Not to sound old but not a good year for movies. Even worse for music except Kendrick and Isbell.
Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (Walking into the great recruiting unknown...)
- Thread starter Ketchum
- Start date
Rankings are a mixture of quantity and quality. Do you figure the ags will have a higher ranking because they sign more kids or because they sign more quality from an average star per player?
In knowing our quality in the trenches is lacking, what do you think is the reason Texas did not go after the top linemen in the state? I get it if we tried and they decided to go elsewhere but I don’t understand the lack of effort from a staff that doesn’t lack recruiting effort.
T-minus less than three days until we experience something as college football followers we've never seen before in the early signing period.
Perhaps it will prove to be uninteresting. Maybe any anticipated fireworks will turn out to be lame sparklers. Given that coaches like Nick Saban seem to be feeling a little bit of anxiety about the whole thing, I find myself quite interested to see what this added dynamic will mean in our little demented section of the world.
From my perspective, there are things I'll be keeping an eye on.
1. Will we see any signing window shockers?
There's an anticipation that this signing day window will be the entryway for players who committed early and just want the process to be over, but it'll be fascinating to see how many players end the recruiting process, while leaving potential official visits on the table unused, in a way that shocks the recruiting industry.
Will there be enough volume that we end up seeing schools push for official visits earlier than ever before, making the January official visit less of a premium? Will any kids committed to other schools pull a switch - signing before the schools they are committed to have a chance to call in the fire department?
It's easy to think that this thing will be a ho-hum affair because most of the kids involved will be the crowd that intends to sign with the schools to which they've been committed, but this is the world of college football recruiting, which means it's probably safe to expect some unexpected events.
2. How much will January change with coaches able to narrow their focus in ways they've never been before?
Imagine you're a coaching staff that has 20 or more players signing this week and can spend the final month of the season focusing on a very small group of players. What does it look like if a school is able to use the full power of its recruiting Death Star towards a couple of players for an entire month, while its competition might have many more minds to tend to? Will it make a difference? How much of the final month will be committed to 2019 recruiting and what will it mean in the months that immediately follow?
Again, this is entirely new ground we're going to be walking on.
3. How much added anxiety will arrive when commitments pass on signing in December for whatever reasons are exclusive to them?
One of the unintentional byproducts of this signing period is that it will cast a bit of an unfair spotlight on kids who simply aren't ready to sign. You have to think that college coaches will be like sharks in bloody waters when they sense that there might be a sliver of an opening based on the lack of a signing. Will what happens in the next few days change the way coaches handle this window moving forward? Will coaches tell recruits that if they don't sign, they should view themselves as uncommitted?
Again, new territory here.
4. How shady will the coaches treat the three day window?
I can absolutely see coaches pushing kids to sign on the first day, only to bring in other players at the same position that the players that signed didn't know once those players are locked in. How much trust are we going to see between the players/coaches once the players sense that the coaches around the country won't act in good faith once they give up their rights as signed players and not simply committed?
No. 2 – Recruiting reasons to make you smile ...
In a 7-on-7 conference that is the Big 12, the Longhorns are about to add better 7-on-7 players than anyone else in the conference.
Make no mistake about it, the foundation of this consensus top-five recruiting class is the work that the Texas coaching staff has done at the quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back positions.
If it's about throwing it, catching it and defending it, Tom Herman and his staff are loading up.
Seven of the top eight commitments in this class are quarterbacks, wide receivers and defensive backs based on the Rivals rankings, including the top six.
Generally speaking, the likes of Brennan Eagles, Caden Sterns, B.J. Foster and Jalen Green project as players with 45-70 percent odds of making the NFL as drafted players. Typically, two of the four will emerge into difference-making players at this level. Get a string of classes together that can product 15-20 of these types of prospects and you'll have a chance to win a hell of a lot more than six games in a season.
No. 3 – Recruiting reasons to make you scowl ...
There's no way to spin this conversation without first admitting the obvious - the current offensive line and defensive line commitments in this class aren't enough.
Both of these areas on the team need short- and long-term injections of talent and this class currently leaves these areas in shaky positions.
The type of emphatic recruiting punch that exists in the skill positions is notably missing with regards to the big fellas, as Texas currently has a single four-star offensive lineman (who might take a two-year mission before playing college football) and defensive lineman in the entire class. Unlike those defensive backs and wide receivers that I was just writing about, the odds of Keondre Coburn and Junior Angilau developing into NFL drafted players is more like 25 percent than the 45-75 percent range that exists with national top-75 caliber players.
Those percentages dropping into the 25-percent range is the biggest reason why recruiting in volume matters because the more chances you have of landing players with those type of NFL projections, the more likely you're actually going to end up with some difference-making players. You can quibble with arguments about whether some guys should be four stars who are currently ranked as high three stars or whether some guys deserve to be national top 150 guys instead of national top 300 guys, but the reality is that once you dip out of the top 75 or so nationally, the odds of developing into future difference-makers dips dramatically and never stop dropping the further you go outside of that number.
Texas doesn't have anyone who translates to a slam dunk at this point. Of course, most of this discussion is focusing on the long-term value of highly-rated prospects, but when you're looking for players who make instant impacts, those types of players typically arrive in greater numbers when they have high rankings. It's not an accident that Gary Johnson made as quick of an adjustment to this level player as any JUCO player that the Longhorns have signed in 20 years ... he was a borderline five-star level prospect.
War Daddys are gonna War Daddy, but at the moment there are any big ugly War Daddys that are going to War Daddy for the Longhorns.
Given the needs in the program, it's a very valid concern about this class once you get beyond the overall national ranking.
No. 4 – Explaining what happened in offensive line recruiting ...
It's a weak year inside the state of Texas for big-time prospects and the best of what existed either didn't have an interest in the Longhorns or vice versa.
Let's take a look at the best of the best in-state guys to better understand things.
Justin Northwest OT Darrrell Simpson (LSR rank: No.11): The Longhorns never really even tried with Simpson, who is the only lineman in the state who rates as a national top-150 type player. Herman and Co. never offered and he's been an Oklahoma lean for more than a year.
Fort Bend Marshall OG Barton Clement (LSR rank: No. 28): While the Longhorns did offer Clement, Herman and Co. never really made securing Clement's services a priority. Whether they were slow-playing him or not, the Longhorns were never in a position of power with the consensus No. 1 ranked interior line prospect in the state.
Fort Bend Elkins OG/C Luke Matthews (LSR rank: No. 31): Part of the A&M/Matthews family legacy, which means that the Longhorns didn't even bother.
Marshall OG Chasen Hines (LSR rank: No. 40) The Longhorns have tried a number of different things with Hines in an effort to swing his attention away from LSU, including offering him on both sides of the all, but the Tigers have been in the pole position for Hines from the beginning.
These are the four consensus best offensive linemen in the state and this is what the snapshots of their recruitments look like. Ironically, even if the Longhorns had swept the board of all four, we'd still be talking about a class of linemen that is likely two or three years away from being ready to be quality contributors. That's just the state of things in Texas this year with regards to offensive line prospects.
No. 5 – The elephant in the room ...
"They both have had good days. They both have had not so good days."
Tom Herman on the quarterback competition going into the bowl game.
I hate to belabor the point because it's not something that anyone could possibly not know, but here we are going into the 13th game of the 2017 season and this is still the commentary we're seeing about the position from the head coach.
It's just a reminder of the reality facing the program yet again going into the 2018 season.
Until this position stops going back and forth between hot and cold on a day-in and day-out basis, the entire program will remain unable to take great strides. Every time you find yourself thinking this team has 10 wins in it in 2018, you need to ask yourself if you KNOW that this position has come through the other side of mediocrity. Not think ... know.
No. 6 - What a difference a week makes for Karen Aston's team ...
Almost everything that went wrong for the Longhorns a week ago in Knoxville went the opposite direction on Sunday against Florida State.
After being a step behind for 40 minutes and giving the appearance of an overrated No. 2 team against a young Tennessee squad, the Longhorns flexed muscle against another team with Final Four aspirations in the Seminoles.
It's probably as simple as pointing out that the same starting backcourt that went 2 for 14 in Knoxville from downtown and generally couldn't hit the broadside of a barn shot 44.44 percent from behind the three-point line, while combining for 56 points against FSU.
In the process, Texas took a step towards validating the notion that this is the season the Longhorns take the next step as a program.
Just a step, though. More steps to climb loom in the very near-future.
No. 7 – The thing about the men's team ...
Less than a month after the 2017-18 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team looked like it was going to be a ball of laughs all season from an entertainment standpoint, one of the most disappointing aspects of a season that has lost some of its liftoff is the reality that this team seems to be less fun by the day.
I'm not talking about wins and losses as much as what this team looks like to the naked eye as a viewer.
I so dearly just want to enjoy men's college basketball and rue the decision to spend two hours watching Longhorns basketball.
No. 8 – Buy or Sell …
BUY or SELL: The 10th assistant will be a home run hire that will immediately improve the offense?
(Buy) I think Tom Herman understands that he needs a game-changer on his staff.
BUY or SELL: Texas lands at least two JUCO O-linemen?
(Buy) Come hell or high water ...
BUY or SELL: The football program is better positioned for success today than it was five years ago (the December before Mack Brown’s last year)?
(Buy) If nothing else, the quarterback position is in much better shape than it was when Mack departed, especially if you view Ash through the prism of being an injured player, Tyrone Swoopes as a raw project with limitations and Jerrod Heard as a wide receiver.
BUY or SELL: Malik plays in the bowl game?
(Sell) Regardless of what Tom Herman said on Saturday, I don't believe Jefferson will play in the bowl game.
BUY or SELL: Jimbo Fisher signs a higher-rated class than Tom Herman next year?
(Buy) *ducking*
BUY or SELL: Nobody who doesn't sign during the early signing period is actually committed (UT or any other school.)?
(Sell) I'm not a fan of hard positions like this, but there will certainly be some coaches that view the situation as such. Each kid has a different situation and I'd suggest a more ... *wait for it* ... nuanced way of approaching such situations. It is within the rights of each kid to take as much time as he needs.
BUY or SELL: We should still be more concerned with Beck's OC abilities than Herman's offensive staff alignment/management if we struggle to move the ball against a weak Missouri defense with plenty of time to prepare?
(Sell) You can be equally concerned about both.
BUY or SELL: Cameron Rising would be in the Class of 2018 state top 5 if he went to high school in Texas?
(Sell) He'd be the top player at his position and probably closer to the top 10 than the top 5.
BUY or SELL: Shaka needs to make the tournament and finish top 5 in the conference to keep his job?
(Sell) I don't see a scenario where Shaka loses his job this season, regardless of the finish.
No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... Shout out to the McCallum Knights. Yes, the season came to an end on Saturday, but a 14-1 season that ends in the state semi-finals represents something I never thought my eyes would see.
... I'm staying away from all of my Steelers friends for a few days. I'm just gonna let them be. Hell, I felt bad asking Suchomel to proof-read this in the aftermath.
... Tom Brady finally catches a break... good to see a good guy finally rewarded.
... Can we just pretend that the Texans/Jags game never happened?
... What the Rams did to the Seahawks on Sunday is illegal in 48 of 50 states.
... Todd Gurley is an absolute monster, but the biggest monster on the Rams is Aaron Donald.
... Oh, Bills fans...
... The Thunder's 3-OT win over the Sixers on Friday night was the second-most interesting piece of sports theater I watched all weekend.
... My goodness, how much fun is a Warriors/Rockets seven-game series going to be in May?
... Dele Alli is such a dirty player. Before it's over, he's going to have a list of names seeking retribution against him that's so long that retribution will surely arrive.
... Kevin de Bruyne is my favorite non-Liverpool player in the EPL. He could emerge as truly a world super star before 2018 is complete.
No. 10 – And Finally …
It's that time of the year ... Academy Awards season!!!!!
For the next couple months, I'll be updating my picks in all of the major categories.
Here's a look at the current standings:
(Still need to see: Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Detroit, The Florida Project, Mudbound, Phantom Thread, The Post, The Shape of Water, Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
Best Picture
1. Lady Bird
2. Dunkirk
3. The Big Sick
4. Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
5. Wind River
6. The Disaster Artist
7. Blake Runner 2049
8. Get Out
9. Battle of the Sexes
10. Logan
Best Actor
1. James Franco (The Disaster Artist)
2. Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
3. Jeremy Renner (Wind River)
4. Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick)
5. Hugh Jackman (Logan)
Best Actress
1. Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
2. Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
3. Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes)
4. Elizabeth Olson (Wind River)
5. Allison Williams (Get Out)
Best Supporting Actor
1. Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
2. Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
3. Steve Carell (Battle of the Sexes)
4. Mark Rylance (Dunkirk)
5. Tracy Letts (Lady Bird)
Best Supporting Actress
1. Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
2. Holly Hunter (The Big Sick)
3. Dafne Keen (Logan)
Best Director
1. Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)
2. Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)
3. Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049)
4. Jordan Peele (Get Out)
5. James Franco (The Disaster Artist)
Houston chokes 99% of the time in the playoffs. This year will be no different. Even though the calendar changes to a new year.
Why do Dallas and Texas defensive backs suck so bad at catching interceptions?
Kris Boyd has stone hands, DeShon Elliott dropped an interception vs Tech. Brandon Jones dropped an interception in the final seconds of regulation vs Oklahoma State and Anthony Brown last night nearly cost Dallas the game because of his lousy hands.
Kris Boyd has stone hands, DeShon Elliott dropped an interception vs Tech. Brandon Jones dropped an interception in the final seconds of regulation vs Oklahoma State and Anthony Brown last night nearly cost Dallas the game because of his lousy hands.
Well it all starts with the worst call in Super Bowl history, pass interference against Benny Barnes in Super Bowl XIII. I know they got bailed out against the Cardinals numerous times in their Super Bowl as well. But it all begins and ends with Benny Barnes for me.
T-minus less than three days until we experience something as college football followers we've never seen before in the early signing period.
Perhaps it will prove to be uninteresting. Maybe any anticipated fireworks will turn out to be lame sparklers. Given that coaches like Nick Saban seem to be feeling a little bit of anxiety about the whole thing, I find myself quite interested to see what this added dynamic will mean in our little demented section of the world.
From my perspective, there are things I'll be keeping an eye on.
1. Will we see any signing window shockers?
There's an anticipation that this signing day window will be the entryway for players who committed early and just want the process to be over, but it'll be fascinating to see how many players end the recruiting process, while leaving potential official visits on the table unused, in a way that shocks the recruiting industry.
Will there be enough volume that we end up seeing schools push for official visits earlier than ever before, making the January official visit less of a premium? Will any kids committed to other schools pull a switch - signing before the schools they are committed to have a chance to call in the fire department?
It's easy to think that this thing will be a ho-hum affair because most of the kids involved will be the crowd that intends to sign with the schools to which they've been committed, but this is the world of college football recruiting, which means it's probably safe to expect some unexpected events.
2. How much will January change with coaches able to narrow their focus in ways they've never been before?
Imagine you're a coaching staff that has 20 or more players signing this week and can spend the final month of the season focusing on a very small group of players. What does it look like if a school is able to use the full power of its recruiting Death Star towards a couple of players for an entire month, while its competition might have many more minds to tend to? Will it make a difference? How much of the final month will be committed to 2019 recruiting and what will it mean in the months that immediately follow?
Again, this is entirely new ground we're going to be walking on.
3. How much added anxiety will arrive when commitments pass on signing in December for whatever reasons are exclusive to them?
One of the unintentional byproducts of this signing period is that it will cast a bit of an unfair spotlight on kids who simply aren't ready to sign. You have to think that college coaches will be like sharks in bloody waters when they sense that there might be a sliver of an opening based on the lack of a signing. Will what happens in the next few days change the way coaches handle this window moving forward? Will coaches tell recruits that if they don't sign, they should view themselves as uncommitted?
Again, new territory here.
4. How shady will the coaches treat the three day window?
I can absolutely see coaches pushing kids to sign on the first day, only to bring in other players at the same position that the players that signed didn't know once those players are locked in. How much trust are we going to see between the players/coaches once the players sense that the coaches around the country won't act in good faith once they give up their rights as signed players and not simply committed?
No. 2 – Recruiting reasons to make you smile ...
In a 7-on-7 conference that is the Big 12, the Longhorns are about to add better 7-on-7 players than anyone else in the conference.
Make no mistake about it, the foundation of this consensus top-five recruiting class is the work that the Texas coaching staff has done at the quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back positions.
If it's about throwing it, catching it and defending it, Tom Herman and his staff are loading up.
Seven of the top eight commitments in this class are quarterbacks, wide receivers and defensive backs based on the Rivals rankings, including the top six.
Generally speaking, the likes of Brennan Eagles, Caden Sterns, B.J. Foster and Jalen Green project as players with 45-70 percent odds of making the NFL as drafted players. Typically, two of the four will emerge into difference-making players at this level. Get a string of classes together that can product 15-20 of these types of prospects and you'll have a chance to win a hell of a lot more than six games in a season.
No. 3 – Recruiting reasons to make you scowl ...
There's no way to spin this conversation without first admitting the obvious - the current offensive line and defensive line commitments in this class aren't enough.
Both of these areas on the team need short- and long-term injections of talent and this class currently leaves these areas in shaky positions.
The type of emphatic recruiting punch that exists in the skill positions is notably missing with regards to the big fellas, as Texas currently has a single four-star offensive lineman (who might take a two-year mission before playing college football) and defensive lineman in the entire class. Unlike those defensive backs and wide receivers that I was just writing about, the odds of Keondre Coburn and Junior Angilau developing into NFL drafted players is more like 25 percent than the 45-75 percent range that exists with national top-75 caliber players.
Those percentages dropping into the 25-percent range is the biggest reason why recruiting in volume matters because the more chances you have of landing players with those type of NFL projections, the more likely you're actually going to end up with some difference-making players. You can quibble with arguments about whether some guys should be four stars who are currently ranked as high three stars or whether some guys deserve to be national top 150 guys instead of national top 300 guys, but the reality is that once you dip out of the top 75 or so nationally, the odds of developing into future difference-makers dips dramatically and never stop dropping the further you go outside of that number.
Texas doesn't have anyone who translates to a slam dunk at this point. Of course, most of this discussion is focusing on the long-term value of highly-rated prospects, but when you're looking for players who make instant impacts, those types of players typically arrive in greater numbers when they have high rankings. It's not an accident that Gary Johnson made as quick of an adjustment to this level player as any JUCO player that the Longhorns have signed in 20 years ... he was a borderline five-star level prospect.
War Daddys are gonna War Daddy, but at the moment there are any big ugly War Daddys that are going to War Daddy for the Longhorns.
Given the needs in the program, it's a very valid concern about this class once you get beyond the overall national ranking.
No. 4 – Explaining what happened in offensive line recruiting ...
It's a weak year inside the state of Texas for big-time prospects and the best of what existed either didn't have an interest in the Longhorns or vice versa.
Let's take a look at the best of the best in-state guys to better understand things.
Justin Northwest OT Darrrell Simpson (LSR rank: No.11): The Longhorns never really even tried with Simpson, who is the only lineman in the state who rates as a national top-150 type player. Herman and Co. never offered and he's been an Oklahoma lean for more than a year.
Fort Bend Marshall OG Barton Clement (LSR rank: No. 28): While the Longhorns did offer Clement, Herman and Co. never really made securing Clement's services a priority. Whether they were slow-playing him or not, the Longhorns were never in a position of power with the consensus No. 1 ranked interior line prospect in the state.
Fort Bend Elkins OG/C Luke Matthews (LSR rank: No. 31): Part of the A&M/Matthews family legacy, which means that the Longhorns didn't even bother.
Marshall OG Chasen Hines (LSR rank: No. 40) The Longhorns have tried a number of different things with Hines in an effort to swing his attention away from LSU, including offering him on both sides of the all, but the Tigers have been in the pole position for Hines from the beginning.
These are the four consensus best offensive linemen in the state and this is what the snapshots of their recruitments look like. Ironically, even if the Longhorns had swept the board of all four, we'd still be talking about a class of linemen that is likely two or three years away from being ready to be quality contributors. That's just the state of things in Texas this year with regards to offensive line prospects.
No. 5 – The elephant in the room ...
"They both have had good days. They both have had not so good days."
Tom Herman on the quarterback competition going into the bowl game.
I hate to belabor the point because it's not something that anyone could possibly not know, but here we are going into the 13th game of the 2017 season and this is still the commentary we're seeing about the position from the head coach.
It's just a reminder of the reality facing the program yet again going into the 2018 season.
Until this position stops going back and forth between hot and cold on a day-in and day-out basis, the entire program will remain unable to take great strides. Every time you find yourself thinking this team has 10 wins in it in 2018, you need to ask yourself if you KNOW that this position has come through the other side of mediocrity. Not think ... know.
No. 6 - What a difference a week makes for Karen Aston's team ...
Almost everything that went wrong for the Longhorns a week ago in Knoxville went the opposite direction on Sunday against Florida State.
After being a step behind for 40 minutes and giving the appearance of an overrated No. 2 team against a young Tennessee squad, the Longhorns flexed muscle against another team with Final Four aspirations in the Seminoles.
It's probably as simple as pointing out that the same starting backcourt that went 2 for 14 in Knoxville from downtown and generally couldn't hit the broadside of a barn shot 44.44 percent from behind the three-point line, while combining for 56 points against FSU.
In the process, Texas took a step towards validating the notion that this is the season the Longhorns take the next step as a program.
Just a step, though. More steps to climb loom in the very near-future.
No. 7 – The thing about the men's team ...
Less than a month after the 2017-18 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team looked like it was going to be a ball of laughs all season from an entertainment standpoint, one of the most disappointing aspects of a season that has lost some of its liftoff is the reality that this team seems to be less fun by the day.
I'm not talking about wins and losses as much as what this team looks like to the naked eye as a viewer.
I so dearly just want to enjoy men's college basketball and rue the decision to spend two hours watching Longhorns basketball.
No. 8 – Buy or Sell …
BUY or SELL: The 10th assistant will be a home run hire that will immediately improve the offense?
(Buy) I think Tom Herman understands that he needs a game-changer on his staff.
BUY or SELL: Texas lands at least two JUCO O-linemen?
(Buy) Come hell or high water ...
BUY or SELL: The football program is better positioned for success today than it was five years ago (the December before Mack Brown’s last year)?
(Buy) If nothing else, the quarterback position is in much better shape than it was when Mack departed, especially if you view Ash through the prism of being an injured player, Tyrone Swoopes as a raw project with limitations and Jerrod Heard as a wide receiver.
BUY or SELL: Malik plays in the bowl game?
(Sell) Regardless of what Tom Herman said on Saturday, I don't believe Jefferson will play in the bowl game.
BUY or SELL: Jimbo Fisher signs a higher-rated class than Tom Herman next year?
(Buy) *ducking*
BUY or SELL: Nobody who doesn't sign during the early signing period is actually committed (UT or any other school.)?
(Sell) I'm not a fan of hard positions like this, but there will certainly be some coaches that view the situation as such. Each kid has a different situation and I'd suggest a more ... *wait for it* ... nuanced way of approaching such situations. It is within the rights of each kid to take as much time as he needs.
BUY or SELL: We should still be more concerned with Beck's OC abilities than Herman's offensive staff alignment/management if we struggle to move the ball against a weak Missouri defense with plenty of time to prepare?
(Sell) You can be equally concerned about both.
BUY or SELL: Cameron Rising would be in the Class of 2018 state top 5 if he went to high school in Texas?
(Sell) He'd be the top player at his position and probably closer to the top 10 than the top 5.
BUY or SELL: Shaka needs to make the tournament and finish top 5 in the conference to keep his job?
(Sell) I don't see a scenario where Shaka loses his job this season, regardless of the finish.
No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... Shout out to the McCallum Knights. Yes, the season came to an end on Saturday, but a 14-1 season that ends in the state semi-finals represents something I never thought my eyes would see.
... I'm staying away from all of my Steelers friends for a few days. I'm just gonna let them be. Hell, I felt bad asking Suchomel to proof-read this in the aftermath.
... Tom Brady finally catches a break... good to see a good guy finally rewarded.
... Can we just pretend that the Texans/Jags game never happened?
... What the Rams did to the Seahawks on Sunday is illegal in 48 of 50 states.
... Todd Gurley is an absolute monster, but the biggest monster on the Rams is Aaron Donald.
... Oh, Bills fans...
... The Thunder's 3-OT win over the Sixers on Friday night was the second-most interesting piece of sports theater I watched all weekend.
... My goodness, how much fun is a Warriors/Rockets seven-game series going to be in May?
... Dele Alli is such a dirty player. Before it's over, he's going to have a list of names seeking retribution against him that's so long that retribution will surely arrive.
... Kevin de Bruyne is my favorite non-Liverpool player in the EPL. He could emerge as truly a world super star before 2018 is complete.
No. 10 – And Finally …
It's that time of the year ... Academy Awards season!!!!!
For the next couple months, I'll be updating my picks in all of the major categories.
Here's a look at the current standings:
(Still need to see: Call Me By Your Name, Darkest Hour, Detroit, The Florida Project, Mudbound, Phantom Thread, The Post, The Shape of Water, Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
Best Picture
1. Lady Bird
2. Dunkirk
3. The Big Sick
4. Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
5. Wind River
6. The Disaster Artist
7. Blake Runner 2049
8. Get Out
9. Battle of the Sexes
10. Logan
Best Actor
1. James Franco (The Disaster Artist)
2. Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
3. Jeremy Renner (Wind River)
4. Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick)
5. Hugh Jackman (Logan)
Best Actress
1. Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)
2. Frances McDormand (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
3. Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes)
4. Elizabeth Olson (Wind River)
5. Allison Williams (Get Out)
Best Supporting Actor
1. Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
2. Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri)
3. Steve Carell (Battle of the Sexes)
4. Mark Rylance (Dunkirk)
5. Tracy Letts (Lady Bird)
Best Supporting Actress
1. Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
2. Holly Hunter (The Big Sick)
3. Dafne Keen (Logan)
Best Director
1. Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)
2. Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)
3. Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049)
4. Jordan Peele (Get Out)
5. James Franco (The Disaster Artist)
Shape of Water is the best movie of the year.
You nailed the men’s award winners. Sam Rockwell was incredible in that role.
I think it'll be close. A&M closer to 5 and Texas closer to 10. Nothing scientific in the thoughts.
Regarding the early signing period, how likely do you think it is that a school will continue to recruit a player that has already signed with another school b/c they just lost track of who signed and who didn’t?
Yes, because Herman has to have, like many of us, some real concerns about Ehlinger's shortcomings {bonehead decisions at critical times; accuracy} and whether he can improve enough between now & next year to take us to 9 or 10 wins.
It is all about click bait with you guys. You will deny it but I know better. If I were in your position I would do it, too but I would not deny it. That is lying and I do not lie.
The LSU mods now seem to think Texas. Interesting recruitment here. Curious - why would the school be leaking anything? Are you talking about the coaches?
Is the weak 2018 HS OL class in Texas a valid reason for the failure to have an adequate number of commits at this stage?
Shouldn't we have recognized this early on and adjusted our strategy accordingly? I realize we have gone after OOS guys, but perhaps a wider net was called for.
OL should have been the number one priority in this class, and I don't think Herman had shown enough sense of urgency at the position until recently.
Shouldn't we have recognized this early on and adjusted our strategy accordingly? I realize we have gone after OOS guys, but perhaps a wider net was called for.
OL should have been the number one priority in this class, and I don't think Herman had shown enough sense of urgency at the position until recently.
I haven't seen Wind River yet, but everyone is playing for 2nd place behind Franco this year, imho. Hugh deserves a lot of recognition for his work as Logan, he was absolutely terrific. Kumail and Kaluuya were both fantastic, but Franco should be an easy choice. He was brilliant as Tommy Wiseau.
I don't think anything there was question. Just trying to make a point. Sorry it wasn't clear.
Sounds like under certain circumstances, you're fine with lying. That actually makes you a liar pending the occasion. Please stop projecting.
I'm mean the realm. My pick has been Texas for the last couple of months. I'm not changing it now, I'm just passing along things I've heard.
