Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend

[Ketchum]

Hey, I understand. One of the big reasons PC is now out of contol is beacuse way too many people cower before it, rather than show some balls & stand up to this outrageous form of bullying. However, when you have Mr Divisive himself, our president, and the media sitting by silently and hypocrtically while the hate group "Black Lives Matter" chant "Pigs in blanket, fry 'em like bacon" it only encourges & enables more of this reprehensible behavior. Didn't Clinton just last week even endose this hate group? That right there should disqualify her for running for office.
However, I blame the apathy, stupidity & cowardice of John Q. Public more than anything for allowing this sh*t to happen in the first place. Its not too late but we're running out of time......

Baguette, you and I definitely think alike. When you say Clinton, it brings up a double nightmare for me. Her endorsing this group is just par for the course when it come to her. She has to be one of the shadiest (putting it nicely) POS in this country. How she thinks endorsing these thugs helps her candidacy just shows how screwed up this country is right now.

As far as this situation with Pres. at Missouri being forced to resign because he was basically blackmailed, extorted whatever you want to call it, by the black football players. If they don't get involved in this mess, he doesn't lose his job he has worked his whole life to achieve. What happened to democracy and majority rule? I would bet all the money I have that if they held a vote at the university on if he should step down over whatever petty thing has gotten these black students in an uproar that the majority of the student body would not ask him to resign. An apology would probably do, if even that was necessary.[/QUOTE]
Right when that urge to not listen pops up.... that's when you need to listen the most. None of your comments suggest you have any appreciation for their cause, which indicates you probably haven't listened a lot.

 

[Ketchum]

I think Swoopes was just one of those caught in the crossfire of the overall "nothing but spread" promoters agenda on this board.

As it turns out IMO the TCU and Iowa State losses this year are worse than the TCU and Arkansas losses under Swoopes/Watson last year

Interesting.

 

[TNHorn]

Baguette, you and I definitely think alike. When you say Clinton, it brings up a double nightmare for me. Her endorsing this group is just par for the course when it come to her. She has to be one of the shadiest (putting it nicely) POS in this country. How she thinks endorsing these thugs helps her candidacy just shows how screwed up this country is right now.

As far as this situation with Pres. at Missouri being forced to resign because he was basically blackmailed, extorted whatever you want to call it, by the black football players. If they don't get involved in this mess, he doesn't lose his job he has worked his whole life to achieve. What happened to democracy and majority rule? I would bet all the money I have that if they held a vote at the university on if he should step down over whatever petty thing has gotten these black students in an uproar that the majority of the student body would not ask him to resign. An apology would probably do, if even that was necessary.

Right when that urge to not listen pops up.... that's when you need to listen the most. None of your comments suggest you have any appreciation for their cause, which indicates you probably haven't listened a lot.[/QUOTE]

Oh, I have listened. I have read all the gripes that were brought up pertaining to students losing health coverage etc.. It just didn't appear to me that is was only the black students that were affected. But, it seems it is almost only the black students, until the rest of the football team (white players included) that are in such an uproar over what they consider discrimination, If anything it appears to me that all students should be pissed, but that's not the case.

 

[dallashorn02]

I think Swoopes was just one of those caught in the crossfire of the overall "nothing but spread" promoters agenda on this board.

As it turns out IMO the TCU and Iowa State losses this year are worse than the TCU and Arkansas losses under Swoopes/Watson last year

The Orangebloods posters didn't bench Tyrone Swoopes, Charlie Strong did.

 

[Ketchum]

Right when that urge to not listen pops up.... that's when you need to listen the most. None of your comments suggest you have any appreciation for their cause, which indicates you probably haven't listened a lot.

Oh, I have listened. I have read all the gripes that were brought up pertaining to students losing health coverage etc.. It just didn't appear to me that is was only the black students that were affected. But, it seems it is almost only the black students, until the rest of the football team (white players included) that are in such an uproar over what they consider discrimination, If anything it appears to me that all students should be pissed, but that's not the case.[/QUOTE]
There's a bigger movement and agenda at work here than the mere issues of a single policy or event.

What you call a gripe might be considered a reasonable concern for those that you're "listening" to.

 

[goodHorn]

Kinda wondering why the black members of the Mizzou basketball team were unavailable for the strike.

 

[Scoot Up]

Am I the only one that often wonders if the 18-Wheeler package with Tyrone Swoopes is a detriment to the growth of Jerrod Heard?

Swoopes is our best running back, so he needs to be on the field more, not less.

 

[Baguette]

a. Any other event outside of that one? If not, isn't that unfair to paint the outlier as the definitive representation of the group? It's like saying this season is a success for the Longhorns because it beat OU?

b. You need to look around. Sane voices are everywhere and speaking all the time. I can link a dozen articles to those sane voices if you want the reading.

Yes, I would like to see/read where & whenBlack Lives Matter leaders denounced the hate speech (a call to violence, really) spewed by that particular group in St Paul. Good luck.And if you can't Ketch then what the hell does that say about them?

 

[2football]

The Orangebloods posters didn't bench Tyrone Swoopes, Charlie Strong did.

My comment was in response to the second time Ketch observed that that many Orange Blood posters seemed to be changing their tune on Swoopes.

For example, all those who said he was chicken, too slow, couldn't run, etc etc ..

 

[Cure4BizCancer]

We'll see. The eyeballs tell me they are playing better.

I recommend a good ophthalmologist.

 

[Buda Horn]

a. If you believe Swoopes should be taking the snaps in 2016, it isn't critical. It's amazing to me to see the conversation of the quarterback discussion evolve.

b. I believe Boyd is one of the team's top talents and will continue to evolve and emerge as a player. I believe he'll be a top five player in the secondary next year. IMO, Bord can be Hall but with much better natural cover skill.

I'm only saying that whoever is the OC next year, the team should continue to utilize the 18 wheeler package in both short yardage and red zone situations, in addition to the 4 minute offense at the end of the game. It has proven to be far more effective in each of those situations than any offensive set we have run with Heard in the game. I don't see how keeping this short yardage/red zone package in place inhibit's Heard's development as a QB in any way.

As a side note, I feel confident in saying the 18-wheeler package has been by far the best coaching adjustment that anyone on Strong's staff has made during his time at Texas. I believe the implementation of that package by Norvell was the difference between winning and losing both the Oklahoma and Kansas St games.

I also believe Boyd will be a top 5 player in the secondary next year as our 3rd best CB. My starting nickel package next year would be Hill/Davis/Boyd at CB and Hall/Elliott at safety. The biggest reservation I have with throwing Boyd out there at safety today is his knowledge/instincts at the position. The best reps he has had this season have come when all he has to do is play press man coverage on the outside and not have to think about what run gap to fill or what zone of the field he is supposed to cover.

 

[Ketchum]

Kinda wondering why the black members of the Mizzou basketball team were unavailable for the strike.

I have wondered about them and their role. if any. Let me know if you see a link with info.

 

[Ketchum]

Swoopes is our best running back, so he needs to be on the field more, not less.

Actually, that's Foreman, but fair enough.

 

[Ketchum]

Yes, I would like to see/read where & whenBlack Lives Matter leaders denounced the hate speech (a call to violence, really) spewed by that particular group in St Paul. Good luck.And if you can't Ketch then what the hell does that say about them?

While I look for that, find me a link to the event you suggest happened. A Yahoo and Twitter search doesn't show any reports of your claim. What does it say if you or someone else made this up?

 

[Ketchum]

I recommend a good ophthalmologist.

Maybe I need to wear my glasses more.

 

[Ketchum]

I don't see how keeping this short yardage/red zone package in place inhibit's Heard's development as a QB in any way.

As a side note, I feel confident in saying the 18-wheeler package has been by far the best coaching adjustment that anyone on Strong's staff has made during his time at Texas. I believe the implementation of that package by Norvell was the difference between winning and losing both the Oklahoma and Kansas St games.

I also believe Boyd will be a top 5 player in the secondary next year as our 3rd best CB. My starting nickel package next year would be Hill/Davis/Boyd at CB and Hall/Elliott at safety. The biggest reservation I have with throwing Boyd out there at safety today is his knowledge/instincts at the position. The best reps he has had this season have come when all he has to do is play press man coverage on the outside and not have to think about what run gap to fill or what zone of the field he is supposed to cover.

a. I think a can be made those red zone/short yardage snaps are the most important snaps a quarterback takes and those are the ones that develop them the most.

b. Solid point about the coaches deserving credit for the mid-season adjustment with the intro to that package. Again, I wasn't suggesting they stop, only asking if it comes at a cost.

c. I think Strong and Bedford will get Boyd going right.

 

[HorntoWin]

In the twilight of a season that will likely be remembered more for the wretched losses that have taken place than all else combined, Charlie Strong and his coaching staff have one last chance to change the narrative of this season.

With three games to play, everyone knows the stakes.

Win two of those three and the Longhorns go bowling, will have the 15 workouts that come with it in an effort to build for the future and might be able to gain a fraction of momentum to carry into the off-season.

Lose two of three and the entire season will rank as a colossal disappointment, one that ends without the bowl workouts that essentially serve as a second set of spring practices and momentum of any kind will be very hard to find.

Clearly the bar has been lowered when appearing in a bowl game that 80 teams across the country will be able to lay claim to, but in case you haven’t noticed, these aren’t the best of times for the Longhorn football program and all small victories (even the moral ones) represent progress for a program six years deep into college football’s wilderness.

In getting to six wins, a Longhorn team that has been outscored 112-10 in true road games is going to have to figure things out at least once in either Morgantown or Waco.

In getting to six wins, the Judge Roy Screamhorns will have to eliminate the roller coaster ride and put forth the most consistent brand of quality football against teams with winning records that we’ve seen in the Strong era. All of the positive elements from the Kansas game will need to be enhanced, while all the negative elements will need to be eliminated.

Or else every Texas player and coach can just go ahead make plans for an extended holiday season at home.

All season long, we’ve heard from the likes of Strong, Jay Norvell and Vance Bedford that the pieces for success are in place, but the execution continues to be the thing holding this team back. Well, this is the time of the year when good coaching elevates a team and corrects all of those early season failures and turns them into teachable moments that translate to success.

The next three weeks are about the coaches, as much as they are about the players.

If a full 12-game season passes and a team’s issues from week’s one, three, four, five and eight still exist in week’s 10, 11 and 12, what level of coaching has truly taken place?

That’s a question that Strong and Co. need to ensure we aren’t seeking answers to a month from now.

No. 2 – About the Texas starting running backs debate …

It’s pretty clear that Charlie Strong is the president of the Johnathan Gray fan club and I absolutely get it.

On a team that lacks senior leadership, Gray might be the best one that Strong has and for that reason alone, I don’t care if Strong starts Gray in the final three or four games of his career.

Who starts matters far less than who gets the majority of the carries and a matter that should have been solved in September still looms in November.

The numbers simply tell an obvious story.

Johnathan Gray: 109 carries for 429 yards

D’Onta Foreman: 77 carries for 534 yards.

For the non-math majors out there, Foreman has racked up 105 more yards rushing than Gray this season, despite having 32 fewer carries. All season long, Foreman has been the more productive runner and yet only twice this season has Foreman recorded more carries in a game.

When it was time to take Tyrone Swoopes off the field for Jerrod Heard, Strong didn’t play favorites. When it was time to take Marcus Hutchins off the field for Connor Williams, Strong didn’t play favorites. When it was time to get freshmen all over the field on defense, no average upperclassman was safe.

I completely understand that Gray is the team’s best blitz protector and I’m not saying he shouldn’t see considerable snaps. What I am saying is that when the back-up averages two more yards per carry than the starter with a rather large sample size, you probably need a new starter.

Strong and the Texas offensive coaches have done this team a disservice by not making the switch to Foreman more than a month ago when it first became clear that Foreman was consistently outperforming Gray. Once he went for back-to-back 100-yard performances against TCU and Oklahoma, it became a bit of a coaching sin to wait until the third quarter of the Kansas game before turning him loose again.

Point blank … this conversation needs to end. It’s been settled. Unfortunately, for the Longhorns, the last ones to seemingly acknowledge the obvious is the group of people who needed to be aware of it the earliest.

No. 3 – An early peek at a potential 2016 depth chart …

Just something to chew on.

(Returning starters are in bold)

QB: Jerrod Heard/Tyrone Swoopes
RB: D’Onta Foreman/Kirk Johnson
WR: Armanti Foreman/Jacorey Warrick
WR: John Burt/Dorian Leonard
WR: Lorenzo Joe/Ryan Newsome
TE: Andrew Beck/Caleb Bluiett
LT: Connor Williams/Trent Nickelson
LG: Elijah Rodriguez/Buck Major
C: Jake Raulerson/Terrell Cuney
RG: Patrick Vahe/Brandon Hodges
RT: Kent Perkins/Trent Nickelson

DE: Naashon Hughes/Derrick Roberson
DT: Hassan Ridgeway/Poona Ford
DT: Paul Boyette/Chris Nelson
DE: Bryce Cottrell/Charles Omenihu
LB: Malik Jefferson/Anthony Wheeler
LB: Edwin Freeman/Tim Cole
CB: Holton Hill/Antwuan Davis
S: DeShon Elliott/Dylan Haines
S: Jason Hall/P.J. Locke
CB: Davante Davis/Kris Boyd
Nickel: John Bonney/Jermaine Roberts

K: Nick Jordan
P: Michael Dickson
KR: Kris Boyd/Ryan Newsome
PR: Ryan Newsome/Roderick Bernard

For those keeping score, if we’re looking at Saturday night’s starting line-up against the Jayhawks, that’s seven offensive starters (not including Foreman), eight defensive starters and one starter on special teams returning in 2016.

That makes 16 total returning starters and that doesn’t include four others in the two-deep who have significant starting experience.

A lot of improvement needs to be made, but the Longhorns should have one of the more experienced teams in the Big 12, which is a change from what Strong has been working with in his first two years.

Discuss.

No. 4 – Scattershooting on the Longhorns …

… In case you missed it, Tristan Nickelson started at left guard instead of senior Sedrick Flowers. Texas offensive line coach Joe Wickline mixed and matched personnel throughout the night, but that won’t be the case in the final three games and it’ll be interesting to see if the Longhorns tinker with the line-up in the final ¼ of the season.

… Am I the only one that often wonders if the 18-Wheeler package with Tyrone Swoopes is a detriment to the growth of Jerrod Heard? Can’t a case be made that Heard’s development is the most important facet of the program and that all critical red zone reps need to go to the projected starter in 2016? You guys know I love me some Swoopes, but I’m just wondering out loud …

… For those who question Charlie Strong’s ability to evaluate and then develop talent, I give you Poona Ford.

… Right as Peter Jinkens is emerging into one of the Big 12’s best linebackers, his eligibility is about to expire.

… With Holton Hill and Davante Davis holding down the fort at cornerback these days, I wonder if the coaches will consider moving Kris Boyd to safety in an effort to gets their best players on the field together.

No. 5 – Buy or sell …

(As always these are real questions submitted by real Orangebloods subscribers.)

BUY or SELL: Strong and Co winning 8 games next year?

(Buy) I’m not sure I’m ready to go higher than that, but I’ll take the eight-win bait.

(BUY or SELL): Texas becomes bowl eligible this season?

(Sell) It’s pretty hard to make a case for the Longhorns winning one of their two true road games at this point when you consider their previous three road games.

(BUY or SELL): We throw for 200+ yds vs WVU?

(Sell) I mostly view what happened in the passing game Saturday night as an anomaly.

(BUY or SELL): Tyrone Swoopes starts at least one more time before the end of the season?

(Sell) Charlie Strong isn’t going back to drink from that well.

(BUY or SELL): Texas would have a more efficient passing game with Swoopes starting under Norvell?

(Buy) Yes.

(BUY or SELL): Jay Norvell knows he's not getting the OC job beyond this season?

(Buy) He has to know.

(BUY or SELL): Jason Hall has gone from a one hit wonder (Perine) to a guy that looks like a plus player moving forward?

(Buy) Keep in mind he’s a second-year player and might eventually have 40+ starts under his belt by the middle of his senior season.

(BUY or SELL): The only offensive coach retained by Charlie is Jeff Traylor?

(Buy) I could easily see Jay Norvell being retained as the wide receivers coach.

(BUY or SELL): Sonny Cumbie has a burnt orange polo hidden in his drawer already?

(Buy) Probably more than one.

(BUY or SELL): The only way for the Texas fan base to be reengaged is to bring in a new head coach?

(Buy) If we’re talking about the next 10 months, it’s a harsh truth.

(BUY or SELL): Philip Montgomery, Kendal Briles, and Sterling Gilbert offensive staff would turn the Texas offense into a nation-leading juggernaut and be more fun to watch than Texas fans can currently fathom?

(Buy) Heads would explode.

(BUY or SELL): Michael Dickson finishes his career as one of the most prolific punters in Texas history?

(Buy) After a rough start, he has the look of a future decorated four-year starter.

No. 6 – Week 2 CFB Randomness ...

… If I had a vote that mattered …

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3.Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Oklahoma State
6. Baylor
7. Stanford
8. Florida
9. Iowa
10. LSU

… Kevin Sumlin, you have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting.

… All of you that questioned me putting Alabama at No. 1 a few weeks ago got a glimpse on Saturday night of why I was so bullish on the Tide. Nick Saban’s team didn’t just beat undefeated LSU, it beat that team like it took something from momma’s purse.

… It’s been a long time coming, but all hail the new king in the ACC, Dabo’s Tigers. Man, I’ll admit to being an early doubter of Dabo, but he’s proving a lot of us to be wrong in our initial appraisals. The presence of Deshaun Watson makes the Tigers a national championship candidate through at least 2016. Talk about a program trending up.

… Go ahead and put Jarrett Stidham in New York in December of 2017. Use ink.

… Leonard Fournette is still the best player in college football and if the season ended today, he’d have to be the Heisman winner in my mind.

… Who starts at quarterback for the Irish next year?

… I’ve questioned the chops of Oklahoma State all season, but the Cowboys earned some damn respect from me on Saturday in their dismantling of TCU. Also, is this the most boss move of the college football season, or what?

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No. 7 - The biggest story of the upcoming week ...

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With a weekend of football behind us, eyes all over the nation will be glued to Columbia, Missouri, as the world of sports, politics and social unrest have all collided together in a situation that feels as explosive as any I’ve ever seen while covering college football.

As the nation forges forward into the closest thing to a Civil Rights movement I’ve ever known in my lifetime, I can’t even begin to pretend that I know the velvet touch needed to handle this situation cleanly or what steps any of the participants involved should take. Hell, I’m treading a delicate line in even bringing up the subject in this column, so what in the world could I tell a school president being told to resign or else, or to the student who is willing to take his life in an effort to push a group’s message and demands forward?

For many, there will be an instinct to dismissively toss aside complaints of racism, especially from athletes whom many believe should be quiet and count their lucky stars that they can run and jump, but I will simply offer this simple thought. As it relates to racial divide in our nation, it feels like we’re failing. Fatigue over the subject seems to intercept all possibilities of real discussion.

I don’t have any solutions for those involved in what’s taking place, but a little more listening with intent, a little more willingness to keep an open mind, and a little more awareness to the dangerous place we enter without those considerations seems like a good place to start for everyone.

No. 8 – No joy in Big D…

What else is there to say? The season is over for the Cowboys.

At 2-6 and still two weeks away from Tony Romo returning, it's not a matter of faith as much as its a matter of the math starting to look impossible.

Ugh.

No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …

.... Scattershooting on week nine in the NFL …

a. So, I guess we can send those Dan Campbell for NFL Coach of the Year t-shirts to needy kids in third-world nations.

b. I benched Sammy Watkins on my fantasy team at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

c. Remember when Green Bay was good?

d. Cam Newton overtook Aaron Rodgers on Sunday for the right to finish No. 2 to Tom Brady in this year’s MVP ballot.

e. If Dion Lewis is out for the rest of the season, my fantasy team is doomed and the Patriots aren’t nearly as good as they were coming into this week.

f. Delanie Walker needs to go by some mega-lotto tickets tonight.

g. Antonio Brown is good at football.

h. It kind of feels as if the 2015 season started this afternoon for the Indianapolis Colts.

… Good grief, will Major League Baseball please announce its season award winners? Any time now, fellas …

... Andre Drummond is emerging as a superstar in the NBA.

… It’s time for Dan Henderson to retire from the UFC or its time for the UFC to retire him.

… I swear Liverpool gives up the sloppiest goals of any team in the Premier League. I’m still trying to process how the Reds lost on Sunday to Crystal Palace.

… How long are we all going to keep sleeping on Tottenham?

… Neymar the Magnificent

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No. 10 - And finally ...

Tonight is the night I get to check out My All American at a special sneak preview here in Austin.

I’m expecting the film to make me cry. Don’t judge me.

Indeed, you will cry Geoff. Your wife will too.

 

[Baguette]

While I look for that, find me a link to the event you suggest happened. A Yahoo and Twitter search doesn't show any reports of your claim. What does it say if you or someone else made this up?

Fraid you're gonna have to eat crow on this one, Ketch.

Interesting isn't it how the media buried this story. Gee, I wonder why? Yeah, I think we know why don't we.

 

[tooshybrotha]

I didn't get a sense she was lying as much as I had a sense that she's a bitch and people are using the most hurtful of words to cause her pain, and it's working. That doesn't account for the guy in a truck while she's jogging bit I believe that could happen, because people are idiots. I have a friend, who is a big dude, and he was out jogging one day and some kids drive by with their window down while one yelled, "Keep jogging fatty!" My brother was riding his bicycle, in a bike lane, and was hit in the back with a Coke can at about 45MPH. Neither recipient was black.

All of that said, we are kidding ourselves if we think racism isn't a problem. It's not a problem for me, because I'm white, and that's a sentiment common amongst our race. One of my black friends was taking his wife to a Dallas restaurant I recommended for her birthday and they were early for their reservation so they drove through Highland Park to look at the big nice houses. They were driving through slowly and a cop appears. If that were me, I'd think nothing of it. His first thought, "Oh damn. I'm a black guy with a white wife slowly driving through a rich neighborhood and people think we are casing the houses. Let's go sit at the bar."

He's not part of the BLM movement, thinks it's stupid, but experiences a level of racism we don't understand. I've never worried about my proximity to anything because of my race, but many do every day. Because I don't have an issue with it, it's easy to dismiss but it doesn't mean it's not there and out there for the ignorant to judge and react.

I am not part of the BLM movement and I consider myself to be an educated and professional black man. But as a black man I've become very fearful when a police officer pulls out behind me! I usually look for a gas station to pull into so that the officer can pass. I am a strong supporter of law-enforcement and thankful for the job they do but I'm sure I'm not the only black person who fears them!

 

[richinaustin]

Fraid you're gonna have to eat crow on this one, Ketch.

Interesting isn't it how the media buried this story. Gee, I wonder why? Yeah, I think we know why don't we.[/QUOTE]

 

[RickNelson]

Do you still think recruits are looking at A&M now and thinking they are just a few pieces away from being a good team? QB in free fall, OL showing their true colors because Sherman is not there anymore, 5* WR that can't run routes and get open. Dissension from the players to the coaches. IMO A&M is unraveling and this can only help us.

Fair points about the Ags, but until Texas steps up for a whole season it doesn't matter what any other team does. Question: What was the time Texas had an season to be proud of? How old were the guys Texas is recruiting when that happened?

 

[bkrichmd1]

Fair points about the Ags, but until Texas steps up for a whole season it doesn't matter what any other team does. Question: What was the time Texas had an season to be proud of? How old were the guys Texas is recruiting when that happened?

Fair questions, mainly the reason we let a legend coach go and accepted the pain of rebuilding but to answer your questions 2009

 

[bkrichmd1]

So, let's see YOUR Top 10.

1. Clemson
2. Ohio State
3. Oklahoma State
4. Notre Dame
5. Stanford
6. Bama
7. Baylor
8-10 OU, MSU, FSU

The last few are sketchy but I'm looking at a road loss for ND against the #1 team in the country and the other two are undefeated and have played good football. Bama lost bad at home. Those just flat out got up for LSU but again were at home.

 

[bkrichmd1]

Pretty much same for me. I watch about half of every game now. I used to be a die-hard Cowboys fan and never miss a quarter, but its easier to just run errands and get ready for my week on Sundays now, than sit on the edge of my seat wondering if the Cowboys are going to finally not suck.

Same here, I do try to catch up on ex Horns playing in the league and see how they are doing. Other than that, I'm casual on Sunday's. Great golf day, family day.

 

[TNHorn]

Baguette, you and I definitely think alike. When you say Clinton, it brings up a double nightmare for me. Her endorsing this group is just par for the course when it come to her. She has to be one of the shadiest (putting it nicely) POS in this country. How she thinks endorsing these thugs helps her candidacy just shows how screwed up this country is right now.

As far as this situation with Pres. at Missouri being forced to resign because he was basically blackmailed, extorted whatever you want to call it, by the black football players. If they don't get involved in this mess, he doesn't lose his job he has worked his whole life to achieve. What happened to democracy and majority rule? I would bet all the money I have that if they held a vote at the university on if he should step down over whatever petty thing has gotten these black students in an uproar that the majority of the student body would not ask him to resign. An apology would probably do, if even that was necessary.

Right when that urge to not listen pops up.... that's when you need to listen the most. None of your comments suggest you have any appreciation for their cause, which indicates you probably haven't listened a lot.[/QUOTE]

Ketch,
I don't want to keep beating a dead horse here, but a lot of this whole situation at Missouri was started by the president of the student body, who is black, was walking somewhere on campus and some redneck drives by and calls him the n-word. He and others in this 1950 movement on campus (1950 standing for the first yr that black students attended UM) and started protesting and demanding from the President at MU (Wolfe) to listen to their demands. Yes demands, I repeat that because that is what they put forth in front of Wolfe and Bowen Loftin to change what they perceive as a pervasive atmosphere of discrimination on the UM campus.
The problem I have with this Ketch is since Wolfe did not immediately agree to their demands they started demonstrating on campus and at homecoming etc.. Wolfe listened to them and agreed that things needed to be changed, but the 1950 members were not satisfied and demanded at that time that Wolfe needed to resign.
How is Wolfe supposed to change perceived discrimination on campus? Discrimination can't be changed overnight by establishing some arbitrary new rules or laws on campus. Hell, I'm sure that a lot of the n-word calling is done by non students, so how is some new mandate gonna change anything. I guess to appease this 1950 mob he should have bowed to whatever demands they put in front of him. Which to me is not fair at all. A lot of these perceived problems on campus started after the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, and carried over to the MU campus. I personally think this whole Michael Brown incident was blown way out of proportion and if you watched the video of him in that convenience store before he was shot, he was a thug and a thief. This whole "blacklivesmatter" was started because of that shooting. I know the incident in New York with Eric Garner had a lot to do with it too. IMO the Eric Garner (I can't breathe) situation was just deplorable. I would have completely understood and had a whole lot more compassion for this whole "blacklivesmatter" deal if it was mainly about that incident. But it wasn't.
Wolfe was basically extorted to resign because he didn't agree to these black students demands fast enough, and because the football team got involved, he basically had no choice but to resign.
This to me is a bunch of BS.
Ketch, you can call me uninformed if you want, but I think I have a pretty good grasp of this whole situation and I think it stinks.
Sorry for the long message, and rant over. Again, thanks for responding to my messages! I have been a member of the OB board here since it's inception and I respect your opinion, I don't always agree with it, but I still respect it.

 

[TNHorn]

1. Clemson
2. Ohio State
3. Oklahoma State
4. Notre Dame
5. Stanford
6. Bama
7. Baylor
8-10 OU, MSU, FSU

The last few are sketchy but I'm looking at a road loss for ND against the #1 team in the country and the other two are undefeated and have played good football. Bama lost bad at home. Those just flat out got up for LSU but again were at home.

I'm not sure you can classify it as "Bama lost bad at home". Yes they lost, but bad is not what I would call it. They had 5 turnovers, which by definition is worse than bad, it's terrible. But, even after those 5 turnovers they lost by 6 points (37-43) and had the ball at the end with a chance to win. I would call that a damn close game. It definitely does not indicate what I would call a bad loss. Yes, it's bad they lost, but if you are ranking teams based on how good they are right now, it would be hard to convince me and whole lot of other people that Bama is not one of the best 4 teams in the country right now.

So Bama lost at home to a very talented Ole Miss team, but it was early in the year and they have gotten a whole lot better as the season has gone on. I think the only teams right now that would have a chance at knocking off Bama are Clemson and probably Ohio State ,especially if JT Barrett is their QB. Bama, along with every other team in the country struggles against a true duel threat QB. Both Clemson and OSU's QB's fit that description. They also match up with their front 7 better than most too.

I don't know about ranking OK State 3rd, but there could be a good argument that they do deserve to be there. IMO more so than Baylor, who hasn't beaten anyone with a pulse.

I got no other arguments about the rest of your top 10.

 

[Jack87]

In the twilight of a season that will likely be remembered more for the wretched losses that have taken place than all else combined, Charlie Strong and his coaching staff have one last chance to change the narrative of this season.

With three games to play, everyone knows the stakes.

Win two of those three and the Longhorns go bowling, will have the 15 workouts that come with it in an effort to build for the future and might be able to gain a fraction of momentum to carry into the off-season.

Lose two of three and the entire season will rank as a colossal disappointment, one that ends without the bowl workouts that essentially serve as a second set of spring practices and momentum of any kind will be very hard to find.

Clearly the bar has been lowered when appearing in a bowl game that 80 teams across the country will be able to lay claim to, but in case you haven’t noticed, these aren’t the best of times for the Longhorn football program and all small victories (even the moral ones) represent progress for a program six years deep into college football’s wilderness.

In getting to six wins, a Longhorn team that has been outscored 112-10 in true road games is going to have to figure things out at least once in either Morgantown or Waco.

In getting to six wins, the Judge Roy Screamhorns will have to eliminate the roller coaster ride and put forth the most consistent brand of quality football against teams with winning records that we’ve seen in the Strong era. All of the positive elements from the Kansas game will need to be enhanced, while all the negative elements will need to be eliminated.

Or else every Texas player and coach can just go ahead make plans for an extended holiday season at home.

All season long, we’ve heard from the likes of Strong, Jay Norvell and Vance Bedford that the pieces for success are in place, but the execution continues to be the thing holding this team back. Well, this is the time of the year when good coaching elevates a team and corrects all of those early season failures and turns them into teachable moments that translate to success.

The next three weeks are about the coaches, as much as they are about the players.

If a full 12-game season passes and a team’s issues from week’s one, three, four, five and eight still exist in week’s 10, 11 and 12, what level of coaching has truly taken place?

That’s a question that Strong and Co. need to ensure we aren’t seeking answers to a month from now.

No. 2 – About the Texas starting running backs debate …

It’s pretty clear that Charlie Strong is the president of the Johnathan Gray fan club and I absolutely get it.

On a team that lacks senior leadership, Gray might be the best one that Strong has and for that reason alone, I don’t care if Strong starts Gray in the final three or four games of his career.

Who starts matters far less than who gets the majority of the carries and a matter that should have been solved in September still looms in November.

The numbers simply tell an obvious story.

Johnathan Gray: 109 carries for 429 yards

D’Onta Foreman: 77 carries for 534 yards.

For the non-math majors out there, Foreman has racked up 105 more yards rushing than Gray this season, despite having 32 fewer carries. All season long, Foreman has been the more productive runner and yet only twice this season has Foreman recorded more carries in a game.

When it was time to take Tyrone Swoopes off the field for Jerrod Heard, Strong didn’t play favorites. When it was time to take Marcus Hutchins off the field for Connor Williams, Strong didn’t play favorites. When it was time to get freshmen all over the field on defense, no average upperclassman was safe.

I completely understand that Gray is the team’s best blitz protector and I’m not saying he shouldn’t see considerable snaps. What I am saying is that when the back-up averages two more yards per carry than the starter with a rather large sample size, you probably need a new starter.

Strong and the Texas offensive coaches have done this team a disservice by not making the switch to Foreman more than a month ago when it first became clear that Foreman was consistently outperforming Gray. Once he went for back-to-back 100-yard performances against TCU and Oklahoma, it became a bit of a coaching sin to wait until the third quarter of the Kansas game before turning him loose again.

Point blank … this conversation needs to end. It’s been settled. Unfortunately, for the Longhorns, the last ones to seemingly acknowledge the obvious is the group of people who needed to be aware of it the earliest.

No. 3 – An early peek at a potential 2016 depth chart …

Just something to chew on.

(Returning starters are in bold)

QB: Jerrod Heard/Tyrone Swoopes
RB: D’Onta Foreman/Kirk Johnson
WR: Armanti Foreman/Jacorey Warrick
WR: John Burt/Dorian Leonard
WR: Lorenzo Joe/Ryan Newsome
TE: Andrew Beck/Caleb Bluiett
LT: Connor Williams/Trent Nickelson
LG: Elijah Rodriguez/Buck Major
C: Jake Raulerson/Terrell Cuney
RG: Patrick Vahe/Brandon Hodges
RT: Kent Perkins/Trent Nickelson

DE: Naashon Hughes/Derrick Roberson
DT: Hassan Ridgeway/Poona Ford
DT: Paul Boyette/Chris Nelson
DE: Bryce Cottrell/Charles Omenihu
LB: Malik Jefferson/Anthony Wheeler
LB: Edwin Freeman/Tim Cole
CB: Holton Hill/Antwuan Davis
S: DeShon Elliott/Dylan Haines
S: Jason Hall/P.J. Locke
CB: Davante Davis/Kris Boyd
Nickel: John Bonney/Jermaine Roberts

K: Nick Jordan
P: Michael Dickson
KR: Kris Boyd/Ryan Newsome
PR: Ryan Newsome/Roderick Bernard

For those keeping score, if we’re looking at Saturday night’s starting line-up against the Jayhawks, that’s seven offensive starters (not including Foreman), eight defensive starters and one starter on special teams returning in 2016.

That makes 16 total returning starters and that doesn’t include four others in the two-deep who have significant starting experience.

A lot of improvement needs to be made, but the Longhorns should have one of the more experienced teams in the Big 12, which is a change from what Strong has been working with in his first two years.

Discuss.

No. 4 – Scattershooting on the Longhorns …

… In case you missed it, Tristan Nickelson started at left guard instead of senior Sedrick Flowers. Texas offensive line coach Joe Wickline mixed and matched personnel throughout the night, but that won’t be the case in the final three games and it’ll be interesting to see if the Longhorns tinker with the line-up in the final ¼ of the season.

… Am I the only one that often wonders if the 18-Wheeler package with Tyrone Swoopes is a detriment to the growth of Jerrod Heard? Can’t a case be made that Heard’s development is the most important facet of the program and that all critical red zone reps need to go to the projected starter in 2016? You guys know I love me some Swoopes, but I’m just wondering out loud …

… For those who question Charlie Strong’s ability to evaluate and then develop talent, I give you Poona Ford.

… Right as Peter Jinkens is emerging into one of the Big 12’s best linebackers, his eligibility is about to expire.

… With Holton Hill and Davante Davis holding down the fort at cornerback these days, I wonder if the coaches will consider moving Kris Boyd to safety in an effort to gets their best players on the field together.

No. 5 – Buy or sell …

(As always these are real questions submitted by real Orangebloods subscribers.)

BUY or SELL: Strong and Co winning 8 games next year?

(Buy) I’m not sure I’m ready to go higher than that, but I’ll take the eight-win bait.

(BUY or SELL): Texas becomes bowl eligible this season?

(Sell) It’s pretty hard to make a case for the Longhorns winning one of their two true road games at this point when you consider their previous three road games.

(BUY or SELL): We throw for 200+ yds vs WVU?

(Sell) I mostly view what happened in the passing game Saturday night as an anomaly.

(BUY or SELL): Tyrone Swoopes starts at least one more time before the end of the season?

(Sell) Charlie Strong isn’t going back to drink from that well.

(BUY or SELL): Texas would have a more efficient passing game with Swoopes starting under Norvell?

(Buy) Yes.

(BUY or SELL): Jay Norvell knows he's not getting the OC job beyond this season?

(Buy) He has to know.

(BUY or SELL): Jason Hall has gone from a one hit wonder (Perine) to a guy that looks like a plus player moving forward?

(Buy) Keep in mind he’s a second-year player and might eventually have 40+ starts under his belt by the middle of his senior season.

(BUY or SELL): The only offensive coach retained by Charlie is Jeff Traylor?

(Buy) I could easily see Jay Norvell being retained as the wide receivers coach.

(BUY or SELL): Sonny Cumbie has a burnt orange polo hidden in his drawer already?

(Buy) Probably more than one.

(BUY or SELL): The only way for the Texas fan base to be reengaged is to bring in a new head coach?

(Buy) If we’re talking about the next 10 months, it’s a harsh truth.

(BUY or SELL): Philip Montgomery, Kendal Briles, and Sterling Gilbert offensive staff would turn the Texas offense into a nation-leading juggernaut and be more fun to watch than Texas fans can currently fathom?

(Buy) Heads would explode.

(BUY or SELL): Michael Dickson finishes his career as one of the most prolific punters in Texas history?

(Buy) After a rough start, he has the look of a future decorated four-year starter.

No. 6 – Week 2 CFB Randomness ...

… If I had a vote that mattered …

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3.Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Oklahoma State
6. Baylor
7. Stanford
8. Florida
9. Iowa
10. LSU

… Kevin Sumlin, you have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting.

… All of you that questioned me putting Alabama at No. 1 a few weeks ago got a glimpse on Saturday night of why I was so bullish on the Tide. Nick Saban’s team didn’t just beat undefeated LSU, it beat that team like it took something from momma’s purse.

… It’s been a long time coming, but all hail the new king in the ACC, Dabo’s Tigers. Man, I’ll admit to being an early doubter of Dabo, but he’s proving a lot of us to be wrong in our initial appraisals. The presence of Deshaun Watson makes the Tigers a national championship candidate through at least 2016. Talk about a program trending up.

… Go ahead and put Jarrett Stidham in New York in December of 2017. Use ink.

… Leonard Fournette is still the best player in college football and if the season ended today, he’d have to be the Heisman winner in my mind.

… Who starts at quarterback for the Irish next year?

… I’ve questioned the chops of Oklahoma State all season, but the Cowboys earned some damn respect from me on Saturday in their dismantling of TCU. Also, is this the most boss move of the college football season, or what?

View embedded media

No. 7 - The biggest story of the upcoming week ...

View embedded media

View embedded media

View embedded media

With a weekend of football behind us, eyes all over the nation will be glued to Columbia, Missouri, as the world of sports, politics and social unrest have all collided together in a situation that feels as explosive as any I’ve ever seen while covering college football.

As the nation forges forward into the closest thing to a Civil Rights movement I’ve ever known in my lifetime, I can’t even begin to pretend that I know the velvet touch needed to handle this situation cleanly or what steps any of the participants involved should take. Hell, I’m treading a delicate line in even bringing up the subject in this column, so what in the world could I tell a school president being told to resign or else, or to the student who is willing to take his life in an effort to push a group’s message and demands forward?

For many, there will be an instinct to dismissively toss aside complaints of racism, especially from athletes whom many believe should be quiet and count their lucky stars that they can run and jump, but I will simply offer this simple thought. As it relates to racial divide in our nation, it feels like we’re failing. Fatigue over the subject seems to intercept all possibilities of real discussion.

I don’t have any solutions for those involved in what’s taking place, but a little more listening with intent, a little more willingness to keep an open mind, and a little more awareness to the dangerous place we enter without those considerations seems like a good place to start for everyone.

No. 8 – No joy in Big D…

What else is there to say? The season is over for the Cowboys.

At 2-6 and still two weeks away from Tony Romo returning, it's not a matter of faith as much as its a matter of the math starting to look impossible.

Ugh.

No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …

.... Scattershooting on week nine in the NFL …

a. So, I guess we can send those Dan Campbell for NFL Coach of the Year t-shirts to needy kids in third-world nations.

b. I benched Sammy Watkins on my fantasy team at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

c. Remember when Green Bay was good?

d. Cam Newton overtook Aaron Rodgers on Sunday for the right to finish No. 2 to Tom Brady in this year’s MVP ballot.

e. If Dion Lewis is out for the rest of the season, my fantasy team is doomed and the Patriots aren’t nearly as good as they were coming into this week.

f. Delanie Walker needs to go by some mega-lotto tickets tonight.

g. Antonio Brown is good at football.

h. It kind of feels as if the 2015 season started this afternoon for the Indianapolis Colts.

… Good grief, will Major League Baseball please announce its season award winners? Any time now, fellas …

... Andre Drummond is emerging as a superstar in the NBA.

… It’s time for Dan Henderson to retire from the UFC or its time for the UFC to retire him.

… I swear Liverpool gives up the sloppiest goals of any team in the Premier League. I’m still trying to process how the Reds lost on Sunday to Crystal Palace.

… How long are we all going to keep sleeping on Tottenham?

… Neymar the Magnificent

View embedded media

No. 10 - And finally ...

Tonight is the night I get to check out My All American at a special sneak preview here in Austin.

I’m expecting the film to make me cry. Don’t judge me.

In the twilight of a season that will likely be remembered more for the wretched losses that have taken place than all else combined, Charlie Strong and his coaching staff have one last chance to change the narrative of this season.

With three games to play, everyone knows the stakes.

Win two of those three and the Longhorns go bowling, will have the 15 workouts that come with it in an effort to build for the future and might be able to gain a fraction of momentum to carry into the off-season.

Lose two of three and the entire season will rank as a colossal disappointment, one that ends without the bowl workouts that essentially serve as a second set of spring practices and momentum of any kind will be very hard to find.

Clearly the bar has been lowered when appearing in a bowl game that 80 teams across the country will be able to lay claim to, but in case you haven’t noticed, these aren’t the best of times for the Longhorn football program and all small victories (even the moral ones) represent progress for a program six years deep into college football’s wilderness.

In getting to six wins, a Longhorn team that has been outscored 112-10 in true road games is going to have to figure things out at least once in either Morgantown or Waco.

In getting to six wins, the Judge Roy Screamhorns will have to eliminate the roller coaster ride and put forth the most consistent brand of quality football against teams with winning records that we’ve seen in the Strong era. All of the positive elements from the Kansas game will need to be enhanced, while all the negative elements will need to be eliminated.

Or else every Texas player and coach can just go ahead make plans for an extended holiday season at home.

All season long, we’ve heard from the likes of Strong, Jay Norvell and Vance Bedford that the pieces for success are in place, but the execution continues to be the thing holding this team back. Well, this is the time of the year when good coaching elevates a team and corrects all of those early season failures and turns them into teachable moments that translate to success.

The next three weeks are about the coaches, as much as they are about the players.

If a full 12-game season passes and a team’s issues from week’s one, three, four, five and eight still exist in week’s 10, 11 and 12, what level of coaching has truly taken place?

That’s a question that Strong and Co. need to ensure we aren’t seeking answers to a month from now.

No. 2 – About the Texas starting running backs debate …

It’s pretty clear that Charlie Strong is the president of the Johnathan Gray fan club and I absolutely get it.

On a team that lacks senior leadership, Gray might be the best one that Strong has and for that reason alone, I don’t care if Strong starts Gray in the final three or four games of his career.

Who starts matters far less than who gets the majority of the carries and a matter that should have been solved in September still looms in November.

The numbers simply tell an obvious story.

Johnathan Gray: 109 carries for 429 yards

D’Onta Foreman: 77 carries for 534 yards.

For the non-math majors out there, Foreman has racked up 105 more yards rushing than Gray this season, despite having 32 fewer carries. All season long, Foreman has been the more productive runner and yet only twice this season has Foreman recorded more carries in a game.

When it was time to take Tyrone Swoopes off the field for Jerrod Heard, Strong didn’t play favorites. When it was time to take Marcus Hutchins off the field for Connor Williams, Strong didn’t play favorites. When it was time to get freshmen all over the field on defense, no average upperclassman was safe.

I completely understand that Gray is the team’s best blitz protector and I’m not saying he shouldn’t see considerable snaps. What I am saying is that when the back-up averages two more yards per carry than the starter with a rather large sample size, you probably need a new starter.

Strong and the Texas offensive coaches have done this team a disservice by not making the switch to Foreman more than a month ago when it first became clear that Foreman was consistently outperforming Gray. Once he went for back-to-back 100-yard performances against TCU and Oklahoma, it became a bit of a coaching sin to wait until the third quarter of the Kansas game before turning him loose again.

Point blank … this conversation needs to end. It’s been settled. Unfortunately, for the Longhorns, the last ones to seemingly acknowledge the obvious is the group of people who needed to be aware of it the earliest.

No. 3 – An early peek at a potential 2016 depth chart …

Just something to chew on.

(Returning starters are in bold)

QB: Jerrod Heard/Tyrone Swoopes
RB: D’Onta Foreman/Kirk Johnson
WR: Armanti Foreman/Jacorey Warrick
WR: John Burt/Dorian Leonard
WR: Lorenzo Joe/Ryan Newsome
TE: Andrew Beck/Caleb Bluiett
LT: Connor Williams/Trent Nickelson
LG: Elijah Rodriguez/Buck Major
C: Jake Raulerson/Terrell Cuney
RG: Patrick Vahe/Brandon Hodges
RT: Kent Perkins/Trent Nickelson

DE: Naashon Hughes/Derrick Roberson
DT: Hassan Ridgeway/Poona Ford
DT: Paul Boyette/Chris Nelson
DE: Bryce Cottrell/Charles Omenihu
LB: Malik Jefferson/Anthony Wheeler
LB: Edwin Freeman/Tim Cole
CB: Holton Hill/Antwuan Davis
S: DeShon Elliott/Dylan Haines
S: Jason Hall/P.J. Locke
CB: Davante Davis/Kris Boyd
Nickel: John Bonney/Jermaine Roberts

K: Nick Jordan
P: Michael Dickson
KR: Kris Boyd/Ryan Newsome
PR: Ryan Newsome/Roderick Bernard

For those keeping score, if we’re looking at Saturday night’s starting line-up against the Jayhawks, that’s seven offensive starters (not including Foreman), eight defensive starters and one starter on special teams returning in 2016.

That makes 16 total returning starters and that doesn’t include four others in the two-deep who have significant starting experience.

A lot of improvement needs to be made, but the Longhorns should have one of the more experienced teams in the Big 12, which is a change from what Strong has been working with in his first two years.

Discuss.

No. 4 – Scattershooting on the Longhorns …

… In case you missed it, Tristan Nickelson started at left guard instead of senior Sedrick Flowers. Texas offensive line coach Joe Wickline mixed and matched personnel throughout the night, but that won’t be the case in the final three games and it’ll be interesting to see if the Longhorns tinker with the line-up in the final ¼ of the season.

… Am I the only one that often wonders if the 18-Wheeler package with Tyrone Swoopes is a detriment to the growth of Jerrod Heard? Can’t a case be made that Heard’s development is the most important facet of the program and that all critical red zone reps need to go to the projected starter in 2016? You guys know I love me some Swoopes, but I’m just wondering out loud …

… For those who question Charlie Strong’s ability to evaluate and then develop talent, I give you Poona Ford.

… Right as Peter Jinkens is emerging into one of the Big 12’s best linebackers, his eligibility is about to expire.

… With Holton Hill and Davante Davis holding down the fort at cornerback these days, I wonder if the coaches will consider moving Kris Boyd to safety in an effort to gets their best players on the field together.

No. 5 – Buy or sell …

(As always these are real questions submitted by real Orangebloods subscribers.)

BUY or SELL: Strong and Co winning 8 games next year?

(Buy) I’m not sure I’m ready to go higher than that, but I’ll take the eight-win bait.

(BUY or SELL): Texas becomes bowl eligible this season?

(Sell) It’s pretty hard to make a case for the Longhorns winning one of their two true road games at this point when you consider their previous three road games.

(BUY or SELL): We throw for 200+ yds vs WVU?

(Sell) I mostly view what happened in the passing game Saturday night as an anomaly.

(BUY or SELL): Tyrone Swoopes starts at least one more time before the end of the season?

(Sell) Charlie Strong isn’t going back to drink from that well.

(BUY or SELL): Texas would have a more efficient passing game with Swoopes starting under Norvell?

(Buy) Yes.

(BUY or SELL): Jay Norvell knows he's not getting the OC job beyond this season?

(Buy) He has to know.

(BUY or SELL): Jason Hall has gone from a one hit wonder (Perine) to a guy that looks like a plus player moving forward?

(Buy) Keep in mind he’s a second-year player and might eventually have 40+ starts under his belt by the middle of his senior season.

(BUY or SELL): The only offensive coach retained by Charlie is Jeff Traylor?

(Buy) I could easily see Jay Norvell being retained as the wide receivers coach.

(BUY or SELL): Sonny Cumbie has a burnt orange polo hidden in his drawer already?

(Buy) Probably more than one.

(BUY or SELL): The only way for the Texas fan base to be reengaged is to bring in a new head coach?

(Buy) If we’re talking about the next 10 months, it’s a harsh truth.

(BUY or SELL): Philip Montgomery, Kendal Briles, and Sterling Gilbert offensive staff would turn the Texas offense into a nation-leading juggernaut and be more fun to watch than Texas fans can currently fathom?

(Buy) Heads would explode.

(BUY or SELL): Michael Dickson finishes his career as one of the most prolific punters in Texas history?

(Buy) After a rough start, he has the look of a future decorated four-year starter.

No. 6 – Week 2 CFB Randomness ...

… If I had a vote that mattered …

1. Alabama
2. Clemson
3.Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Oklahoma State
6. Baylor
7. Stanford
8. Florida
9. Iowa
10. LSU

… Kevin Sumlin, you have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting.

… All of you that questioned me putting Alabama at No. 1 a few weeks ago got a glimpse on Saturday night of why I was so bullish on the Tide. Nick Saban’s team didn’t just beat undefeated LSU, it beat that team like it took something from momma’s purse.

… It’s been a long time coming, but all hail the new king in the ACC, Dabo’s Tigers. Man, I’ll admit to being an early doubter of Dabo, but he’s proving a lot of us to be wrong in our initial appraisals. The presence of Deshaun Watson makes the Tigers a national championship candidate through at least 2016. Talk about a program trending up.

… Go ahead and put Jarrett Stidham in New York in December of 2017. Use ink.

… Leonard Fournette is still the best player in college football and if the season ended today, he’d have to be the Heisman winner in my mind.

… Who starts at quarterback for the Irish next year?

… I’ve questioned the chops of Oklahoma State all season, but the Cowboys earned some damn respect from me on Saturday in their dismantling of TCU. Also, is this the most boss move of the college football season, or what?

View embedded media

No. 7 - The biggest story of the upcoming week ...

View embedded media

View embedded media

View embedded media

With a weekend of football behind us, eyes all over the nation will be glued to Columbia, Missouri, as the world of sports, politics and social unrest have all collided together in a situation that feels as explosive as any I’ve ever seen while covering college football.

As the nation forges forward into the closest thing to a Civil Rights movement I’ve ever known in my lifetime, I can’t even begin to pretend that I know the velvet touch needed to handle this situation cleanly or what steps any of the participants involved should take. Hell, I’m treading a delicate line in even bringing up the subject in this column, so what in the world could I tell a school president being told to resign or else, or to the student who is willing to take his life in an effort to push a group’s message and demands forward?

For many, there will be an instinct to dismissively toss aside complaints of racism, especially from athletes whom many believe should be quiet and count their lucky stars that they can run and jump, but I will simply offer this simple thought. As it relates to racial divide in our nation, it feels like we’re failing. Fatigue over the subject seems to intercept all possibilities of real discussion.

I don’t have any solutions for those involved in what’s taking place, but a little more listening with intent, a little more willingness to keep an open mind, and a little more awareness to the dangerous place we enter without those considerations seems like a good place to start for everyone.

No. 8 – No joy in Big D…

What else is there to say? The season is over for the Cowboys.

At 2-6 and still two weeks away from Tony Romo returning, it's not a matter of faith as much as its a matter of the math starting to look impossible.

Ugh.

No. 9 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …

.... Scattershooting on week nine in the NFL …

a. So, I guess we can send those Dan Campbell for NFL Coach of the Year t-shirts to needy kids in third-world nations.

b. I benched Sammy Watkins on my fantasy team at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

c. Remember when Green Bay was good?

d. Cam Newton overtook Aaron Rodgers on Sunday for the right to finish No. 2 to Tom Brady in this year’s MVP ballot.

e. If Dion Lewis is out for the rest of the season, my fantasy team is doomed and the Patriots aren’t nearly as good as they were coming into this week.

f. Delanie Walker needs to go by some mega-lotto tickets tonight.

g. Antonio Brown is good at football.

h. It kind of feels as if the 2015 season started this afternoon for the Indianapolis Colts.

… Good grief, will Major League Baseball please announce its season award winners? Any time now, fellas …

... Andre Drummond is emerging as a superstar in the NBA.

… It’s time for Dan Henderson to retire from the UFC or its time for the UFC to retire him.

… I swear Liverpool gives up the sloppiest goals of any team in the Premier League. I’m still trying to process how the Reds lost on Sunday to Crystal Palace.

… How long are we all going to keep sleeping on Tottenham?

… Neymar the Magnificent

View embedded media

No. 10 - And finally ...

Tonight is the night I get to check out My All American at a special sneak preview here in Austin.

I’m expecting the film to make me cry. Don’t judge me.

Come' on! In how many ways are we going to let the inmates run the asylum? In what was the most inclusive university 2 years ago with Michael Sam we now how the most racial offensive?!!!!!!!!! Come' on! This is the crap protestors and agitators moving on from Ferguson. Call it the way it is Ketch, be a man.

 

[Ketchum]

Come' on! In how many ways are we going to let the inmates run the asylum? In what was the most inclusive university 2 years ago with Michael Sam we now how the most racial offensive?!!!!!!!!! Come' on! This is the crap protestors and agitators moving on from Ferguson. Call it the way it is Ketch, be a man.

I guess we just have different world views. Thank goodness that is allowed in our country.

 

[bkrichmd1]

I'm not sure you can classify it as "Bama lost bad at home". Yes they lost, but bad is not what I would call it. They had 5 turnovers, which by definition is worse than bad, it's terrible. But, even after those 5 turnovers they lost by 6 points (37-43) and had the ball at the end with a chance to win. I would call that a damn close game. It definitely does not indicate what I would call a bad loss. Yes, it's bad they lost, but if you are ranking teams based on how good they are right now, it would be hard to convince me and whole lot of other people that Bama is not one of the best 4 teams in the country right now.

So Bama lost at home to a very talented Ole Miss team, but it was early in the year and they have gotten a whole lot better as the season has gone on. I think the only teams right now that would have a chance at knocking off Bama are Clemson and probably Ohio State ,especially if JT Barrett is their QB. Bama, along with every other team in the country struggles against a true duel threat QB. Both Clemson and OSU's QB's fit that description. They also match up with their front 7 better than most too.

I don't know about ranking OK State 3rd, but there could be a good argument that they do deserve to be there. IMO more so than Baylor, who hasn't beaten anyone with a pulse.

I got no other arguments about the rest of your top 10.

I think Bama eventually will be in the top 4 in my mind. But they scrambled at the end of that game to get it back close. Ole Miss is not that great of a team. They are ok, but not great. I think after tOSU runs through the Big 10 if they do it undefeated, that's a no brainer. I don't think Ok State will win out, but for this week they deserve to be there. My top 4 in the end will be Clemson tOSU Bama and ND. I don't think Baylor is going to beat OU this weekend and I don't think Ok State is going to win out effectively knocking the Big 12 out. We really need a 8 team playoff.

 

[TNHorn]

I think Bama eventually will be in the top 4 in my mind. But they scrambled at the end of that game to get it back close. Ole Miss is not that great of a team. They are ok, but not great. I think after tOSU runs through the Big 10 if they do it undefeated, that's a no brainer. I don't think Ok State will win out, but for this week they deserve to be there. My top 4 in the end will be Clemson tOSU Bama and ND. I don't think Baylor is going to beat OU this weekend and I don't think Ok State is going to win out effectively knocking the Big 12 out. We really need a 8 team playoff.

I have to say I agree with you on just about everything you said here. I do think that Bama was one play away from winning that game against Ole Miss. They did scramble to get there, but when you have 5 turnovers it hard to beat anybody.