Maybe I have dipped into the Kool-Aid.....

[swVAHorn]

But I have been watching the players talk and I have heard about how some guys are really stepping up and I am excited about the future. Texas Football is almost back....I truly believe Texas is a QB away from being great. No I don't think Texas is a National Champion THIS year, but I expect them to surprise a lot of people. Somehow some way Texas has GOT to get a QB who can play Championship level... I hope he is ON Campus right now.

I do have an inside source........oldhorn says we win 10 this year! Clob is holding onto information like a bear with honey..... When enough time has passed I hope Clob gives us the lowdown...He was absolutely dead on last year!

 

[CoachEmUp64]

Make sure you saved enough Kool-Aid for the rest of us!

 

[oldhorn2]

swVA....you have me reminded of that Yogi Berra quote..."I never said half those things I said..." I believe what I actually said was I expected 8 wins, I hoped for 9 wins, and I dream of 10 wins.....I do think it is very possible with decent QB play.

Actually, I am more concerned with the D line than I am with the QB Hopefully, our D line can hold up , in which case I expect the D to be very good this year. This may be the fastest defense I can remember Texas having.

 

[oldhorn2]

well hell.....since I have stated one unfounded premise, I can now build on it. The best thing about spring and summer is we can think we can be as good as we want. Reality doesnt come until September.

Tom Landry said...speed kills. We are fast all accross our defense. Then you come to the offense, and our skill positions are just flat out quick. Our backs are big and surprisingly fast for that size. The tempo will be fast. If our game against ND is as hot out as I hope it will be, we have a great chance of simply wearing them out early. It might not happen, but it certainly can. We know our D will be in super condition. ( Jimmy Johnson ran his summer camp in Austin for a very good reason)

Our D line depth will be thin and young, so that can always come back to bite you. Our QB situation could quickly implode, so there are many land mines in our path. However, if we can avoid the injury monster, we have at least a chance to be pretty damned salty.

Barkeep!!....Koolaide for everyone!

 

[speedstrength]

From the sounds of it the QB will be Swoopes for the opening game. The offense should help. Most teams go to a base call on D when the offense goes up tempo so he will most likely get fairly vanilla looks if they can start stringing positive plays together.

My understanding is that you don't really call plays in the traditional sense. After the play the next formation and package comes in from the sideline and the QB checks to the specific play based on front and coverage. This system is so much easier than the west coast stuff Watson was doing.

 

[Top Gum]

8-5 with no blowout losses this year, 10 wins in 2017. Step...away...from the Kool-Aid!

 

[swVAHorn]

8-5 with no blowout losses this year, 10 wins in 2017. Step...away...from the Kool-Aid!

That sounds about right. I do expect Texas to at least be in the game....no blowouts.....and especially against crappy teams like Iowa St. But if Texas can get a QB to really step up...the sky is the limit...

Young on the Oline and depth on the Dline do worry me a little but the young guys do have talent. This year is BIG for Texas and the future of the program.

 

[swVAHorn]

swVA....you have me reminded of that Yogi Berra quote..."I never said half those things I said..." I believe what I actually said was I expected 8 wins, I hoped for 9 wins, and I dream of 10 wins.....I do think it is very possible with decent QB play.

Actually, I am more concerned with the D line than I am with the QB Hopefully, our D line can hold up , in which case I expect the D to be very good this year. This may be the fastest defense I can remember Texas having.

I am hoping for at least 9 wins and be in every game. I expect this team to be a lot better after the first 4 to 5 games and as the season goes along. Young talent gets better throughout the year and it should show.

 

[oldhorn2]

an old coach once said....expect a loss for every freshman that starts. This is a good rule. I dont think it comes from the inexperience of the freshman so much as it shows how weak that position is that a freshman has to fill the roll. There just are very,very few cases of a freshman coming in that is so damned good that he takes a job away from a good player.

 

[Son of Wasatch]

I've been saying this for a while, this team will be very improved this year and scary good next year.

We have everything in place right now to contend for the conference, the only thing holding us back is QB play.

This will be the last year we are having this concern, I think Buschele is going to be our QB of the future. Behind him we have Ehlinger. Not sure what we can expect from Heard or Swoops but if they can just be game managers we can pound teams with our running game and hit a few big passes to keep the defense honest, I think we are going to be tough to stop.

 

[cwillfromdatx]

I love to hear my beloved Longhorns being positive about this year as I have been drinking some red Kool-Aid. It's all about the QB though. I expect nothing less than 8 wins with a last year type of qb but if they improve or the fresh meat plays. I look for a 10+ wins. As one stated earlier, the Dine have to step up majorly

 

[speedstrength]

I think Ford and Boyette can be good enough to occupy lineman so our athletic LBs can run free and make plays. I don't think we have the type of playmakers at those positions on the level of Brown and Ridgeway. The scary thing is that we are going to have young guys playing a significant amount of snaps in those positions. If they are good enough to maintain their gap responsibility we should be okay but freshman scare me.

 

[Longyac]

But I have been watching the players talk and I have heard about how some guys are really stepping up and I am excited about the future. Texas Football is almost back....I truly believe Texas is a QB away from being great. No I don't think Texas is a National Champion THIS year, but I expect them to surprise a lot of people. Somehow some way Texas has GOT to get a QB who can play Championship level... I hope he is ON Campus right now.

I do have an inside source........oldhorn says we win 10 this year! Clob is holding onto information like a bear with honey..... When enough time has passed I hope Clob gives us the lowdown...He was absolutely dead on last year!

That is some damn good koolaide. Most of the talent is going to be Sophomores and Freshmen. Hope by the year end teams fear this team.

 

[Son of Wasatch]

Actually most of the defensive talent will be very experienced sophomores and juniors. I think we only have 2 or 3 seniors that will see significant playing time. Boyette, Cole, and maybe Evans. Other than those three this team will be heavy with juniors and sophomores. I count 9 sophomores and 9 juniors/redshirt sophomores in the two deep.

 

[BringBackRoyal]

I'm sticking to the sugar-free Kool-Aid for the moment.

 

[swVAHorn]

I'm sticking to the sugar-free Kool-Aid for the moment.

Not a bad idea BRB. I just hope Strong has a football season like he had a recruiting year......surprised a lot of us. It is very hard NOT to like Strong and I want him to be the Coach at Texas. He has to win to to do that though. For now I am going to put extra sugar in my Kool-Aid and after the Spring game I will either keep drinking or cut back. lol

 

[Fizzwilly]

You guys are a lock to win the spring game.

 

[oldhorn2]

damned good thing too Fizz....I got 50 bucks on the Orange.

 

[HornsRuleU]

Tom Landry said...speed kills. We are fast all across our defense.

Expect scoring from the D, too. We may win a game or three with pick sixes and fumble recoveries.

Kool-Aid's on me, barkeep!

 

[CoachEmUp64]

Another round!!!!

 

[oldhorn2]

ok swVA....another tip from our special inside source.....The QB position is not going to be the weak spot everyone thinks it is...Fact is that I have it from my own authority that we are going to be just fine there. Not only that, but we are going to be just fine everywhere......must be the reason that that fairly well respected guy has us at # 16 in his way too early preseason poll.....ahead of BU and TCU

 

[swVAHorn]

ok swVA....another tip from our special inside source.....The QB position is not going to be the weak spot everyone thinks it is...Fact is that I have it from my own authority that we are going to be just fine there. Not only that, but we are going to be just fine everywhere......must be the reason that that fairly well respected guy has us at # 16 in his way too early preseason poll.....ahead of BU and TCU

Well since I trust your inside source then I too will be less worried about QB this year. lol I will say this...A guy has trouble in teacher A's class.....he goes to teacher B's and gets a lot better grade. I have seen it happen. I may be full of it but I really think Texas will surprise some people this year. I hope so because I love what Strong is doing on the recruiting trail now. Imagine when he starts winning! He is a good coach and deserves success. I want it to be at Texas.

 

[hookem3434]

I think Ford and Boyette can be good enough to occupy lineman so our athletic LBs can run free and make plays. I don't think we have the type of playmakers at those positions on the level of Brown and Ridgeway. The scary thing is that we are going to have young guys playing a significant amount of snaps in those positions. If they are good enough to maintain their gap responsibility we should be okay but freshman scare me.

Ford has been looking really good from what i've been hearing, so has Chris Nelson.

 

[oldhorn2]

Clob wont let us down, we just dont know when his report will come. Until then, I am liking the reports leaking here and there.What I have taken the most heart in is that there seems to be confidence in what is going on.

 

[swVAHorn]

Clob wont let us down, we just dont know when his report will come. Until then, I am liking the reports leaking here and there.What I have taken the most heart in is that there seems to be confidence in what is going on.

It seems the team is really close and they are putting in the work. At least from what we have heard so far.

 

[oldhorn2]

swVA....I heard myself talking the other day and I pointed out something to me that I hadnt thought of. Mack was never considered a great game day coach. Perhaps he was never considered a great coach with the x's and o's, but he could recruit like no other and he piled wins up by having better talent than other teams, and he did a good job of selecting coaches....For awhile. Then he got so tied up being the COB of the team that he must not have had time for the details like before.Coaching hires became less stellar and his recruiting of actual good football players became less good. Then he somewhat lost control of the team in that knuckleheads started becoming more and more common.

Well Strong hasnt shown to be the best game day coach, or so we hear, but he is recruiting lights out with actual great football players regardless of the rankings. This will pay off. I will be surprised if he doesnt end up having more success than Mack did.

 

[swVAHorn]

swVA....I heard myself talking the other day and I pointed out something to me that I hadnt thought of. Mack was never considered a great game day coach. Perhaps he was never considered a great coach with the x's and o's, but he could recruit like no other and he piled wins up by having better talent than other teams, and he did a good job of selecting coaches....For awhile. Then he got so tied up being the COB of the team that he must not have had time for the details like before.Coaching hires became less stellar and his recruiting of actual good football players became less good. Then he somewhat lost control of the team in that knuckleheads started becoming more and more common.

Well Strong hasnt shown to be the best game day coach, or so we hear, but he is recruiting lights out with actual great football players regardless of the rankings. This will pay off. I will be surprised if he doesnt end up having more success than Mack did.

I agree with everything you have said about Mack. I do hope Strong ends up with MORE success. If he does then he will be in the HOF.

 

[Longyac]

swVA....I heard myself talking the other day and I pointed out something to me that I hadnt thought of. Mack was never considered a great game day coach. Perhaps he was never considered a great coach with the x's and o's, but he could recruit like no other and he piled wins up by having better talent than other teams, and he did a good job of selecting coaches....For awhile. Then he got so tied up being the COB of the team that he must not have had time for the details like before.Coaching hires became less stellar and his recruiting of actual good football players became less good. Then he somewhat lost control of the team in that knuckleheads started becoming more and more common.

Well Strong hasnt shown to be the best game day coach, or so we hear, but he is recruiting lights out with actual great football players regardless of the rankings. This will pay off. I will be surprised if he doesnt end up having more success than Mack did.

Along those lines, while Strong is completely entrusting others with the offense he was a very good DC and can contribute on defense. Whereas Mack wasn't a great OC but yet constantly meddled with the offense.

I read someone's theory that GDGD was only one who could challenge Mack's decisions and keep Mack in his lane and once GDGD was gone Mack there was no one to check Mack. I'm starting to see that could be plausible.

 

[oldhorn2]

well....Mack was Barry Switzer's OC...( and for the record....the best one Switzer ever had according to Barry)

 

[Longyac]

well....Mack was Barry Switzer's OC...( and for the record....the best one Switzer ever had according to Barry)

That was 1984 and has little to do with the offenses of 15-25 years later

 

[oldhorn2]

absolutely it has nothing to do with the offenses of 15 to 25 years later....Thats why it is funny to hear that Mack "meddled" with the offenses while coaching Texas.....The college game became more a passing game, and the only thing Barry Switzer ever knew about passing was that his teams couldnt do it.

 

[swVAHorn]

well....Mack was Barry Switzer's OC...( and for the record....the best one Switzer ever had according to Barry)

Mack Brown must have done something to work from graduate assistant to Head Football coach...He made NC a power that only FSU could beat for a while....then he brought Texas back from mediocrity to National Champion. But Ole Mack did not have anything to do with it. He only hurt Texas whenever he tried to help. This is not meant towards you oldhorn...but Mack deserves just a "little" credit for putting Texas in the national picture once again.....for winning a lot of games.....for doing it the right way. Everyone agrees he stayed too long...but who is to say that if he never came to Texas that Texas would have been able to do the things it did?? I choose to respect Mack Brown. Without him how many of you all saw Texas win it ALL?? Not many. And most were too young to remember if you were alive.

 

[oldhorn2]

you are right to give Mack credit.....He deserves all the credit for bringing Texas back. if I implied differently I was wrong. What I was trying to point out was that what is said to be a weakness of Strongs coaching was also said to be a weakness in Macks coaching. I see lots of similarities in both men, but what I see as a difference is Mack was softer than Strong and I never think Strong will get to the point where knuckleheads can take over.

I see Daje as much like Romance Taylor......under Strong, Taylor might have been saved.

 

[Longhorn Crazy]

One thing for sure, we are going to whip OU's ass again! October can't get here soon enough.

 

[MiccoMacey]

I see Daje as much like Romance Taylor......under Strong, Taylor might have been saved.

Ramonce was one of the kids I scouted when I was coaching in College Station (just middle school football, but they had us middle school coaches scout the upcoming team). He was a stud, and I wished his life had turned out different for him while at Texas. I hope he's doing well now.