ADVERTISEMENT

Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (Tom Herman is all-in on the 2018 Longhorns ...)

I may hang myself if Texas loses to tech again. Isn’t tech supposed to be worse than last year?
Tech has a real defense this year believe it or not. They return everybody and they have 3 linebackers that could play for anyone in the country and will all be drafted. They return their entire O line and will run the ball more this year with their new O coordinator. They also have Jett Duffey at QB who has a chance to be really good and certainly better than what they had last year. Tech will be better this year than last year and you know how games in Lubbock go.
 
Tech has a real defense this year believe it or not. They return everybody and they have 3 linebackers that could play for anyone in the country and will all be drafted. They return their entire O line and will run the ball more this year with their new O coordinator. They also have Jett Duffey at QB who has a chance to be really good and certainly better than what they had last year. Tech will be better this year than last year and you know how games in Lubbock go.
Tortillas everywhere
 
  • Like
Reactions: TurfHorn
According to articles posted about him possibly transferring, he will be eligible to graduate after the 18 season, and thus a transfer for the 2019 season.
Yeah, I googled it and it appears there's some uncertainty. He was an early enrollee (so Spring 2016, so he may have more credits than I realized. But yeah, to transfer at the end of this spring as a graduate, he would've graduated in 2 1/2 years. @Ketchum how sure are you that he would be a grad transfer? All of your discussion about this assumes he will be. Link?
 
I don't know Ketch... you saying LJH would be my starting running back if I was calling the shots sounds an awful lot like you jumping off of the Daniel Young bandwagon to me. Your words, not Herman's.
I'm not sure if he's ready to be the full-time starter. Readiness of the here and now isn't an indictment of future ability to do so IMO.
 
Yeah, I googled it and it appears there's some uncertainty. He was an early enrollee (so Spring 2016, so he may have more credits than I realized. But yeah, to transfer at the end of this spring as a graduate, he would've graduated in 2 1/2 years. @Ketchum how sure are you that he would be a grad transfer? All of your discussion about this assumes he will be. Link?
Not 100-percent sure. i'll check.
 
Not 100-percent sure. i'll check.

I think the general consensus is he likely finish in December. I think if he were projected to finish this spring then there would be a heightened sense of urgency to the transfer story. At this point it's only out there because his dad thought it was smart to bump his gums about a transfer.
 
So Ketch, you think we will lose at home to a TCU team that is losing 15 of their 22 starters (which is the most in the NCAA Div 1) and also lose to a 6-7 Tech team that is losing 70% of their offensive production. I also see an OU squad that is losing their QB that was all everything but it is still OU and they always seem to reload. I think you are basing WAY too much on a meaningless spring game in which we split our team up.

I think if you want to be able to brag a little about your predictions then you'd better jump on the wagon while you still can because we're going to win the Big 12 this season. We are going to be plenty salty this year with the talent we have coming in and coming back. I will not shy away from my prediction. Also, I see WVU as being the team for us to worry about in the Big 12.
 
Tim Beck never should’ve been brought back for this upcoming season.

Sam reminds me so much of Swoopes it isn’t funny. Sam is more accurate than Swoopes but not by much, and that’s not lofty praise.
Swoopes can't carry Sam's shoes, when it comes to passing a football.
 
So Ketch, you think we will lose at home to a TCU team that is losing 15 of their 22 starters (which is the most in the NCAA Div 1) and also lose to a 6-7 Tech team that is losing 70% of their offensive production. I also see an OU squad that is losing their QB that was all everything but it is still OU and they always seem to reload. I think you are basing WAY too much on a meaningless spring game in which we split our team up.

I think if you want to be able to brag a little about your predictions then you'd better jump on the wagon while you still can because we're going to win the Big 12 this season. We are going to be plenty salty this year with the talent we have coming in and coming back. I will not shy away from my prediction. Also, I see WVU as being the team for us to worry about in the Big 12.
What is the combined score of the last four TCU games?
 
It's a tough question to answer because Texas always looks better on paper than other teams because of the highly rated recruits in the program.

How about I make it a section in next week's column?
I know I'd be very interested on your thoughts on the rest of the conference. Maybe others would too. I think it would be a great discussion point.

Thanks!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Cure4BizCancer
So bring Hurts in to sit a year and disrupt the QB room while you are waiting on him for 2019? That would be a foolish move at a point when the team is close and prepping for the 2018 season.

I don’t care about disrupting the quarterback room as much as I do about winning. I’d bring Hurts in and Joe Burrow from Ohio State if he decides to become a grad transfer. I think we’d win 9 games with the possibility of 10 with Burrow this year
 
It's the story of this season, the thing that either slows down the momentum that Herman wants or sends it into the stratosphere. By God, Herman is telling us that it's going to be fine. Hell, more than fine.

He better be right.

================================================

After listening to almost an entire season of what I thought were brutally honest assessments by Herman of his team and their shortcomings, if he's now spinning a more positive vibe I'm inclined to buy into what he's saying, at least for now.

I get why you might be hesitant, but has Herman been a guy who has BS'd the media and fans up to this point?
 
You nailed it. Reinvestment is probably key because ESPN doesn't give a shit.
You nailed it. Reinvestment is probably key because ESPN doesn't give a shit.

It's just not ESPN's concern to push Texas, other than increasing viewership (and I am not convinced that at this point, ESPN has written LHN off as a bad investment). Just think what UT could accomplish if they leveraged the talent available at their fingertips, with the community of one of the strongest student populations in the country. Undergrad and grad students in Marketing, Media, Business strategy, and anything else you could think of. If just one leader was tasked to create a Vision and then be given the resources to execute, the LHN could be the ultimate PR and recruiting site. The athletics department will undoubtedly keep on hiring another 100 employees to bloat themselves into oblivion before this happens.

My business is helping businesses create Vision and then execution and corporate health. I would donate my time to getting this effort established if there was a leadership team to work with.
 
Say it ain’t so, another loss to Tech? I guess Ketch believes my west Texas friends will be bringing it again
That guy #2 that their QB just threw the ball up to that caught about 20 passes against us isn't there any more.
 
One thing that is being undervalued come fall is the experience factor. Even with an underwhelming season, Sam has a season under his belt and Shane has two. Every team that beat us has lost key contributers on offense and most importantly at QB. If you are going to say that Texas hasn’t proved to have a QB capable of winning the Big 12, then you also have to admit that OU, Ok St, TCU, Tech are in the same boat as of now. Experience is key in college football. It takes special players to come in their first year as starters and perform to expectations.

I’ll say now that I’m not as worried as many are about the OL. Do I expect them to be great or even above average? No, but I don’t think the unit for the SG will be the same as what we see this fall. Anderson will provide stability of anything else. I know you’re not sold yet on Hudson but he’ll atleast be solid depth. Okafor will be allowed to play inside. I just don’t see any scenario that leaves us worse off than last year. Obvious upgrade at LT (not including Williams as he was hurt most of year), a sophomore at RT with another summer of S&C and a year of experience under his belt, and a host of players with experience on the interior. Any combination of Vahe, Shack, E Rod, Okafor and Hudson should be an upgrade given experience and addition by subtraction with the loss of Cuney. That gives you two interior subs with experience, and the flexibility of E Rod and Okafor. Still have to see if Cosmi can be the swing T. Obviously we cannot afford injuries to the T position like last year. Cautiously optimistic that they can make strides towards being an average OL. If last year is any indication, an average OL will be enough to put us in position to win 8-9 games.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Never Nuff Horns
Could easily happen, just as Texas could easily drop a couple of those wins I gave them.

I have enough blind faith in CTH that I think he will make some strides on the offense (as he did on the defensive side of the ball) to pull out the best of a key contributor on the OL, and RB (WR will be fine). If we can just manage the QB position to not be a liability, and don't go backward on defense, then I truly believe that an 8-4 regular season is a better than 50-50 proposition.

I'm not buying that the defense will automatically much better than last year, either. (Although they looked good in the spring game). Iowa State's defense would have probably looked good in that environment. The loss of Elliot, Hill, Jefferson, Ford, etc. doesn't support a dramatic improvement. Even if the defense was plus last year, it had its warts.

The optimism of a 10+ win season is unrealistic, although it could certainly happen with luck. We haven't had much luck in the last 7 seasons. The key to long term improvement is talent upgrade. The kids of this class can't be expected to turn this thing around as true freshmen. The program was very damaged when CTH stepped in. 8-4 would be positive. Just because Texas is a "blue blood" program doesn't make the swill pit CTH stepped into any less of a challenge.
 
It's the story of this season, the thing that either slows down the momentum that Herman wants or sends it into the stratosphere. By God, Herman is telling us that it's going to be fine. Hell, more than fine.

He better be right.

================================================

After listening to almost an entire season of what I thought were brutally honest assessments by Herman of his team and their shortcomings, if he's now spinning a more positive vibe I'm inclined to buy into what he's saying, at least for now.

I get why you might be hesitant, but has Herman been a guy who has BS'd the media and fans up to this point?
He was quite the hype man last August, with the comparison to his offensive line to the 2014 Bueckeyes giving me forever pause about anything he ever says again.;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: matamoroshorn
He was quite the hype man last August, with the comparison to his offensive line to the 2014 Bueckeyes giving me forever pause about anything he ever says again.;)
Well, ok. I just don't remember that as much as I do the more or less negative comments throughout the season.

Such as "Did you guys expect magic dust?" and "This isn't the NFL. We can't go out and get new players." I heard this and similar things all through last season, which was after he made the comments you were talking about. Herman's a smart guy. If he made a comment to the media that was stupid (as good as 2014 Ohio State) I have a really hard time believing he would do the same thing again in April.
 
Put down the crack pipe.

Not a crack pipe but an odds pipe. The odds say we have to get better. The more time that goes by the higher the odds go in our favor. At least that is the way I look at the glass half full.
 
We all know the problem revolves around the O-line. Unless you are doing a 'run for your life' drill, it is hard to evaluate our offense and quarterbacks in particular. Simply put, we have to hope that more Herb and more weight room will rectify some of the issues. Frankly, we may have to do more of the Briles offense and less of the Pro-style that TH wants until we get better up front. I have faith that coaches will make good decisions.

The good news is that defense looks very solid. One might even suggest that part of our offensive issue is the quality of our defense. If we don't loose any d-linemen, we should be lights out on defense.

I also think that our place kicker will be much better. He has a good leg, but tended to over-swing in the games. Hopefully, a little maturity will kick in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Never Nuff Horns
Ok, you ain't gotta be ugly!
We can take the 1974 TCU game and wipe out the score differential for all four of those years. Oh wait. One of those was 43 points. Maybe we need to add 1969 and 1974. :D
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT