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Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (Things that need to happen in the next 244 days...)

Well, I asked the question. I will say that's quite a confident reply. I do think if we don't win the next 2 games at home then the hole-digging for our hops begins in earnest. We simply can't afford to split the next 2 home games against OU and KSU who represent 2 teams that likely won't finish higher than 5th in the conference. We HAVE to be no less than 3-3 after the first 6 conference games. The five remaining of those are:
OU
KSU
@Okie Lite
KU (eesh)
@ WVU

To be clear, losing to Baylor was fully expected, and on the surface really shouldn't be a death blow. The underlying very real problem is the manner in which it happened. Baylor played probably a C+/B- game and STILL we never made them sweat after the first 5 minutes enroute to an embarrassing 15 point blowout and more embarrassing 44 points of offense. The reality is probably have to win at least 9 games the rest of the year and honestly, it's hard to find 9 wins. And not only does every credible current tourney projection not even have us in the tourney, none of them have us even CLOSE to make the tourney.
Net Ranking has us 75th
Kenpom has us at 68th
Teamranking has has us listed as the 64th team AFTER their first 68 and a paltry 11% chance.
I don't know if it's confidence or foolishness. It better start to get better fast or they'll be chasing their tail into the NIT again.
 
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7. Quandre Diggs - Is currently in his sixth season and has emerged as one of the best nickel defensive backs in the league. Has nine career interceptions.

He'll climb that list for sure.
 
For sure. Ossai is a 3-down type NFL OLB. We're talking a guy who may very well be better than Orakpo who really didn't have to do much pass coverage until he got to the NFL where he did it well enough to have a rock solid career. Honestly, I don't think Kindle is really that close to Ossai because Kindle could only go forward.
That's more than fair.
 
Taking a bit of an issue with your McKnight take. I lost count of the times I've read read here and in solid sports articles how McKnight did a great job at UH and at Texas where the look of players is "dramatically" and significantly changed once he gets them in his training program. Seems to me that he is responsible for not all their development, rather getting them physically ready to take the field from endurance, strength, mental and overall physical angles. I've also consistently read that texas is more physical than the teams we play, sans a couple exceptions. So, I don't put a ton of responsibility on McKnight for Texas's failures this year, mostly on coaches and players.

And where is the proof? Specifically the part of Texas being more physical? Not sure where you are reading that, but seems to me we've lost a helluva lot of games to what should be inferior physically teams more than just a "couple of exceptions." Sh*t, we got bullied alone by Maryland TWICE.
 
If CDC doesn't make the changes needed in BB, Men and Women, then we have a different kind of problem. The need for change cannot be clearer. He's either the man for the job, or he wilts like the last rose.

Lot of truth. Of course, much like the softball coach hire, not sure how challenging replacing Aston will be since her contract is up. Seems pretty clear at this point she won't be back, so once again, CDC gets a pop-up for his 2nd coaching hire. Where the rubber meets the road is what does he do with Shaka should he fail to make the tournament for a THIRD time in 5 seasons, which would equal the same number of missed tournaments in the 27 years prior to his hire.
 
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The only problem with stay at RB he will have to find playing time among Ingram, Withingham and Robinson. ( hopefully the Georgie RS recruit )...for once UT has a deep RB room. I noticed on a couple of the bowl teams their best outside LB was a former QB. Johnson is a song kid and could gain weight and fill this role. Unfortunately, he is currently flipping between our two deepest positions.
I used to think this way but it just seems with injuries they all play.
 
All I can tell you is that I do not participate in the crowning of S&C coaches that haven't earned it. Learned lessons the hard way on that front.
I'm still confused I guess...not sure what a S&C coach would need to do to earn his job, feedback on him, as I stated, has been overwhelmingly positive
 
And where is the proof? Specifically the part of Texas being more physical? Not sure where you are reading that, but seems to me we've lost a helluva lot of games to what should be inferior physically teams more than just a "couple of exceptions." Sh*t, we got bullied alone by Maryland TWICE.
Do you not read post-game summaries here and on newspaper sites, pressers, etc.? For example, the game against Utah (see the quote from chron.com, talks about Texas being more physical). OU game, game before Big12 'ship against them, we were more physical.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sp...ra-Points-Texas-38-No-11-Utah-10-14942898.php
 
One game? We've lost 15 games in 3 seasons.
I gave you just 2 examples, there are others, you can search them up yourself. Texas, under Herman, has been developing a rep of being more physical that their opponents. Again, not a consistent "monster" yet, but more often than not. Another example for you: Sugar Bowl vs. GA...please don't tell me GA did not want to be there.
 
I have made the S&C disagreements known. We've previously debated it. Not everyone agrees with me.

I don’t recall ever hearing this sentiment from you.

It’s a fair concern - I’m not sure I can pin in on fatigue given how terribly coached our defense was, esp the secondary.
 
I gave you just 2 examples, there are others, you can search them up yourself. Texas, under Herman, has been developing a rep of being more physical that their opponents. Again, not a consistent "monster" yet, but more often than not. Another example for you: Sugar Bowl vs. GA...please don't tell me GA did not want to be there.

You're cherry-picking.
Baylor tossed around like rag dolls
TCU pushed our sh*t in the 2nd half
KANSAS damn near beat us.
We averaged 2 yd/carry against ISU.
 
Scratching my head here. What roll would Sam play in addition to QB? He doesn’t have NFL speed for Rob or WR. Sam is nothing like Hill.

I anticipated a lot of head scratching from that post. Hell, I was scratching mine when I made it!

I didn't mean regular QB, only Wildcat- I don't think Hill plays regular QB much, if at all, either. He shouldn't. And I also don't believe Hill is a legit 4.45, although considerably faster than Sam.

It was more of an attempt to imagine a way to have Sam on your roster, to have him spot the starter for a few plays a game as a change of pace. As Patterson has said- and I think he means it- Sam is a fullback playing QB, and presents some special problems to a college defense... whether there are innovative ways or not to justify him in the NFL, I'm certainly the last one to ask.

I do know that if there are any ways, I would jump on them to have him on my NFL roster.
 
And I also don't believe Hill is a legit 4.45, although considerably faster than Sam.

At WORST, Hill is a legit 4.5 guy. And he's got a 38" vert. Hill is pretty much considerably everything when it comes to explosiveness than Sam. I mean, Hill's Pro Day was better than McCaffrey's combine results.
 
At WORST, Hill is a legit 4.5 guy. And he's got a 38" vert. Hill is pretty much considerably everything when it comes to explosiveness than Sam. I mean, Hill's Pro Day was better than McCaffrey's combine results.[/QUO


Can't say I didn't try- hell, I thought I'd get jumped more for inherently suggesting Sam needed an innovative mind to even obtain a roster spot.
 
Lot of truth. Of course, much like the softball coach hire, not sure how challenging replacing Aston will be since her contract is up. Seems pretty clear at this point she won't be back, so once again, CDC gets a pop-up for his 2nd coaching hire. Where the rubber meets the road is what does he do with Shaka should he fail to make the tournament for a THIRD time in 5 seasons, which would equal the same number of missed tournaments in the 27 years prior to his hire.
The job requires more than fundraising.
 
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Great column @Ketchum. No outside fluff.
Thanks! Not even a slight nitpick this week!

I'm still confused I guess...not sure what a S&C coach would need to do to earn his job, feedback on him, as I stated, has been overwhelmingly positive
I would contend that the feedback has been full of confirmation bias and not supported by actual tangible success.
 
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[QUOTE="SWTHORN123, post: 13419194, member: 15554" Texas, under Herman, has been developing a rep of being more physical that their opponents. [/QUOTE]
a rep among whom?
 
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I don’t recall ever hearing this sentiment from you.

It’s a fair concern - I’m not sure I can pin in on fatigue given how terribly coached our defense was, esp the secondary.
I cannot pinpoint when and where it happened, but I know we've discussed it in podcasts. I have never bought into the hype.
 
Pretty straightforward list. I think Diggs will be top 3 by the time he's done. Out of curiosity, what did you think would be shocking?
I think a lot of people would be surprised at how average a number of them have been as pros. Only a couple of Pro Bowlers for a school that fancies itself as DBU
 
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