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The University of Texas issued a surprising press release on Wednesday night. It was out of blue. Heck, it was only two sentences. However, the impact was huge.
“Longhorn sophomore QB Shane Buechele will undergo surgery on a torn adductor (hip)/abdominal muscle he sustained in the Texas Bowl. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 18), he will begin treatments and rehabilitation soon after and he is expected to be ready to return in time for spring practice, which begins on Monday, March 5.”
Okay, nothing to worry about, right? Just a simple procedure and Buechele will be back in action. Buechele will only miss two months and should be ready for spring practice. He is only missing winter conditioning. Longhorn fans hope for a speedy recovery. I hope the young man is fine. If all goes well, this is just a temporary setback.
However, this is also an opportunity for Sam Ehlinger to take control at quarterback and never look back.
So far Buechele has suffered rib, thumb, concussion, shoulder, ankle and hip/abdominal injuries since stepping on campus in 2016. The thumb injury almost required surgery, he needed a “PRP shot” (platelet rich plasma) for his ankle last season, and underwent surgery this past week. Buechele has battled back from every injury. Nobody can question his heart or desire. For that, Buechele deserves props and respect.
The problem Texas football coach Tom Herman has is trying to build a program around a quarterback who struggles to stay injury free. Sure, Ehlinger sustained a concussion last season, and had knee surgery in high school, but he led the team with 114 carries last season, proving he is very durable.
In addition, Buechele must prove he has not hit his ceiling.
Photo via San Antonio Express News
During 21 games at Texas, Buechele has passed for over 300 yards only two times (West Virginia in 2016 and Maryland in 2017). Buechele averaged 246.5 passing yards as a freshman, which was sixth in the Big 12. He averaged 139.3 passing yards last season, ranked eighth in the Big 12 (Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph led the conference with 379.8 yards, followed by Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield’s 339 yards). In addition, Buechele threw for multiple touchdowns one time (two against Maryland) in 2017.
To be fair, the offensive line did not help Buechele at all last season. They struggled in in every area. Some of it can be attributed to injuries. Coaching was to blame, too.
That being said, Buechele’s pocket presence, accuracy and willingness to attack defenses were issues again last season.
A person associated with the program told me coaches were concerned about Buechele’s ability to make progressions during games. Buechele operated a simple system in high school, but when his first option was covered by a defensive back in college, the sophomore quarterback struggled to find his second or third option. That is why he often held onto the ball for so long, according to that person.
Herman is on a quest to find a franchise quarterback. He knows what it is like to work with JT Barrett, Braxton Miller and Cardele Jones. Herman saw Greg Ward Jr. lead his Houston team. He knows a team cannot win games consistently, especially in the Big 12, without a really good quarterback who has elite moments.
When Herman arrived at Texas, Buechele was on scholarship, and he needed to make sure Ehlinger remained committed to Texas. Once Ehlinger signed, Herman had only two scholarship quarterbacks. He tried to sign LSU grad transfer Brandon Harris, but the quarterback decided to attend North Carolina. Herman pursued Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire, but that quarterback signed with Florida. Jerrod Heard was the emergency quarterback this past season, but Herman understood he needed more bodies in the room.
That is why Herman put an end to Texas only signing one high school quarterback a year to prevent hurt feelings and acquired Cameron Rising and Casey Thompson. Look, none of us know which quarterback will push for playing time in the future. We can make predictions, but time will tell. For now, the most important thing is Herman is stacking up quarterbacks, and he probably will sign multiple quarterbacks in next year’s class. Honestly, Herman needs to keep signing quarterbacks, and eventually he will acquire a franchise passer, or one will emerge from the current group.
Ehlinger completed 158 of 275 passes for 1,915 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. He looked great in a win against Kansas State, but his untimely turnovers against USC, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech contributed to losses last year. No, I will not say those turnovers are why Texas lost because there many factors prior to Ehlinger’s miscues. Nevertheless, Ehlinger looked like a freshman quarterback last season.
It is not at an excuse for his struggles. Instead, it is just an explanation. Herman understood Ehlinger needed to develop, which is why he decided to start Buechele against Missouri in the Texas Bowl. They rotated quarterbacks during that game before Buechele sustained his injury.
“When the season ended, we gave those guys opportunities to go out there and perform,” Herman said prior to the Texas Bowl. “Obviously, one factor, and I’ve talked with Sam quite a bit about it, is protecting the football. We've got a really good defense. Making another team have to go the length of the field, that’s okay to do that. It’s okay to punt and let the other guys go and play defense. Sometimes as a young player, he’s making that play at Westlake, and probably nine out of 10 times they score, people are raising his hand and everything is going good. It’s different in college football. He still tries to make those plays, and he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t have to force those things.”
Ehlinger did not force any passes against Missouri, which helped Texas pull off the upset.
Obviously, Ehlinger must do his part.
Ehlinger has a chance to lead his team during winter workouts. He wants to be “that guy," and being the quarterback Longhorn players look up to this offseason will help his cause. Heck, being the guy Herman falls in love with again definitely cannot hurt.
There are definitely areas Ehlinger can improve. He has a strong arm, plenty of confidence, can run over opponents, embraces being a leader, and has Ehlinger adoration. Ehlinger needs to improve his decision-making, eliminate the mental errors and make everyone around him better.
If Ehlinger does those things, he may never look back.
Photo via Getty Images
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
It’s all fun and games until …
Spaghetti-O Jello-O? Get the behind me, Satan
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The internet can be so cruel
Sports On A Dime
1. Texas men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart seems like a nice guy, but his team must start winning consistently. Sure, Texas defeated Texas Tech, but the second half performance against West Virginia was just awful, and this program should not be so inconsistent three years into his tenure. Bottom line, Smart has to step up.
2. I said it on our podcast, but Herman addressed the biggest area of need on his team by hiring former Auburn offensive line coach Herb Hand. In order for this offense to have a chance in 2018, this offensive line has to play better. Texas gave up 32 sacks last season, tying Iowa State and Oklahoma State for most in the Big 12. They cannot allow the quarterback to be abused, while struggling to run block.
3. By the way, the hiring of Hand probably means offensive line coach Derek Warehime or offensive coordinator Tim Beck is entering his last year at Texas. It is hard to imagine Herman having two guys with similar titles for multiple years.
4. Herman should call plays this season, with Beck and other members of the Texas staff upstairs as his eyes in the sky. There are plenty of other coaches doing it, and Herman is smart enough to get it done. The last thing Herman should do is put his fate in somebody else’s hands.
5. The agent who told Chris Warren III it was a good idea to go pro instead of staying in college needs to lose his license. D’Onta Foreman was a third-round pick after winning the Doak Walker award. I would love to be proven wrong, but Warren does not have enough good tape to be drafted. A team might pick him up as an undrafted free agent because of his size, but this looks like a horrible decision.
6. The best thing about Texas beginning its winter workouts this past week is knowing Longhorn players did not have a lot of time off. For the first time in three years, UT players did not have December off while other teams were participating in bowl preparation.
7. Props to Poona Ford for getting a Senior Bowl invite. It looks like Ford has a great chance of getting drafted this year. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and defensive line coach Oscar Giles deserves a lot of credit for helping Ford become an impact player last season.
8. This means Texas wins, right?
9. Okay, give me Jacksonville and Minnesota in the Super Bowl. I do not like New England quarterback Tom Brady against Jacksonville with a bad thumb. If this scenario occurs, the NFL is in trouble. If Minnesota wins, there will be less out of town visitors in Minnesota, which will affect hotel and restaurant profits. Meanwhile, the average football fan cannot name more than five Jacksonville players. It would be a great game for pursuits, but average fans may not care.
10. I am a huge Keith Thurman fan. That is my guy. After seeing Errol Spence Jr. pick apart Lamont Peterson en route to an eighth round TKO win. I need to see Thurman vs. Spence this year. That is all.
https://helmboots.com/
The University of Texas issued a surprising press release on Wednesday night. It was out of blue. Heck, it was only two sentences. However, the impact was huge.
“Longhorn sophomore QB Shane Buechele will undergo surgery on a torn adductor (hip)/abdominal muscle he sustained in the Texas Bowl. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, Jan. 18), he will begin treatments and rehabilitation soon after and he is expected to be ready to return in time for spring practice, which begins on Monday, March 5.”
Okay, nothing to worry about, right? Just a simple procedure and Buechele will be back in action. Buechele will only miss two months and should be ready for spring practice. He is only missing winter conditioning. Longhorn fans hope for a speedy recovery. I hope the young man is fine. If all goes well, this is just a temporary setback.
However, this is also an opportunity for Sam Ehlinger to take control at quarterback and never look back.
So far Buechele has suffered rib, thumb, concussion, shoulder, ankle and hip/abdominal injuries since stepping on campus in 2016. The thumb injury almost required surgery, he needed a “PRP shot” (platelet rich plasma) for his ankle last season, and underwent surgery this past week. Buechele has battled back from every injury. Nobody can question his heart or desire. For that, Buechele deserves props and respect.
The problem Texas football coach Tom Herman has is trying to build a program around a quarterback who struggles to stay injury free. Sure, Ehlinger sustained a concussion last season, and had knee surgery in high school, but he led the team with 114 carries last season, proving he is very durable.
In addition, Buechele must prove he has not hit his ceiling.
Photo via San Antonio Express News
During 21 games at Texas, Buechele has passed for over 300 yards only two times (West Virginia in 2016 and Maryland in 2017). Buechele averaged 246.5 passing yards as a freshman, which was sixth in the Big 12. He averaged 139.3 passing yards last season, ranked eighth in the Big 12 (Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph led the conference with 379.8 yards, followed by Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield’s 339 yards). In addition, Buechele threw for multiple touchdowns one time (two against Maryland) in 2017.
To be fair, the offensive line did not help Buechele at all last season. They struggled in in every area. Some of it can be attributed to injuries. Coaching was to blame, too.
That being said, Buechele’s pocket presence, accuracy and willingness to attack defenses were issues again last season.
A person associated with the program told me coaches were concerned about Buechele’s ability to make progressions during games. Buechele operated a simple system in high school, but when his first option was covered by a defensive back in college, the sophomore quarterback struggled to find his second or third option. That is why he often held onto the ball for so long, according to that person.
Herman is on a quest to find a franchise quarterback. He knows what it is like to work with JT Barrett, Braxton Miller and Cardele Jones. Herman saw Greg Ward Jr. lead his Houston team. He knows a team cannot win games consistently, especially in the Big 12, without a really good quarterback who has elite moments.
When Herman arrived at Texas, Buechele was on scholarship, and he needed to make sure Ehlinger remained committed to Texas. Once Ehlinger signed, Herman had only two scholarship quarterbacks. He tried to sign LSU grad transfer Brandon Harris, but the quarterback decided to attend North Carolina. Herman pursued Notre Dame grad transfer Malik Zaire, but that quarterback signed with Florida. Jerrod Heard was the emergency quarterback this past season, but Herman understood he needed more bodies in the room.
That is why Herman put an end to Texas only signing one high school quarterback a year to prevent hurt feelings and acquired Cameron Rising and Casey Thompson. Look, none of us know which quarterback will push for playing time in the future. We can make predictions, but time will tell. For now, the most important thing is Herman is stacking up quarterbacks, and he probably will sign multiple quarterbacks in next year’s class. Honestly, Herman needs to keep signing quarterbacks, and eventually he will acquire a franchise passer, or one will emerge from the current group.
Ehlinger completed 158 of 275 passes for 1,915 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. He looked great in a win against Kansas State, but his untimely turnovers against USC, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech contributed to losses last year. No, I will not say those turnovers are why Texas lost because there many factors prior to Ehlinger’s miscues. Nevertheless, Ehlinger looked like a freshman quarterback last season.
It is not at an excuse for his struggles. Instead, it is just an explanation. Herman understood Ehlinger needed to develop, which is why he decided to start Buechele against Missouri in the Texas Bowl. They rotated quarterbacks during that game before Buechele sustained his injury.
“When the season ended, we gave those guys opportunities to go out there and perform,” Herman said prior to the Texas Bowl. “Obviously, one factor, and I’ve talked with Sam quite a bit about it, is protecting the football. We've got a really good defense. Making another team have to go the length of the field, that’s okay to do that. It’s okay to punt and let the other guys go and play defense. Sometimes as a young player, he’s making that play at Westlake, and probably nine out of 10 times they score, people are raising his hand and everything is going good. It’s different in college football. He still tries to make those plays, and he doesn’t have to. He doesn’t have to force those things.”
Ehlinger did not force any passes against Missouri, which helped Texas pull off the upset.
Obviously, Ehlinger must do his part.
Ehlinger has a chance to lead his team during winter workouts. He wants to be “that guy," and being the quarterback Longhorn players look up to this offseason will help his cause. Heck, being the guy Herman falls in love with again definitely cannot hurt.
There are definitely areas Ehlinger can improve. He has a strong arm, plenty of confidence, can run over opponents, embraces being a leader, and has Ehlinger adoration. Ehlinger needs to improve his decision-making, eliminate the mental errors and make everyone around him better.
If Ehlinger does those things, he may never look back.
Photo via Getty Images
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
It’s all fun and games until …
Spaghetti-O Jello-O? Get the behind me, Satan
This cop has instant street cred
The internet can be so cruel
Sports On A Dime
1. Texas men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart seems like a nice guy, but his team must start winning consistently. Sure, Texas defeated Texas Tech, but the second half performance against West Virginia was just awful, and this program should not be so inconsistent three years into his tenure. Bottom line, Smart has to step up.
2. I said it on our podcast, but Herman addressed the biggest area of need on his team by hiring former Auburn offensive line coach Herb Hand. In order for this offense to have a chance in 2018, this offensive line has to play better. Texas gave up 32 sacks last season, tying Iowa State and Oklahoma State for most in the Big 12. They cannot allow the quarterback to be abused, while struggling to run block.
3. By the way, the hiring of Hand probably means offensive line coach Derek Warehime or offensive coordinator Tim Beck is entering his last year at Texas. It is hard to imagine Herman having two guys with similar titles for multiple years.
4. Herman should call plays this season, with Beck and other members of the Texas staff upstairs as his eyes in the sky. There are plenty of other coaches doing it, and Herman is smart enough to get it done. The last thing Herman should do is put his fate in somebody else’s hands.
5. The agent who told Chris Warren III it was a good idea to go pro instead of staying in college needs to lose his license. D’Onta Foreman was a third-round pick after winning the Doak Walker award. I would love to be proven wrong, but Warren does not have enough good tape to be drafted. A team might pick him up as an undrafted free agent because of his size, but this looks like a horrible decision.
6. The best thing about Texas beginning its winter workouts this past week is knowing Longhorn players did not have a lot of time off. For the first time in three years, UT players did not have December off while other teams were participating in bowl preparation.
7. Props to Poona Ford for getting a Senior Bowl invite. It looks like Ford has a great chance of getting drafted this year. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando and defensive line coach Oscar Giles deserves a lot of credit for helping Ford become an impact player last season.
8. This means Texas wins, right?
9. Okay, give me Jacksonville and Minnesota in the Super Bowl. I do not like New England quarterback Tom Brady against Jacksonville with a bad thumb. If this scenario occurs, the NFL is in trouble. If Minnesota wins, there will be less out of town visitors in Minnesota, which will affect hotel and restaurant profits. Meanwhile, the average football fan cannot name more than five Jacksonville players. It would be a great game for pursuits, but average fans may not care.
10. I am a huge Keith Thurman fan. That is my guy. After seeing Errol Spence Jr. pick apart Lamont Peterson en route to an eighth round TKO win. I need to see Thurman vs. Spence this year. That is all.
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