I thought we were back and everything was looking ok?
Yes, we all thought we were back. Just like we did in 2014 when Charlie's first team won three in a row to become bowl eligible, or when the 2015 beat OU, or when the 2016 started the season by beating Notre Dame. We take the bait every time because we're hungry for success and we want to believe we're just the flip of a switch away.
The problem isn't with the players.
I follow recruiting. The players Texas has are players OU, A&M, LSU and even Alabama wanted.
The problem isn't the coaching.
Short of Saban, Meyer and maybe Swinney or Fisher, a coach who won an MNC as an assistant, gained a reputation as a recruiter and dominated at P6 is the best we can hope to have.
The problem is unrealistic expectations creating chaos. We want immediate results and we're not about to sit around and wait for stupid coaches to take their lumps and learn their lessons.
We've had seven different OCs in eight years. We've had a new inexperienced starter at QB for each of the last four seasons.
The offense sucked and we don't like Tim Beck. Great. Let's get a new OC. Maybe Thompson or Rising will be his QB and Ehlinger can line up with Bueschelle beside Heard while we get to hear the coaches use inexperience at QB at as an excuse for yet another crappy year.
At least we have Orlando. I remember Bedford looked good his first year too - until Mack's players graduated or went pro and he had to grow up Charlie's players. I wonder how Orlando will do next year without Malik, Poona Ford, Jason Hall, Holton Hill, maybe Elliott. No problem. Right?
Despite his smoke screen of bravado, Herman is clearly over his head. Texas doesn't play in the American Athletic Conference and being the head coach requires more wherewithal than being a coordinator.
Let's just hope we can all just be patient for the next two, three, five, seven or ten years it takes for him to grow into the job. It's absolute torture to see him going through the exact same growing pains Charlie Strong went through. Let's just hope we don't see him learn and grow and only to be replaced by the next redundantly unprepared coaching star of the AAC. I don't think I could stand to watch this scenario play out for a third time in a row.
If there's any consolation, it's the fact that Charlie Strong still hasn't learned the importance of special teams, so at least we're not dealing with that anymore. Just everything else. All over again. Just like deja vu.