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HOUSTON - Texas football fans have desperately wanted something positive to look forward to after this season.
There have been plenty of disappointing things to focus on this year. I could list them one-by-one, but you already know about the setbacks. You have read about it. Texas fans have endured the disappointing loses. In other words, you get it. The horse is dead. Let us not beat it once again a day before Christmas.
As Texas prepares to play against Missouri in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday, it is important to know Longhorn coach Tom Herman may have solved a problem that has plagued this program for years. This problem was prevalent during the tenures of former coaches Mack Brown and Charlie Strong. Herman’s solution will not be evident during this game. In fact, when you watch the bowl game, it might be something you remind yourself of throughout the evening. It could help you get through the night.
The quarterback problem has finally been addressed.
That is because of Herman.
Texas fans know this program has whiffed at addressing the most important position on the team for years. From the moment Colt McCoy was knocked out of the national championship game against Alabama in 2010, the position has been problematic. Actually, prior to that game, there was this quarterback from Dallas named Matthew Stafford who was interested in Texas, but the Longhorns did not sign a passer in 2008.
After McCoy, Texas had Garrett Gilbert, David Ash, Case McCoy and Tyrone Swoopes at quarterback. Texas missed on Robert Griffin III, Johnny Manziel, Jameis Winston and several other quarterbacks. It is one of the main reasons Texas is still trying to catch up with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU.
When Strong was hired, he did not fully grasp how far behind Texas was at the quarterback position until it was too late. Strong did not want to sign more than one quarterback in each class to avoid scaring off Jerrod Heard, Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger. By the time Strong parted ways with the program, Heard was switched to receiver, while Swoopes is currently an NFL practice squad tight end.
Herman inherited one true quarterback when he hired, which was Buechele. He convinced Ehlinger to remain committed to Texas, but did his best to add bodies to his quarterback room prior to this season. Herman heavily pursued grad transfer quarterback Brandon Harris, but he signed with North Carolina. After missing out on Harris, Herman tried to obtain former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire, who eventually signed with Florida (yeah, that was the wrong decision). More importantly, Herman did his best to add more quarterbacks to the roster because the cupboard was bare when he took over.
That is why the signing of Casey Thompson and Cameron Rising on Wednesday is so important to improving the Longhorn quarterback room.
Herman could have taken one quarterback to keep the peace, but found two guys who are not afraid of competition. Texas will have four quality quarterbacks next season, and that room is finally going to be stacked with good players. More importantly, Texas can finally play the best quarterback available instead of starting the last man standing.
Photo of Cameron Rising
“We need to challenge the guys in the room currently,” Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck said. “Right now, they’re just against each other. If one guy is not having a good day, that means the other guy is automatically better than him. Did he earn that spot? Yes or no? I don’t know. Now, there’s going to be more of the best player has to be consistent. That’s the program, again, with young players and constantly changing defenses is just having a guy be consistent enough to do what we need him to do all the time.”
Photo of Casey Thompson
Texas has struggled to receive good quarterback play consistently this season.
Buechele began this season as the starter, but has battled injuries throughout the year. Those setbacks allowed Ehlinger to start in multiple games this year, but his flashes of brilliance were overshadowed by costly turnovers late in games. Ehlinger fumbled in overtime against USC, threw a game-ending interception against Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech’s fourth quarter pick against Ehlinger led to its game-winning score. As a result of Ehlinger’s miscues, Buechele will start in the Texas Bowl.
“Probably going through the deal, we feel like both guys have had some really good parts of the season, and have made some mistakes through the course of the season,” Beck said. “We’ve got two competitive guys, two talented guys. Sometimes you think you can change them as that goes on. I think nine of 12 games, one of the two were injured. The other guy had to be in there the whole time. I don’t know is there was ever a true competition, per se, once the season got going. You got to play the guy who is healthy.
“When the [regular] season ended, we gave those guys opportunities to go out there and perform. Obviously, one factor, and I’ve talked with Sam quite a bit about it, is protecting the football. We 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.”
Just think about how refreshing it will be for Herman and Beck to have four scholarship quarterbacks competing for playing time next year.
In an ideal world, Buechele and Ehlinger will battle to start, while the two freshmen quarterbacks redshirt. That means even if there was attrition in that room in 2019, Herman will have enough quality quarterbacks to choose from, and probably more incoming freshmen passers coming in. Instead of trying to make chicken salad out of you know what, Herman is poised to finally have quality choices at the position.
By the way, Herman quietly kicked the tires on a couple of JuCo quarterbacks prior to the early signing period, and do not be surprised if he looks into the grad transfer market again after this season.
Obviously, Herman will need some time to develop his incoming freshmen quarterbacks. The last thing Herman wants to do is go through another season of growing pains. If those guys can spend at least a year in the system, Texas will have multiple quarterbacks ready to play in 2019. The Longhorns will finally have depth at that position.
Texas football fans have desperately wanted something positive to look forward to after this season.
Knowing this is the last year of quarterback issues is a reason to celebrate.
Photo via San Antonio Express-News
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
Remember, Grandma means well at Christmas
This security guard is my hero
You cannot do this to Patti
Share this with a teacher you know
What Christmas Is All About
It is hard not to be a little emotional after watching this:
Sports On A Dime
1. I am still waiting for an official diagnosis on safety Brandon Jones, but heard he was at the Texas Bowl rodeo event on Saturday night. That is a good sign the injury he sustained during Saturday’s practice may not be severe.
2. Texas will be without left tackle Connor Williams, safety DeShon Elliott, cornerback Holton Hill, running back Chris Warren III, linebacker Malik Jefferson, receiver Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, running back Toneil Carter and tight end Garrett Gray during the Texas Bowl. If Texas can pull off a victory, it might be the best coaching job in Herman’s career.
3. If there is a positive about so many players missing the bowl game, there will be a lot of backups who will receive significant playing time on Wednesday. Basically, the staff had extra time to work with next year’s team. When I pointed that out to defensive coordinator Todd Orlando after Saturday’s practice, he said Texas was trying to beat Missouri. I totally respect his point of view, but do believe this postseason will help Texas in 2018.
4. Longhorns running back Daniel Young has a great opportunity to become the No.1 running back heading into the offseason with a good performance in the Texas Bowl. Young reminds me of a young D’Onta Foreman. No, I am not saying he will rush for 2,000 yards in a season, but he could have a major impact in two years.
5. Speaking of the Foreman's, congratulations to Armanti for receiving an NFLPA Bowl invite. This is a great step toward becoming an NFL player for Foreman.
6. Texas junior punter Michael Dickson will be in the NFL for a very long time. I believe he has at least a 15-year career ahead of him. Honestly, any team that uses a third-round pick on him will instantly upgrade their special teams unit. If he gets drafted by a team that plays home games in a dome, he is going to be a major problem for opposing teams.
7. Props to linebacker Malik Jefferson for doing his best to play in the Texas Bowl. Sure, it will not happen, but the man tried. I cannot help but wonder how good Jefferson might be if he worked with Orlando from day one. If Orlando can turn Jefferson into an elite NFL prospect in one year, imagine what he will be to do with players who stay in the system for three or four years.
8. Add this to the list of things I will never do in life:
9. Well, at least Dak’s heart was in the right place
10. I am not a person who thinks young people should take advice from most rappers, but Plies actually had a great message to student athletes when the early signing period began. Young people usually don’t listen to older people because they think we were born old and not their age at one time, but hopefully this message resonated with high school athletes.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to everyone in the OB family. I hope everyone has a wonderful day with family and friends. If you are alone this yea, please find something that brings you happiness, whether it is volunteering or checking out a new movie.
Lastly, please say a prayer for those who are enduring Christmas without a loved one who passed away. The holidays are always harder without someone you care about.
Merry Christmas, OB!
https://helmboots.com/
HOUSTON - Texas football fans have desperately wanted something positive to look forward to after this season.
There have been plenty of disappointing things to focus on this year. I could list them one-by-one, but you already know about the setbacks. You have read about it. Texas fans have endured the disappointing loses. In other words, you get it. The horse is dead. Let us not beat it once again a day before Christmas.
As Texas prepares to play against Missouri in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday, it is important to know Longhorn coach Tom Herman may have solved a problem that has plagued this program for years. This problem was prevalent during the tenures of former coaches Mack Brown and Charlie Strong. Herman’s solution will not be evident during this game. In fact, when you watch the bowl game, it might be something you remind yourself of throughout the evening. It could help you get through the night.
The quarterback problem has finally been addressed.
That is because of Herman.
Texas fans know this program has whiffed at addressing the most important position on the team for years. From the moment Colt McCoy was knocked out of the national championship game against Alabama in 2010, the position has been problematic. Actually, prior to that game, there was this quarterback from Dallas named Matthew Stafford who was interested in Texas, but the Longhorns did not sign a passer in 2008.
After McCoy, Texas had Garrett Gilbert, David Ash, Case McCoy and Tyrone Swoopes at quarterback. Texas missed on Robert Griffin III, Johnny Manziel, Jameis Winston and several other quarterbacks. It is one of the main reasons Texas is still trying to catch up with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU.
When Strong was hired, he did not fully grasp how far behind Texas was at the quarterback position until it was too late. Strong did not want to sign more than one quarterback in each class to avoid scaring off Jerrod Heard, Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger. By the time Strong parted ways with the program, Heard was switched to receiver, while Swoopes is currently an NFL practice squad tight end.
Herman inherited one true quarterback when he hired, which was Buechele. He convinced Ehlinger to remain committed to Texas, but did his best to add bodies to his quarterback room prior to this season. Herman heavily pursued grad transfer quarterback Brandon Harris, but he signed with North Carolina. After missing out on Harris, Herman tried to obtain former Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire, who eventually signed with Florida (yeah, that was the wrong decision). More importantly, Herman did his best to add more quarterbacks to the roster because the cupboard was bare when he took over.
That is why the signing of Casey Thompson and Cameron Rising on Wednesday is so important to improving the Longhorn quarterback room.
Herman could have taken one quarterback to keep the peace, but found two guys who are not afraid of competition. Texas will have four quality quarterbacks next season, and that room is finally going to be stacked with good players. More importantly, Texas can finally play the best quarterback available instead of starting the last man standing.
Photo of Cameron Rising
“We need to challenge the guys in the room currently,” Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck said. “Right now, they’re just against each other. If one guy is not having a good day, that means the other guy is automatically better than him. Did he earn that spot? Yes or no? I don’t know. Now, there’s going to be more of the best player has to be consistent. That’s the program, again, with young players and constantly changing defenses is just having a guy be consistent enough to do what we need him to do all the time.”
Photo of Casey Thompson
Texas has struggled to receive good quarterback play consistently this season.
Buechele began this season as the starter, but has battled injuries throughout the year. Those setbacks allowed Ehlinger to start in multiple games this year, but his flashes of brilliance were overshadowed by costly turnovers late in games. Ehlinger fumbled in overtime against USC, threw a game-ending interception against Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech’s fourth quarter pick against Ehlinger led to its game-winning score. As a result of Ehlinger’s miscues, Buechele will start in the Texas Bowl.
“Probably going through the deal, we feel like both guys have had some really good parts of the season, and have made some mistakes through the course of the season,” Beck said. “We’ve got two competitive guys, two talented guys. Sometimes you think you can change them as that goes on. I think nine of 12 games, one of the two were injured. The other guy had to be in there the whole time. I don’t know is there was ever a true competition, per se, once the season got going. You got to play the guy who is healthy.
“When the [regular] season ended, we gave those guys opportunities to go out there and perform. Obviously, one factor, and I’ve talked with Sam quite a bit about it, is protecting the football. We 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.”
Just think about how refreshing it will be for Herman and Beck to have four scholarship quarterbacks competing for playing time next year.
In an ideal world, Buechele and Ehlinger will battle to start, while the two freshmen quarterbacks redshirt. That means even if there was attrition in that room in 2019, Herman will have enough quality quarterbacks to choose from, and probably more incoming freshmen passers coming in. Instead of trying to make chicken salad out of you know what, Herman is poised to finally have quality choices at the position.
By the way, Herman quietly kicked the tires on a couple of JuCo quarterbacks prior to the early signing period, and do not be surprised if he looks into the grad transfer market again after this season.
Obviously, Herman will need some time to develop his incoming freshmen quarterbacks. The last thing Herman wants to do is go through another season of growing pains. If those guys can spend at least a year in the system, Texas will have multiple quarterbacks ready to play in 2019. The Longhorns will finally have depth at that position.
Texas football fans have desperately wanted something positive to look forward to after this season.
Knowing this is the last year of quarterback issues is a reason to celebrate.
Photo via San Antonio Express-News
Funniest Things You Will See This Week
Remember, Grandma means well at Christmas
This security guard is my hero
You cannot do this to Patti
Share this with a teacher you know
What Christmas Is All About
It is hard not to be a little emotional after watching this:
Sports On A Dime
1. I am still waiting for an official diagnosis on safety Brandon Jones, but heard he was at the Texas Bowl rodeo event on Saturday night. That is a good sign the injury he sustained during Saturday’s practice may not be severe.
2. Texas will be without left tackle Connor Williams, safety DeShon Elliott, cornerback Holton Hill, running back Chris Warren III, linebacker Malik Jefferson, receiver Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, running back Toneil Carter and tight end Garrett Gray during the Texas Bowl. If Texas can pull off a victory, it might be the best coaching job in Herman’s career.
3. If there is a positive about so many players missing the bowl game, there will be a lot of backups who will receive significant playing time on Wednesday. Basically, the staff had extra time to work with next year’s team. When I pointed that out to defensive coordinator Todd Orlando after Saturday’s practice, he said Texas was trying to beat Missouri. I totally respect his point of view, but do believe this postseason will help Texas in 2018.
4. Longhorns running back Daniel Young has a great opportunity to become the No.1 running back heading into the offseason with a good performance in the Texas Bowl. Young reminds me of a young D’Onta Foreman. No, I am not saying he will rush for 2,000 yards in a season, but he could have a major impact in two years.
5. Speaking of the Foreman's, congratulations to Armanti for receiving an NFLPA Bowl invite. This is a great step toward becoming an NFL player for Foreman.
6. Texas junior punter Michael Dickson will be in the NFL for a very long time. I believe he has at least a 15-year career ahead of him. Honestly, any team that uses a third-round pick on him will instantly upgrade their special teams unit. If he gets drafted by a team that plays home games in a dome, he is going to be a major problem for opposing teams.
7. Props to linebacker Malik Jefferson for doing his best to play in the Texas Bowl. Sure, it will not happen, but the man tried. I cannot help but wonder how good Jefferson might be if he worked with Orlando from day one. If Orlando can turn Jefferson into an elite NFL prospect in one year, imagine what he will be to do with players who stay in the system for three or four years.
8. Add this to the list of things I will never do in life:
9. Well, at least Dak’s heart was in the right place
10. I am not a person who thinks young people should take advice from most rappers, but Plies actually had a great message to student athletes when the early signing period began. Young people usually don’t listen to older people because they think we were born old and not their age at one time, but hopefully this message resonated with high school athletes.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to everyone in the OB family. I hope everyone has a wonderful day with family and friends. If you are alone this yea, please find something that brings you happiness, whether it is volunteering or checking out a new movie.
Lastly, please say a prayer for those who are enduring Christmas without a loved one who passed away. The holidays are always harder without someone you care about.
Merry Christmas, OB!
