Okie state up next on Halloween

['stache 21729]

11 hours ago, dcar00 said:

this.  I think Sanders is going to Kyler Murray our shitty ass slow defense to death when we try to stop hubbard.  fuck, crappy QB's and RB's have already pussy pounded us.

the only way it is close is if OSU's D can't get a pass rush which is unlikely given the shittiness of our OL.

You can force Sanders into turnovers, and Chuba had a fumbling problem earlier this year. I'm also sick of hearing about our defense. I've been beaten to death with our shitty defenses for so long I will refuse to believe it unless it works for an entire season ending with a trophy. I truly believe that our defense will be broken soon, and there is every reason to belive that Ehlinger and your cabal of 4 and 5 star players can figure it out. I'll be on pins and needles until the game is over. This is the year we actually have a chance to win a conference title with OU and Texas already in a hole. If we can't do it this year, it'll never happen again, ever.

[Wally Pryor 5236]

3 minutes ago, 'stache said:

I truly believe that our defense will be broken soon, and there is every reason to belive that Ehlinger and your cabal of 4 and 5 star players can figure it out. I'll be on pins and needles until the game is over. 

They're 4 and 5-stars that have been magically coached down to 2 and 3-stars.

You shouldn't lose much sleep over this game. 

[dcar00 14002]

9 minutes ago, 'stache said:

You can force Sanders into turnovers, and Chuba had a fumbling problem earlier this year. I'm also sick of hearing about our defense. I've been beaten to death with our shitty defenses for so long I will refuse to believe it unless it works for an entire season ending with a trophy. I truly believe that our defense will be broken soon, and there is every reason to belive that Ehlinger and your cabal of 4 and 5 star players can figure it out. I'll be on pins and needles until the game is over.This is the year we actually have a chance to win a conference title with OU and Texas already in a hole. If we can't do it this year, it'll never happen again, ever.

said every Texas fan coming into the TCU game.   Hey welcome back again to the show that never ends, come inside, come inside!

but seriously our OL is soft as fresh shit and our D is horrible.  I'd like to think a shootout is good for us but I really think this is something like 35-24 pokes.

Edited October 27, 2020 by dcar00

[UncleCharlie 334]

oSu -3.5

 

If I were a betting man I would take Tejas and the points.  This is gonna be a 31-28ish game and pretty much a coin flip who wins.

['stache 21729]

Also, remember that Yurcich was our OC during Sanders' redshirt year when there were lots of rumors that he might be a bust, so he knows his shortcomings. He also was there for Jim Knowles' (our DC's) first year, so knows some of his strategies, although it has changed pretty drastically since he's gotten to learn how Big 12 offenses work. I'm not saying any of this is a slam dunk, but I am really worried that this is the game you guys bounce back with a win against a "Top 10" team (which is way high for us based on what I've seen).

[oSuJeff97 3435]

22 minutes ago, 'stache said:

I'm also sick of hearing about our defense. I've been beaten to death with our shitty defenses for so long I will refuse to believe it unless it works for an entire season ending with a trophy. I truly believe that our defense will be broken soon, and there is every reason to belive that Ehlinger and your cabal of 4 and 5 star players can figure it out. I'll be on pins and needles until the game is over. This is the year we actually have a chance to win a conference title with OU and Texas already in a hole. If we can't do it this year, it'll never happen again, ever.

Dude I completely understand feeling this way, but the defense is legit.

That doesn't mean they won't have a bad game at some point, and sure it could be Saturday I guess, but they have completely shut down every team we've played.  Iowa State has NFL talent in Purdey, Kolar and Hall and if Spencer Sanders doesn't hand them the ball twice, they probably manage about 10 points against us.  Everyone scoffed at that Tulsa game, but they are obviously a good team with another NFL prospect at QB that is going to put up a lot of points and they didn't do anything either.

The defense has two shut-down corners, two NFL-caliber safeties, a deep and experienced LB crew, and two of the most disruptive pass rushers in the conference. They are good.

It sounds freaking crazy saying this, but the offense is going to be the primary concern for us almost every game. With this defense, the main thing the offense needs to do is NOT HAND THE BALL TO THE OTHER TEAM.  If Sanders goes out there and keeps turning it over 2-3 times a game, every game will be an adventure, no matter how good the defense is.

All of that said, I fully expect Saturday to be a very close game.  If we win, it will probably be because Sanders played a clean game. 

Edited October 27, 2020 by oSuJeff97

[LTtxfan 48823]

In case you are interested:   RJ thinks TEXAS should load up on the run vs the front 7 of Okie Lite...

  Preview: Sam Ehlinger and Texas Longhorns vs Spencer Sanders and No. 6 Oklahoma State Cowboys

[Homercles 10205]

^^^ Sound strategy against Gundy who is always in love with dive, dive, post/go for several drives a game.   He loves to use the run to open the pass, but is stubborn the other way around when the gut runs aren’t going anywhere.  
 

There were times during the ISU game where I saw a pretty serviceable offense utilizing PA and rolling out Sanders, Wallace can catch a a lot of 50/50 balls, and holy shit we actually threw to our TEs.  It wasn’t Weeden calling y-stick up and down the field but it fits within the overall strategy of grinding while having flexibility with clock management.  
 

I won’t put that first pick fully on Sanders, it was a poor decision and the throw was low...but deflections don’t often fall right into a defenders lap like that.  The other one was boneheaded and he tried to do too much that gets us burned like that.  It’s a big problem he needs to work through.  
 

The biggest improvement I saw from the defense is sound tackling and the line can get pressure...plus we aren’t always running that idiotic 3-man front.  They have a ton of experience at this point so I’d expect good discipline in gaps and tackling.  However we haven’t played a team with air-it-out potential like Yurchich (for good or ill) is/was always a fan of. ISU doesn’t fully utilize their WR talent like Texas should be able to.  
 

Overall I’m nervous as a Poke fan on this game too...being ranked top-10 is a function of a weird year and yes Tulsa/ISU are proving to be quality wins, but I get the 2015 feeling all over again where we squeak out close wins but get creamed by teams with an effective offense.  This certainly does feel like a game where Texas realizes its potential and OSU takes their first loss.  

['stache 21729]

RJ Young is a idiot sooner hack. His claim that Sanders and Ehlinger aren't as good as their backups should have given it away. He admits multiple times he hates both UT and OSU. He said we "dodged" Baylor who would have given us troubles (it would likely have been a good game but we would have been heavy favorites and how we "dodged" them based on their covid problems is a ridiculous way to frame it). The first part is pretty fucking obvious. Make Sanders throw and you get him into his INT mode. Duh. I'm glad they finally took him off the radio in Tulsa. He was fucking obnoxious.

[JMFP 1117]

29 minutes ago, 'stache said:

RJ Young is a idiot sooner hack. His claim that Sanders and Ehlinger aren't as good as their backups should have given it away. He admits multiple times he hates both UT and OSU. He said we "dodged" Baylor who would have given us troubles (it would likely have been a good game but we would have been heavy favorites and how we "dodged" them based on their covid problems is a ridiculous way to frame it). The first part is pretty fucking obvious. Make Sanders throw and you get him into his INT mode. Duh. I'm glad they finally took him off the radio in Tulsa. He was fucking obnoxious.

Was that the guy on the sports animal after the morning guys? I concur, I couldn't stand him either.

[Homercles 10205]

Rattler is the same, was a turnover machine but they mature and tend to get better in that regard.  Sanders is injured so much he doesn’t have the requisite 15 games or whatever number Gundy pulls out his ass on that, despite being a sophomore...but that happens to running QBs whether it’s Colt, Zac Robinson, Clint Chelf, RG3, etc.  

 

 

['stache 21729]

22 minutes ago, JMFP said:

Was that the guy on the sports animal after the morning guys? I concur, I couldn't stand him either.

Yeah, he was on at 9 am after the Morning Animals. He was horrible. Not only was he biased and open about it, his style sucked. Completely overexagerated literally everything he said. Trying way too hard. Fuck him.

[LTtxfan 48823]

 

[HRSchenker 2248]

36 minutes ago, JMFP said:

Was that the guy on the sports animal after the morning guys? I concur, I couldn't stand him either.

I think he was the guy who replaced Bob Barry Jr (may he rest in peace). He was the only level headed person on that station that wasn't on his knees for everything OU related 

['stache 21729]

11 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

I think he was the guy who replaced Bob Barry Jr (may he rest in peace). He was the only level headed person on that station that wasn't on his knees for everything OU related 

No, Bob Barry Jr. died a while back, and he was on the OKC Animal I think on a show that was not broadcast in Tulsa. The Tulsa Animal has had a different show at 9am and RJ Young was only on for about a year. It's now being hosted by Mike Steely, who left the Morning Animals a few years ago to head up a morning show on another station that tried to compete with the Sports Animal but recently folded.

[oSuJeff97 3435]

1 hour ago, Homercles said:

I won’t put that first pick fully on Sanders, it was a poor decision and the throw was low...but deflections don’t often fall right into a defenders lap like that.  The other one was boneheaded and he tried to do too much that gets us burned like that.  It’s a big problem he needs to work through.  
 

The biggest improvement I saw from the defense is sound tackling and the line can get pressure...plus we aren’t always running that idiotic 3-man front.  They have a ton of experience at this point so I’d expect good discipline in gaps and tackling.  However we haven’t played a team with air-it-out potential like Yurchich (for good or ill) is/was always a fan of. ISU doesn’t fully utilize their WR talent like Texas should be able to.  
 

Overall I’m nervous as a Poke fan on this game too...being ranked top-10 is a function of a weird year and yes Tulsa/ISU are proving to be quality wins, but I get the 2015 feeling all over again where we squeak out close wins but get creamed by teams with an effective offense.  This certainly does feel like a game where Texas realizes its potential and OSU takes their first loss.  

Yeah the first INT was a bit flukey, as it was off a deflection and they just happened to have a defender right there, but it was still a bad decision. He was trying to force the ball to Wallace in a tiny window when he could have easily run for 6-7 yards.

The second one was interesting because we were running tempo. He had just made a fantastic throw to Brayden Johnson on like a 15-yard out on the previous play. They got up to the line quickly to run the next play on tempo and Johnson ran the same route, Sanders stared him down and tried to make the same throw, except this time the safety had eyes on Sanders, jumped the route and made a great play.  A great play was required to get the INT, but it was still a bad decision.  This is sort of anecdotal, but it does seem to me that Sanders is more apt to make mistakes when we run tempo. I feel like when we do that is when he's decided where the ball is going before the snap a lot of the time.  And yeah it was nice to see the TEs/CBs involved a little more in the passing game... I think a big part of that is that the OL has finally reached the point where they don't need those guys to stay in on pass protection. I don't think we've specifically not involved them in the passing game over the past few years for any other reason other than we needed them in pass protection to keep the QB upright.

As for the defense, I'm pretty sure our base is a 3-man front now, at least in terms of the down linemen. They move Trace Ford and Bundage around a lot and sometimes they are on the LOS but standing. 

ISU may not have the WR talent that Texas does, but Kolar and the other TE (can't recall his name) are TOUGH to handle; and Purdy is fantastic.  I think the biggest strength of the defense is the back end. We have two real shut-down corners in Williams and Bernard-Converse and both safeties are NFL-caliber players.  That allows Knowles to be confident running tons of press/man coverage and then let Ford and Bundage do their things in the pass rush; and having all of that experience at the LB position helps plug any gaps in the middle of the field.

I really do think the outcome of the game rests largely on whether or not Spencer Sanders hands Texas the ball 2-3 times.  Could definitely see this being 28-24 type game either way.

[phdhorn 6224]

OSU controls everything in this one.  If both teams play "as good as they can", they easily win.  The only way they lose is if they shoot themselves in the foot, mostly Sanders, but being a soph he's gotten a lot less quirky.  It's theirs to lose or win.  Of course they could come up looking like shit, but I doubt it.  

I've watched Ford in a couple of games this year, holy shit is he scary.  Best DL I've seen so far on Texas' schedule?  Maybe.

I will never say never in these games because they're the weirdest Texas plays year to year, but I don't see them beating Oklahoma State, who just stuffed the Big XII's best running game and have-an-argument best QB (ISU).  And the matchups greatly put UT smack in OSU's strengths.  The only way we win is for an OSU shit sandwich to emerge on Saturday.

Which can happen easily.  Gunny always has one Mack-worthy collapse (often Bedlam), if not 2 per season.  Maybe this is it.

[Happy Gilmore 1001]

1 hour ago, 'stache said:

Yeah, he was on at 9 am after the Morning Animals. He was horrible. Not only was he biased and open about it, his style sucked. Completely overexagerated literally everything he said. Trying way too hard. Fuck him.

I've watched a few videos recently and he's been tryin to be unbiased but reverts course and goes back to being a dumbass. He's a mod on their 24/7 site to I believe. 

[Zeus 5923]

 

 

[Longboard Horn 40006]

21 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

Tom's Halloween costume

[Longboard Horn 40006]

21 hours ago, CurlyDumps said:

Our poorly coached JAG WR’s won’t be able to get open. Rest of their D will tee off on our shitty run schemes and dysfunctional O line.  We won’t be able to move the ball as Herman spends 3.75 qtrs trying to establish the run.

Just throw the ball to Joshua Moore and we'll be fine. 

[SuperSport 1328]

The UTEP game was the closest thing I've seen to competent football from this group, but every game against a team with a pulse has been a gigantic shit sandwich (Sam's efforts notwithstanding)...nothing more needs to be said about Tech/TCU/OU, but last Saturday should have been a mudhole considering the off week to prepare and Baylor's COVID issues and new coaching staff/scheme learning curve. We saw the exact same issues and still looked like a mid-range (at best) FBS team, zero chance all of that magically goes away in one week. Barring a Gundy/OSU meltdown of epic proportions, I expect a blowout loss this weekend to usher Herman out the door. And that's fair.

[Go Pokes 979]

I don’t think it will be Gundy helping you out with boneheaded decisions. He seems to have rediscovered his fire and is really coaching well this season. But since OSU football was not put on this earth to bring me happiness, I’m going to guess it’s turnovers or the defense spending all week reading how great then are and then lay an egg. Since people really aren’t talking about how great they are that much, I’m going with turnovers to ruin my day.

[satyanash 14237]

(Taylor Estes) The Flagship: Texas' scariest test lies ahead at Oklahoma State

Quote

https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/longhornblitz?selected=CBS5702612649

 

The toughest challenge to-date for Texas is quickly approaching as the Longhorns prepare to hit the road to face No. 6 ranked Oklahoma State this Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. The Cowboys — who are the lone undefeated team left in the Big 12 conference following their 4-0 start to the 2020 season — have handled business against the Longhorns in recent years with Oklahoma State entering Saturday's matchup having won the previous two home games when hosting Texas. Fourth-year head coach Tom Herman and his team will certainly have their hands full when going up against Mike Gundy and the Cowboys, but Texas cannot afford to fail to step up to the challenge after the rocky 3-2 start to the season.

On this week's episode of The Flagship Podcast, Horns247 columnist Chip Brown and managing editor Taylor Estes go in-depth on the Longhorns upcoming road game against an Oklahoma State team that, on paper, appears to have the advantage in several areas over Texas. The hosts weigh in on how much they are buying into the progress the Longhorns showed last weekend against Baylor and where the locker room is with so much noise surrounding the program throughout the first half of the season. Chip and Taylor also discuss Gundy's comments from earlier in the week and how the Cowboys' head coach may have been taking some slight shots at Herman and the Longhorns' early-season misfortunes in mentioning how much talent Texas has on its roster and what, if any, changes he notices from the Longhorns' offense with his former OC Mike Yurcich now involved on Herman's side of the ball.

The Flagship then shifts focus to Love it or Leave it, with this week's topics addressing a potential ego issue brewing with some Longhorns and how it could impact team chemistry, the lack of expected progress from the veteran Texas defense, how much continuity has played a role in Herman's struggles and much more. Texas fans won't want to miss this episode of The Flagship Podcast.

The Flagship Podcast — featuring co-hosts, Horns247 columnist Chip Brown and managing editor Taylor Estes — hits the airwaves multiple times every week, and centers around all the latest happenings surrounding the University of Texas and college athletics, with big-name guests joining the show on a weekly basis.

NOTE: SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR THE 2020 TEXAS FOOTBALL SEASON

Chip and Taylor’s weekly commentary of The Flagship will continue to air every Wednesday, both as an audio version and available on video over at the 247Sports YouTube page, however, Monday’s interview show will now run every Thursday as Texas makes its way through the 2020 college football season. In addition, The Flagship Podcast will also deliver a quick-hitter game reaction show each Monday following a Texas football game this season.

BONUS: While The Flagship is available on a multitude of audio platforms — including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts — it's also available as a video podcast! Head over to 247Sports YouTube for the latest video episodes of The Flagship Podcast! And as always, make sure to subscribe to the Horns247 podcast channel on all platforms to have the latest episodes available to you at all times, and head on over to iTunes and give our Horns247 family of podcasts a five-star rating!

 

[satyanash 14237]

Ian Boyd: Examining the roots of Oklahoma State's defensive breakthrough

Quote

Heading into the 2018 season when Mike Gundy decided to move away from Glenn Spencer it closed a chapter that had gone rather poorly for Oklahoma State football. While the Cowboys had strung together three consecutive 10-win seasons in the “Mason Rudolph throws post routes to James Washington” era, they never beat Oklahoma or won the Big 12. The reason? Defense.

Check out the last 10 years of Oklahoma State defense leading up to today:

The easiest thing to spot here is that Oklahoma State, despite an initial positive blip in 2013, went from regularly fielding strong defenses to match their offenses to falling off a cliff under Glenn Spencer. This year they’ve finally restored their ability to play effective defense. If the offense continues to improve with Spencer Sanders at the helm, this has the makings of being their best team since the 2011 unit.

So what’s the difference? Did Jim Knowles figure out how to stop Big 12 offenses? Are they going to be exposed later in the year? Or is it something else? It’s hard to tease out all the variables, but I think there are some consistent themes worth exploring.

The Bill Young to Glenn Spencer handoff

Bill Young’s defense at Oklahoma State was a straightforward, 4-3 quarters scheme with some fire zones mixed in. They didn’t play press-coverage outside but focused on keeping everything in front of them and attacking up front. It was really fairly similar to what Chris Ash has been tasked with bringing to Texas save for the fact the Pokes didn’t play press-man coverage.

They were decidedly not flashy, focusing on sound, “bend don’t break” defense. They had very solid play at linebacker (which was Spencer’s group). Yet after 2012, Gundy fired Young and promoted Glenn Spencer to the top position because Young was old or something. Initially this looked brilliant as Spencer lead a senior-filled unit in 2013 to the highest heights of modern Cowboy defense.

One of their adjustments was to play more man coverage, which they used to shut down Baylor in Stillwater. If not for their struggles on offense early they might have won the Big 12 rather than Baylor. They helped squash Mack Brown’s comeback run with a 38-13 romp in Austin but came up short at the end of the year in Bedlam, 33-24.

Then everyone graduated on defense and they completely fell apart and never recovered. It’s hard not to believe the loss of Justin Gilbert was the biggest factor here. He was a 6-0, 202 pound no. 4 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft who ran a 4.35 40. In 2013 he had seven interceptions, seven more pass break-ups, and two pick-6s. That earned him a first team All-Big 12 nod, a unanimous All-American placement, and an invitation as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. His replacements would not come close to approaching his athleticism or collegiate accolades.

Spencer had some smart, tough units in the middle post 2013 but they often lacked space force components. They had a few fantastic edge-rushers like Emmanuel Ogbah but never had another Gilbert in the secondary and occasionally had holes at safety as well. After failing for three years in a row to capitalize on Mason Rudolph and James Washington due to a defense that couldn’t hold Lincoln Riley under 50, Mike Gundy finally pulled the plug on Glenn Spencer.

Does Jim Knowles best?

The process Gundy undertook with the next hire was evidently to go find someone who’d shown consistent results without high level recruiting. Obviously that makes a fair amount of sense. How can you expect to recruit at a high level at Oklahoma State? Particularly vis a vis your cross-state rival, Texas, or the Texas private schools with increasing budgets?

What matters is training up units with consistent depth of players with good fundamentals and knowledge of your scheme at all spots. Then of course, you need some strategy for finding great athletes to man the space force positions, same as everywhere else.

Knowles brought a heralded “4-2-5” approach to Stillwater, contrasted with Young and Spencer’s 4-3 which were really 4-2-5’s as well. It turned out what that meant was Knowles would play the nickel/strong/field safety wide of the slot receiver in outside leverage both in his brand of quarters as well as in the cover 3 schemes he maintained from the Spencer era.

In year’s one and two Knowles received “the baptism” on multiple occasions. Kliff Kingsbury, Lincoln Riley, and even Matt Rhule taught him many painful lessons about how in the Big 12, teams play pass-first and look for opportunities to isolate and attack your weakest personnel in space. Often in the vertical passing game.

After a couple of seasons faring no better than Spencer, a breakthrough has happened in 2020. The Cowboys are playing really high level defense of a caliber they haven’t been able to sniff since Gundy fired Young. This happens to coincide with a leap from cornerback Ro Williams, who’s now a fourth year starter for the Cowboys. Check out this two play sequence from the Cowboys against West Virginia:

Play-action and then an RPO both destroyed by the ‘Pokes playing bracket coverage on the slot and press-man coverage on the outside receivers. On the second clip they bring a 5-man pressure, in the first clip it’s just a normal four-man rush with Trace Ford off the edge. The favorite Big 12 offensive strategy is to deploy three receivers and an ancillary (fullback/tight end hybrid) and use the ancillary to suck in defenders on run actions (RPO or play-action) in order to isolate the receivers downfield on defensive backs in space.

Well if the outermost receivers are facing tight man coverage they can’t get quick separation against and the slot is getting bracketed, the RPO game becomes near impossible. The play-action game is a better bet but you might need to buy time for the receiver to execute a move to beat man coverage.

To thwart the play-action game, they often deploy Ford in creative fashions, lining up him as a middle linebacker before bringing him off the edge or through an inside gap. He’s usually rushing the passer but he doesn’t just work off the edge, they move him everywhere. “Crazy Cal” Bundage gets in the action as another mobile blitzing piece in their third down package.

It’s a set-up comparable to what the 2019 Oklahoma Sooners enjoyed when they were playing great defense by bringing pressure up front and then locking down receivers outside thanks largely to a leap from senior, multi-year starting cornerback Parnell Motley similar to what we’re seeing now from Ro Williams.

Here’s the question though...is this Knowles? Or a “Glenn Spencer in 2013” effect where the Cowboys just happen to have positionally sound players in the middle AND space force weapons at the same time for the first time since early in the decade? Spencer had good cornerback coaches like Van Malone, they played man coverage, they brought creative pressure packages, how much has really changed? How much of this is sustainable?

Cornerbacks coach Tim Duffie has been there since 2013 and been coaching the corners in particular since 2015. He’s had a few solid pupils, of which Ro Williams has been one for five years now. Is that success duplicative? Can they turn another good athlete into a lockdown corner with four to five years of experience every year? Or was this a one-off that won’t happen again until the next leap year? In 2021 will we see Oklahoma State fall off while another Big 12 team masters the formula of bringing multi-faceted pressure paired with a senior, lockdown cornerback?

For 2020 the Pokes are in phenomenal shape. The league’s outside receivers this season are not particularly dominant and especially on the teams most effective at protecting their quarterback and throwing it outside. Oklahoma and Texas are both struggling at outside receiver (Texas moreso than OU) and doing more of their damage throwing to slot receivers. Baylor can’t protect or throw outside, ditto Texas Tech. Iowa State lacks great play at outside receiver this year (obviously) and then didn’t even have a slot on the field against the Cowboys. Kansas State is stronger than those teams but starting a freshman quarterback.

It may be Oklahoma State has been able to follow Oklahoma’s 2020 formula in putting together a defense designed to stifle RPO/play-action spread offenses simply due to good timing. They happen to have a collection of strong, veteran tackles, linebackers, and safeties at the same time a senior cornerback put it all together and a 3-star gem pass-rusher (Trace Ford) came into his own. Sometimes all your cycles click at the same time and magic happens.

If I’m Mike Gundy, I don’t particularly care just yet, the championship is in reach...

 

[Hank_Hill 18418]

On 10/27/2020 at 11:29 AM, oSuJeff97 said:

NFL talent in Purdey,

How deep in him is it?

Edited October 28, 2020 by Hank_Hill

[Tex Pete 20121]

On 10/27/2020 at 11:06 AM, 'stache said:

It's true that many of the kids that end up at OSU or KSU or Tech or Baylor or even Arkansas would have loved an offer from Texas and have a chip on their shoulder for being left out. When you are a mid-tier program you need to use whatever motivation you can when facing a blueblood. 

Right. Which is why the coach and players at Texas need to understand that you're getting every team's best shot every week. That is not true of Kansas.

[Zeus 5923]

3 hours ago, Hank_Hill said:

How deep in him is it?

Purdy deep, purdy much balls deep

[Ignatius 3990]

7 hours ago, Tex Pete said:

Right. Which is why the coach and players at Texas need to understand that you're getting every team's best shot every week. That is not true of Kansas.

Can we lose this “We’re Texas” shit as an excuse for why we’ve been mediocre for a decade? We’re not losing because we’re everyone’s Super Bowl, we’re losing because we can’t lead or develop players. Teams can get up for us as much as they do Kansas State and beat us.....

[Poe It Up 126]

I hate Okie State. If they don’t beat us this weekend I’m going to hate them even more. 

[satyanash 14237]

Horns247 Staff: Will a win at Ok State change opinions on Texas?

Quote

Each week, the Horns247 staff tackles the Question of the Week, where we dive in to some of the most pressing topics surrounding the University of Texas. The Longhorns are set for a difficult challenge this weekend when Texas hits to road for Stillwater to face No. 6 ranked Oklahoma State. Tom Herman and his team are currently a 3.5-point underdog to the Cowboys and have lost the last two games on the road at Oklahoma State, including the 2018 meeting when Herman charged onto the field and went after OSU coach Mike Gundy as the game clock expired.

As Texas prepares for one of its toughest test on the 2020 schedule, the Horns247 Question of the Week is … Would a win at Oklahoma State change your opinion about Texas’ season this far?

Bobby Burton, Publisher

In the short term, it might change my opinion, which is currently at its lowest ebb in this head coach’s tenure. But I doubt it would change it for long because the Horns under Tom Herman historically return to the mean. A win this week doesn’t mean anything other than one, single, solitary win. Every upswing with Herman is sure to have a corresponding downswing. If we expect anything other than that, then it’s simply different than what he has done in his first three and a half years. I would like to see Texas stick it to the Cowboys this weekend, but I get the feeling the Pokes and Mike Gundy will be ready.

Chip Brown, Columnist

Unfortunately, the season hit the disappointment category as soon as Texas lost to TCU and then went on tilt after losing to OU the following week. To compound matters, UT's losses came against underwhelming TCU and Oklahoma teams that I didn't consider contenders for the Big 12 title game prior to the season. My preseason pick was for Texas and Oklahoma State to meet in the Big 12 title game. If Texas could win out, including a win in the Big 12 title game, it would change my opinion about the Longhorns' season.

But I said before any games were played that anything short of a Big 12 title game appearance in 2020 would be a disappointment considering the talent UT had returning. Now that the Horns have two losses, it would take winning out to change my opinion of UT's season.

Jeff Howe, Senior writer

It wouldn’t change my opinion on the season as a whole because, given how underwhelming the Big 12 appears to be in 2020, the door was wide open for Texas (with a senior quarterback, a likely first-round pick at left tackle and numerous defensive players who came into the season with starting experience) to break the program’s conference title drought. Even if the Longhorns win on Saturday and proceed to win out, they’re still going to need help to earn one of two tickets to Arlington in December.

There’s no point in discussing Texas as a factor in the College Football Playoff picture, which is a massive disappointment relative to preseason expectations considering that ship sailed by the second weekend in October. The only way I’ll find something redeeming about this season is if the Longhorns win the Big 12 championship and, as of right now, it’s not a given that they even make it to AT&T Stadium for a chance to put a number on the wall.

Taylor Estes, Managing editor

Simple answer: No. Would a win help Texas? Of course, but I would be very surprised if a single win against Oklahoma State will magically change the course of the season. Obviously, I could be wrong about that, and only time will tell whether or not the Longhorns will take matters into their own hands and play the way the team should have been playing all season. But even if Texas wins out and punches a ticket to the Big 12 title game on Dec. 12, the Longhorns would need to also win the conference championship to change my opinion about how much of a disappointment the 2020 season has been for Texas, ESPECIALLY considering how mediocre the Big 12 is as a whole this year.

Mike Roach, Recruiting analyst

Yes it would. While I feel this team is still terribly flawed, a win against Oklahoma State would put Texas right back in the race for the Big 12. The margin of error would be razor thin moving forward, but Texas would effectively get back on track toward the goal of this season.

Nick Harris, Recruiting reporter

It would. This season has been largely a meltdown to this point, but with a much-needed win over Oklahoma State, this team can get right back into Big 12 Championship consideration. This season can only be saved by one thing and that’s a conference title. With three conference losses, that’ll be a tough game to reach. A win wouldn’t completely change my opinion about the season, but it would at least change the trajectory in my mind towards a more positive outlook.

 

[Tex Pete 20121]

2 hours ago, Ignatius said:

Can we lose this “We’re Texas” shit as an excuse for why we’ve been mediocre for a decade? We’re not losing because we’re everyone’s Super Bowl, we’re losing because we can’t lead or develop players. Teams can get up for us as much as they do Kansas State and beat us.....

We don’t suck because teams get up to play us. We suck because the program has been woefully mismanaged, starting with Mack Brown quitting but forgetting to let anyone know. 
 

There is no question, however, that everyone in conference considers us their Super Bowl and our players never match that intensity. Only a fucktard can’t see that. 

[ztejas 43190]

3 hours ago, Poe It Up said:

I hate Okie State. If they don’t beat us this weekend I’m going to hate them even more. 

It would be very Okie Lite of them not to.

[oSuJeff97 3435]

12 hours ago, Poe It Up said:

I hate Okie State. If they don’t beat us this weekend I’m going to hate them even more. 

[phdhorn 6224]

Interesting game.

This is completely this:  Tom's job is absolutely metaphysically gone with a loss* vs. Gundy's best chance ever to get to the CC and outside shot at the playoffs or they might can him later this year.

The Save Your Ass Bowl?

 

(*understood that his next loss will do this anyway so it's inevitable, but THIS loss would do it next week).

Edited October 29, 2020 by phdhorn

['stache 21729]

10 hours ago, Tex Pete said:

There is no question, however, that everyone in conference considers us their Super Bowl and our players never match that intensity. Only a fucktard can’t see that. 

Same for OU and every other blueblood. That's part of the game being a blueblood. You get all the 4 and 5 star players and everyone else gets extra amped to try and beat you.

[satyanash 14237]

(Ian Boyd) Inside the gameplan: Mike Gundy awaits...

Quote

Texas’ trip to Stillwater this weekend is going to be its toughest game of the season. There are a number of difficult games and opponents on the schedule, neither K-State nor Iowa State are a cakewalk for the Longhorns and the Sooners never have less talent as anyone, but Oklahoma State might be the best team in the league. Texas was unfortunate enough to draw them in Stillwater on Halloween night.

Texas only had to play four times in Stillwater in the last decade and they went 2-2 with victories coming courtesy of David Ash in 2012 (41-36) and Daxx Garman in 2014 (28-7). Overall Texas was 3-7 against the Cowboys and Tom Herman moved his own record to 1-2 after beating the ‘Pokes last year in Austin. OSU’s head coach Mike Gundy has had a great decade but this might be his finest team yet. Why? Well beyond the typical array of big time speed at the skill talent positions combined with a quarterback who can throw it outside the numbers or bring 4.5 speed to bear on zone-option paired with a 4.4 running back, this year Oklahoma State can also play defense.

Gundy’s finest

This is the best defensive space force in the league this season. It starts at cornerback where they returned Ro Williams, a now fourth-year starter, who made another leap during the offseason and has been locking down the left side of the field this season. He’s 6-0, 195 pounds and can play press-man coverage or positionally sound cover 3. Iowa State barely even looked his way last weekend, which made life hard given they spent most of the game in 12 personnel with slot receiver Tarique Milton sitting out with injury. Sound familiar?

It is imperative Texas not allow their best receivers on offense to be covered 1-on-1 by Williams. Part two of their space force is on the edge where they bring starting “Leo” end Trace Ford (three sacks, four pass deflections) and also mix in Cal Bundage on third downs (3.5 sacks). When they bring in Bundage on third downs he’ll typically align to the same side as Ford so the two can work twists and stunts together.

The middle of Oklahoma State’s defense is strong, which was expected going into the year. Middle safety Tre Sterling has been very effective this year playing around the box against the run or in coverage. Boundary safety Kolby Harvell-Peel is a middle of the field enforcer. Thomas Harper is solid covering slots. Linebackers Malcolm Rodriguez and Amen Ogbongbemiga might be the class of the league. The emergence of Ro Williams as a press-man, island corner is a catastrophe for the rest of this league because the linebackers and safeties are all experienced veterans.

The defensive line is solid as well, they had some tackles such as Cameron Murray and Colorado transfer Israel Antwine find their legs in 2019 and now they’re playing good football in 2020. There’s nothing easy in the run game, it’s hard to overpower them or find angles because they can involve good run support safeties.

Gundy’s offense is also fairly nightmarish, although we haven’t seen it fully click yet in 2020. The underlying challenge is this, they have tremendous speed at the outside receiver spots, quarterback, and running back, and then a lot of knowhow and experience in the slot and at tight end. Then they have a very strong arm attached to quarterback Spencer Sanders, which allows them to play simple games like this:

There are a couple of impressive dynamics to this design. For instance, Oklahoma State is in 12 personnel with a tight end flexed into the boundary but they still create a ton of space for their best playmakers despite having a pair of blocking “cowboy” backs (their name for TE/FB ancillaries) on the field. Then they run the zone-read with a lead blocker into the wide space of the field and make the alley extra wide by flexing Tylan Wallace all the way out to the numbers ala the Art Briles Baylor Bears.

You have to respect OSU’s outside receivers. Tylan Wallace and Braydon Johnson (the X) will both run 4.5 or better at the combine some day. They both know what they’re doing and Sanders has the arm to hit them on outs, now screens, and vertical shots. Iowa State calls a blitz here hoping to thwart the inside zone blocking scheme and keep the ball contained rather than giving Sanders the chance to pull the ball into the field alley behind a lead blocker.

And then Oklahoma State blocks it, Chuba Hubbard does Chuba Hubbard things, and the Cowboys pick up a big gain. The Cyclones were in a bind all afternoon balancing the desire to stop Wallace from destroying them outside with the need to avoid giving up big runs to Hubbard and Sanders in the box. Hubbard had 25 carries for 139 yards at 5.6 ypc with one score. Sanders added 15 carries for 71 yards at 4.7 ypc with another score. Wallace had five catches for 76 yards and no touchdowns. Not too bad by Iowa State, except now OSU has a defense.

The gameplan

Since the Cowboys had to play freshman quarterback Shane Illingworth to get through their first three games before this one, Mike Gundy has shown the flexibility to be patient with the run game and rely on defense and conservatism to win games. When Sanders tried to throw the Iowa State game away with a pair of picks Gundy “turtled up” some and ran the ball/ran clock while trusting his defense. Essentially like Herman has attempted to do with a weaker run game, weaker defense, and better quarterback.

Texas cannot bring a conservative gameplan and win this game, they have to treat this like the LSU game in 2019 or the Red River Shootout and ask Sam Ehlinger to play hero ball from the HUNH spread. If they try to be the better ground and pound team they will lose. Oklahoma State is the better ground and pound team in 2020. They are better on defense and more explosive both on the ground and in the screen/play-action game.

The Longhorns’ only chance in this game is to embrace their true identity. They need to put the game in the hands of their quarterback, throwing with tempo from 11 personnel with the tight end regularly flexing in and out of the formation. Let’s start with 11 personnel. It’s now becoming obvious to everyone and not just Eric Nahlin that Jared Wiley should be playing virtually every snap, a la Andrew Beck in 2018. There isn’t a better blocker and his ability to be a reliable target in the seams AND muscle to his spots when flexed wide is invaluable to this offense.

Another obvious truth to the 2020 Texas Longhorns is that Josh Moore is the team’s best and most consistent receiver. Perhaps Jake Smith could be if not for hamstring issues, God only knows what Jordan Whittington could be if he was consistently healthy enough to develop at a single position. Everyone at receiver for Texas is at their best when they’re working from the slot and not facing man coverage from a defense’s best athletes. They don’t really have anyone who can command safety attention outside, not even Moore, so it’s imperative they rely on other measures.

Texas needs to move Josh Moore inside to slot receiver against Oklahoma State. They can sub Jake Smith in there or at Z and use Brenden Schooler, Tarik Black, and Brennan Eagles as the other outside receivers. Whoever draws Ro Williams will effectively be erased and Texas cannot afford for erasure to happen to Josh Moore. Mike Yurcich and Tom Herman need to draw up as many schemes as possible designed to utilize Moore as a deep threat target from the slot, such as the slot-fade from Y-stick they ran in the last two games of 2019 to great effect before tossing them back on the shelf.

Or schemes designed to ignore the far receiver and run patterns as though the outer slot is the outside receiver. Make the Oklahoma State nickel safety be their ace corner tasked with manning up Moore in space with a two-way go rather than allowing Ro Williams and the sideline to check him.

There are ways to scheme up opportunities between the hash marks using the slot receivers from spread sets without trying to force the issue outside. Yes, Texas can get 1-on-1 opportunities for their outside receivers, but if they couldn’t do real damage with them against Texas Tech, Oklahoma, or Baylor they certainly will not against Oklahoma State. But if they can get 1-on-1 shots throwing to the slot against the OSU safeties, now you’re in business.

From there they need to use tempo to set up the running game and to hurry into position on third down. You can’t give OSU a chance to sub into their third down package or they will destroy this offensive line. I don’t see much reason to mix in either 12 or 10 personnel. Texas needs to stay in 11, use tempo all game, and try to set up deep shots down the field throwing to slot receivers, particularly Josh Moore.

Let Ro Williams lock down the grad transfers or flex the running back wide and let him cover them. Texas can work the middle of the field with throws to the slot and Sam Ehlinger scrambles. If Ehlinger’s not throwing for 300+ and rushing for 50+ then Texas doesn’t have a great chance. They can’t win this game with the traditional rushing attack unless it comes from popping a few big runs by using tempo.

Then there’s the defense of the Cowboys offense. Chris Ash has made clear this season his approach is based on playing sound, base defense while mixing in occasional blitzes to attack opponents with Texas’ athleticism up front. If they didn’t have anything particularly unique drawn up for Oklahoma I wouldn’t expect anything crazy against Oklahoma State either.

This is a good time to note Mike Gundy’s staff, coming off a bye week in 2018, originated the blueprint for beating Texas. Oklahoma later followed in the Big 12 title game and then TCU used it in the second half of 2019 to pick off Sam Ehlinger multiple times. The blueprint was to play 2-man coverage (man coverage with a half field safety over the top) on the H and X when Texas would play their slot (either LJ Humphrey or Devin Duvernay) in the boundary, use the extra safety in the deep middle or against the run game, and then play zero-man (man coverage with no deep safety) on the tight end and Z receiver flexed to the field.

That sort of matchup-based approach will eventually define defenses and is where Ash and Texas should be heading, but today is about mastering modern defense 101. The biggest challenge for Texas will be trying to cover up Tylan Wallace in press-man outside. They’ll probably at least give it a go, it’s going to be hard trying to stop Oklahoma State’s zone-option schemes without generous safety help for the linebackers.

I think it’s safe to assume Texas will employ the spur very aggressively in the run game in an attempt to control the zone-option plays. They can’t stop the OSU run game with just the linebackers in wide alleys created by extra wide receiver splits. They’ll utilize the spur aggressively near the box and hope the free safety and corners can hold up against the OSU slot and outside receivers.

In doing so perhaps they get beat for a long score or two but otherwise stall out the Cowboy drives and prevent the score from getting away from them. In this defense it all rides on the field safety being able to close and tackle on underneath screens and then hang tight when the defense runs play-action and sends the slot deep. If this defense works, and Texas gives Ehlinger enough to work with inside in the passing game, Texas can hang with Oklahoma State and even win. If loading the box still doesn’t stop the OSU run game and/or they get beat over the top multiple times by Tylan Wallace and friends, then they may never be in this game.

This is one of the most uniquely difficult challenges Texas has faced under Tom Herman. They’ve been able to scrap and hang with good Big 12 teams in the past and avoid a crushing, blowout defeat. However, they’ve never faced a team with a top 15 defense (per FEI) AND a competent and even explosive offense. Consider his ranked opponents over the years and bear in mind Oklahoma State’s 2020 offensive numbers are understated because Sanders has been on the bench.

He’s 8-9 with some win padding achieved against overmatched opponents and favorable matchups in the bowl games. Herman has faced three Big 12 teams with top 25 defenses, the 2017 TCU Horned Frogs, the 2018 TCU Horned Frogs, and the 2019 Baylor Bears. He went 1-2 against those opponents and the sole victory came against an atrocious TCU offense that committed four turnovers.

Only the Bears had a higher ranked defense than these Cowboys and they didn’t have anywhere near as good of an offense. This is something more akin to facing the 2018 West Virginia Mountaineers with 2017 TCU’s defense. This will need to be Herman’s finest game yet.

Joseph Cook: Joshua Moore could be Texas' answer to OSU's man coverage

Quote

One of the hallmarks of Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ defense in 2020 is man coverage. One of the points of emphasis Texas head coach Tom Herman presented in his most recent press setting was beating man coverage, something he admitted his team has struggled with this season. How does Texas solve this problem? The answer may be Joshua Moore.

Moore, listed at 6-foot-1, 169 pounds on the official UT roster, is Texas’ leading receiver through five games with 21 catches for 328 yards and six touchdowns, including several receptions requiring leaps over defenders on downfield passes. “I’m a competitor,” Moore said following the Longhorns’ 27-16 win over Baylor. “I look at when the ball is in the air, it’s my ball. I just let my athletic ability take over from there.”

His leaping ability is nothing new, and it is a tool he has used since his time at Yoakum High School. Moore won the 2018 UIL 3A long jump championship with a 23-foot, 2.75-inch jump, but the visual of Moore leaping over two defenders during a scrimmage in high school better illustrates the elevation Moore can achieve.

Texas fans have waited several years for the Class of 2018 wide receiver to make his mark. His freshman year was cut short by a shoulder injury. He was suspended from games during his sophomore year after an arrest for weapons charges prior to the 2019 season. He served his suspension, and before the 2020 season earned a starting role at the Z, or field, wide receiver position in the UT offense. On the very first offensive snap of the season, Moore finally realized what had been two years of potential, taking a Sam Ehlinger pass 72 yards for a touchdown versus UTEP.

Since then, Moore has hauled in a touchdown reception in every game save TCU. When he is targeted by Ehlinger, it is usually for big yardage. Moore is averaging 15.6 yards per catch and averaged 22.5 yards per catch in Texas’ most recent game versus Baylor. One of those receptions came as the result of a downfield jump ball from Ehlinger, when Moore used his explosive leaping ability to grab.

“For a guy that’s 6-foot, 175 pounds, he can contort his body and go get his jump balls as good as we’ve had around here in a while,” Herman said Monday. “I’m glad he’s playing the way that he’s playing.” Herman’s words are high praise considering 6-foot-6 Collin Johnson and 6-foot-4 Lil’Jordan Humphrey made several big plays thanks to their own leaping ability during his tenure. It also speaks to just how “twitched-up” Moore is, to borrow a term from Herman.

Moore will need to use that twitch when facing Oklahoma State on Saturday. As an outside receiver, one of the Cowboys three main cornerbacks of Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Rodarius Williams, and Christian Holmes will be in his face on a consistent basis. It’s a challenge Longhorns offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich can assist with using crossers and other ‘man-beater’ routes, but it is on Moore and other UT receivers to overcome the OSU defenders across from them.

“We’ve worked real hard on one-on-ones leading up to this ballgame all year long,” Yurcich said Wednesday. “It’s a very important part of practice for us. Our guys are looking forward to the challenge, and it’s going to be exactly that. It’s going to be a challenge, and one we eagerly anticipate.” Moore said he was a competitor. He will have a chance to show it on Saturday, and Texas’ chances of winning hinge in part on Moore’s ability to win the down-by-down competition against the cornerback.

 

[BrazilHorn 6575]

While I cannot "root for a loss" I can say that if OSU hangs a "Rout 66" style beat down on Texas this Saturday I will raise a glass of bourbon towards the Tower and let the warmth of the drink hit my stomach as a shit eating grin comes across my face.

Then I will eagerly hit refresh on this site to see if TH was left on the tarmac in Stillwater and told he could fly his ass on Southwest to come home only to have him find out when he tries to board that Gary Kelly has issued a "no fly" notice for Herman. Herman sullenly walks away from the gate, tears rolling down his cheeks as he realizes he is now and truly fucked.

[satyanash 14237]

 

[oSuJeff97 3435]

1 hour ago, BrazilHorn said:

While I cannot "root for a loss" I can say that if OSU hangs a "Rout 66" style beat down on Texas this Saturday I will raise a glass of bourbon towards the Tower and let the warmth of the drink hit my stomach as a shit eating grin comes across my face.

 

Well I can tell you this... if OSU does win convincingly (which I don't expect at all), it won't be of the "Rout 66" variety.  Our offense just isn't that explosive.  I mean, I guess if Texas turns it over like 5 times maybe.... but with this offense and the way the playcalling has gone, a "convincing" win might be something like 31-10.  If we do somehow get like a two-score lead, Gundy will turtle up and start running the ball every play.

I'm still thinking it's going to be something like 28-24 either way with the team that limits turnovers winning.

[Funk Doctor Spock 11850]

I've reached total apathy. I'll watch, but I may check out other games. I just no longer care. This feeling sucks. 

[Tex Pete 20121]

18 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Same for OU and every other blueblood. That's part of the game being a blueblood. You get all the 4 and 5 star players and everyone else gets extra amped to try and beat you.

I didn't say a word about OU or any other blueblood. We currently have a coach who doesn't believe in momentum. Mack Brown consistently treated even the OU game as just another game and we consistently got our asses kicked because of it. Mack also never understood that teams like Arkansas hate us more than they love themselves, and Kansas State regularly whipped our asses for similar reasons.

Emotion is a huge part of the game. We have more talent than all the teams in our conference, maybe outside of OU, but we have consistently failed to account for the motivation teams have to beat us. That chip players have on their shoulders causes them to give extra effort. I couldn't give a fuck less about what OU does. They have won conference championship after conference championship because we can't get ready to destroy our opponent every week regardless of who it is.

Our conference record under TH:

OU     1-4

TCU   1-3

OSU   1-2

ISU     2-1

WVU  2-1

TTU  3-1

BU    3-1

KSU  3-0

KU   3-0

 

[LTtxfan 48823]

3 hours ago, oSuJeff97 said:

 

[CycleTex87 2952]

Weird stuff happens on Halloween road games.  Used to be it was in Lubbock, but Stillwater works too.

[Homercles 10205]

I know I’m not the only Poke fan who feels like this is the game the where’s come off 

[LTtxfan 48823]

SI picks Okie Lite to win by 14pts...

[Homercles 10205]

That’s nice.  SI can still suck a load of Stoops docks after the Thayer Evans hit piece 

[satyanash 14237]

 

[Vito Andolini 9067]

Will we get Tim “Its got Electrolytes in it!” Brando and Spencer Trollman in the booth? 

Just need to make sure my mute button works. I’m sure I’ll be pissed enough by what transpires on the field (but maybe not?

(OK, just checked Brando’s twatter feed, and he’s in Lubbock. We get Joe Davis and mellow Brock Huard.)

Edited October 30, 2020 by Vito Andolini

[phdhorn 6224]

17 minutes ago, satyanash said:

 

To add insult to injury, they selected a pic of Chubba breaking away from the Texas defense, which seems to be running into each other..  LOL, maybe coulda used another shot right here?

Edited October 30, 2020 by phdhorn