Sixty-three days ago, I wrote the following words in this column.
"I'll be completely honest that I've been cautious with this team, mostly because everyone has seemed to think this group might be a year away and in a bit of a rebuild mode, so my expectations have been tempered, especially going into this weekend against LSU.
“But, goodness gracious, the Longhorns did the damn thing this weekend. First, they kicked the visitors in the teeth in the opening two games by running off a combined 16-5 butt-kicking over the course of the first 18 innings in the series. Then, they truly stunted on the Tigers in the series-finale, roaring back from a late 6-3 deficit and winning with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth.
“While no one should get carried away 12 games into the season, I think it's safe to say the bar for what this team might be reasonably capable of this season has been lifted. It feels like everything is on the table for this team. This weekend is proof of that. We now know what this team is capable of, even when rough patches arrive.
“This group has grabbed our attention."
Sixty-three days later... WHAT. THE. HELL. HAPPENED?!?!?!
Sadly, if we're being honest, we've seen these types of things happen in another sports fairly recently around here. The 2010 football team started the season 3-0 and was 4-2 following a win at No. 6 Nebraska before losing five of its final six games. Six months earlier in 2010, the basketball team went from being ranked No.1 in the nation with a perfect 17-0 record to losing 10 of its last 17 games and getting dumped in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In fact, the art of starting fast and flaming out before March kind of became a staple of the Rick Barnes Era at the end of his tenure.
While we've seen all of this first-hand and up-close before, what's unique about this year's baseball team is that unlike those previous examples cited, the thing that really stood out about this team early in the season wasn't its talent, it was its grit and determination. It refused to lose games. It out-willed teams at times early in the season.
Baseball seasons are long and at times full of both ups and downs, but this team's seemingly strong set of intangibles is one of the reasons I wrote the line, "We now know what this team is capable of, even when rough patches arrive."
My thinking was that when this squad might find itself on the bad end of a three-game series, it would always be able to lean on that weekend against LSU when it came to maintaining confidence and an identity.
Boy, was I wrong.
It begs asking ... why was I wrong? What's happened in the last two months that has stripped this team of confidence, it's performance and its fight, so much so that that it is on the verge of finishing dead-last in the Big 12 and on the outside looking in with regards to post-season baseball? Does David Pierce even know? If not, what does that mean and what will keep it from ever happening again? What does this mean for the 2020 Longhorns? Does all of this put Pierce on a bit of a hot seat going into 2020?
Honestly, I don't know if I have the first clue about the answers to any of those questions, including the last one, but I do know this - in those recent examples from 2010 with Mack Brown and Rick Barnes, neither program ever truly recovered after those all-time collapses. Brown was gone a few seasons later and the basketball program hasn't returned to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament to this day. While we can chalk this up as a mulligan of sorts, we can't allow ourselves to be naive in thinking this disaster won't linger.
History around these parts has told us that.
The bottom line is that when this season concludes, this program is going to need the best 12 months of Pierce's coaching life to insure that what's happened in the last 63 days is ... never ... ever ... repeated and a level of excellence is restored.
No. 2 - Just to be clear ...
Never before in the 25+ years I've been covering Texas high school football recruiting have I ever witnessed such intense hand-to-hand combat at the top of the recruiting mountain as we're currently watching in the 2020 recruiting cycle.
Texas just signed a top-five class according to Rivals. So did Oklahoma. A&M's class was ranked No. 6. The schools that finished No. 1 (Georgia), No. 2 (Alabama) and No. 3 (LSU) are all in this year's battle royal and currently have commitments from top 10 prospects from the Lone Star State according to the LSR top 100.
Basically, the top six schools in last year's recruiting cycle are all competing in Texas at a level that has never existed before and I'm not sure enough people are fully aware of the competitiveness that exists. It's fairly rare to have Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M all riding waves of momentum at the same exact time, but to have the three biggest Southeast powerhouses of them all making incredible inroads as well ...
It's a lot. I thought I would just remind everyone of it.
No. 3 - Collin Johnson's importance to the Texas program ...
I can't imagine that the lack of success in last week's NFL Draft will result in a big problem for the Texas football program in recruiting over the next 12 months, but I absolutely expect the likes of Texas A&M and Alabama (among others) to attempt to use those down draft numbers in an effort to pollute Tom Herman's effort with the best prospects on his recruiting board.
Obviously, Herman can counter those portraits of his program's inability to develop more NFL talent by pointing out all of the success over the years that his staff has had in producing that kind of high-end talent, but because NFL development is so important for the elite of the elite, it's absolutely something that will pop up.
While I think we all feel like high-level NFL talent is on the way in the form of the youngest players in the program, it sure would do recruiting a favor if we're not having this same conversation when the 2020 Draft rolls around.
As it stands, Collin Johnson is the highest-rated NFL prospect in the program, with many draft analysts regarding him as a future first round pick. Personally, I'm not so sure that's going to happen, but it's certainly possible if he tests well and posts a monster senior season in the process.
If you forced my hand at a prediction today, I'd probably slot him in the top 2-3 rounds, along with Brandon Jones ... and then it gets pretty dicey. It's impossible at this stage to know what to make of a guy Jeff McCulloch or Malcolm Roach because neither guy would have been drafted this year if he had come out following the 2018 season. Parker Braun somewhat reminds me of Kasey Studdard, which means that he might be a late-round projection as well.
Outside of that, I'm not sure how much meat is on that bone, which has me returning back to Johnson. It would really help the program if it can have a first-day headline of producing its first top-round receiver since Roy Williams turned pro following the 2003 season. That's the kind of headline that can snuff out a growing thorn of an NFL development question that other schools might want to make.
Without it, I wonder if that thorn might stick Herman's finger a couple of times before those kids from the 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes can unleash a flurry of future high-round picks.
Again, it's not a big thing at all in my mind, but in a world where it’s the margins in recruiting that determine wins and losses is so small, it is a thing.
No. 4 - Great Tweet in UT football history?
I don't want to be a victim of the moment, but it is 100-percent in the conversation.
https://twitter.com/tracimajors/status/1125124593436504064?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^1125124593436504064&ref_url=https://texas.forums.rivals.com/threads/this-may-be-the-tweet-of-the-day.421429/
No. 5 - Kevin Durant's all-time greatness ...
Twelve months ago, SLAM Magazine released its Top 100 NBA players of all-time.
Kevin Durant was listed at No. 13.
One spot ahead of Moses Malone. Two spots ahead of Dr. J.
One spot behind Hakeem Olajuwon. Two spots behind Oscar Robertson.
The magazine said, "KD hasn’t even hit his 30s yet, and his résumé already makes him a lock for the Hall of Fame. He was a four-time scoring champ even before he joined the modern day dynasty that is the Golden State Warriors, where he added the hardware that ought to cement his place among the greats to ever play the game."
As Durant's Golden State Warriors looked to take a 3-1 lead over Houston on Monday night in a series that might as well be the NBA Finals, we've reached a point when Durant seems universally positioned by both media and the basketball world as the best player on the planet, even ahead of LeBron James.
He's become THAT dude, which means everything he does moving forward as a basketball player is absolutely connected to his lasting legacy as an all-time great. Since the list was made, Durant has added another championship ring and Finals MVP to his resume.
Guess who is No.10 on SLAM's list?
None other than Larry Bird. You can make a case that if Durant wins his third straight title and Finals MVP in the next six weeks, he'll have done enough to move himself ahead of Bird at the age of 30 as the second-best small forward in the history of the sport.
This isn't hype. This isn't hyperbole. This is the backdrop to everything that he does for the rest of this season. This is where we are.
No. 6 – BUY or SELL …
BUY or SELL: Texas will improve on last year’s records with no more than two losses?
(Sell) Texas might play as many as 14 games next season, assuming it makes the Big 12 Championship game, which means that I think Texas could very well have an improved season, but perhaps it ends with more than two losses.
BUY or SELL: The baseball team intentionally sucked to relieve pressure off of Shaka and all teams to win ‘Ships in 2019/20 to become the year of the Longhorn?
(Buy) I'm all for telling yourself whatever you need to tell yourself so that you can put your head on a pillow ever night and rest comfortably. Go with it. It makes as much sense as anything else.
BUY or SELL: Neither Pierce nor Shaka are coaching at a Texas in '21-'22?
(Buy) You ask, I answer.
BUY or SELL: This weekend seals the deal, in the near future, with Broughton and Lindberg?
(Buy) It will almost certainly take some more time to make it official, but I think both of those kids are future Longhorn commitments.
BUY or SELL: Hudson Card will be the best HS QB prospect we’ve signed in the past decade?
(Buy) I think he'll end up being the highest-rated, which is essentially what you're asking, I believe.
BUY or SELL: If Texas doesn't win the conference this year, the season is a failure?
(Buy) I believe that about every single year. That's the bar.
BUY or SELL: This is the year we beat TCU in Ft. Worth?
(Buy) Good question. It better be.
BUY or SELL: Texas has the best secondary in college football?
(Sell) Not yet, but I can easily see that in 2020.
BUY or SELL: Rockets in six?
(Sell) While that prediction isn't yet dead, I made it with the belief that the Rockets would steal game one.
No. 7 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... Ahem ... Oh, Roger... where are you?
... Steph Curry is an all-time great point guard in the history of the NBA, but he's currently in a massive shooting slump, he's missing lay-ups and he's a defensive problem the Warriors can't hide, despite all of their efforts to do so. I'm fascinated to see how he responds to the first real biting piece of personal criticism as a player he's ever really dealt with. At some point, Mount Steph is going to erupt, right?
... Ten years ago this month, P.J. Tucker was playing in the Ukrainian Superleague (no space between the words ... I checked) and now he's the heart and soul of a team capable of winning an NBA title. I just love watching him play basketball.
... The Sixers missed a big opportunity on Sunday and I can't help but wonder if they'll have another chance to choke out the Raptors like they had on Sunday.
... Once upon a time I might have paid money to see a Cowboy Cerrone/Conor McGregor fight, but not now. Not in 2019.
... I promise to the sporting gods that I will not ask for any favors for the rest of the year ... hell the next few years ... if they can just see to Man City dropping points on Monday night against Leicester City.
... This 2019 Liverpool team is my favorite pro sports team of all-time. To say I am all-in with this team is a massive understatement. YNWA.
No. 8 - Game of Thrones... Season Eight, Episode Four (Two to go)
You guys know the drill,.
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Eight big thoughts on the episode...
1. Episode MVP: Cersei
While everyone else has been fighting the good fight, the literal Queen B has been shacking up with her pirate lover, creating a plan to take out another dragon (mission accomplished) and generally proving that YOLO lives on in the seven kingdoms. It had been a minute since we had seen her, but it didn't take long for her to remind us all that she's the Ric Flair of this show... the dirtiest player in the game. I just can't believe they keep giving her chances to prove that she doesn't GAF about anything or anyone.
If they didn't know that before, they know now that Missandei's head is rolling around outside of the castle. I'm just not sure how they thought that would go.
2. Dany is pretty much the picture of a person losing her damn mind. First, Jorah does. Then she sees folks calling Jon a king. Then a dragon dies. Then her best friend. She is going to burn King's Landing to the ground and I'm not sure there's anything that's going to stop her.
3. Grey Worm didn't nite it in the last episode, but deep down we always knew that he wasn't getting the fantasy ending with Missandei. I'm afraid that he's going to die in a blaze of hatred and if there's any justice in this world, he'll get to Evil Mountain before The Hound does, but I don't see any way in hell he defeats Evil Mountain.
4. Jamie gave Briennne the night of her night and then left $20 on the night stand and bolted. I'm not sure how it ends for Briennne, but she sure as hell isn't going to sit around and wallow in her depression for the next two weeks.
5. Gendry didn't handle his business with Arya like Jamie handled his business with Briennne. According to Cersei, Gendry is a knock off the old block.
6. I don't blame Bronn at all for being tired of the Lannister's shit.
7. The Hound and Arya are back again. Folks are about to die.
8. PredictionL The next episode will be the best episode in the history of the show.
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No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Oral History articles...
I'm a big fan of oral history articles. In fact, I'm working on making a couple of UT-themed oral history articles a real thing during this off-season.
With that being said, I thought it would make for an interesting section this week. Enjoy the bonus reading.
p.s. Here's hoping you guys have some reading recommendations of your own.
10. Urban Cowboy
9. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe movie
8i. The Malice at the Palace
7. Friday
6. The Last Dragon
5. Cheers
4. NBA Jams
3. The Wire: Game Day
2. Nirvana's MTV Unplugged Special
1. The Day Prince's Guitar Wept Loudest
No. 10 – And Finally ...
I know it already made its way to the site on Sunday via @Suchomel, but this really is the note we should leave this weekend on. Onions!
https://texas.forums.rivals.com/threads/this-is-awesome.421418/
