View from the Cheap Seats-Semi-Finals
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
In so many ways, the Horns showed the Nation why they belong on the highest of stages. Sadly, with the opportunity to win and advance, the Horns found a way to lose. No spin, no excuses, the game was there for the taking. End of the night, the Buckeyes made more plays than the Horns, it does not get much simpler than that. The Horns showed there is great resiliency in this team. While tOSU rolled over their 2 previous playoff opponents, the Longhorns were not going quietly into the good night. Their efforts should make every Longhorn fan proud. If you were not a fan of either team, you were treated to an outstanding game of old-style football where the defenses set the tone but the offenses still showcased at times.
tOSU jumped out early, taking a 7-0 lead and frankly, they looked pretty unstoppable while their D held TEXAS to a turnover on downs then 4 straight punts. A funny thing started to happen though. After giving up a 10-play 84-yard TD on tOSU’s opening drive, the TEXAS D bowed up and forced 4 straight punts. TEXAS’ offense responded at the end of the 2nd period by going on a 7-play 59-yard drive of their own, ending in a Quinn Ewers dime to Jayden Blue for a 23-yard TD. The score is now tied 7-7 with 29 seconds left in the 1st half, momentum has swung back to the Horns. Not so fast my friends, Chip Kelly calls a “safe” screen pass which is perfectly executed, and the Buckeyes score a 1-play, 75-yard TD, the longest play TEXAS has allowed this season. Sadly, this play would represent the turning point of the game. Momentum swung back to the Buckeyes.
tOSU takes the opening kickoff of the 2nd half and appears to start a drive. After a 1st half of mostly clean pockets for former KSU QB Will Howard, TEXAS starts getting some pressure leading to David Gbenda securing an interception in what will be a critical juncture of the game. While TEXAS does not convert the turnover into points, their punt pins tOSU deep in their own end. Then on 3rd and a short one, David Gbenda makes his 2nd YUGE play of the night and tackles their running back for a 1 yard loss forcing a punt.
This sets TEXAS up to go on a 12 play 67 yard drive, capped once again by almost the exact same play, Quinn to Blue on a wheel route where Blue jukes a defender at the 3 as he scores his 2nd TD of the night. This ties the game at 14-14 and TEXAS is forced to punt on our next drive ending the 3rd quarter.
Buckeyes open the 4th quarter going on a 13-play 88-yard drive. The 2d most egregious play by the defense in the game, on 4th and 2, Will Howard scampers for 14 yards and a 1st down. How is there not a spy on Howard? tOSU goes up 21-14 on the drive.
7:02 left in the game, the season is now on the line. TEXAS responds with its best drive of the night and Quinn is throwing more dimes. 8 great plays in a row, aided by 2 clear pass interference penalties on the Buckeye secondary giving TEXAS 1st down at the 2 then 1st down at the 1. The next 4 plays saw the wheels come off. Jumbo package with Jerrick Gibson (Baby Rhino), stuffed for no gain. Sark tries to run wide, what in the wide wide world of sports is he thinking???? Against a defense that feeds on wide runs? Tre stuffed for a 6 yard loss. 3rd and 8 now, Quinn under pressure and his throw to Ryan Wingo off the mark. The refs ignored the holding on Wingo. 4th and 8, Sark calls a roll left. Again, what in the wide wide world of sports is he thinking. Quinn is right handed, you don’t roll him left there, if anything, roll him right to create a potential throw back option to Helm or a WR which has worked all year. Strip sack, returned for a TD, game over. While we love Sark, we would be remiss if we failed to mention sometimes he tries to be too cute with his play calling.
Last year one of the biggest negatives of the team was the failure to score touchdowns in the red zone. This time it cost TEXAS tying up the score and forcing overtime for the 2nd week in a row.
Shout out to Quinn Ewers who played more than well enough to win. While he was under duress most of the night, he moved in the pocket and ended up having an excellent night. In fact he executed a QB scramble on a 3rd and 10 play setting up 4th and 1. This turned into a key play during TEXAS’ 1st TD drive. He can be proud of his last effort as a Horn and now looks forward to where he lands in the NFL draft. We speculate he goes late 1st (so teams have that extra 5th year) or early 2nd. The NFL is starving for good QB play.
Had you told us before the game, the D would only allow 21 points and one of those TDs largely a fluke but fluke or not, it counted as 7, we likely bet the house. On 10 total drives by tOSU, the defense forced 6 punts and one turnover (INT)
Our two biggest disappointments of the game, besides the fact we lost a game we coulda/shoulda won, Sark getting too cute at the 2 and our offensive line getting pushed around like it did. 5 plays from the 2, and not one time did Arch get a call. Not like we had not brought him in already. Early in the game our defensive line did not look strong but as the game went on, they were much more effective. Shades of last year vs Washington, TEXAS has the ball on the goal line and cannot score to force overtime. Props to Coach PK and his ability to make adjustments on the fly. The defense (save one play) played more than well enough to secure the win.
Personal note. Absolute treat to watch the game on the SEC Network with Craig Way’s call dubbed. Why in the wide wide world of sports do they think showing Sark the whole game adds value but if they have to do it, why not picture in picture so we have the game on the full screen. But for Craig’s call, we’ll put up with it. Glad we have the big TV. Wonder if we can make this a regular feature?
Season Summary
THANK YOU
To Sark, our players and our staff for the best non-title season since 2008
A Deep playoff run, and wins over all 3 of our traditional rivals.
To Sark, our players and our staff for the best non-title season since 2008
A Deep playoff run, and wins over all 3 of our traditional rivals.
We unequivocally rate this season as a success. While the Horns faced some dips and valleys in the road, they answered the challenge in the win column. They played for the SEC title and won 2 playoff games. Tonight they showed there is great resilience in this team. We LOVE this team's heart and credit to Sark for creating a culture that leads to success. This game was very much a microcosm of the season, showcasing what TEXAS does well but also issues the Horns still need to correct to take the next step. We credit much of the success not just to Sark but also to the outstanding staff that he assembled. Great recruiting is key to any great team, this recruiting now includes the portal. Sark does not stop at landing excellent players, his staff is built around strong player development. TEXAS players show the clear, positive impact of both physical and technical development. Sark also showed he fixed many of his coaching challenges though he still faces a few. He too often tries to get too “cute” with his playcalling and it often leads to problems. His play calling down 21-14 at the 1, poor at best which is a part of the team’s red zone TD scoring issues. We came into the year thinking our offensive line would be dominant, while they were very good, they were never great vs the best D’s we faced. And this team has to learn to put teams away. In the trivia department, Sark is the 1st QB to play in the Cotton Bowl then returned to be the Head Coach in the game.
The final 4 standing were TEXAS, ND, Pedo State and tOSU. Not one team who had a bye was able to advance. In 1969 the final regular season AP poll had TEXAS #1 Pedo State #2 tOSU #3 and ND #5. History comes full circle. This is the blueblood round and we suspect ESPN could not be happier. One of the 4 coaches will also win his 1st National Title. Now it will be either Ryan Day or Marcus Freeman adding that coveted addition to his resume. It coulda/shoulda/woulda been Steve Sarkisian but if we are honest, tOSU is just a bit better of a team. End of the night it was 1 play (75 yard TD) and one series (5 shots from the two)
Please note that TEXAS is the lone SEC team still standing this weekend. In case any fans of other SEC teams want to talk smack.
Speaking of the playoffs, the 12-team/4 bye system is not working as the Top 4 seeds all fell in the quarter-final round. The way the schedules work, all teams get at least 2 weeks off. 3 weeks is too much downtime for the top seeds and they all showed the impact of the rust. Cheap Seats opined that 12 was a mistake when the format was announced. 8 should have been the number but since they decided on 12, may as well bump it to 16, BUT NO MORE. Seeds 1-8 get a game on campus, like the current 1st round. These would have been this year’s games if the playoffs were for the Top 16 and would have featured some compelling matchups:
#1 Oregon v #16 Clemson
#2 Dawgs v #15 Cocks
#3 TEXAS vs #14 Ole Miss
#4 Pedo State vs #13 Miami
#5 ND vs #12 Sun Devils
#6 tOSU v #11 Bama
#7 Tenn vs #10 SMU
#8 Indiana vs #9 Boise State
#2 Dawgs v #15 Cocks
#3 TEXAS vs #14 Ole Miss
#4 Pedo State vs #13 Miami
#5 ND vs #12 Sun Devils
#6 tOSU v #11 Bama
#7 Tenn vs #10 SMU
#8 Indiana vs #9 Boise State
Stats that Matter
- 16 Most games TEXAS has ever played in a season
- 13 Tied for the most wins in a season for TEXAS
- 3-10 D held tOSU to only 3 conversions on 3rd down in 10 attempts Excellent
- 5-15 O only converted 5 of 15 3rd down attempts, not championship football
- 5 to 9 TEXAS only called for 5 penalties while tOSU called for 9 including their 1st 2 holding calls of the playoffs.
- 0-15 Sark’s record when trailing by 7 or more in the 3rd quarter, this has got to be fixed
- 27 Quinn has thrown a TD in 27 consecutive games, 2nd all-time at TEXAS
- 27-9 Quinn leaves TEXAS as one of the winningest QBs in our history (we think this is the record for games he started but we might be off a game or 2)
- 22 It has been 22 years since TEXAS played in the Cotton Bowl, the last time was 2003 when Chris Simms led the Horns to a win over Nick Saban-led LSU. LSU and Saban would win the title that following year.
Offensive player of the game
Quinn Ewers-he finishes his TEXAS career with an excellent performance. 23-39 283 yards 2 TDs and an interception that happened after the game was over. He did an excellent job moving in the pocket. Some will not like it but we do not advance this far in the playoffs without Quinn. Where he finishes in the ranking of TEXAS QBs will be open for debate. We have Vince #1, Colt #2, Bobby Layne #3 (though we never saw him play). Where Quinn stacks up after our Top 3 is in the eye of the beholder. He has an excellent won/loss record, 2 trips to the CFB playoff semi-finals and a conference title adorn his resume.
Honorable Mention
Jayden Blue, 4 Receptions, 53 yards and TEXAS’ 2 touchdowns on the day
Offensive Player of the Year
Quintravion Wisner- Young man was RB 3 to start the season. Injuries and his performance elevated him into the RB1 role and he far exceeded expectations. We are not playing in the SEC Title game or playoffs without him.
Player we are most excited about in 2025
Duh, Arch Manning.
Defensive Player of the Game
David Gbenda. As described in the narrative above, his plays in the third quarter helped get Texas back into the game.
Defensive Player of the Year
Jahdae Barron-added another Thorpe award to TEXAS’ trophy cabinet, can you say DBU?
Player we are most excited about for 2025
Collin Simmons, the Shaun Alexander Award winner, Freshman Player of the Year Nationally. Young man is turning into the “beast mode” we have been missing since Joseph Ossai left.
Portal Transfer of the Year
Andrew Mukuba. His play was stellar and he leaves big shoes to fill.
On Deck
In an interesting piece of scheduling, our next game sees the Horns traveling back to Columbus for a rematch where both teams will have new QBs. We see tOSU beating Notre Dame so in an interesting twist, two years in a row, TEXAS will have the opportunity to beat the defending National Champs. And this is the saddest time of the year for the Cheap Seats. Our last game until the last day of August with only the spring game as a small reprieve from the football drought which now begins.
Perhaps the biggest concern of the offseason will be replacing 4 starters on a very good offensive line. One of those replacements will be Trevor Goosby who projects to plug in for Kevin Banks. DJ Campbell should return at guard so that leaves 3 new spots to fill. Our next concern is defensive tackle which is already being addressed in the portal. Perhaps the most exciting piece for next year is that Arch Manning gets the keys to the kingdom. Arch will have 3 seasons to work with, though we see him only taking 2 of those.
The next question is who will be his skill position players? We have to replace the most productive TE in TEXAS football history in Gunnar Helm, the poster boy for player development. We’re assuming our WR 1, Bond, Isaih Bond takes that 1st/early second-round grade to the show. Does Matthew Golden, who emerged while Bond was injured, return for another year? Is he the most underrated WR in the country? We hope he returns but even if he does not, excited about the young WR room led by Ryan Wingo. And who will emerge as RB1? Quintravion Wisner finished with over 1000 yards, protecting Sark’s streak, and was an absolute warrior. The RB room is loaded with talented players, will be fun to watch.
Flipping to the D side, in 2024, TEXAS was a Defense 1st team. While Sark’s reputation was as an offensive savant, we won with defense and our running game. The biggest 2025 concern is replacing our 4 defensive tackles. Sark has already landed 2 in the portal and has recruited the position well. The defensive end position should be one of the strongest position groups on the team. Anthony “Ant” Hill will lead the Linebacker group and while Andrew Mukuba leaves some big shoes to fill, the defensive back room is stacked with talent. As good as the TEXAS defense was, can it be better in 2025?
Special teams were not so special. Now Silas Bolden was an amazing returner but we need a more consistent kicking game. Will we ever figure out how to cover a fake punt? That is high school level coaching.
TEXAS’ schedule will also present some challenges. The toughest games TEXAS faces will all be on the road: tOSU, Georgia, Florida Kentucky and Mississippi State with our annual Dallas game vs the Thieves of Land. Biggest home date should be (schedules not set yet) Aggies coming to DKR to end the season.
We project a 12-2 season with a return trip to the SEC title game. That is the bar that Sark has set for himself and the Longhorns. Make no mistake, the turnaround which Sark has accomplished from where TEXAS was from 2010 through his 1st year has been amazing. Not unlike what Mack accomplished starting in 1998 and running through the 2009 season, Sark has TEXAS back. We mention Mack because Sark has a great deal of Mack in him. He truly cares about his players which was evident in some of the remarks at the post-game press conference. And he has put himself in a position to surpass Mack to move into #2 on our coaching list. We’re pulling for him to do just that.
Game highlights
Personal shout out to @smileartisan, tell Scooter I said hi @drunk randoke @MB-HORNS @phidelt811 (think that is your new handle) and a couple other OBs whose handles are a mystery, for pre-game frivolity. Drunk and Mikey seriously outkicked their coverage. Not sure if Smile and Scooter are a couple. . . .yet. 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤘 🤘 🤘
