Next year for Texas

[TheGivingTree]

As crazy as it seems on the surface the Texas running game will be better post-Foreman. Texas OL should be very good and a team strength. If you're not a Texas fan, file the name Kirk Johnson away as one that's going to cause you problems. If he didn't sit out this season with injury he would have made a name for himself this season. Future super star even though all the talk in the offseason will be about Warren as the heir apparent

 

[swVAHorn]

As crazy as it seems on the surface the Texas running game will be better post-Foreman. Texas OL should be very good and a team strength. If you're not a Texas fan, file the name Kirk Johnson away as one that's going to cause you problems. If he didn't sit out this season with injury he would have made a name for himself this season. Future super star even though all the talk in the offseason will be about Warren as the heir apparent

I believe the OL will be better....Texas does not have a back as good as D'onta Foreman. Now that may change if someone like Kirk Johnson can actually play. Johnson and Warren seem to be hurt more than they are not. A lot will depend on scheme.

 

[oldhorn2]

Speaking of guys that keep getting hurt.....incoming QB Ellinger seemed to get hurt every game he played. Am I the only one worried about his ability to stay on the field? I realize he is supposed to redshirt, but at some point we need him to perform.

 

[speedstrength]

I believe the OL will be better....Texas does not have a back as good as D'onta Foreman. Now that may change if someone like Kirk Johnson can actually play. Johnson and Warren seem to be hurt more than they are not. A lot will depend on scheme.

Scheme is going to be similar. If Heard is back there expect to see more read option and designed QB runs. If it's Shane it's going to look very similar to this past year.

 

[Son of Wasatch]

Speaking of guys that keep getting hurt.....incoming QB Ellinger seemed to get hurt every game he played. Am I the only one worried about his ability to stay on the field? I realize he is supposed to redshirt, but at some point we need him to perform.

If we go into next season with only him as our backup, yes, I'm worried. However if we get Kyle Allen then no I'm not. We have a great oline and it will only get better over the next two years.

 

[TexExSpur]

Merrick, Heard, Ehlinger and Boo

maybe add another, but it's not a must.

 

[bubba2023]

Merrick, Heard, Ehlinger and Boo

maybe add another, but it's not a must.

I don't think it's a must, but almost every team should at least be shaking some trees. Not that this staff isn't doing that. It is the most important position on the field.

Also Heard took a full year off playing QB to switch to WR so including him in the depth is a little dangerous, and Merrick was a major project that the previous staff took a flier on who barely had another legitimate offer, I don't know if he counts towards depth either.

 

[Son of Wasatch]

Don't write off Merrick, he had offer from Tulsa, and they tend to do very well with developing QBs for their system. I think Tom Herman can do well with him as he comes across as very bright.

 

[DHHorn]

Heard is not a QB...he can't throw or make decisions.

 

[bubba2023]

Don't write off Merrick, he had offer from Tulsa, and they tend to do very well with developing QBs for their system. I think Tom Herman can do well with him as he comes across as very bright.

His recruiting profile shows he had an offer from Nevada and Colorado State. I do remember when McElwain (then CSU coach) went to Florida he may have offered him from Florida as well. He will only be a RS sophomore, but he's been nothing but last on the depth chart since he got here. Including him as a reason for us not needing to bring in another QB is a major stretch IMO.

 

[mm42]

I would think 8 or 9 wins, maybe 10. Strong couldn't coach a lick, but his recruiting was really good the last couple years. You are much more talented than when Strong arrived. The only more talented in conference team will be Oklahoma, and not by much.

 

[UTGrad87]

Guys,

We lost games this year by the following point totals: 7, 18, 5, 3, 4, 3, 22. That's 5 games at 7 points or less. Let's say Herman can get us 4 of those 5 games next year. That would put us at 9 wins if we stand pat on the other 5 games where we won this year. Our OOS next year is Maryland, San Jose and So Cal. We should go 2 & 1 there.

It's not an unreasonable assumption to make that we could win 9 or 10 games next year . . . not sure I'd lay money on it though.

 

[Charlie Mang]

Just the same way this years team couldn't win 7 games.

I hope it was only coaching and the team plays up to the hype.

Just the same way this years team couldn't win 7 games.

I hope it was only coaching and the team plays up to the hype.

And because they didn't win 7 or even 6 the coach got fired. Point being expectations are around 8 or 9 wins in 2017 or it's a short honeymoon. After all, fans would have expected that from Coach Strong.

 

[bubba2023]

And because they didn't win 7 or even 6 the coach got fired. Point being expectations are around 8 or 9 wins in 2017 or it's a short honeymoon. After all, fans would have expected that from Coach Strong.

He will get 3 years same as Strong. He's not being fired if he doesn't win 8 or 9 games next year.

 

[Charlie Mang]

He will get 3 years same as Strong. He's not being fired if he doesn't win 8 or 9 games next year.

Of course he won't get fired. You can't fire a coach every year. You are on thin ice firing one every 3 years. This is strictly about fan expectations.

There were enough issues at qb and offensive line that Texas fans were pretty patient with Coach Strong the first two years (but not patient at all in year 3).

I no longer see those deficiencies.

 

[freeper]

Guys,

We lost games this year by the following point totals: 7, 18, 5, 3, 4, 3, 22. That's 5 games at 7 points or less. Let's say Herman can get us 4 of those 5 games next year. That would put us at 9 wins if we stand pat on the other 5 games where we won this year. Our OOS next year is Maryland, San Jose and So Cal. We should go 2 & 1 there.

It's not an unreasonable assumption to make that we could win 9 or 10 games next year . . . not sure I'd lay money on it though.

I wouldn't lay money on it. Not because this team isn't talented, but everyone keeps pointing out that schemes will change and there will be hiccups in transition. To my mind though, that is the least of our worries. It also comes down to chemistry and buy-in. We really don't know yet how many of these kids that Charlie recruited, will buy in to Herman and if they do, will they develop some winning chemistry?

 

[oldhorn2]

develop is right.....they sure as hell didnt have any with Charlie......what I am worried about is this....we have been losing for so long that players and fans alike are getting used to it.

 

[swVAHorn]

develop is right.....they sure as hell didnt have any with Charlie......what I am worried about is this....we have been losing for so long that players and fans alike are getting used to it.

For the last several years I have watched every game hoping Texas would not get embarrassed and maybe keep it close...so your point is very valid.....when Texas loses.....it is like a red hot poker going through my heart..other than that, it doesn't bother me at all. lol

 

[oldhorn2]

SwVA....sadly, that is my point. We shouldn't be worrying about getting embarrassed by other teams. We should only be worried that we don't win big enough to move the polls.I am as guilty as anyone....hell, even more so. You were trying to hold Charlie accountable way before I was.

I have been in Koolaide recovery for several months now. I have great hopes for Herman because I always have great hopes, but he doesn't get the lifetime pass I gave Charlie.

 

[Son of Wasatch]

Losing is a disease, but it's not terminal, we survived 15 years of losing from 84 to 98, we can overcome 3 years of Charlie Strong. 2009 wasn't that long ago. It sure as hell wasn't 1939, always remember, no matter how bad it gets, there are still a lot more Longhorns alive that remember 2005 than there are aggsy that remember 1939.

 

[swVAHorn]

SwVA....sadly, that is my point. We shouldn't be worrying about getting embarrassed by other teams. We should only be worried that we don't win big enough to move the polls.I am as guilty as anyone....hell, even more so. You were trying to hold Charlie accountable way before I was.

I have been in Koolaide recovery for several months now. I have great hopes for Herman because I always have great hopes, but he doesn't get the lifetime pass I gave Charlie.

I think Herman will have Texas playing a lot better than Strong did. I was pretty hard on Strong but I really felt like he made some huge mistakes before ever coaching a single game at Texas. The only issue I have so far with Herman is his inexperience as a HC...but plenty of coaches worked out that were not ever HC's (like Stoops) or were HC's for a short time.

Strong never showed that he could take a less talented team and beat a better team other than ou but I am not so sure Texas had less talent than ou. Herman has shown he can take less talent and make it play. The hope is he can take talent and really take off.

LSU would be welcoming Herman into Baton Rouge if he did not WANT to be at Texas. He did not take the job "because he could not turn it down"....he took it because he WANTED to be at Texas. He welcomes the job and all it entails. I am fired up about Herman. I don't think we will win the NC next year.....but I think we will be a few plays away from competing for the conf title in his first year...IF.....no major injuries or anything like that.

I sipped Kool-Aid with Strong......I am drinking it with Herman. I still need to see the whole staff but from what he is saying I am happy he is at Texas.

 

[swVAHorn]

One thing that every coach and player at Texas needs to realize is they are going to get the other team's BEST shot and RISE to the challenge. Herman holding people accountable is a huge start in the right direction.

 

[pooch11]

My biggest concern regarding first year results would be what happens at QB, is Beuchelle a fit for what Herman wants to do, will Texas bring in a grad transfer, can Heard play QB in this system? I am concerned about Beuchelle in an offense that uses its QB so much in the run game.

 

[LongfellowDrew]

Losing is a disease, but it's not terminal, we survived 15 years of losing from 84 to 98, we can overcome 3 years of Charlie Strong. 2009 wasn't that long ago. It sure as hell wasn't 1939, always remember, no matter how bad it gets, there are still a lot more Longhorns alive that remember 2005 than there are aggsy that remember 1939.

I'll take a few years of losing if we can get back to 10+ wins and NC appearances again with Herman. Sometimes you have to take the down years to get to the good ones. Just wish it would hurry up and pass already.

 

[Son of Wasatch]

The way our schedule will play out if we can only lose one OOC game (highly likely) and only one Conf (unsure) we should be playing for the Big 12 championship next season.

We do that and the sky is the limit, all we have to do is just get there.

 

[oldhorn2]

All Charlie had to do was win 8 or 9 crummy games and we would have been beyond the sky limit. He was unable to do that, and the more I read about what was going on, the less likely it was that we would have ever gotten there.

 

[swVAHorn]

All Charlie had to do was win 8 or 9 crummy games and we would have been beyond the sky limit. He was unable to do that, and the more I read about what was going on, the less likely it was that we would have ever gotten there.

What was going on oldhorn? I just thought it was poor coaching. Was it some other things as well?

 

[swVAHorn]

The way our schedule will play out if we can only lose one OOC game (highly likely) and only one Conf (unsure) we should be playing for the Big 12 championship next season.

We do that and the sky is the limit, all we have to do is just get there.

I feel the same way. As bad as Strong and his staff were at getting their players ready and putting them in position to win they still could have had a great season if they make less than 8 plays throughout the close games.

 

[oldhorn2]

I read ( and I know not to believe half of what I read) that Hermans staff is already better at evaluating what they can get out of a player....and what they need the player to do in the scheme. That may be harsh, but it did seem that we were not taking the best advantage of our available talent....I.e. Malik...Duverney, etc.

 

[outhereincali]

What coach Herman and his staff need to do more than anything is to teach our players how to win. I've watched our guys last year nobody cant' question that they didn't want to win, they wanted to win desperately, but there was no one to teach them how. I read that coach Herman was somewhat aloof to the players when he met them. Well, maybe that's what they need. You have to have that hardness, that edge to finish the job and bring home the w and to be honest our players don't know how. Imo, that's why we lost 5 games by 22 points. I don't care if Tom Herman has been a hc for "only" 2 years. In those two years he's already beaten two elites, Oklahoma, and FSU, so he must know how to win already. I read in SI's college fb preview issue that tOSU qb Cardale Jones said that Tom Herman knows how to relate to every player on a one on one basis. I hate the way UT athletics has been handled the last few years. I assume we wll have a new ad soon. Here's to hoping that coach Tom Herman is leading UT athletics back on the winning side.