Say what you will about Tom Herman and the 2020 Longhorns. But you can’t say this: they quit, and they don’t compete for four quarters. In what has become all too familiar under Herman, the Longhorns were in another very tight, one-possession game. And for the third time this season, they went to overtime.
This time it wasn’t Texas making the costly penalties and errors and finding ways to lose the game. It was OSU. And Texas capitalized thanks in large part to one mammoth performance. Three things before a rewatch…
photo: @TexasFootball on Twitter
1) Joseph Ossai. Actually, Joseph motherfreaking Ossai. All season, he’s jumped out during live games, during rewatches, and during anything that includes Texas being on the field. Playing less than 100% today, Ossai played one of the best games I’ve seen from a Texas defensive player in a long time. He often couldn’t be blocked; he delivered very physical hits; he blew up running plays; he played with great intelligence; and he ended the game with a sack in overtime. Because of course he did.
It’s a treat to watch Ossai on film. I can’t wait to watch him during the upcoming week’s rewatch. He finished with 12 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for a loss, and one forced fumble. And I bet that didn’t do his motor and effort justice.
2) That’s the good about the Texas defense, which was able to hold its own enough and capitalize on Spencer Sanders’ errors. The bad? I continue to watch Texas defensive backs almost with a bit of disbelief when a ball is thrown down the field against single coverage. Longhorn defensive backs continue to play with poor technique and awareness; they lack ball skills, grab too often, and continuously put their defense in a hole because of so many penalties. I don’t get it. They’re often in good position. The teaching in practice needs to change.
On the flip side, Texas did an excellent job stopping the run, and it seemed that was the game plan – take the run away, and force Sanders to beat the defense.
3) I really don’t know what to expect from the Texas offense during a second watch. Sam Ehlinger struggled often to beat OSU’s coverage, and hardly ever looked very comfortable in the pocket. Frankly, he didn’t play well, but he made one of the plays of the game when OSU idiotically sent the house on fourth down in the red zone. It’ll be tough to tell without the all-22 film, but it appeared like Ehlinger again missed some reads to find open receivers, which was influenced by how often he faced pressure.
Bijan Robinson was solid in the first half, and was kept in hiding almost the entire second half. Josh Moore was in hiding until overtime. Cade Brewer received the second-most targets on the team. Brennan Eagles beat man coverage for an easy touchdown, and then Texas really didn’t try to do that more often.
They won…? Yes, they won. Yes, OSU has a good defense. I suppose the most important thing is Texas didn’t turn the ball over because the offense probably should have ended the game in regulation. When it came time to win the game, Texas did its thing and did so by empowering its best players to go make plays. And in the end, that's what matters. At least for this week.
This time it wasn’t Texas making the costly penalties and errors and finding ways to lose the game. It was OSU. And Texas capitalized thanks in large part to one mammoth performance. Three things before a rewatch…
photo: @TexasFootball on Twitter
1) Joseph Ossai. Actually, Joseph motherfreaking Ossai. All season, he’s jumped out during live games, during rewatches, and during anything that includes Texas being on the field. Playing less than 100% today, Ossai played one of the best games I’ve seen from a Texas defensive player in a long time. He often couldn’t be blocked; he delivered very physical hits; he blew up running plays; he played with great intelligence; and he ended the game with a sack in overtime. Because of course he did.
It’s a treat to watch Ossai on film. I can’t wait to watch him during the upcoming week’s rewatch. He finished with 12 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for a loss, and one forced fumble. And I bet that didn’t do his motor and effort justice.
2) That’s the good about the Texas defense, which was able to hold its own enough and capitalize on Spencer Sanders’ errors. The bad? I continue to watch Texas defensive backs almost with a bit of disbelief when a ball is thrown down the field against single coverage. Longhorn defensive backs continue to play with poor technique and awareness; they lack ball skills, grab too often, and continuously put their defense in a hole because of so many penalties. I don’t get it. They’re often in good position. The teaching in practice needs to change.
On the flip side, Texas did an excellent job stopping the run, and it seemed that was the game plan – take the run away, and force Sanders to beat the defense.
3) I really don’t know what to expect from the Texas offense during a second watch. Sam Ehlinger struggled often to beat OSU’s coverage, and hardly ever looked very comfortable in the pocket. Frankly, he didn’t play well, but he made one of the plays of the game when OSU idiotically sent the house on fourth down in the red zone. It’ll be tough to tell without the all-22 film, but it appeared like Ehlinger again missed some reads to find open receivers, which was influenced by how often he faced pressure.
Bijan Robinson was solid in the first half, and was kept in hiding almost the entire second half. Josh Moore was in hiding until overtime. Cade Brewer received the second-most targets on the team. Brennan Eagles beat man coverage for an easy touchdown, and then Texas really didn’t try to do that more often.
They won…? Yes, they won. Yes, OSU has a good defense. I suppose the most important thing is Texas didn’t turn the ball over because the offense probably should have ended the game in regulation. When it came time to win the game, Texas did its thing and did so by empowering its best players to go make plays. And in the end, that's what matters. At least for this week.
