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Texas football coach Tom Herman will say all the right things during his press conference on Monday.
Herman will be asked about Sam Ehlinger’s historical performance during a double-overtime win against Kansas State on Saturday. In case you missed it, Ehlinger passed for 380 yards and rushed for 107 in the 40-34 victory, becoming the third quarterback in UT history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 in the same game, joining Colt McCoy (2009) and Jerrod Heard (2015). His passing yards were the 10th-most in school history, and most ever by a true freshman quarterback. Meanwhile, his rushing total marked the fifth time in school history a Longhorn has rushed for 100 yards against Kansas State.
You can expect Herman to be politically correct on Monday. He will probably tell you Shane Buechele is still in the mix to start against Oklahoma on Saturday. Expect to hear how Texas intends to monitor Buechele’s ankle this week in practice. On the record, this is still a week-to-week battle for the quarterback spot. Maybe Buechele will be a “game time” decision. Just smile and nod when Herman talks. Heck, feel free to wink at your television or laptop when you watch his upcoming press conference. Deep down, you know the deal. Deep down, Herman knows the deal. Deep down, these players know the deal.
This is Ehlinger’s team.
Think back to every offseason story you read. Remember all the times you heard about Herman’s desire to have an alpha male at quarterback. Herman not only wants a good quarterback, but he loves a guy with swag. He wants a cocky mo-fo who is not afraid to talk a little noise, while backing it up. He embraces that kind of bravado and confidence from his quarterback. It gives him goose bumps. That is the kind of player Herman wants to lead his team.
Basically, he wants a quarterback who is not afraid to lower his shoulder, run the hell over a defensive back, and talk smack after doing it.
You know, something like this:
During a previous Orangebloods show on Facebook Live, one of our viewers asked what Herman sees in Ehlinger. The question may have occurred in week one, or before the season. Ketch and I always talked up Ehlinger, and the viewer simply wanted to know what the hype was all about. My answer was simple.
Herman sees himself in Ehlinger.
I fully believe when Herman looks at Ehlinger, he sees himself in the mirror. If Herman was a true freshman quarterback at Texas, he would be Ehlinger. He loves Ehlinger’s moxie. Herman is not bothered by Ehlinger taking shots down the field. Hearing Ehlinger command a huddle like a leader is exactly what Herman wants. The coach identifies with his freshman quarterback. They are not twins separated at birth, but Ehlinger has every attribute Herman admires.
Now, think back to every offseason story you hear about Buechele. Herman wanted him to be more of a vocal leader. He was being challenged every day to show confidence in practice and lead this team. Some Longhorn observers believed leading by example was enough, but Herman made it clear he wanted more. Sure, Buechele won the starting job, but it was just a matter of time before this moment occurred.
In fact, I am reminded of two conversations over the past two years.
Prior to this season, there was a person inside the building who predicted Buechele would start, but there would be a time when Ehlinger would eventually play, and it would be his job permanently. The person was not sure if it would occur this season, or in 2018, but believed it was inevitable.
You can win games with Buechele.
You can win championships with Ehlinger.
Two years ago, I had a conversation with someone high up the food chain (no longer at Texas), and was told before the season they just wanted to get through 2016. The person believed they could win enough games with Buechele last season, but as soon as Ehlinger stepped on campus, “he would blow the quarterback competition out of the water.” The previous staff viewed Ehlinger as the savior, and we definitely know why after Saturday’s game.
Texas is currently tied with TCU in the Big 12 standings. Both teams are 2-0 with seven more conference games to go. Texas faces Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in back-to-back weeks. Herman previously said his team’s goal was to win the conference championship. They never had a non-conference goal. Beating Maryland and USC would have been great, but if those games were tune-ups for the Big 12, so be it. As Herman and his staff meet on Sunday, they must determine which quarterback gives Texas the best chance to achieve their preseason goal.
The answer is Ehlinger.
Is he a freshman who will make mistakes? Yep. Will he throw a bad pass occasionally? Yep. Should he slide occasionally to avoid potential injuries? Yep.
However, does Ehlinger move the offense? Yep. Can he carry a team on his shoulders? Yep. Do you feel Texas has a chance to win every game with Ehlinger in command? Yep. Does he challenge defenses with deep balls? Yep. Has Ehlinger earned the right to start? Yep.
Obviously, Herman has to perform one heck of a balancing act. He has only two scholarship quarterbacks, and definitely cannot afford Buechele transferring after this season. Herman must find a way to keep Buechele interested in the program while giving his team the best chance to win this year. That is probably why he will not make a definitive statement about his starting quarterback in the future.
I get the feeling Buechele may need to focus on getting healthy for the next two weeks - maybe longer. The best-case scenario for Herman is Texas defeating Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, which would make the conversation about Ehlinger earning the job a lot easier. It would be hard to argue against four-game win streak, assuming Texas knocks off both Oklahoma schools.
For now, the majority of us know what Herman will probably say about the quarterback competition on Monday.
Just nod at Herman. Give him a wink.
Deep down, everybody knows.
This is Ehlinger’s team.
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1. Props to John Bianco for honoring Sean Adams in the press box on Saturday. Since his death, UT has done a tremendous job of remembering Sean’s legacy.
2. After making a 49-yard field goal against Iowa State, Texas kicker Joshua Rowland returned to his inconsistent ways against Kansas State on Saturday. Rowland missed a 27-yarder and 45-yard attempt in the fourth quarter. Rowland has made every extra point, but is 4-of-9 on field goal attempts this season, which is 44 percent. I understand the devil you know is better than the devil you do not know, but Mitchell Becker and Chris Naggar have earned an opportunity to replace Rowland.
3. Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck took the heat when his offense struggled, which means he deserves praise for the 546 yards by his unit on Saturday. Beck, who is also the quarterbacks coach, figured out a way to get the most out of Ehlinger’s talents and put him in a position to succeed against a very tough defense. Fair is fair.
4. Every parent wants the best for their children. We will fight for our kids. I get Derrick Foreman’s passion and concern. That being said, tweeting your dissatisfaction about your son’s lack of playing time after a win, especially one where the offense played very well, will rub people the wrong way. If Foreman believes his son was being singled out, that is when you show up at the facility on Sunday morning for a man-to-man discussion with Herman. By the way, if Foreman is concerned the staff singled out his son for his tweets, his reaction throws gasoline on the fire instead of water.
5. Ketch and I discussed this on the Orangebloods postgame show, but have you noticed we are not hearing Holton Hill’s name called much during games? That is because teams are definitely scared to attack his side of the field. Hill is quietly having one hell of season, and it clearly reflects on the respect offensive coordinators are giving him.
6. When Dustin McComas heard Denzel Okafor would play at left tackle on Saturday, Terrell Cuney at center and Derek Kerstetter at right tackle again, my only thought was “it cannot get any worse.” Heck, I had no clue the offense line would play better with this lineup. As Herman noted after the game, this unit did not have any holding penalties. Offensive line coach Derek Warehime needs to bubble wrap these guys during the week to keep them healthy heading into the OU game.
7. It was hard to tell what to make out of Texas’ victory against Iowa State this season. However, after Iowa State pulled off the upset in Oklahoma, Texas’ victory is definitely more impressive. By the way, I still cannot determine if Texas fans have more enjoyment after their team wins, or following an Oklahoma loss.
8. Cam Newton’s message to all women: “Some of my best friends are females.”
9. This kicker had an out of body experience. He sprinted like his life depended on making the tackle, and pulled it off.
10. Give me Ricky Hatton, Buddy McGirt (fighter and trainer combo), Winky Wright, Vinny Pazienza and Vitali Klitschko (scared Lennox Lewis into retirement). Boxing fans, who are you five hall of famers?
