CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big XII => Topic started by: CousinFreddie on January 09, 2018, 09:03:45 PM
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Just barely, but the Horns are on the list:
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/1/9/16865980/college-football-rankings-early-top-25-2018-preseason (https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/1/9/16865980/college-football-rankings-early-top-25-2018-preseason)
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were ranked way too high
we will be lucky to have a winning season next year
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320:
You get a default ranking for a helmet school that has been erratic as hell lately, but surely must be on the verge of breaking out.
And--you never know until it happens--it might be true!
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They finished strong (first year in awhile that’s not a pun), with a winning record.
Always dangerous, the Longhorns are.
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They finished strong (first year in awhile that’s not a pun), with a winning record.
Always dangerous, the Longhorns are.
OK Yoda
A long hard journey we must make
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I have to think a year of continuity will be a big help, especially on the offensive side.
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IT's a good thing these lists are meaningless.
Just hoping for a win over Maryland in the season opener this year. That would be an improvement over last year.
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The last 10, and certainly the last 5, positions in that list are throwaway "hey, it could happen" placeholders. On one hand, Texas was about 5 plays away from winning 10 games. Every player lost to the NFL has a capable replacement waiting.
On the other hand, Texas will go as far as the OL goes. Until someone snaps a football in anger, we can't say that critical failure has been fixed.
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I liked Greg McElroy's suggestion that Jalen Hurts should transfer to Texas. I was already pondering it after the NC game.
He wouldn't play this year anyway, but he would bring a winner mentality to the club house. And in 2019, if Ehlinger/Buchelle still couldn't beat him out, then so be it.
I have been all for Texas fielding a QB with size. With the exception of Vince, our QB's are notoriously pip squeaks. Baylor and Ok State trot men out to play QB. We trot boys. Ehlinger's got some beef but he ain't 6'3. Buchelle is another injury just waiting to happen. Can he not play baseball like his Daddy? I don't get it.
I would love to see a hoss like Jalen Hurts taking snaps at Texas. It's time for us to be more physical.
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On the other hand, Texas will go as far as the OL goes. Until someone snaps a football in anger, we can't say that critical failure has been fixed.
I have some concern that Herman may not get this. To win at Houston, you just need a couple of star players at WR and QB.
In P5, you gotta win the trenches. I just wonder where this registers on Herman's radar.
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out of 21 2018 recruits only 3 are OL
it should be at least 5 or 6
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out of 21 2018 recruits only 3 are OL
it should be at least 5 or 6
Yeah, I don't follow recruiting closely enough (or really at all) to know if that's because the staff didn't try, or tried and missed on some guys, or if there just wasn't a great o-line class in high school this year...?
Anyway, we desperately need a lot of help on the o-line. But I also expect the coaches to develop the talent that we DO have on-campus. Other coaches have done more with less. I'm ready for THIS coaching staff to develop some players on the offensive side of the ball.
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out of 21 2018 recruits only 3 are OL
it should be at least 5 or 6
Our overall ranking is so high that I will take that for now and be happy. Also, I appreciate that we are recruiting well on the defensive side.
Weren't there some rumbles that Herman was going to look at JC transfers for the OL? That can sometimes be promising in that position.
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In 2010 Texas lost its losing games by margins of 7, 7, 8, 17, 22 and 25
In 2011 they were 4, 12, 12, 24 and 38
In 2012 they were 3, 7, 18 and 42
In 2013 they were 19, 20, 21, 23 and 26
In 2014 they were 3, 5, 21, 23, 24, 34 and 38
In 2015 they were 1, 3, 3, 18, 24, 35 and 43
In 2016 they were 3, 3, 4, 5, 7, 18 and 22
This past season they were 3, 3, 3, 5, 10 and 17
Texas gets better every year. Just not in any way the casual observer can see.
Next year all of our six losses will probably be by a TD or less.
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Texas gets better every year. Just not in any way the casual observer can see.
Next year all of our six losses will probably be by a TD or less.
And to this I sadly say, POTD.
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Yup. Maybe by 2020, we'll be able to go 6-6 with each and every loss by only one point. That would be some serious progress!
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To be fair, on objective terms we did finish above .500 this year. I'm going to view it that way, and hope it progresses from there.
I have already stated that I'm not sure Herman is the guy who gets us back to 10-win nirvana, but I do believe he is at minimum a stepping stone.
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90% of all coaches are stepping stones
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Texas gets better every year. Just not in any way the casual observer can see.
Next year all of our six losses will probably be by a TD or less.
Brilliant post, and a great example of the Hookster tip-toeing carefully around the mythical ECFGs.
Maybe someday they will actually reward you!
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Brilliant post, and a great example of the Hookster tip-toeing carefully around the mythical ECFGs.
Maybe someday they will actually reward you!
They did, in 2005. So I guess we're due again in 2040.
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Recruiting OL in college is insanely difficult. What you want to end up with is 10 guys around 310 with explosive first steps, an unrivaled understanding of defensive postures and blocking schemes, and a nasty streak where their heart should be.
What you start with is a whole gaggle of 17 year old kids in the 280-ish range who have never left home. Who can add muscle and not slow down, and which ones had to hit the weight room every day to max out at 280? Which ones can pick up the nuances of footwork to be that coveted left tackle, and which ones will be straight ahead guards? Who's going to study those collegiate stunts and twists, and who's going to get caught blocking air when a late LB blitzes his gap?
Rarely does a OL player come from high school ready-made. They're almost all projects. Texas has a lot of projects right now (some of those projects are in the MASH unit as well). This years' high school class isn't chock full of good prospects, but Texas has a couple. More immediately, they also have several interested graduate and JUCO transfers.
A good OL is more than the sum of its parts. Chemistry and the ability to anticipate is key. You don't know what you've got until someone beats on it in anger. Then, it's too late to do anything about it.
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Nice analysis Mr T
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Everything you say is absolutely true, Doppel, but... so what?
That's the way OLs are for everybody and that's the way OLs have always been, but the whining coaches at Texas and the sympathetic local media have convinced us that we're "poor Texas." We're thin on the OL. We don't have any depth. We have injuries. Oh woe is us."
When it happened in 2014, I ate the cheese. I was like, "This is terrible but it can't be helped. Charlie had to kick those lazy pot smokers off the team. Who knew Espinoza would go down?"
When it happened three years later, I refused the cheese.
The previous coaching staff spent the last three years ensuring a 2014 wouldn't happen again by seeking out, assessing and plugging in early three star treasures in Connor Williams, Patrick Vahe and Zach Shackleford while bringing in Terrell Cuney, Alex Anderson, Elijah Rodriguez, Tristan Nickelson, Garrett Thomas, Buck Major, Brandon Hodges, Tope Imade, Denzel Okafor, JP Urquidez, Jean Delance, and Patrick Hudson and moving Jake McMillon from the defense.
In an interview on August 28, 20187, Tom Herman said, "Excitingly, I think our strength on both sides of the ball is the line, offensive and defensive line. I think we still need to find a consistent, productive right tackle. Thos other four guys may be the national championship year at Ohio Statt that I was a part of, that might be the only other offensive line that could compare with these guys so I'm excited to see them play."
Brandon Hodges became a graduate transfer, Jean Delance transferred, and Elijah Rogriguez went out before the season with a season ending surgery on his high ankle sprain. Patrick Hudson tore his ACL and was lost for the season in the second game. Connor Williams suffered a torn meniscus in the third game of the year and was out for seven games. Zach Shackleford suffered a concussion in the seventh game and was limited for four games. Denzel Okafor missed the TCU game.
Those things happen.
Other teams have injuries too. Other teams have to start inexperienced players. Other teams start freshmen. That's life.
I'm just tired of all of the excuses.
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Droog is right about recruiting OL is tough. OU had a 5* (Montgomery?) and one of the highest rated OL they ever had decide to give up football without playing a snap. Others took a weird path such as Lane Johnson who came in as JUCO QB, moved to TE, DE, then to LT and a 1st round NFL pick. OU's 2005 line was a disaster even though 4 of them went on to NFL careers.
Attrition is normally high for OL. I once read programs need to bring in 5 OL every class to be able to field a 2 deep. The OC and OL coaches make a big difference as well. Kevin Wilson wanted his OL to be able to run Bill Bedenbaugh wants maulers. One of the reasons I hated to see Smitty go was his ability to develop players the way their position coaches wanted them to develop. Kevin Wilson/Josh Heuple had very complex blocking schemes which meant the smartest center started even though they might be undersized such as Jon Cooper or Ty Darlington. When Riley came in as OC, Darlington said he was "insulted" by the small number of blocking schemes but they let the OL mesh better and get the best athletes out there.
I just hope the Sooners can keep Bedenbaugh for a long time to come.
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We lost to Texas Tech :'(
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In P5, you gotta win the trenches. I just wonder where this registers on Herman's radar.
Well blow me down!!
Herman hired Auburn's OL coach and made him co-OC. Looks like Herman does value what goes on in the trenches.
I am impressed with this move, but it does have a Mack Brownish feel to it. Why? Because we had to title the guy "co-OC". Methinks Mack is teaching Hermie how to play CEO.
Anyway, I like the acquisition. Good move!
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Yeah, remember in 2013 when Mack hired back Greg Robinson for "quality control." Not as insurance against Manny Diaz of course, just for "quality control."
Perhaps we now have a new "Co-OC" whose job will be "quality control" as well.
Anyway, pretty much ANY changes to the offensive coaching staff will be improvements, so here's hoping.
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Since Texas already has both an OL coach and an OC, this is a nudge to Warehime (the current OL coach) that he needs to update his resume. Herman developed and executed the offensive game plan against Mizzou by himself. Obviously, he won't be able to do that through an entire regular season, so someone's being the OC.
Hand likes to run the "run 'em hard in the middle, then pass when they're bunched up" type spread favored by Auburn. He's also done work integrating RichRod's pass happy spread from West Virginia's championship era. He's fully conversant in OC-talk, and stresses having a plan to bait defensive coordinators with tendencies - then going against them. He'll be involved in game planning, and can relay how his OL plays from the field, but likely won't start off calling plays during game time.
That can change if all the excuses I made for Tim Beck turn out to be just that. If a functional OL still has him misfiring, Hand can run the game just fine.
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I want to be somewhat critical of Herman mostly because:
a) He doesn't seem fully confident and cock-sure at pressers.
b) I didn't like his titty dance mocking a student athlete.
c) I wish he would just go clean shaven, his facial hair doesn't fill out
But nonetheless, he does impress me on occasion, and I like this move. I don't really have any football results to bag on Herman yet, because I'll give him a first season free pass.
I'll be honest with you - I didn't like Strong from his introductory presser. (see (a) above - I like a CEO appearance) He seemed like a deer caught in headlights, and his circular babbling didn't help matters. But soon thereafter, Strong gave me football reasons to justify my instinct.
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You’re kind of a cranky, opinionated old church lady sometimes.
Sometimes Herman rubs me the wrong way but I hold out hope for him.
I liked A lot about Strong’s approach and demeanor but he never seemed able to attend to every detail all at once. Something always bit him in the ass.
I thought Brown was his own worst enemy. He did so many things right, then overthought too many things too.
Mackovic didn’t like defense. That’s what I had against him.
McWilliams should’ve been perfect but he must’ve done something to piss off the ECFGs.
Akers was Tom Osborne on a shorter leash.
DKR was a genius but in his later years I think he got to the point where he didn’t even like football.
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You're not going to get a businessman approach from Tom Herman. He interprets everything analytically.
In a press conference, he's going to try and answer the question as best he can. Unfortunately, 90% of questions asked at press conferences are prosaic or non-interrogative. When he gets those, he has a look on his face like he's struggling to to be rude to the questioner, but there's no non-insulting way to answer.
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Good point, Doppel.