Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend

[Veritas10]

The stadium is full, the big xii is weak, the AD is leading cheers for Charlie going up the ramp. It's easy to talk yourself into another year if you're a UT official.

...And one time golden boy Tim Herman lost to or struggled to beat Navy, Tulsa, SMU, and C. Florida.
.

 

[jmb99000]

I don't see atm beating a Wisky team either at home or on the road. The only real team they've faced took 'em to the shed.

 

[marinehorn]

D. Foreman rushes for 314 yards on 31 carries against Tech next week. You heard it here first.

Yes please, if not more.

 

[RLong68]

Saturday is obviously huge for Charlie. It's precisely the type of game he has struggled with in preparing for his team. A not completely shitty opponent getting us at home. At 11am no less. Yes, probably a lot of us are expecting to see the same movie again. However, if we get the W then it's home for WVU with a real chance to tack on another quality win. I'm not saying all that because I think he should stay or he should go. Just looking at it realistically.

 

[Big Ed Bookman]

… Big 12 Power Poll

1. Oklahoma
2. Oklahoma State
3. West Virginia
4. pick a team
5. pick a team
6. pick a team
7. pick a team
8. pick a team
9. Iowa State
10. Kansas

LOL.

Well played sir.

 

[txfight]

Why do people want Strong want him to win and stay most?
A. His core values?
B. He is the first black head coach at TX?
C. He is a top recruiter?
D. He loves the university?
E. He is a nice guy and does things the right way?
F. He is the best coach for the job and gets the most out of what he has?

Man this is a good exercise.

I like D and E, I love A and C, I believe in 2016 B should be irrelevant, but F is for farce. He is not a good HC. I wish we could keep him as a D Line coach or something but obviously the world doesn't work that way.

 

[Ketchum]

Tim Herman?

Clearly a typo that my proofer didn't catch and now I'm going to have to read an entire thread of f'ing Tim Herman comments.

Thanks, Suchomel.

 

[Ketchum]

D. Foreman rushes for 314 yards on 31 carries against Tech next week. You heard it here first.

Very possible.

 

[Ketchum]

Love Charlie Strong the man, not too fond of his as our HC. If we were losing the 1 score games in a clean well coached manner then I might think differently but then again if we payed is a clean well coached manner we might be 7-1 or 6-2.

Do you really know him as a man?

 

[HerkieWalls]

You know how you know I am an Orangeblood? Because I know from memory that Earl rushed for 1744 his Heisman year so D'onta would be 17 yards behind him, not 7 as you wrote. A minor correction and point is well taken.

 

[Ketchum]

Agree on both points!

Ketch -- appreciate the column -- nice work.

Thanks for the kind words. I was drawing blanks for a long time yesterday, so that was nice to see.

 

[CPHornfan]

(Sell) Good grief, it’s time for everyone around here, from the fans to the head coach, to stop thinking this outfit is close to anything but slightly above average on its best day. I don’t even know if this team can win away from home. Double good grief.

As far as Dak and the Cowboys are concerned, who is even watching this game with the World Series on TV? basically, who cares?

 

[txfight]

The sad thing is, I think Luck is picking up his team, that's one of the worst rosters in the NFL

I think this is spot on. And if Luck is Stafford 2.0 then Stafford may be Romo 2.0.

Seriously, remember all the "Romo isn't a winner and can't lead his team" talk when the Cowboys had no running game and the worst defense in their history? Turns out, in the NFL, it takes more than just a QB to win. It took Tony Romo getting hurt and us to run through that calvacade of dipshits to appreciate him.

Lions fans thought the same thing about Stafford a couple of years ago, but when they looked around and saw terrible QB's all over the league (Bears/Browns/Jets/Bills/Jags, Texans/Titans/etc) they realized not re-signing him would be disastrous.

I'd wager to say the only thing worse than a Luck-led Colts team would be if he got hurt and they saw their future without him, which may happen sooner than later given the protection he's getting.

 

[JinSOTEX]

As far as Dak and the Cowboys are concerned, who is even watching this game with the World Series on TV? basically, who cares?

You serious? I'm betting the cowboys game in prime time has big ratings. They always draw big ratings

 

[txfight]

Maybe it's because we are 3 seasons into a struggle.

3 years?!? Did you just become a fan in 2013?

 

[txfight]

After 3 years, Strong shouldn't be on training wheels anymore. What year do they come off?

That really is the question. I think if we can upgrade the coach to a can't miss guy, then we should pull the trigger. But I'm not sold Herman is a can't miss guy. I think he's better than Strong, but is he good enough to hit the reset button? I simply don't know. You know who would have a better idea? An experienced, qualified, top-notch Athletic Director which for some inexplicable reason, we still don't have and don't seem too interested in finding.

 

[txfight]

Do you really know him as a man?

Do you Ketch? I'm not being combative, I'm honestly curious because it's a good point. He sells core values and plenty of people are buying it, but in your position, do you suspect otherwise because if you do, I think we'd LOVE to hear that.

 

[PalsDad]

3 years?!? Did you just become a fan in 2013?

No, but we've been the punching bag of the Big 12 for 3 years. At least under Brown we were competitive. We had up and down years, but we were never this bad for this long.

 

[Golfer301980]

Damn I just want this Strong fiasco to end, along with this crap season. D'onta we will miss you, go get that green paper.

 

[hook_em27]

Smoltz is the best baseball color guy I've ever heard. He's outstanding. Really elevates the experience because of the insight he brings to the table and his ability to communicate.

 

[dsutton_85]

Damn I just want this Strong fiasco to end, along with this crap season. D'onta we will miss you, go get that green paper.

Both brothers came here cause they enjoy playing with each other. D'onta wouldn't even be here if it want for Armanti. I feel pretty good he will stay another year so he can graduate with his bro.

 

[cruelbutfair]

Do you Ketch? I'm not being combative, I'm honestly curious because it's a good point. He sells core values and plenty of people are buying it, but in your position, do you suspect otherwise because if you do, I think we'd LOVE to hear that.

Agreed.

 

[Ketchum]

Reading this article has quickly become my favorite Monday morning activity (so much so, I started on Sunday night this week.)

But if I'm being honest, I was disappointed in the tone. My take on the win was it was a gut check performance and despite all the negativity these last few weeks, the kids played with pride and pulled out a win. With all the players-only meetings, stories about recruiting taking a dump, and skepticism about the coach's future, these guys needed some good news to smile about. Beating a highly ranked (albeit overrated) team who had your matchup circled on its calendar is a reason to be happy until it's time to go back to work on Monday.

I'll be very quick to add that on its own, this win means nothing towards the stability of Strong's job.

But it felt like you wanted to minimize the win because you're worried it will make people want to keep the coach. It won't. He's coaching his last season at Texas (barring a unprecedented streak of wins.) So relax a little and let's enjoy it for what it was; a brief reprise from all the poor coaching/ poor play and a kick in the nuts to a fanbase that needs to have their nuts kicked.

Lastly, I agree the Big 12 is a below average conference. I hate that the national media mocks the absence of defense in our games. But please don't mail in the conference power ranking. I actually really enjoy that section of your TFTW article.

Look, I really like your writing and I love the fact that you go back and forth with your readers. It's so much better than a one side conversation like reading a Bohls article. But this time, I just had a different take on it.

I did kind of minimize the win because I felt it somewhat deserved it. It was not a cleanly, well-played game.

 

[Ketchum]

This is what happens when your eyes get really tired and you can't find your glasses and you'e typing without seeing the screen clearly.

 

[cruelbutfair]

BUY or SELL: Charlie is right, whoever the coach is, this will be a 10-win team in 2017?

(Sell) Good grief, it’s time for everyone around here, from the fans to the head coach, to stop thinking this outfit is close to anything but slightly above average on its best day. I don’t even know if this team can win away from home. Double good grief.

BUY or SELL: Texas' offensive resurgence this year is less about a new offensive coordinator and more about having a competent QB for the first time in years?

(Sell) Shane Buechele would not be this good, this fast under Shawn Watson.

Well stated @Ketchum

As DKR would say, "we're as average as everyday's wash". Nothing I have seen in the last 5 years indicates we are on the cusp of 10+ win seasons again. It could happen in a semi-miraculous way, like in 1990, but that team was senior led and beat a fairly weak schedule (outside of UH and A&M) and won some really close games.

Gilbert is a very competent OC. We had forgotten what that looked like.

 

[Ketchum]

My own thoughts from the game:

1. Baylor played dirty.
2. The announcers don't understand the targeting penalty.
3. I thought it was a "Neat Wrinkle" to have Swoopes spell Foreman.
4. I quit thinking it was neat when I realized they were going to keep doing it.
5. You have to let Swoopes throw a pass or two from the 18 Wheeler Package if you want to keep it effective.
6. Why does every QB we play look like Randall Cunningham? Seth Russell had more rushing yardage in this game than Kyle Porter has all season.
7. Is it me, or did we get hosed on about 4 calls/no-calls in the last 3 minutes of the game?
8. I wish we'd stop talking about replacing Strong and start talking about hiring a qualified AD. You can't do A, until you do B.

1. I didn't notice any dirty play, at least not more than normal. It's not like Ahmad Dixon was back there.
2. I don't think the refs do, either.
3. Yup, for one play.
4. Yup, after every play thereafter.
5. Feels like that ship has somewhat sailed. It's now week nine.
6. Because the defense isn't that good.
7. what sticks out?
8. I've been banging that pot since 2015 but we are where we are.

 

[memhorn]

Just two months ago, Ketch was saying to tap the brakes on 2016 -- that it would be 2017 when this team would make some noise.

That was right then, and, I say, is still right today. Just think about what will be on the field in 2017 for a while: a top notch QB with a year of experience, and, FINALLY an OL with experience and quality linemen. And think of the receivers!

Defense will still be an issue. The way teams play offense these days, defense is an issue for everybody.

Coaching? Fire CS if you want to, but it will be his team making that noise in 2017.

 

[Ketchum]

Good summary. We can enjoy this win while still recognizing the purgatory reality.

Your point about the Charmin-soft B12 lines up with what you, Alex, PDX, and a few others have laid out in detail concerning the conference's weakening recruiting position year after year. No matter how good some of the coaches may be, the lessening talent levels across the board were going to catch up with the conference eventually.

The growing talent gap between us and the SEC/B1G alphas has been growing more apparent over the past season and a half. One wonders how long that will continue.

Until Texas leaves the conference.

 

[Ketchum]

Dang, would be so fun and awesome to see D'onte in a great offense next year running over people, but I totally understand leaving early and wish for the best for the guy in the NFL.
@Ketchum has he talked about what has helped him transform into every defenses nightmare this season? The conditioning program? Gilbert? New RB coach? That is a positive thing the team has going for it I would love to hear more about.

I think the kid just has a burning passion inside of him that probably formed when everyone ignored him to focus on his brother. He's always been very good, but he's emerged into something else.

 

[Buda Horn]

The result: a team-best 10 tackles (8 solo), two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and generally speaking, he played like the player everyone thought he was when the season started.

Don't forget a should-have-been game-clinching forced fumble, fumble recovery, and fumble return for TD.