It’s been more than a week now since the Longhorns potentially saved their season with the most important win of Charlie Strong's young career in Austin, and there are signs that the domination in Big D has provided the program the kind of jump-start that has been needed for months.
The vibe inside the building from the top on down is as positive as it has been in over a year.
There’s a feeling that if the Longhorns play with the same level of focus and intensity from the Oklahoma game that a late-season run could give the program added momentum going into the 2016 season.
Heck, a couple of commitments in the last few days have even given hope that recruiting is picking up steam.
With all of the discussion about the state of the program in the last few weeks, it seems like the perfect time to follow up on the state of the program inspections that we’ve provided over the course of the last two years. The first occurred a few weeks after Strong’s first 100 days on the job, while we followed up the original report earlier this year after Strong had passed the 500-day mark.
As we profile different critical areas of Strong’s task as Texas coach, you’ll be able to find a side-by-side comparison to the way these areas were viewed coming into each of the last two seasons.
Team Building
What was said after 100 days: "The thing about Coach Strong is that he's kind of his own good cop/bad cop at the exact same time," the source said. "One of the things that is different about him from Mack is that it always feels like he's around. His door is open to the players and he means it. With Mack, you kind of needed a reason to ever go see or talk to Mack, but he's different when it comes to that stuff. There are really not any excuses if you have issues with anything he says because his door is open for conversation."
It's too early to know what any of this means in the grand scheme of things, but in a very short amount of time, Strong has been able to grab the attention of his players and keep it, as evidenced by the fact that there doesn't appear to be nearly as many departures from the team this off-season as initially expected. No clearer example can be cited than the improved academics from those who have shown a lack of accountability in the classroom and the buying-in approach of players that had once been program malcontents.
Overall, Strong is doing exactly what a top-of-the-line college coach does … he's making the program his by any means needed. That he seems to possess a much more controlled velvet touch than many scouting reports from Louisville indicated has been an absolute plus.
What was said after 100 days: Very few could have known what was ahead for the program in the months that followed the first few months of Strong’s tenure, as the summer of 2014 turned into an off-field nightmare of stupidity and alleged crime. Before anyone could catch their breath, Strong was forced to dismiss a slew of critical on-field pieces and the importance of his core values was showcased in a way that turned doubters of his sincerity into definite believers.
The process gutted the team of critical depth and play-makers, but it also helped clean out the type of laziness, self-entitlement, trouble-making and half-ass dedication that had plagued the team at the end of Brown’s tenure. What remained was a core group of guys that have bought into Strong’s methods and belief system.
As we enter the second summer of the Strong era, his work in the area of team building is one of the things that stands out the most among the positives we’re going to talk about. If doubt existed a year ago that the players would buy into his vision, it doesn’t really exist anymore, as his message has become the way inside the program.
Today’s view: What a difference a week makes. Two weeks ago following the dismantling at the hands of TCU, the team was 1-4 and there was a lot of discussion about tweets in the locker room, players calling each other out in public and a potential internal conflict between the youth and the upperclassmen in the program. Just when Strong’s hold on the locker room started to look somewhat concerning, the Longhorns beat Oklahoma and the visuals from that moment seemed to indicate that this was a team that was all-in with its coach. With a team featuring so much youth, this was always going to be a stressful challenge in trying to bridge together a cohesive unit featuring all three phases of the game. It remains to be seen what kind of team Strong will produce in the final half of the season, but the locker room seems to have stabilized considerably with the events in Dallas.
Recruiting
What was said after 100 days: When Charlie Strong arrived in Austin, he did so with a reputation of being a good, but probably not elite recruiter.
It's too soon to know whether that reputation is earned or unfair, but there's little question at this point that he's fearless.
In a conversation that is more nuanced than most fans that follow college football will ever know, Strong has changed the dynamics within the program at every turn, while installing a number of philosophical objectives.
What was said after 500 days: After pulling in a national top-15 class a year ago with a finish that was as emphatically positive as any close to the homestretch we’ve seen around these parts in quite a while, Strong seems to have garnered the benefit of the doubt from a lot of
recruiting die-hards, whose skepticism was wiped away with big-time results.
Somewhat surprisingly, the momentum from the past February hasn’t really maintained itself at the opening stages of the final year of recruiting for the 2016 class. For example, of the 118 nationally elite prospects that attended the Rivals.com Five-Star Challenge in Baltimore, I can’t list a single prospect that would name the Longhorns as a definitive leader or co-leader. On top of that, not a single 2016 top 50 in-state prospect attended Sunday’s one-day camp in Austin.
The jury remains out on whether Strong and his staff can put their foot on the gas in the final months and close in the same manner that he did just a few months ago, but the one-year sample size has created much-needed confidence among those following the program. Personally, I’m fascinated to see how the next eight months play out on this front, especially in the following areas:
In-state Recruiting
The single most concerning element of Strong’s work as a recruiter is that so many top players across the state in all class levels have been slow to jump on the Texas bandwagon. It seems like very little benefit of the doubt has been given by those top in-state prospects, which has somewhat rendered all of the major advantages that Texas has over so many of its natural competitors on the recruiting roads into moot points in the process.
Strong has strongly stressed to his assistant coaches that while they might be able to have more success on the road in other states, one of his top priorities is winning the hearts of the best of the best in the state of Texas. In fact, top sources have told us that he’s left the matter in no uncertain terms with his assistants … not winning the top in-state kids is not an option. Period.
Of course, the final 2016 outcome remains undecided, but this single element might be as concerning right now as anything else within the program.
II. Out of State Recruiting
For years, critics and followers of the program screamed to the rafters that Texas needed to be more aggressive with top-level out of state prospects and stop with the defeatist attitude that permeated throughout Brown’s decision-making in this area.
Well, if we’ve learned anything in the last 17 months, it’s that Strong is unafraid of going to Mars if it means locking down a player that can help build the vision he has for this program, as the Longhorns have created pipelines in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina since Strong opened the doors to out of state recruiting.
In what might be the most ironic aspect of Strong’s first 17 months on the job, the street cred among top-level prospects seems to be much stronger outside of Texas than it is inside at the
moment, which means the future of the program could be decided by the fates of those brought in from those out of state locations that have heavily supported the program in the last two recruiting classes.
III. Multi-year focus
One of the areas in recruiting with which Strong probably struggled a little out of the gate was the sudden juggling of three to four different recruiting years all at once. At Louisville, Strong was able to mostly work on a single year at a time, but the pace is much different at a program like Texas and decisions on offers for players that are two or three years away from signing must come much earlier.
While it seemed to take Strong a bit to settle in with the new pace that confronted him, the Longhorns have adapted and become much more aggressive when it comes to players in the 2017 and 2018 classes, which would appear to be a must-stance when you consider the lack of a pole position start the program has with so many of the top prospects right now.
IV. Evaluation
No coach in the nation has done a better job than Strong in this area over the course of the last five years, at least not as it relates to producing NFL-level talent. To say that he deserves a little benefit of the doubt, even though we have yet to see the skills produce results in Austin, is an understatement.
Today’s view: There’s good news and bad news.
Let’s start with the bad because it’s the most urgent of the twos sides. Although the coaches on the Texas staff seem very confident that when pen gets put to paper in February they’ll have a class full of coveted targets, there’s no getting around the fact that the Longhorns are shy on impact players that they lead for and heavy on players that have them down their lists a little. Ranked No. 57 in the Rivals.com national team rankings, the coaches are going to need to create some magic in the final months of the recruiting process if the Longhorns want a class that comes close to approaching last season’s top 10-15 class. This will likely be a class that features twice as many three-star prospects as four/five star prospects.
On the other side of the spectrum, the efforts in 2017 recruiting really appear to be taking off, as evidenced by the fact that the Longhorns already have commitments from three of the state’s top 23 prospects in the current 2017 LSR rankings, including verbal pledges from two top-10 level prospects. Whether it’s in state or out of state, there’s just a lot more momentum with 2017 recruiting than with the efforts in 2016.
Player development
What was said after 500 days: The sample-size is small, but here’s a list of players that thrived last season under Strong, many of whom not only played the best football of their lives, but also arrived out of burnt orange black holes in the process:
Senior wide receiver John Harris (from afterthought to team MVP on offense)
Senior tight end Geoff Swaim (from afterthought to drafted in NFL)
Junior center Taylor Doyle (from afterthought to someone that deserves some damn respect)
Sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes (from unsuitable to play to decent starting quarterback against bad teams does represent progress for those of you that remain critics)
Junior defensive tackle Malcom Brown (from potential first-round pick to definite first-round pick)
Sophomore defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway (from potential bad-ass to emerging bad-ass)
Senior linebacker Steve Edmond (from disappointing starter to perhaps an irreplaceable one the following year)
Senior linebacker Jordan Hicks (from always injured, but always massively talented to a guy Chip Kelly thought was the best linebacker in the draft)
Senior safety Mykkele Thompson (from disaster to fifth round NFL Draft pick)
Sophomore safety Dylan Haines (from unknown to walk-on to starter)
There are more, but I think the point has been made.
Today’s view: A year ago, Strong and Co. took a bunch of underperforming seniors and were able to squeeze the best football that many of those players had ever played, but the upperclassmen in the program haven’t carried the same amount of water this season, which has created a situation where the Longhorns have fielded one of the youngest teams in the entire country.
While these freshmen have struggled to catch on at various stages of the first half of the season, Strong and his staff deserve a ton of credit for producing a team capable of defeating a team that is still ranked in the top 15 of the coaches poll. This is a team featuring a crazy amount of youth at quarterback, running back, receivers, tight ends, offensive line, defensive end, linebackers, the defensive backfield and punter. Frankly, it’s easier to list the players and positions that aren’t filled with youth than it is to name all of the kids on the field.
Overall, Charlie’s rep for developing players is among the best in the nation and in his 1 ½ seasons at Texas, he’s had to approach development within the program from one season to the next in complete 180-degree fashion. I’m not sure how there can be any doubt that a number of the freshmen on the field will one day emerge as legit NFL prospects
Game Management
What was said after 500 days: If there’s an area of concern coming out of the 2015 season that I’m somewhat surprised to be writing about at this very moment, it deals with some
of the in-game decisions that occurred at times from Strong’s first season.
Although no coach is ever going to make the right call all the time, it needs to be mentioned that everything from pre-game coin tosses to time management to in-game decisions need to be tightened up and improved from a season ago. Given the chaos that followed his team from week to week with inexperienced players all over the place, especially on offense, I’m more than willing to give Strong the benefit of the doubt that this is an area that will improve this season.
That being said, it’s not just the players from last season that need to elevate their in-game performances.
Today’s view: Along with 2016 recruiting, the biggest area of concern from my vantage point continues to come with decision-making on game days.
There are still a lot of the little things that I’m not sure always run as smoothly as they need to, from clock management to personnel decisions to third down adjustments to the adjustment of gameplans. Of course, this is a young team and that explains some of its issues, but Strong can make this a better team the rest of the way by repeating the magic that was bottled up for four quarters in the Oklahoma game.
Media Relations
What was said after 100 days: This is one that probably needs to be revisited in earnest with the start of the football season, but from my perspective Strong has handled the media demands of his new position quite well, which is ironic because when he arrived in Austin, his dealings with the media were considered one of the major concerns that his detractors cited as a potential problem.
Two important things regarding this issue stand out:
a. Strong isn't some sort of recluse that won't meet his responsibilities.
b. He isn't consumed by what is said or written about his team.
The last point is probably the most important aspect of this particular conversation, as the previous Longhorn regime was so obsessed with what was written on the Internet that staff meetings regularly started with discussions about the things that were written about the team, which created a forever uneasy atmosphere for those that worked within the program.
Whereas I always felt like Mack Brown obsessed over what was written about him online, especially on Orangebloods, I haven't sensed that Strong cares at all. Perhaps when you're always busy with real work inside the program, time doesn't exist to sweat the small stuff.
What was said after 500 days: I don’t know what the hell the people in Louisville were smoking, but it’s absolutely hilarious to see Strong performing at such a refreshing level with the media when you consider some of the hyperbole that was written about him when he first arrived.
Strong might not always come across like a wordsmith, but he tells it like it is, always answers questions directly and has seemingly looked at ease in his surroundings, even in the middle of a painful season.
Hell, a little more than a month ago, he spent a day on the set with the NFL Network during the draft. He’s closer to being a media darling than some sort of hermit than is openly pained when forced to work this aspect of the job.
Don’t ever change, Charlie.
Today’s view: Other than the inability to hide devastation in the aftermath of brutal losses, there’s not much you’d nitpick Charlie with in my opinion. Hs relationship with the local media is infinitely better than the situation that existed under Mack Brown, especially at the end of his tenure.
Fan Relations
What was said after 100 days: One of the few areas of criticism that Strong received in the first two months in his new gig was his decision to close practices to the fans and media this spring.
On one hand, everyone understands the coaches wanting to close ranks in the midst of their first spring with the players in the program, but on the other hand, you had a fan base that has had very few bones tossed its way over the course of the last few seasons.
Considering the battling factions within the fan base over the course of the last 12 months and the fact that there were some in the UT community that were slow to warm up to the idea of Strong as coach, opening up practices would have been a great goodwill gesture.
Well, whatever issues you might have had with the closing of practices was completely offset with a barnstorming tour of the state from April 21 through May 19, as Strong visited every corner of the state. I'm talking the Metroplex, Houston, Tyler, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley, El Paso, Midland/Odessa, Amarillo, Beaumont and beautiful Waco.
What was said after 500 days: See thoughts on media relations. Although some fans might not have confidence that he’ll ultimately make it in Austin, it’s not because they don’t dig him as a man who can’t relate to the fans. Almost everyone digs Charlie.
Today’s view: See above. I’m really not sure I know anyone that doesn’t dig Charlie as a person and as a man.
Overall
So much of the short-term future of the program, whether it’s the rest of this season, 2016 recruiting or the momentum that is desperately needed going into the off-season remains completely undecided, soon to be determined by whatever this team does in the second half of a season that began as the worst the program had seen since 1956.
By and large, Strong does most of the things required at his position at a fairly high level, including areas that most thought he might struggle with in such an obsessive market that inspects every mistake in a way that would make Joseph McCarthy blush.
As a recruiter, Strong does a great job of connecting with kids, but he needs to build a staff around him that better supports this critical area of the program, something I’m sure will be an offseason priority. Meanwhile, with a team that will almost certainly be involved in several coin-flip type games in the final six weeks of the season, Strong’s in-game work needs to match the improvement expected with his team.
No. 2 – It could have been worse …
Texas might not have had a game on Saturday, but it certainly had vested interests in a little game between SEC contenders that took place in College Station.
People can put their heads into the sand and suggest that whatever happened to the Aggies in their game against Alabama wouldn’t impact the Longhorns, but that would be a short-sighted view when you consider the number of players that the programs continue to battle over.
Given the stakes of the game against the Tide and the national television presence, the Aggies had a chance to emerge with a serious boost to their overall profile with a win, as they probably would have emerged in the national championship discussion and the momentum from that would have been a negative development for a Texas program that needs every break it can manage with three of its primary competitors ranked inside the top 10 going into the weekend.
Of course, the best-case scenario for all things burnt orange would have been a repeat of the 59-0 beat-down that took place last year in Tuscaloosa.
Ultimately, the best-case and the worst-case probably met somewhere in the middle, as the Aggies were beaten soundly and are off the national radar, but the atmosphere was impressive by all accounts and the Aggies played like a team that is just a few pieces away, a truth that will be very attractive for top-level prospects that are already showing legitimate interest.
Bottom line?
Texas really needs to create a rocket ship of momentum in these next six weeks because A&M might not have won the game, but its profile in recruiting was likely only enhanced.
No. 3 – Scattershooting on the Longhorns …
… Clearly, Kansas State is a very beatable team, but Texas would do itself a big favor by coming out with a ton of fight early in the game in an effort to put a team with confidence issues away before those confidence issues can ever start to heal. Word of advice … don’t let that 55-0 loss to the Sooners completely fool you because Kansas State has shown flashes of being a good road team this season, as it pushed Oklahoma State in Stillwater to the limit before losing to TCU at home in back to back weeks earlier in the season. In fact, the OU game was a total emotional letdown after those two losses and I’ll bet a wooden nickel that that team will be ready to play on Saturday.
… Kansas State might have the worst quarterback play that the Longhorns will see all season.
… In retrospect, the volume of work the coaches gave Johnathan Gray over D’Onta Foreman in a critical game and in critical moments is a strong indication that as long as Gray as healthy, we’re not likely to see Foreman take the lion's hare of the touches and snaps, no matter the yards per carry.
… Shouldn’t Connor Williams get some consideration for Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors?
… Peter Jinkens ranks 6th in the Big 12 with an average of 8.1 tackles per game. And to think some of you wanted to bury him before the season started.
No. 4 – Buy or sell…
(As always these are real questions submitted by real Orangebloods subscribers.)
(BUY or SELL) All the OB mods pick Texas to win every game remaining on the schedule until the Baylor game?
(Sell) I can tell you thatif the games were today, I'd take West Virginia at home over the Longhorns. I think that's a game that could be played at a pace the Longhorns would prefer.
(BUY or SELL) Heard averages 150 or more yards passing a game for the rest of the season?
(Buy) He better or this team is going to have a hard time qualifying for a bowl.
(BUY or SELL) Jay Norvel is named permanent OC after the season?
(Sell) My position on this matter hasn't changed. There will be a new OC at the end of the season.
(BUY or SELL) The o-line and d-line play vs ou are not an anomaly?
(Sell) At this point, that game is the anomaly.
(BUY or SELL) After seeing both KSU and UT play TCU and OU, KSU is a bigger Jeckyl & Hyde than Texas?
(Sell) Kansas State was emotionally dead after losses to Oklahoma State and TCU is death-blow fashion, but they've been fairly consistent for most of the season.
(BUY or SELL) There are over 95,000 at DKR next Saturday?
(Sell) I'm going to take the under.
(BUY or SELL) Texas crashes back down to earth, but still beats K St. in a close one next week?
(Buy) This is kind of where I'm leaning, but this still feels like a dangerous game to me.
(BUY or SELL) We've heard the last of the Baylor rape scandal?
(Sell) The Bears are ranked in the top five and eventually this story will pop up this season when the spotlight allows for the largest stage for whichever media outlet covers the story.
(BUY or SELL) Charlie finally understands that he needs plus recruiters at all position coaches and that a dynamic offensive mind is needed to move forward?
(Buy) Yes, yes and more yes.
No. 5 – Week 7 CFB Randomness...
… If I had a vote that mattered …
Utah
Alabama
LSU
Clemson
Baylor
Ohio State
TCU
Florida State
Michigan State
Stanford
.... I’m still out of words for what happened at the end of the Michigan State/Michigan game. I mean … how … but … no way … yup … that happened. As long as I live, I’ll remember where I was (at home) and what I was doing (holding my daughter, who was pretending to catch a ball when the play started).
… Corey Coleman probably needs to be in New York in December, as he ranks behind only Leonard Fournette on my list of the best players in college football.
… Houston and Memphis will be a whale of a game later this season.
… Utah hasn’t even played that well the last two weeks, but it still has wins over California and Arizona State to show for it, which I find really impressive. Winning when you don’t have your fastball is critically important when competing on the national stage.
… I love Les Miles. He’s so good for college football.
… Is it possible that Texas A&M really doesn’t have a great quarterback in its program? Kyle Allen flashes at times, but there are other moments when Kevin Sumlin seems tempted by Kyler Murray, who is not a plus-player right now. Sorry, Kyler, I can’t keep that observation out of my mouth.
… I hope Greg Davis is having a hell of a time this season at Iowa because he’s good people and I want good things for good people.
No. 6 - This deserves it’s own section …
No. 7 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
Scattershooting on the NFL...
a. Cam Freaking Newton. After Rodgers and Brady, Newton is the man at quarterback in the NFL.
b. The Bengals might just be the second best team in the NFL. I'm starting to believe. After beating Seattle last week, it would have been easy to walk into Buffalo lacking focus and instead they came in looking for blood. This team is g-o-o-d.
c. I don't want to say that Peyton Manning is glue factory material, but his next sponsorship will be with Elmer's.
d. The Texans are officially better than both the Jags and the Bucs.
e. Landry Jones led the Steelers to a win over the Arizona Cardinals. I still don't believe it.
f. Dan Campbell for Coach of the Year?
g. The Seahawks have one more win than Detroit, which just one its first game of the season on Sunday. So, yeah...
… It looks like we’re headed towards a Mets/Royals World Series. I’m not even a Cubs fan and I’m disappointed.
… Memo to all teams: Stop pitching to Daniel Murphy … he’s in the zone.
… A-Rod is going to be in-studio for Fox all the way through the World Series. Prepare yourself for the fact that he’s going to do television once his career is complete.
… Just go for it, Matt Harvey, just go for it.
Scattershooting on the weekend in the British Premier League…
a. Consider me a very happy Jurgen Klopp fan after game No. 1 with Liverpool, which witnessed the Reds come away with a point in a 0-0 game at Tottenham. With injuries to as many as six or seven potential first-team players, I wasn’t sure what I should have a right to expect after Klopp has been able to work with his new players for a few practices, but the team came out firing with signs that it understands and can implement Klopp’s basic principles of “heavy metal football,” even without all of the A-teamers in the line-up.
b. I think Kevin De Bruyne might be my favorite player in the EPL right now that’s not on Liverpool. Considering that David Silva is right there with him among my favorites, I’m quietly a mini-Man City fan, although I’ll never be down with Raheem Sterling, who had a hat trick in the first half of the game against Bournemouth on Saturday. Boooooooooooo, Raheem.
c. Geez, Everton, what the hell was that? Two steps forward, three steps back, I suppose.
d. Wayne Rooney scored. Aaron Ramsey scored. Diego Costa scored. It was literally unlike any day we’ve seen all season in the BPL.
No. 8 – The NBA season starts in just over a week …
Here’s your dunk of the pre-season.
No. 9 – 100-Words or Less Movie Review: Sicario (A-) …
If Traffic and True Detective had a one-night stand and had an illegitimate baby, Sicario is what it would look like when it turns 18. With a trio of Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt giving A-performances across the board, the movie begins strong, stays strong and finishes strong. Another star of the show is the film’s score, which helps set the scene for much of the film’s tension, even when nothing is happening. After not seeing a movie for a few months, this felt like a cold glass of water on a hot summer day. Highly recommended.
No.10 - And finally.... The List: Don Henley
After two weeks of listening to one of the all-time East Texas musical giants, I’m ready to release my first original musical list in a couple of months.
Before we get to the list, just a small recommendation. Do yourself a favor and listen to Henley’s new country album Cass Country. You’ll end up wondering why it’s taken so long to make this kind of record.
Ok, let’s get on with the list…
10. All She Wants to Do is Dance
Not one of my favorite songs, but it feels like it should be on the list.
9. Waiting Tables
My favorite song from his newest country album.
8. Not Enough Love in the World
One of three songs from Building the Perfect Beast that made the list.
7. The Last Worthless Evening
One of the most underrated songs in his songbook.
6. Dirty Laundry
One of my favorite angry anthems from the testy East Texan.
5. Leather and Lace
One of my favorite duets of all-time. I must have heard this song a dozen times every Saturday morning when I was growing up.
4. New York Minute
A personal favorite
3. Heart of the Matter
There will be a faction on Orangebloods that believes this should be the No.1 song on the list. Fellas, it was strongly considered for the top spot.
2. The Boys of Summer
One of three songs I strongly considered for the top spot.
1. The End of the Innocence
I went back and forth for more than a week, but when I think of Don Henley’s career away from the Eagles, this is the first song I think of.
