Spring is supposed to be a time for new beginnings, hope and optimism.
Yet, there are not enough bluebonnets in Austin to give some long-time Texas observers any optimism about witnessing success on the football field this season. Every positive comment they hear is greeted with a barrage of negativity fired from an Uzi of doubt. They do not want to believe reports about the improvement of certain players. The assertion that Texas could jump from five wins to a whopping eight victories sounds more foreign than the Hungarian language. When it comes to conditioning, Pavlov’s dogs were not trained this well.
My goodness, who did this to you? Was it the disappointing 2010 season? Should we blame Garrett Gilbert? Manny Diaz? Johnathan Gray? Mason Walters? Darius White? Mike Davis? Eleven wins and 14 losses over the past two years? Shawn Watson? Tyrone Swoopes? Steve Patterson? Years of disappointment? The emptiness of not seeing Jetpack Guy in the stadium last year? Man, you guys have been through a lot.
The followers of this program have many reasons to express skepticism after witnessing so many failures. I cannot blame anyone for discarding every positive conversation and vowing not to hear another word until after the season opener against Notre Dame.
However, there are reasons to be optimistic about this football team a week after the spring game. No, I am not saying Texas fans should have the same optimism of Alabama or Clemson. There just is no reason to have the pessimism of Kansas football fans, and those 20 people are loyal.
Let us address some key concerns, and I will attempt to show why each situation may not be as catastrophic as you think.
Offensive line: Connor Williams and Patrick Vahe received a lot of love last season, but many act as if there is no chance these two players have improved after one season. The addition of freshman center Zach Shackelford has some believing this offensive line is doomed before it starts. This unit’s performance during the spring game was not dominating enough in the mind of many skeptics.
My question is very simple. How many great defenses exist in the Big 12? After Oklahoma and TCU, how many other teams have the ability to hold opponents to less than 21 points? Heck, Lamar scored 31 points against Baylor last season. Tulsa dropped 38 points against Oklahoma with an offensive line that does not compare to the talent level at Texas.
There is talent on this offense line. Kansas State’s Cody Whitehair, Texas Tech’s Le'Raven Clark and Baylor’s Spencer Drango are the only Big 12 offensive line Alex Dunlap believes could be selected in the first three rounds of the 2016 draft, proving this conference is not stacked with Big Ten or SEC talent at that position. If offensive line coach Matt Mattox was successful at Tulsa, there is a good reason to believe he can duplicate those achievements at Texas with better talent.
Photo via HookEm.com
Texas has a tough schedule: I understand this is a source of frustration for long-time Texas fans. There was a time when playing against Baylor and TCU meant pulling starters in the second half because Texas was blowing out those teams. Instead, those teams have been in the national championship discussion recently, while Texas has not appeared in a bowl game out of this state since facing California in the Holiday Bowl (2011). In addition, Texas has missed two bowl games since 2010.
When you take an objective look at the schedule, it will be tough to defeat Notre Dame in the season opener. That is just a fact. After Notre Dame, Texas visits Cal, but Jared Goff carried that team last season. Unless Cal has another first-rounder behind Goff, this team will have some growing pains. Texas defeated Oklahoma last season – somehow – with less talent than what will be fielded this year.
Well, Kansas State on the road is always a head scratcher. However, Baylor lost four of five starters on the offensive line, and center Kyle Fuller is the only senior on that unit. TCU must replace quarterback Trevone Boykin and receiver Josh Doctson. Oklahoma must replace five of its top six linebackers, plus defensive end Charles Tapper, cornerback Zack Sanchez and receiver Sterling Shepard. Texas will face plenty of teams trying to answer questions this season.
That damn quarterback situation: The list of passers who never panned out has been etched in the memories of many Texas fans. It is hard to get past those painful recollections when Charlie Strong threatens to play Tyrone Swoopes again this year.
The good news, for Texas fans, is Shane Buechele has a shot to play this year. In fact, he has a chance to start against Notre Dame. Buechele was the top-ranked quarterback in the state, and justified that ranking during the spring. Everyone in the building is content to play Buechele and lean on running backs Chris Warren and D’Onta Foreman to lead this offense. Considering Texas has receivers John Burt and Collin Johnson – two potential playmakers - Buechele just needs a higher floor than the previous quarterbacks who played for Strong. Texas does not need the second coming of Vince Young to win eight games this season. The second coming of David Ash would suffice.
Who is on that defensive line?: If Hassan Ridgeway had returned for this season, there would be plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this unit. Instead, Ridgeway is about to become an NFL player, and Texas faces the tough task of improving a defense that was ranked 111th against the run, allowing 219 yards per game. This is a unit that gave up 395 rushing yards against Baylor, a team without a quarterback, during last year’s victory.
Texas will rely on five incoming freshman defensive tackles (D’Andre Christmas-Giles, Chris Daniels, Jordan Elliott, Marcel Southall and Gerald Wilbon) and two defensive ends (Malcolm Roach and Andrew Fitzgerald) this season. It seems like they are asking a lot from true freshmen, but Strong did not agree when I asked him about it this past week.
“When you look at it, I’ve been around where we started true freshmen,” Strong said. “I was at Notre Dame and started a player by the name of Anthony Weaver, who was a true freshman – ended up being a first-round pick with the Baltimore Ravens. At Florida, Carlos Dunlap started as a true freshman. Jermaine Cunningham started as a true freshman. It’s about them learning the system, coming out and going to work, giving them an opportunity to go and compete.”
Kicking game: I agree with you on this. Kickers are like attorneys – nobody likes them until they need a good one.
Strong as a coach: His tenure at Texas has not gone the way everyone envisioned after he was hired. To be fair, some observers predicted it would end badly, but do not say much nowadays because they are tired of receiving negative labels. Whenever Strong speaks to the media, it is obvious he wants more success. Everyone in the building wants to win more games. From the blowout road losses to questionable coaching hires, this has become a must-win season. No matter how many times I hear six or seven wins may suffice, it is hard to believe anything less than eight will be enough.
Strong seemingly has assembled a staff stronger than the his initial hires. Gilbert is already an upgrade at offensive coordinator. The previous addition of Jeff Traylor added instant in-state credibility for Strong. Texas’ biggest loss was former defensive backs Chris Vaughan, and time will tell if Clay Jennings is an upgrade.
Regardless, I will repeat something Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy told me as a reporter years ago. Dungy said the sign of a healthy coaching staff is one where position coaches are moving up to become coordinators, and coordinators are becoming head coaches. Strong’s initial staff did not meet those qualifications. However, Traylor has been a candidate for more than one job since his arrival. If Gilbert turns around this offense, he might be gone in three years. Brian Jean-Mary is on pace to become a defensive coordinator in the future. The current staff is seemingly stronger than it has been under Strong, and you get the feeling the Longhorns will be better prepared for every game.
Yes, I know.
Some of you have been through so much, seeing is believing at this point.
Relax.
It is April in Austin.
Enjoy those bluebonnets.
Funniest Thing You Will See This Week
Sports On A Dime
1. Josh Norman needs to get down on his knees and thank God every day for Carolina’s questionable decision to release him. Most NFL front offices are stubborn and would have forced Norman to play under the franchise tag, even if they did not believe a long-term deal could get done. Whenever a player threatens to hold out, it’s rare for a team to budge. Instead, Carolina released Norman, and Washington reportedly rewarded him with a five-year deal worth $75 million, including $36.5 million guaranteed. Thank you, Carolina.
2. By the way, am I the only person excited about Odell Beckman vs. Norman twice a year?
3. Clarence Hill nailed it with this observation. I would rather see Dallas select Ezekiel Elliott than Joey Bosa in the first-round (just my two cents). Let’s see what happens during the draft:
4. When Ridgeway initially declared for the NFL draft, I was not sure if he made the right decision. From the looks of it, I might be wrong, and I am happy about that. Hopefully, Ridgeway is a day one or two selection this week.
5. I am interested to see which round former Ohio State quarterback Cardele Jones is selected in this week. Obviously, NFL and college observers have different opinions about Jones’ decision to skip the NFL draft as a junior and return for his senior year. Considering two quarterbacks will come off the board right away, we will see if there is a team in love with him.
6. The last image of Cam Newton most NFL fans remember was him walking off away from media interviews after Carolina’s loss in the Super Bowl. Well, this kind act may not override the negative opinions of Newton, but he recent stopped by a school to toss a football with kids on the playground. Newton was filming a show, so it is easy to be skeptical and say it was a just a photo opportunity. Even if it was, nearly every kid on that playground is probably a Newton fan for life.
7. Do not look now, but Cleveland is beginning to make front office moves like a real NFL franchise. Philadelphia gave Cleveland its first-round pick (eighth overall), third-round (77th) and fourth-round (100th), along with a 2017 first-rounder and 2018 second-rounder to acquire the Browns’ second picks in this year’s draft and a fourth-rounder in 2017. We need to see if the players pan out, but I like the way Cleveland is building from the ground up during the offseason.
8. Memo to the Titans: The next time movie night is scheduled at your stadium, check that sprinkler timer:
9. Only a handful of people know this fact about me, but anyone who followed the ABA will find this interesting. My dad is Dancin’ Harry, a former mascot who entertained basketball audiences for years. He was never a part of my life, outside of the few years we connected during my late 20s. IndyStar.com wrote an interesting story about his career this week. If you followed the ABA, this article is worth reading. Considering I was not raised around him (I am close to with his daughter/my sister), this was a unique way to learn more his life.
10. Gennady Golovkin did exactly what we expected against Dominic Wade on Saturday. It is time for the top boxers to stop running and step into the ring this man.
Final Thoughts
The death of Prince has been a hot topic recently, and fans of his music have reminisced by listening to his music. Instead of giving you a play list of my favorite songs, I am passing along a video that will hopefully inspire you to enjoy life.
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