: Texas put together a convincing conference road win when it had to, making this the signature win of the season. We can finally say the team has turned the corner under TH and it doesn't matter who declares for the draft, we're in good shape and on the way back.
Tell us Ketchy-Wan Kenobi. You're our only hope.
(Buy) It depends on what corner we're talking about. If it's the corner of respectability, yes, absolutely. If it's the corner towards big-time football, no, a bigger dragon has to go down than West Virginia to make such a claim. I would still argue Texas has won every game it was supposed to win and lost every game it was supposed to lose, even if most picking the game favored the Mountaineers.
No. 8 – If I had a vote that mattered ...
1. Alabama
2. Miami
3. Oklahoma
4. Clemson
5. Wisconsin
6. Georgia
7. Auburn
8. Ohio State
9. Notre Dame
10. USC
No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... Baker Mayfield is the Scott Hall of college football. All that's missing is the tooth-pick.
... Biggest takeaway from the teams in the top 10 this week? Zzzzzzzzzzz.
... Actually, I do give Miami credit for overcoming the natural hangover following the Notre Dame win and responding with a win that was impressive with regards to the team's response when faced with some adversity.
... Jim Mora Jr. is just a guy.
... I'm just sick for D'Onta Foreman. The young man was having a true breakout performance and right as he scores a game-clinching touchdown, his Achilles tendon gives way. Hang in there, D'Onta.
... Sean McDermott is only a first-year coach, but man, the decision to go from Tyrod Taylor to Nate Peterman is a firing offense. My goodness, what a disaster.
... The Patriots are the best team in football and getting better by the week.
... Imagine Minnesota with really good quarterback play. Watch out, NFC.
... Mo Salah is the early EPL Player of the Year. He's producing goals and assists at a Messi-like level through the first 1/3 of the EPL season.
... Big 12 officials called the Arsenal/Tottenham game.
... Get ready for Tuesday, soccer fans. No, I'm not talking Champions League, I'm talking about the first-leg of the MLS Conference Finals. Holla!
No. 10 – And Finally…
#AISDPROUD
The coaching staff really dropped the ball with deciding the talents and impact of the players that were listed. Its very clear that Herman did not watch film or did and was just stubborn and wanted to do things his own way by holding competitions at every position. Head scratching call there by Herman.
Interesting choice of words, by someone who is very careful with those choices. Not just that you think he will, but it makes you happy that he will. Interesting.
