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Tom "the turtle" Herman [Lame Duck or greatest 5d chess player ever?]


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15 hours ago, mr. littlejeans said:
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As usual, Tom Herman knew better than the rest of us.

He always has. From the month he stepped on campus as head coach at Texas, it became plainly obvious there was no reason to question the credentials of anyone he chose to hire or the caliber of anyone he chose to play, because most of us simple-minded folk cannot even dream of comprehending all of the subtle intricacies that go into such decisions.

And so it should have come as no surprise that the ignorant, unsophisticated football-watching public completely misconstrued what happened to Herman's Longhorns in their season-opening loss to Maryland on Saturday, when what appeared to be the latest in a long line of UT humiliations was actually nothing of the sort.

Silly us. We are so naïve, so painfully uninformed, that we thought we were watching a team as unprepared to start Herman's second season as it was to start its first. Dummies that we are, we assumed that a flurry of bone-headed penalties and a rash of late-game turnovers were signs of a squad that remains as sloppy and as undisciplined as ever, but the truth is we just did not understand how much the Longhorns had improved.

Thankfully, Herman was gracious enough to break it down for the reporters covering the game in Landover, Maryland, and thereby set a country full of mouth-breathing college football watchers straight.

Sure, it might have seemed like the Longhorns made all the same mistakes they did last year, and that the offense showed no signs of progress from a season in which it ranked as one of the worst in the Big 12, but that's only because we did not notice any of the details Herman and his staff did.

"We saw a lot of development," Herman said. "I wouldn't say we failed in that area."

And although we know-nothings might have assumed it might be a unnerving to lose a second consecutive opener to a moribund program that had spent the last month mired in a scandal, and was playing for an interim head coach, and had not beaten any ranked team aside from UT in 22 tries dating to 2011, it's actually no big deal.

After all, when Herman was asked by some knee-jerk journalist to describe how big a setback the defeat was for a program that wants so desperately to be taken seriously again that it made "Prove Us Right" the team motto, he answered, "Not very."

After all, can't the world see how right the wise John Mackovic was when he referred to such temporary embarrassments as "a blip on the radar screen?"

The general public just has no perspective. Fans watch a team suffer a loss like Saturday's, which flukishly included a bunch of the symptoms of six losses last fall, and they trick themselves into seeing the continuation of a trend.

That nonsense makes Herman shake his head.

"A lot of people are going to want to say this feels a lot like last year," Herman said. "It doesn't to me."

What the rest of us need to realize is that Vince Lombardi was wrong. Winning isn't the only thing. And Bill Parcells misspoke when he said a team is what its record says it is.

Sometimes, all that matters is how good the team thinks it is. And the outside world just needs to trust the coach on that.

"We know how much better we are now than we were probably at any point last year," Herman said. "We didn't show it in the first quarter and the fourth quarter."

Minor details, those. Second-guessing anything that happens during pivotal moments in the game — which quarterback Herman uses, which plays the team runs, etc. — is pointless, just as it was to second-guess the decisions Herman made way back when he was just starting at UT.

Some of us remember the reception he got when he hired Tim Beck as offensive coordinator, despite a bit of a lackluster track record, and when he hired Casey Horny as a quality control assistant, despite his longtime association with a Baylor staff apparently unaware of what was happening in its own program.

Herman's message back then was clear. He knew better than the rest of us.

And clearly, he still does. He surely realizes that UT fans never should have expected a national contender to come anytime soon, anyway. After all, over the past 34 years, the Longhorns have finished as many seasons unranked as they have in the Top 25.

That decade-long streak of success to start the Mack Brown era? That was the outlier, not the norm.

Despite what many Longhorns continue to believe, winning football games is not their birthright. They need to realize all of this is far more complicated than it looks.

And they need to admit that when it comes to believing their own eyes or the guy who knows better, well, the choice is obvious. [/spoiler]

fucking mensa.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texas-sports-nation/college/article/Finger-Tom-Herman-still-smarter-than-rest-of-us-13199580.php

disgusting.  repped for the post.

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I have no doubt Tom Herman is a very very intelligent guy.  Why do I not have that doubt? Because he is falling victim to the same trap so many highly highly intelligent people fall victim to.  They are always always always playing chess and they are overly certain of their plan.  Analyzing things like "well I've said we need to win the game by doing a,b, and c.  But today it looks like we could win the game doing d. Will the press and fanbase doubt me because I didn't do it the way I said I would?  Will I be viewed as less of a genius because my plan wasn't foolproog?  No, No calm down Tom I'm sure the way I had it planned will work .Ok so let's keep doing a,b and c because I KNOW that's how we are going to win."

Grinding every little decision like that out over and over and missing the forest for the trees of....just win.

Sometimes you need a checkers player who will jump a motherfucker.   

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I have no doubt Tom Herman is a very very intelligent guy.  Why do I not have that doubt? Because he is falling victim to the same trap so many highly highly intelligent people fall victim to.  They are always always always playing chess and they are overly certain of their plan.  Analyzing things like "well I've said we need to win the game by doing a,b, and c.  But today it looks like we could win the game doing d. Will the press and fanbase doubt me because I didn't do it the way I said I would?  Will I be viewed as less of a genius because my plan wasn't foolproog?  No, No calm down Tom I'm sure the way I had it planned will work .Ok so let's keep doing a,b and c because I KNOW that's how we are going to win."
Grinding every little decision like that out over and over and missing the forest for the trees of....just win.
Sometimes you need a checkers player who will jump a motherfucker.   
Sounds like he's autistic and doesn't deal with sudden change well.
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1 minute ago, Pam Cummings said:

OK so i know maryland sucked ass last year but didn't all their QBs die after they beat Texas?

 

Also if Herman doesn't get rid of Tim Beck he will not make it in Austin.

Maryland does not suck.

 

But that ought to be irrelevant. The turtles are a 7-5 team at best, and Texas ought to be beating those teams, usually comfortably. Not having their shit pushed in by mediocre teams, even on the road.

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Just now, Walden Ponderer said:

Maryland does not suck.

 

But that ought to be irrelevant. The turtles are a 7-5 team at best, and Texas ought to be beating those teams, usually comfortably. Not having their shit pushed in by mediocre teams, even on the road.

We did not have our shit pushed in by Maryland. We had our own fist up our ass.

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Just now, Sejjr said:

We did not have our shit pushed in by Maryland. We had our own fist up our ass.

Fair enough. Boyd makes that pick, it's a different game. No hands to the face, it's a different game. Pick a half dozen other "own goals" and it's a different game. This team clearly beat the crap out of itself.

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20 minutes ago, Sejjr said:

I also despise the arrogant “hot hand” comment. If you are really riding the hot hand, then why bench the only RB who has averaged over 6 ypc since Foreman was here?

Maybe it’s the same reason he essentially ran a guy off the team last year who happens to be the leading rusher in the NFL preseason this year. 

 

Tom Herman hates productivity from the RB position? Who the fuck knows.

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1 minute ago, South Austin said:

Asking "why?" is the second dumbest.

I mean, you really think we are better off with this assclown / poser as coach than we would be with Traylor running the show and Maddox / Sterlin still running the offense? 

 

If you disagree, fine, but show your work. Tell me why. 

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2 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

Why? 

 

Shut the fuck up.  You are tremendous fucking tool with this Jeff Traylor bit....and I like Traylor.  But you in here talking about the University of Fucking Texas hiring a HS coach with no college HC or hell even true proven coordinator experience under his belt is so over the line of stupid you can't even see the fucking line you hack.

 

Seriously...go staple your hands to your face.

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1 hour ago, Disco Missile said:

I think the development is coming. It's not a one year deal and historically when coaches have a quick turn around, it's because there is raw material to work with. 

Mack left Charlie an unbalanced*, mediocre roster with some talent on the DL and at RB. Charlie left Tom an unbalanced, mediocre roster with some talent at LB and CW55. The turnover has also caused some talented players to punch out early and inhibited buy-in.

It's pretty obvious we don't have a lot of team speed. We're doing well at RB and at DB, but beyond that pickings are pretty slim.

Here's what I think is our biggest shortcoming: DL. Mack understood the importance of DL recruiting and in all his years we never had a problem with our front 4. Elite talent there covers up a lot of blemishes in the college game. But the last good Mack D lineman left after Charlie's first year and we haven't had an elite D line since.

Herman needs to start there. You can't hope for an elite program in college without an elite defensive front.

the fact that he continues to employ oscar giles to recruit this position shows that he does not understand this.

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1 hour ago, williemackgarza said:

The problem is we arent developing our players.
Hands squad looked the most improved, ehlinger had a clean pocket on lots of plays. That never happened last year. These flat footed running plays have to go away. Let the RB pound some people.
Wasnt porter like 3-4 string on the depth chart, yet games on the line and whos out there?
But damn sam, i really rooted for the kid, makes stupid decisions that just cant be coached away.

Im not buying our players suck, shit Maryland worked us with shitty 2-3 star guys that were coached up.
Even the true frosh mocked us on his long TD. No one got pissed and returned the favor.
Herman is plain shit. Didnt wanna believe it, but after year 1 I kinda felt it in my bones. Yesterday just confirmed it.
OU must be licking there chops waiting to pounce on that ass

Maryland recruiting:

2015-- #47.  2 (4*).  15 (3*). 1 (2*)

2016--  #41.  3 (4*).  12 (3*)

2017-- #18.  8 (4*).   14 (3*)

2018--  #28.  4 (4*).  20 (3*)

                       17 (4*).  61 (3*)   1 (2*)

Texas recruiting

2015-- #18. 1 (5*). 12 (4*).  12 (3*)

2016. #7.                 17 (4*).  11 (3*)  1 (2*)

2017  #25                 6 (4*)     11 (3*)

2018   #3    2 (5*)   17 (4*)    9 (3*)

        3 (5*)    52 (4*)    43 (3*)   1 (2*)

now we know the services aren't always right, but UT has recruited more higher rated players and it's not even close   

 

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5 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

I mean, you really think we are better off with this assclown / poser as coach than we would be with Traylor running the show and Maddox / Sterlin still running the offense? 

 

If you disagree, fine, but show your work. Tell me why. 

We can use hindsight to question the Herman hire, but unfortunately we didn't have clairvoyance back in 2016.

But even if at that time you didn't think Texas should hire another guy who coached for a couple years at a mid-major, under no circumstances does the University of Texas hire as a head coach someone who (1) has never been a head coach in college or the NFL, or (2) never been a coordinator in college or the NFL.  And other than helping land a few good recruits, what the fuck did Jeff Traylor do in his two years as a position coach at Texas that makes you think he was ready to ascend to the head coaching position and in charge of every facet of the industrial machine that is the University of Texas football program?

I can't believe I'm having to explain this to you.

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10 minutes ago, Treefidy said:

Maryland recruiting:

2015-- #47.  2 (4*).  15 (3*). 1 (2*)

2016--  #41.  3 (4*).  12 (3*)

2017-- #18.  8 (4*).   14 (3*)

2018--  #28.  4 (4*).  20 (3*)

                       17 (4*).  61 (3*)   1 (2*)

Texas recruiting

2015-- #18. 1 (5*). 12 (4*).  12 (3*)

2016. #7.                 17 (4*).  11 (3*)  1 (2*)

2017  #25                 6 (4*)     11 (3*)

2018   #3    2 (5*)   17 (4*)    9 (3*)

        3 (5*)    52 (4*)    43 (3*)   1 (2*)

now we know the services aren't always right, but UT has recruited more higher rated players and it's not even close   

 

Please tell me our one 2 star was Michael Dickson. 

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15 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

Maryland is average at best.  A team that has the edge players to stop that jet sweep and a running game will skull fuck them.  

Texas is also average at best, that is why the score was so close and total yardage almost identical 

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48 minutes ago, CurlyDumps said:

Quick poll: how many power 5 schools started their first offensive play of the season with a delay of game and an equipment malfunction?  

This offensive coaching staff is flat out fucking incompetent, down to the fucking equipment manager.  Just a total parade of douchebags, sycophants, and yes men.

I believe the delay of game was a nod to Maryland’s deceased player. Maryland took the first play without a lineman, I believe Herman did the delay in respect. 

Maryland had iirc three players removed for the new knee Iad rule. Michigan and ND did too. It’s a stupid-ass rule.

I’ll trash this staff all day but those items aren’t why.

Edited by The Ace of Aces
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14 minutes ago, South Austin said:

We can use hindsight to question the Herman hire, but unfortunately we didn't have clairvoyance back in 2016.

But even if at that time you didn't think Texas should hire another guy who coached for a couple years at a mid-major, under no circumstances does the University of Texas hire as a head coach someone who (1) has never been a head coach in college or the NFL, or (2) never been a coordinator in college or the NFL.  And other than helping land a few good recruits, what the fuck did Jeff Traylor do in his two years as a position coach at Texas that makes you think he was ready to ascend to the head coaching position and in charge of every facet of the industrial machine that is the University of Texas football program?

I can't believe I'm having to explain this to you.

If I remember correctly his job was to be Tight Ends/Special Teams Coach under Strong. That worked out well.

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9 years later and everything is still the coaches fault with you guys. Reminds me why I left this place. People can’t see that it’s much deeper than coaching, it’s cultural. We had 2 real great runs in our history. Other than that we’ve underachieved. Same story with Michigan. The parallels between them and tOSU/ and us with OU are scarily similar. One team wants it more from the very top all the way down to the students. The arrogance and obsession with academic prestige and progressive cultural climate are not conducive to winning titles. OU and tOSU have a win at all costs mentality. Not saying I’d want that for us, that’s silly. But I truly believe that that’s what explains their football superiority. The older I get the more obvious it seems.

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4 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

I believe the delay of game was a nod to Maryland’s deceased player. Maryland took the first play without a lineman, I believe Herman did the delay in respect. . M

I’ll trash this staff all day but those items aren’t why.

LO FUCKING L 

Edited by NorthLoop
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1 minute ago, TheFlyingBoat said:

If I remember correctly his job was to be Tight Ends/Special Teams Coach under Strong. That worked out well.

It was, and other than having a rock star of a punter, our special teams and tight end production his two years was for shit.

And I don’t care if Traylor is one of the nicest guys on the planet and a recruiting ace, no way does the University of Texas retain—much less elevate to head coach—any member of the coaching staff for the worst era in Texas history.

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38 minutes ago, Surly Bevo said:

I have no doubt Tom Herman is a very very intelligent guy.  Why do I not have that doubt? Because he is falling victim to the same trap so many highly highly intelligent people fall victim to.  They are always always always playing chess and they are overly certain of their plan.  Analyzing things like "well I've said we need to win the game by doing a,b, and c.  But today it looks like we could win the game doing d. Will the press and fanbase doubt me because I didn't do it the way I said I would?  Will I be viewed as less of a genius because my plan wasn't foolproog?  No, No calm down Tom I'm sure the way I had it planned will work .Ok so let's keep doing a,b and c because I KNOW that's how we are going to win."

Grinding every little decision like that out over and over and missing the forest for the trees of....just win.

Sometimes you need a checkers player who will jump a motherfucker.   

I'm starting to realize that TH isn't playing 4-D chess with a couple of extra queens on his side.Either that, or he's setting up USC, TCU, OU (twice), WVU, KSU, et al with a serious rope-a-dope, long-game strategy play.

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4 minutes ago, NorthLoop said:

LO FUCKING L 

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/9/1/17808960/jordan-mcnair-maryland-death-penalty

Herman & Co have no idea how to run an offense. Maybe they can’t even get a scripted play in on time for the first snap. But it seemed a little weird at the game, they weren’t scrambling or anything to hurry it up. 

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11 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

I believe the delay of game was a nod to Maryland’s deceased player. Maryland took the first play without a lineman, I believe Herman did the delay in respect. 

Maryland had iirc three players removed for the new knee Iad rule. Michigan and ND did too. It’s a stupid-ass rule.

I’ll trash this staff all day but those items aren’t why.

Uh where did you get the idea we purposely took a delay of game? 

 

Edit: just saw the article above. 

Edited by SubliminalHorn
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Ya'll seem confused.

MD got the ball first, did their missing man thing, took the delay instead of snapping the ball missing a lineman and we were on board and cool with that and declined the penalty.  That was good shit.

 

Texas got the ball after letting MD fuck them in the face down the field for a quick TD and proceeded to get a delay of game penalty before they ran one play from scrimmage on the season.  That was incompetency at the highest level.  

Edited by Surly Bevo
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4 minutes ago, SubliminalHorn said:

Uh where did you get the idea we purposely took a delay of game? 

 

Edit: just saw the article above. 

2 different delays.  Marylands delay was intentional, ours definitely was not.  Ours was due to an equipment malfunction according to the broadcast. 

** and again...

Edited by Treefidy
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5 minutes ago, The Ace of Aces said:

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/9/1/17808960/jordan-mcnair-maryland-death-penalty

Herman & Co have no idea how to run an offense. Maybe they can’t even get a scripted play in on time for the first snap. But it seemed a little weird at the game, they weren’t scrambling or anything to hurry it up. 

I think that’s actually a rule change for this year to have the play clock start after kickoff right? Maybe they just didn’t realize or remember that?

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Here's a question or two:

Does Herman (most coaches) read what's being written about him (them)? Did he know in the third quarter that the RB who averaged 6ypc in the first half was sitting on the bench, or is he too busy trying to decide whether or not to call a time out? Does he need a bench coach standing beside him to whisper in his ear, "hey, I realize you're a fucking numbers nerd, but you should be thinking about blah blah blah"?

 

Is he gonna sit down with Beck and ask him why in the fuck was Porter in there at crunch time, and then tell him that he ought to consider reordering his priorities about why someone plays and why they sit - for example, just because a guy doesn't fumble, it doesn't mean he should be on the field when you are losing. Instead, get someone who produces out there. Someone who breaks tackles, who turns nothing into something?

 

Does he read the riot act to Beck, or does he calmly tell him that we need to do better?

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5 minutes ago, Irish Wrist Watch said:

Here's a question or two:

Does Herman (most coaches) read what's being written about him (them)? Did he know in the third quarter that the RB who averaged 6ypc in the first half was sitting on the bench, or is he too busy trying to decide whether or not to call a time out? Does he need a bench coach standing beside him to whisper in his ear, "hey, I realize you're a fucking numbers nerd, but you should be thinking about blah blah blah"?

 

Is he gonna sit down with Beck and ask him why in the fuck was Porter in there at crunch time, and then tell him that he ought to consider reordering his priorities about why someone plays and why they sit - for example, just because a guy doesn't fumble, it doesn't mean he should be on the field when you are losing. Instead, get someone who produces out there. Someone who breaks tackles, who turns nothing into something?

 

Does he read the riot act to Beck, or does he calmly tell him that we need to do better?

Herman is not going to do shit because he thinks he is smarter than everyone else.

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1 hour ago, Tailgate said:

Don't be so surprised by the latest Texas loss to Maryland

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/big12/2018/09/01/texas-losing-maryland-second-time-should-surprise/1176731002/

Another year, another season-opening loss to Maryland. Don’t look so surprised.

This one is worse for Tom Herman and Texas, however, since last year’s dud in the opener could be attributed in part to the Longhorns’ offseason coaching change. There are no such excuses for Saturday’s loss to a Maryland team fresh off a horrid offseason playing without its head coach.

Earlier this spring, the Terrapins were rocked by the on-field death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair, who died while participating in drills conducted by the program’s strength and conditioning staff.

Last month, a bombshell report linked Maryland’s coaching staff to a toxic culture of fear and intimidation. In the wake of that report, the university fired several staff members and placed head coach DJ Durkin on leave. Durkin’s future remains in doubt.

So that’s the backdrop to Saturday’s victory. Only in comparison did Texas resemble a well-oiled machine. Looks can be deceiving.

With interim coach Matt Canada at the controls, the Terrapins took a 24-7 lead in the second quarter before Texas cut the lead to 24-22 heading into halftime. After a long weather delay, Maryland clinched a 34-29 win after intercepting Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger with less than two minutes left.

The Longhorns were outgained by Maryland, if just by a hair. They committed three turnovers to Maryland’s none. Texas accounted for more than 100 penalty yards. In total, the Texas offense converted just three times on third down.

“We know how much better we are now than we were probably at any point last year,” Herman said postgame. “We didn't show it in the 1st quarter and the 4th quarter.”

Texas is back, in a way, since the Texas of this decade is the sort of program that loses to Maryland. Whether Herman, Charlie Strong or the latter years of the Mack Brown era, the Longhorns are defined by massive expectations and underwhelming results.

Of Maryland’s five wins against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents since Oct. 26, 2016, two have come against the Longhorns. Remember when Kansas beat Texas in 2016? That happened. Google it.

Why was this year supposed to be different? That the Longhorns found a home in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll was ridiculous. Texas hadn’t earned that right. List the teams more deserving of a spot in the Top 25 – Northwestern, South Carolina, Oregon, so on. Texas isn’t even the best team in Texas.

A more reasoned set of expectations asked for something simple: improvement. Better performances against the weak part of its schedule. Turning at least one of last year’s narrow losses, such as single-possession defeats against Southern California, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, into narrow wins.

The expectations in place heading into the opener were unfair, but such is life at Texas. It was always inevitable that at some point, the Longhorns would reveal their true colors. If it comes at all, a push into New Year’s Six bowl consideration won’t happen until 2019 at the earliest.

The point is that this is disappointing, but it shouldn’t be surprising. Losing to Maryland last year wasn’t embarrassing. It was just Texas. It was the same story on Saturday.

The obligatory image for the last several years!

-kJhYnsp53BuBREIykSE3Wd1yP2qpwXuM867cjMy

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stop stop stop. money buys coaches and coaches develop players. we havent got our moneys worth in years. We are the joke of the college football world or havent you heard of the "texas is back" ridicule.  

 

We need to all stop sugar coating this bullshit and put people that win games, YES THE RIGHT WAY. But fucking win the games god damnit

This crap is getting old

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3 hours ago, NowThis said:

for lulz, odds to win national title (b4 yesterday)

 

Alabama 2/1
Clemson 3/1
Georgia 9/1
Ohio State 9/1
Washington 12/1
Michigan 16/1
Oklahoma 16/1
Penn State 25/1
Wisconsin 25/1
Texas 28/1
Auburn 33/1
Michigan State 40/1
Notre Dame 40/1
Florida State 50/1
Miami, Fl. 50/1
LSU 66/1
Stanford 66/1
TCU 66/1
USC 66/1
Florida 100/1
Mississippi State 100/1
Nebraska 100/1
Oregon 100/1
Texas A&M 100/1
Virginia Tech 100/1
West Virginia 100/1
UCF 150/1
UCLA 150/1
Oklahoma State 250/1
Rutgers 500/1
Texas Tech 500/1

All that really says is that a lot of Texas fans are suckers willing to throw their money away on a pipe dream.

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