Tom Herman has exceeded my expectations.
Oh, don't get me wrong, Herman hasn't coached a game yet and ultimately the only thing that people are going to care about is his win/loss record. Hell, there were people in Austin that were ready to give Charlie Strong a statue in the early part of his tenure after sitting down with Roger Goodell during the NFL's damage control tour following the Ray Rice situation.
Just to make it crystal clear that none of what I'm about to talk about will matter a bit if Herman doesn't win some trophies in the coming season.
We clear? The bottom line is the bottom line.
That said... Tom Herman has exceeded my expectations.
I mean... I expected him to be a recruiter... but, not like this.
I mean... I expected him to get some movement going on an upgrade in facilities... but, not like this.
I mean... I expected him to increase the size of the support staff, overall, the program's social media presence and, generally, act like someone in charge with an actual plan for building a successful program (instead of just winging it)...
But, not like this.
In the aftermath of a weekend that witnessed the Longhorns unveil a new locker room that is being described as the best in America, while also nabbing a pair of in-state playmakers in recruiting in two different classes, it was hard not to acknowledge, in whatever words you want to choose that, "Damn, that boy good."
In all my years of covering the program, I've never known for anything other than red tape to exist whenever something was needed, and yet, Herman not only got approval for the millions he wanted to invest in infrastructure, he got whole damn thing completed in a few months.
When has that EVER happened with ANYTHING at The University of Texas?
If asked me in November when I thought a project like the one that was just completed would actually be finalized, I would have guessed no earlier than 2018 based on two decades of watching projects slowly get off the ground. Remember, Charlie Strong was so pessimistic about asking for a fresh coat of paint for the hallways of the football facilities that he just asked his staff to pitch in for a mound of Fatheads they could throw on the walls.
Yet, here we all were on Friday watching Texas mentioned among the giants in college football, with respect to elements related to current facilities.
Then, without so much as a single signature win to lean on for momentum, Herman and Co. added another high-level four-star prospect to a 2018 recruiting class that could be headed for top five in the nation status.
Before you could blink, Herman added one of the top playmakers in the 2019 class to kick-start commitment efforts for the group that will sign in a little more than 18 months.
If Herman is as good on the field in the coming months and years as he has been off-of-the-field in the first eight months on the job, the next project that probably needs to be pushed through is a state of art championship case.
No. 2 – This 2018 DB class ...
Holy smokes.
B.J. Foster. Caden Sterns. Jalen Green. Hell, throw in DeMarvion Overshown, just because we don't even know where that potential monster will be playing in a couple of years.
If that foursome ended up signing in February with no further additions, it would rank as one of the best defensive back classes in the last two decades at a school that has had its share of bad mamma jamma secondary signings.
The moment that D'Shawn Jamison joins the party, it goes up yet another notch.
If Herman and Co. can land Anthony Cook to be a ribbon and bow on the class, I feel quite comfortable calling it the best in Longhorn history, as we'd be talking about 4-5 guys that warrant serious consideration for top 1-15 status inside the Lone Star State across all positions in the 2018 recruiting class.
No. 3 – Here's the running scorecard for the best DB classes of the last 20 years...
1. 2001: Cedric Griffin, Aaron Ross, Michael Huff, Kendall Briles and Rufus Harris,
2. 2015: Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, DaVante Davis, P.J. Locke and DeShon Elliott
3. 2007: Curtis Brown, Earl Thomas, Ben Wells and Christian Scott
4. 1999: Rod Babers, Kendrick Turner, Dak Pearson, Monti Collier and Antonio Moore
5. 2003: Michael Griffin, Tarell Brown, Brandon Foster, Erick Jackson and Steve Richardson
No. 4 – Tweet of the Weekend...
For the record, Mrs. Herman, watch the show twice on Sunday and then pretend like you did the honorable thing on Monday by fake-watching the episode with your husband like you're Meg Ryan in When Harry met Sally.
No. 5 – About Chris Plonsky ...
I spoke with four people over the weekend about the story that former Orangebloods writer Chip Brown penned on current Texas women's athletic director Chris Plonsky; two that are former All-American athletes at Texas, one a current women's athletic department employee and the other a high-ranking Texas official.
Here are the most interesting comments from those conversations:
Texas official: "You don't hang around as long as Chris has and not compile a list of people that hate (you). In the right situation, she's a pleasure, but I'd say more than any person in either athletic department, she's not the one to make an enemy of. She's probably a lot more like Tom Herman than a lot of people on your board would possibly realize. You can make a case that there aren't any remaining in the athletic department that have accomplished more than she has since she's been here. She's not going to win any popularity contests, but of all the things we're working on and moving to the front of the agenda list, losing her is not anywhere on it. There aren't many people in the athletic department that earn their place every year, but she does."
"You can't tell the story of this university's record as a revenue-creator with including the work that she's done."
"This will eventually be a non-story."
Women's athletic department employee: "I wouldn't expect to acknowledge that the report was written. I asked someone if there would be a press release response to the article and I was told, 'It's not worth responding to. I'd say the opinion on the article from our department was 50-50. Some thought it was unfairly written and some believed there was more that could have been included.
"I think a lot of people read that article and saw a cold-blooded nature. That's very much who she is. She didn't get to where she is by being afraid to by being afraid to hurt feelings."
Former All-American athlete No.1: "Never been a fan. I hope that article leads to more questions being asked about some of these issues."
I asked if she thought Texas athletes were treated more unfairly than other female athletes at other programs. "No, this is what we get. It's just that this is the first time anyone has written about some of the things we go through."
Former All-American athlete No.2: "After four years of being an athlete at Texas, you pretty much want them all of them to lose their jobs at times. Everyone has stories they could tell. I think even those that hate her have a lot of respect for her.
Note: I connected with another high-level Texas official and another former notable athlete late Sunday and I will talk more with each of them a little later in the week.
No. 6 – What the hell did we just witness?
I don't even know how to put in words what we watched at The British Open on Sunday.
If you had told me at any point during the 20-plus minute break between shots on the 13th hole, as Jordan Spieth tried to avoid disaster after hitting his ball on the other side of the course, the former Longhorn would not only avoid a six or seven under the par-four, let alone finish -12 for a three-shot win, I would have called you something crazier than crazy.
I'm not afraid to admit it ... I thought he was done and we were looking at yet another all-time collapse to add to a suddenly growing list. Even Spieth thought he was looking at a certain double bogey as soon as the ball left his club.
Yet, somehow, he grinded out a simple bogey and was only a single shot back.
And then he just did the damn thing.
Birdie. Eagle. Birdie. Birdie. Par. Game. Blouses.
Watching his collective 18 holes on Sunday was more fun than a trip to Six Flags, and when it was over, his name was once again being discussed with the all-time greats of the game.
I still don't believe it.
No. 7 – Buy or Sell …
BUY OR SELL: Tom Herman will develop Roschon Johnson into a more successful college QB than Jerrod Heard?
(Buy) I think Heard is possibly the starting quarterback right now if he had been with Herman the entire time.
BUY OR SELL: Lots of momentum recruiting skill players thus far. Buy or sell, we end up with a top ten quality OL and DL recruiting class for 2018?
(Sell) I could see the Longhorns have a top 10 defensive line class, but I'm not so sure about the offensive line.
BUY OR SELL: Herman's fingerprints on game day atmosphere will be immediately noticeable?
(Buy) For instance, if you flinched this week at the notion that rap/R&B music has surpassed rock music as the most listened to genre among American music listening trends, you're probably going to feel the changes the most. Everything we see and hear in the pre-game will be designed for the delight of 17-year old prospects and very few sitting on the West side of DKR. Considering the level of dynamic change that has occurred on social media, I'm expecting very positive changes with the use of the scoreboard.
BUY OR SELL: With better scheme, position, and coaching - Malik has the dominating, bone-crushing, OC-intimidating year we have all been anticipating since Malikmas?
(Buy) It's what I have been thinking since the Todd Orlando hire was announced.
BUY OR SELL: 8-4 is acceptable for this season?
(Buy) Any season at Texas that doesn't end with a conference title or at least a major bowl game is unacceptable. Never lower the bar. That being said, in the context of a bigger picture, I believe an 8-4 season would be a nice springboard for a possible Big 12 championship season in 2018.
BUY OR SELL: Texas goes undefeated at home this Fall?
(Buy) I have no issue with anyone believing that with confidence.
BUY OR SELL: In a few years, the Big 12 will add Arizona and Arizona State and the conference will remain even longer than we expected?
(Sell) I just don't see it.
BUY OR SELL: All the major players on your current OB staff will be around at the start of the season next year?
(Buy) That's a tough question to answer because I didn't see Gerry Hamilton or Chip Brown leaving three months in advance of those departures happening, let alone a full year, but I love our core group of five, and it is certainly our goal to keep this group together for the next decade, not just the next year.
No. 8 – Ivan Drago is back!
File this one under the Things I Didn't Ever Expected to See category.
In an Instagram post a few days ago, Sly Stallone seemed to indicate that Dolph Lungren will revise his role as Ivan Drago in the upcoming Creed sequel?
How is this possible?
All these years later, I've always assumed that Drago ended up dead three days later in a KGB incident that was described officially as a suicide? At the very least, he spent 20-plies years in a Siberian prison, right? Am I supposed to forget that this happened?
No. 9 – Game of Thrones Review: Season 7, Episode 2...
These are my stream of conscious on Sunday night's episode of Game of Thrones:
*SPOILER ALERT!*
*SPOILER ALERT!*
*SPOILER ALERT!*
Crap, I actually caught a spoiler in the menu guide when double-checking to make sure that the episode was set to record.
"Jon faces a revolt."
What the hell?
Ok, knowing that much, let's get started with the episode.
08:12 - Dany is pretty full of herself. She would have to be considered an alpha female. I bet Tom Herman loves her.
08:14 - "We are currently working on a solution." To the dragons? Wut?
08:17 - Man, Jorah, you look like crap.
08:20 - I'm going to be sad when Cersei kills one of the dragons, aren't I?
08:28 - Gray Worm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
08:35 - I never watching another scene with Sam again. The last two weeks. Come on, man!
08:42: Jon Snow really needs a pyschologist or someone that he can just sit down and have a long talk with. Not Littlefinger.
08:46: Stay gold, Nymeria.
08:50 - I'm pretty sure Euron took a handful of Adderall before that attack.
08:53 - Basically, Dorne is Phoenix without any appointed leaders.
08:55 - Damn, Theon. Just damn. So much for the great redemption.
*END OF SPOILER ALERT!*
*END OF SPOILER ALERT!*
*END OF SPOILER ALERT!*
No. 10 – And finally …
40 days and change, folks. 40 days.
Oh, don't get me wrong, Herman hasn't coached a game yet and ultimately the only thing that people are going to care about is his win/loss record. Hell, there were people in Austin that were ready to give Charlie Strong a statue in the early part of his tenure after sitting down with Roger Goodell during the NFL's damage control tour following the Ray Rice situation.
Just to make it crystal clear that none of what I'm about to talk about will matter a bit if Herman doesn't win some trophies in the coming season.
We clear? The bottom line is the bottom line.
That said... Tom Herman has exceeded my expectations.
I mean... I expected him to be a recruiter... but, not like this.
I mean... I expected him to get some movement going on an upgrade in facilities... but, not like this.
I mean... I expected him to increase the size of the support staff, overall, the program's social media presence and, generally, act like someone in charge with an actual plan for building a successful program (instead of just winging it)...
But, not like this.
In the aftermath of a weekend that witnessed the Longhorns unveil a new locker room that is being described as the best in America, while also nabbing a pair of in-state playmakers in recruiting in two different classes, it was hard not to acknowledge, in whatever words you want to choose that, "Damn, that boy good."
In all my years of covering the program, I've never known for anything other than red tape to exist whenever something was needed, and yet, Herman not only got approval for the millions he wanted to invest in infrastructure, he got whole damn thing completed in a few months.
When has that EVER happened with ANYTHING at The University of Texas?
If asked me in November when I thought a project like the one that was just completed would actually be finalized, I would have guessed no earlier than 2018 based on two decades of watching projects slowly get off the ground. Remember, Charlie Strong was so pessimistic about asking for a fresh coat of paint for the hallways of the football facilities that he just asked his staff to pitch in for a mound of Fatheads they could throw on the walls.
Yet, here we all were on Friday watching Texas mentioned among the giants in college football, with respect to elements related to current facilities.
Then, without so much as a single signature win to lean on for momentum, Herman and Co. added another high-level four-star prospect to a 2018 recruiting class that could be headed for top five in the nation status.
Before you could blink, Herman added one of the top playmakers in the 2019 class to kick-start commitment efforts for the group that will sign in a little more than 18 months.
If Herman is as good on the field in the coming months and years as he has been off-of-the-field in the first eight months on the job, the next project that probably needs to be pushed through is a state of art championship case.
No. 2 – This 2018 DB class ...
Holy smokes.
B.J. Foster. Caden Sterns. Jalen Green. Hell, throw in DeMarvion Overshown, just because we don't even know where that potential monster will be playing in a couple of years.
If that foursome ended up signing in February with no further additions, it would rank as one of the best defensive back classes in the last two decades at a school that has had its share of bad mamma jamma secondary signings.
The moment that D'Shawn Jamison joins the party, it goes up yet another notch.
If Herman and Co. can land Anthony Cook to be a ribbon and bow on the class, I feel quite comfortable calling it the best in Longhorn history, as we'd be talking about 4-5 guys that warrant serious consideration for top 1-15 status inside the Lone Star State across all positions in the 2018 recruiting class.
No. 3 – Here's the running scorecard for the best DB classes of the last 20 years...
1. 2001: Cedric Griffin, Aaron Ross, Michael Huff, Kendall Briles and Rufus Harris,
2. 2015: Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, DaVante Davis, P.J. Locke and DeShon Elliott
3. 2007: Curtis Brown, Earl Thomas, Ben Wells and Christian Scott
4. 1999: Rod Babers, Kendrick Turner, Dak Pearson, Monti Collier and Antonio Moore
5. 2003: Michael Griffin, Tarell Brown, Brandon Foster, Erick Jackson and Steve Richardson
No. 4 – Tweet of the Weekend...
For the record, Mrs. Herman, watch the show twice on Sunday and then pretend like you did the honorable thing on Monday by fake-watching the episode with your husband like you're Meg Ryan in When Harry met Sally.
No. 5 – About Chris Plonsky ...
I spoke with four people over the weekend about the story that former Orangebloods writer Chip Brown penned on current Texas women's athletic director Chris Plonsky; two that are former All-American athletes at Texas, one a current women's athletic department employee and the other a high-ranking Texas official.
Here are the most interesting comments from those conversations:
Texas official: "You don't hang around as long as Chris has and not compile a list of people that hate (you). In the right situation, she's a pleasure, but I'd say more than any person in either athletic department, she's not the one to make an enemy of. She's probably a lot more like Tom Herman than a lot of people on your board would possibly realize. You can make a case that there aren't any remaining in the athletic department that have accomplished more than she has since she's been here. She's not going to win any popularity contests, but of all the things we're working on and moving to the front of the agenda list, losing her is not anywhere on it. There aren't many people in the athletic department that earn their place every year, but she does."
"You can't tell the story of this university's record as a revenue-creator with including the work that she's done."
"This will eventually be a non-story."
Women's athletic department employee: "I wouldn't expect to acknowledge that the report was written. I asked someone if there would be a press release response to the article and I was told, 'It's not worth responding to. I'd say the opinion on the article from our department was 50-50. Some thought it was unfairly written and some believed there was more that could have been included.
"I think a lot of people read that article and saw a cold-blooded nature. That's very much who she is. She didn't get to where she is by being afraid to by being afraid to hurt feelings."
Former All-American athlete No.1: "Never been a fan. I hope that article leads to more questions being asked about some of these issues."
I asked if she thought Texas athletes were treated more unfairly than other female athletes at other programs. "No, this is what we get. It's just that this is the first time anyone has written about some of the things we go through."
Former All-American athlete No.2: "After four years of being an athlete at Texas, you pretty much want them all of them to lose their jobs at times. Everyone has stories they could tell. I think even those that hate her have a lot of respect for her.
Note: I connected with another high-level Texas official and another former notable athlete late Sunday and I will talk more with each of them a little later in the week.
No. 6 – What the hell did we just witness?
I don't even know how to put in words what we watched at The British Open on Sunday.
If you had told me at any point during the 20-plus minute break between shots on the 13th hole, as Jordan Spieth tried to avoid disaster after hitting his ball on the other side of the course, the former Longhorn would not only avoid a six or seven under the par-four, let alone finish -12 for a three-shot win, I would have called you something crazier than crazy.
I'm not afraid to admit it ... I thought he was done and we were looking at yet another all-time collapse to add to a suddenly growing list. Even Spieth thought he was looking at a certain double bogey as soon as the ball left his club.
Yet, somehow, he grinded out a simple bogey and was only a single shot back.
And then he just did the damn thing.
Birdie. Eagle. Birdie. Birdie. Par. Game. Blouses.
Watching his collective 18 holes on Sunday was more fun than a trip to Six Flags, and when it was over, his name was once again being discussed with the all-time greats of the game.
I still don't believe it.
No. 7 – Buy or Sell …
BUY OR SELL: Tom Herman will develop Roschon Johnson into a more successful college QB than Jerrod Heard?
(Buy) I think Heard is possibly the starting quarterback right now if he had been with Herman the entire time.
BUY OR SELL: Lots of momentum recruiting skill players thus far. Buy or sell, we end up with a top ten quality OL and DL recruiting class for 2018?
(Sell) I could see the Longhorns have a top 10 defensive line class, but I'm not so sure about the offensive line.
BUY OR SELL: Herman's fingerprints on game day atmosphere will be immediately noticeable?
(Buy) For instance, if you flinched this week at the notion that rap/R&B music has surpassed rock music as the most listened to genre among American music listening trends, you're probably going to feel the changes the most. Everything we see and hear in the pre-game will be designed for the delight of 17-year old prospects and very few sitting on the West side of DKR. Considering the level of dynamic change that has occurred on social media, I'm expecting very positive changes with the use of the scoreboard.
BUY OR SELL: With better scheme, position, and coaching - Malik has the dominating, bone-crushing, OC-intimidating year we have all been anticipating since Malikmas?
(Buy) It's what I have been thinking since the Todd Orlando hire was announced.
BUY OR SELL: 8-4 is acceptable for this season?
(Buy) Any season at Texas that doesn't end with a conference title or at least a major bowl game is unacceptable. Never lower the bar. That being said, in the context of a bigger picture, I believe an 8-4 season would be a nice springboard for a possible Big 12 championship season in 2018.
BUY OR SELL: Texas goes undefeated at home this Fall?
(Buy) I have no issue with anyone believing that with confidence.
BUY OR SELL: In a few years, the Big 12 will add Arizona and Arizona State and the conference will remain even longer than we expected?
(Sell) I just don't see it.
BUY OR SELL: All the major players on your current OB staff will be around at the start of the season next year?
(Buy) That's a tough question to answer because I didn't see Gerry Hamilton or Chip Brown leaving three months in advance of those departures happening, let alone a full year, but I love our core group of five, and it is certainly our goal to keep this group together for the next decade, not just the next year.
No. 8 – Ivan Drago is back!
File this one under the Things I Didn't Ever Expected to See category.
In an Instagram post a few days ago, Sly Stallone seemed to indicate that Dolph Lungren will revise his role as Ivan Drago in the upcoming Creed sequel?
How is this possible?
All these years later, I've always assumed that Drago ended up dead three days later in a KGB incident that was described officially as a suicide? At the very least, he spent 20-plies years in a Siberian prison, right? Am I supposed to forget that this happened?
No. 9 – Game of Thrones Review: Season 7, Episode 2...
These are my stream of conscious on Sunday night's episode of Game of Thrones:
*SPOILER ALERT!*
*SPOILER ALERT!*
*SPOILER ALERT!*
Crap, I actually caught a spoiler in the menu guide when double-checking to make sure that the episode was set to record.
"Jon faces a revolt."
What the hell?
Ok, knowing that much, let's get started with the episode.
08:12 - Dany is pretty full of herself. She would have to be considered an alpha female. I bet Tom Herman loves her.
08:14 - "We are currently working on a solution." To the dragons? Wut?
08:17 - Man, Jorah, you look like crap.
08:20 - I'm going to be sad when Cersei kills one of the dragons, aren't I?
08:28 - Gray Worm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
08:35 - I never watching another scene with Sam again. The last two weeks. Come on, man!
08:42: Jon Snow really needs a pyschologist or someone that he can just sit down and have a long talk with. Not Littlefinger.
08:46: Stay gold, Nymeria.
08:50 - I'm pretty sure Euron took a handful of Adderall before that attack.
08:53 - Basically, Dorne is Phoenix without any appointed leaders.
08:55 - Damn, Theon. Just damn. So much for the great redemption.
*END OF SPOILER ALERT!*
*END OF SPOILER ALERT!*
*END OF SPOILER ALERT!*
No. 10 – And finally …
40 days and change, folks. 40 days.
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