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Posted
1 hour ago, Codaxx said:

Wingo is great athlete, but I have yet to see him show off the ball skills and win 50/50 balls. It is a bit frustrating, because he has all the physical ability to be a great at it.  

One of my biggest critiques of Wingo is that he doesn’t attack the ball and either make the catch—or more likely draw the PI. It happened a number of times last year and again against Sam Houston on the go route in the end zone. There was contact and refs love throwing the flag but you have to give them a reason. 

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Posted
24 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

Texas is game is Napier's last stand. Either Florida rises up and plays to their talent or they end up quitting on him. Going to be a strange one. 

Ark is all Green and their DC. The DC is one of those guys that will change his defense week to week for the opponent. The results are high volatile, but that has always given Sark issues in the past, like last year. I cannot see Texas losing that game, but there is the concern Green plays really well and makes it interesting. 

Texas already has 1 loss and 4 ranked teams left on the schedule, so there is not a ton wiggle room for an off game. 

You are truly gifted when it comes to handwringing. Sweating the Arkansas game, at home, after Pittman has likely been shitcanned and had his bitch tits kicked to the curb, two months from the game being played, is next level. Get a grip.

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Posted

Vandy should be the concern my dudes. Ball control option offense. Low position game. Sleepy atmosphere if DKR isn’t lit. Could be like the Vandy or Arizona St game from last year. 

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Posted
1 minute ago, closetojumping said:

You are truly gifted when it comes to handwringing. Sweating the Arkansas game, at home, after Pittman has likely been shitcanned and had his bitch tits kicked to the curb, two months from the game being played, is next level. Get a grip.

Not really sweating that one. Probably 80% chance win there. Vandy has the highest chance of a home loss. 

Posted

Why are we worried about Arkie 2 months from now?  Pittman may very well be fired by then.   That team will probably implode if they can't upset ND this week.   Memphis loss looked every bit to be a program killer after the prior week.  Inexcusable loss.   Really no point looking ahead to anyone but Florida and OU (considering we won't learn anything more about OU before we play).  Every other team on our schedule has big games ahead of them before we match up.

Posted
2 minutes ago, Skipper said:

Why are we worried about Arkie 2 months from now?  Pittman may very well be fired by then.   That team will probably implode if they can't upset ND this week.   Memphis loss looked every bit to be a program killer after the prior week.  Inexcusable loss.   Really no point looking ahead to anyone but Florida and OU (considering we won't learn anything more about OU before we play).  Every other team on our schedule has big games ahead of them before we match up.

"We" aren't. Only one dude is rubbing his vagina. 

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Posted (edited)
31 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

You are truly gifted when it comes to handwringing. Sweating the Arkansas game, at home, after Pittman has likely been shitcanned and had his bitch tits kicked to the curb, two months from the game being played, is next level. Get a grip.

I should add. I am not worried about the Ark game. I am pushing back on the idea that Texas makes the playoffs, if Arch is just a game manager. I think Arch needs to be very good for Texas to make the playoffs. I think the run game and OL is worse this year and that leaves Texas with less options if the QB struggles. I am not sure the defense is better. I would like to see how Guilbeau holds up when someone with talent decides to test the secondary. 

Edited by Codaxx
Posted (edited)
32 minutes ago, Hornmatic said:

Vandy should be the concern my dudes. Ball control option offense. Low position game. Sleepy atmosphere if DKR isn’t lit. Could be like the Vandy or Arizona St game from last year. 

Its hard to type this up thinking back just two years ago and the preceding 20 , but Vandy could legit be a top 15 team coming into DKR this year. 

I'd be surprised if they didn't get through LSU , Bama , Mizzou 1-2 and maybe even 2-1 . should be a great game against them again this year 

I think LSU is most likely to go down, that clemson win is all they are riding on and they have more problems on offense than we do 

 

Edited by BigHornedLurker
Posted
3 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

I should add. I am not worried about the Ark game. I am pushing back on the idea that Texas makes the playoffs, if Arch is just a game manager. I think Arch needs to be very good for Texas to make the playoffs. I think the run game and OL is worse this year and that leaves Texas with less options if the QB struggles. I am not sure the defense is better. I would like to see how Guilbeau holds up vs when someone with talent decides to test the secondary. 

I disagree.  It feels like if he would just focus on moving the chains, controlling the clock and not turning the ball over then our defense will carry us.  Overall, I think you've made a lot of points that I agree with though.  Your concerns are valid, but if we get competent Arch then we make the playoffs.  If we have above average Arch to good Arch then things get really interesting.

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Posted (edited)
5 minutes ago, Fondren & Main said:

I disagree.  It feels like if he would just focus on moving the chains, controlling the clock and not turning the ball over then our defense will carry us.  Overall, I think you've made a lot of points that I agree with though.  Your concerns are valid, but if we get competent Arch then we make the playoffs.  If we have above average Arch to good Arch then things get really interesting.

To do that we need to be effective in short yardage with our run game and redzone. I’m not sold we can consistently do it with this offensive line, hell we couldn’t even do it the last two years with a better OL than this. Until we see them do it vs good competition im from Missouri on this team with regards to playoffs or sec championship game. 

Edited by BurntOrange&White
Posted
13 minutes ago, BigHornedLurker said:

Its hard to type this up thinking back just two years ago and the preceding 20 , but Vandy could legit be a top 15 team coming into DKR this year. 

I'd be surprised if they didn't get through LSU , Bama , Mizzou 1-2 and maybe even 2-1 . should be a great game against them again this year 

I think LSU is most likely to go down, that clemson win is all they are riding on and they have more problems on offense than we do 

 

The power of maintaining a seasoned senior QB.

 

Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

You've articulated all of that multiple times on this thread. It's clear you think voicing all of it repeatedly is productive. You're doing it to make yourself feel better. "If I voice my concerns about all of the worst case scenarios coalescing at the same moment in time, at least others can understand our potential future state and I won't have to be Cassandra alone."

You're now taking the position that the defense might be worse than last season. I expect to see you attempting to start really fleshing this paranoia out, while dismissing every performance leading up to your next post. Texas will shut down the UF offense, but you'll be back here wringing hands over how mid-passer Mateer is going to make our idiot coaches pay for their arrogance in putting Guilbeau on an island or some shit. Or you'll argue concerns over the pass rush not getting home or some other shadow that needs to be boxed. 

You've completely dismissed the results for the running game versus Ohio State because you think OSU strategically deployed a bend but don't break defense and that they could have just shut the Texas run game down if they'd chosen to do so. That's convenient because it unlocks your ability to lament, repeatedly, that Texas isn't going to move the ball well against decent to great fronts (as though every other team does).

Then that feeds into "Arch Manning has to be good to great or we're fucked" sentiments and also allows you to highlight that you're not sure the skill guys are there to render aid, either. Then you sprinkle in thoughts about how the RB sucks and the true freshman is the best player there and needs to get the lion's share of the snaps, even though you have no fucking idea how good or bad he is in pass pro or as a receiver out of the backfield, both of which are facets that are kind of important to being a good RB in the Sarkisian offense. 

Meanwhile, you openly ponder the risk of playing the best version of every team left on the schedule, who will all apparently get better and build improvement for their weaknesses while Texas fails to get better on any end. 

We get it. Thanks.

How did the running game look after OSU? Seems my concern about the OL and run game has spread since OSU. It may have been convenient, but it seems valid after 4 games. I could base that on your posts on Stroh and Flood after the SJSU and UTEP games. 

At no point did I say Simon should get the bulk of the carries. I said he looked the best with the ball in his hands (albeit a small sample size) and I would like to see him get more carries, but I have no idea on his pass pro. Yesterday I said pass pro could put Gibson over Simon as the 3rd RB. 

Defense maybe worse than last year. They finished top 3 last year, not a lot room to improve for the defense this year. My concern is at CB and in particular Guilbeau. We will see how he fairs vs better passing attacks. He was giving up 10 yards per target through 3 games (albeit small sample size). 

Yes, I always concerned about seeing the best version of an opponent. Guilty as charged. 

Edited by Codaxx
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Posted
4 minutes ago, Fondren & Main said:

Other teams have bigger problems than we do to be honest.  The more games we play the more irritated I’ve gotten about blowing that game in Ohio.

We've played three nobodys since "that game in Ohio." We don't know shit about this team yet. Florida and OU will tell us a lot. 

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Posted

Tuesday: Bobby

Spoiler

Tuesday

By Bobby Burton

Typically Tuesday practices are known as Bloody Tuesdays because of their intense physicality.

That won’t be the case this morning or really the rest of the week.

Sark, as he mentioned in his press conference yesterday, is encouraged with where the team’s overall health is.

He’s not tempting fate this morning.

**

The SEC released its three opponents for the Longhorns in each of the next four years.

They are: Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas A&M.

No real surprise there. Furthermore, it’s exactly what the Texas brass wanted.

However, it’s hopeful they get Arkansas and A&M on a home-away rotational basis where one team comes to Austin each year while Texas visits the other.

This year, for example, Texas hosts both the Aggies and Razorbacks. The schedule would be better served if one game was home and the other away in future seasons.

**

Texas recruiting continues to plug along.

The Horns have only offered one new player based off of senior film, Colorado linebacker Braylon Hodge.

But, in true Sark style, the Horns have stayed on two of their top prospects who committed elsewhere earlier this summer. The persistence seems to be paying dividends.

Receiver Jalen Lott (Oregon) and defensive end Dre Quinn (Clemson) are two targets who are very much in the crosshairs of Sark’s aim. Both are real possibilities for the Longhorns to flip.

Remember all the hand-wringing over recruiting in the months of June and July?

**

Also in recruiting, Louisiana defense tackle Dylan Berrymon is headed back to Ole Miss this weekend after spending last weekend in Austin.

Though he says he remains firmly pledged to the Longhorns, it’ll be the second trip to Oxford for Berrymon this season.

Hook’Em!

 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Codaxx said:

Texas is game is Napier's last stand. Either Florida rises up and plays to their talent or they end up quitting on him. Going to be a strange one. 

Ark is all Green and their DC. The DC is one of those guys that will change his defense week to week for the opponent. The results are high volatile, but that has always given Sark issues in the past, like last year. I cannot see Texas losing that game, but there is the concern Green plays really well and makes it interesting. 

Texas already has 1 loss and 4 ranked teams left on the schedule, so there is not a ton wiggle room for an off game. 

It's not Napier's last stand. That man is toast. We're just playing out the string, now. The outcome against Texas won't matter either way. 

I don't care how interesting a game is if Texas wins. Texas has played a lot of interesting games where they didn't put the opponent away the way I felt like they should have. But the win is all that matters. You don't even believe Arkansas is going to win that game. So what are we talking about exactly? Do the Razorbacks get beauty points for making it interesting? 

If Texas goes 10-2 in the regular season they're still making it in to the playoffs. I have concerns about Georgia in Athens, unless/until I have some kind of belief that Manning won't shit the bed. But I believe we'll beat OU, A&M, and Vanderbilt, and I believe we'll take care of the other teams on the schedule. The wiggle room will be enough. 

If we lose to the Sooners in the Cotton Bowl then I'll start getting concerned. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

I wrote this on the Gator thread but I am posting here as well due to game relevance. I doubt this will be a distraction at all:

 

Lagway is on the bad side of the Arch early season mental soup. He made way better throws in his limited action last season, so the guy isn't a bust from a talent perspective. If he actually goes into the portal A&M is going to send a private jet to park in his driveway. Negotiating mid season is certainly a choice, is he trying to save Napier? 

Posted
7 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

We've played three nobodys since "that game in Ohio." We don't know shit about this team yet. Florida and OU will tell us a lot. 

We know that we need competent QB play, have struggled to run the ball consistently and have a stifling defense.  We know a bit about this team.  I guess you don’t watch the games.

Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, Fondren & Main said:

We know that we need competent QB play, have struggled to run the ball consistently and have a stifling defense.  We know a bit about this team.  I guess you don’t watch the games.

How about you read my response in context to your OP.

You stated, "Other teams have bigger problems than we do to be honest." How can we know that based on the level of competition we've played since OSU? You paint a more rosy picture in your OP and then respond to me with "yeah, well, I know by watching we have these problems." Yeah, that's my point. We know we have problems, and those haven't been tested against further good competition. So, how can you assert "other teams have bigger problems than we do" when we haven't found out at all yet what might be less problematic against better competition? The answer is, you can't.

Edited by MuellerHorn
Posted
35 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

How did the running game look after OSU? Seems my concern about the OL and run game has spread since OSU. It may have been convenient, but it seems valid after 4 games. I could base that on your posts on Stroh and Flood after the SJSU and UTEP games. 

At no point did I say Simon should get the bulk of the carries. I said he looked the best with the ball in his hands (albeit a small sample size) and I would like to see him get more carries, but I have no idea on his pass pro. Yesterday I said pass pro could put Gibson over Simon as the 3rd RB. 

Defense maybe worse than last year. They finished top 3 last year, not a lot room to improve for the defense this year. My concern is at CB and in particular Guilbeau. We will see how he fairs vs better passing attacks. He was giving up 10 yards per target through 3 games (albeit small sample size). 

Yes, I always concerned about seeing the best version of an opponent. Guilty as charged. 

My point, using color for those readers who aren't afflicted with Asperger's, was that you've said all of this shit already. It should surprise no one that you went ahead and just more or less said it all again here. 

Posted
5 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

How about you read my response in context to your OP.

You stated, "Other teams have bigger problems than we do to be honest." How can we know that based on the level of competition we've played since OSU? You paint a more rosy picture in your OP and then respond to me with "yeah, well, I know by watching we have these problems." Yeah, that's my point. We know we have problems, and those haven't been tested against further good competition. So, how can you assert "other teams have bigger problems than we do" when we haven't found out at all yet what might be less problematic against better competition? The answer is, you can't.

I dunno man, you're a good poster, but so is Fondren & Main and I tend to lean towards his line of thinking. Can anyone know anything definitively? No. But I watch a LOT of college football games that aren't just Texas, and everyone has quite a few warts. I don't think I can remember a reason where all the top end teams have looked so weak and beatable. This feels like the most wide open season I can remember, and it's going to be whoever gets hot and gets their shit together by the latter third of the season. 

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Posted
2 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

My point, using color for those readers who aren't afflicted with Asperger's, was that you've said all of this shit already. It should surprise no one that you went ahead and just more or less said it all again here. 

Maybe we need a Tylenol sponsorship 

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Posted
53 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

How did the running game look after OSU? Seems my concern about the OL and run game has spread since OSU.  

Wisner ran for 5 yards a carry against an Ohio State D loaded to the brim with NFL talent. You don't think he would have looked good and made a positive impact the past few games?

Did your mom guzzle a bottle of Tylenol a day when she was pregnant with you? 

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Posted
58 minutes ago, BigHornedLurker said:

Its hard to type this up thinking back just two years ago and the preceding 20 , but Vandy could legit be a top 15 team coming into DKR this year. 

I'd be surprised if they didn't get through LSU , Bama , Mizzou 1-2 and maybe even 2-1 . should be a great game against them again this year 

I think LSU is most likely to go down, that clemson win is all they are riding on and they have more problems on offense than we do 

 

I think the Covid senior thing has really brought home something that I should have already realized - super veteran QBs are a cheat code in CFB. Before Covid it was unheard of for there to be a guy on his 6th or even 7th year in CFB, but then we got to see what several teams look like with that kind of player running things. Obviously the talent level is lower, or the QB would be in the NFL, but the experience is a game changer. Vandy has one of the most veteran QBs in all of FBS. The dude literally established legal precedent for how long one can tease out the college career. Pavia makes Vandy dangerous. 

That being said, I just don't think Vandy has the horses. I will be shocked and impressed if they can win even 1 of the three games you mentioned. If they win 2, then they deserve to be in the early CFP conversation. Personally, I don't see it. Pavia maximizes what they can do, but they are still a scrappy underdog at best. When push comes to shove, the team talent will be too much for them to overcome. 

56 minutes ago, Fondren & Main said:

I disagree.  It feels like if he would just focus on moving the chains, controlling the clock and not turning the ball over then our defense will carry us.  Overall, I think you've made a lot of points that I agree with though.  Your concerns are valid, but if we get competent Arch then we make the playoffs.  If we have above average Arch to good Arch then things get really interesting.

This is an excellent point, not just about what we need Arch to do in order to win, but also about what we want Arch focused on. If he thinks he has to look like superman in order for us to win games, then he starts pressing again and we see him start to hesitate on open guys and throwing more worm burners. He needs to just focus on picking up yards and avoiding bad plays. I get @Codaxx's concerns about the defense, but I think the defense is still more than good enough to carry us through 99% of our schedule. 

1 hour ago, Codaxx said:

I should add. I am not worried about the Ark game. I am pushing back on the idea that Texas makes the playoffs, if Arch is just a game manager. I think Arch needs to be very good for Texas to make the playoffs. I think the run game and OL is worse this year and that leaves Texas with less options if the QB struggles. I am not sure the defense is better. I would like to see how Guilbeau holds up when someone with talent decides to test the secondary. 

I understand your worries about Guilbeau - he is definitely the weak spot - but our IDL is so much better than it was last season. In fact our entire front 7 is better than it was last season. Losing a guy like Barron was always going to make the secondary a bit worse, he was just a rare talent and football brain. But we are so much stronger in the box that I think it more than makes up for that loss. Edge, DT, and LB are all elite, and a good pass rush makes the DB's job easier. I tend to focus on that and just hope Guilbeau can be competent (which is what he seems to be). 

The OL is definitely worse than last season, but by how much? And for how long will it be worse? By getting the right guys out there and giving them time to gel, I think the are only a small step back. And if Baxter is healthy then I think our RB room is better and will look closer to how we looked in '23 than we looked last season. Not trying to rag on you for your concerns, but I think you are focused on the negative.

In the ven diagram of pants pissing, you and I are most aligned about what the run game will look like going into Red River. I don't know if a bye week and Florida will be enough time for the OL to get its shit together. So I agree that the run game could still be a WIP by then. But I doubt it takes longer than Vandy or otherwise we really need to worry (even more) about what the fuck Flood is doing with that room. 

Posted
18 minutes ago, SameSame said:

Outside of John Mateer being out, there is not a chance that Texas will be a 7 point favorite over Oklahoma. 

Never underestimate the reactionary culture of modern day sports fans. Storylines change on a weekly basis. 

 

Posted (edited)
3 minutes ago, Hank Kingsley said:

Never underestimate the reactionary culture of modern day sports fans. Storylines change on a weekly basis. 

 

they are playing kent state while we play florida, they'll be jizzing all over Mateer and Oklahoma. 

very unlikely OU is not ranked above us before the game imo , vegas however will be more nuanced depending on how arch does against the florida - d 

personally im hoping for OU staying above us for the disrespect / bulletin board material 

Edited by BigHornedLurker
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Posted

I expect OU to do what they always try to do, sell out to stuff the box and pressure manning. I don't have much faith we're going to line up and run it on them, even if our OL magically gel's in the next 2.5 weeks. Venables will lean into his team strength, because it also is his best bet at diverting attention from his weak secondary. He's going to force Arch to beat him with his arm, which, lets be honest if we were a DC is exactly what we'd  be doing right now as well. Plus we all know they'll get up, it's a rivalry game. 

I think the Auburn and Michigan games are fools gold, like most people here, but at the same time they'll be confident. We'll need Arch to make the reads and throws that will be available, or it could be a real long fucking day. 

I'm also not yet sold that our IDL is "so much better" than it was last year. We were pretty fucking good last year, and lots of our opponents so far have sucked. It's obvious Simmons hasn't settled down yet, and I'm not sure Burke doesn't have some warts on the other side as well. I expect the OU game to be more of a frustrating pain in the ass than it fucking should be, but here we are...

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Posted (edited)
27 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I dunno man, you're a good poster, but so is Fondren & Main and I tend to lean towards his line of thinking. Can anyone know anything definitively? No. But I watch a LOT of college football games that aren't just Texas, and everyone has quite a few warts. I don't think I can remember a reason where all the top end teams have looked so weak and beatable. This feels like the most wide open season I can remember, and it's going to be whoever gets hot and gets their shit together by the latter third of the season. 

That's fine. I agree with anyone with the opinion that there doesn't appear to be a dominant team as of now.

However, I disagree with the point that we learned much of anything positive (on the whole) against SJSU, UTEP, and SHSU other than Arch's passing and confidence has been trending up. Him skipping passes or missing wide open receivers doesn't necessarily need to be gauged against a certain level of opponent. He either makes the throw, or he doesn't. Nevertheless, those are not the types of teams we need to beat consistently, or assess our play against, to determine if this team is a true CFP contender, or not.

I don't believe those lines of thinking need to be mutually exclusive. Yes, every teams needs to get better at this point of the season. To what degree Texas does with its issues, that's what I don't believe we can assess yet against comparable "contenders." IMO, we need to play better teams to know how we stack up.

Edited by MuellerHorn
Posted
1 minute ago, BigHornedLurker said:

they are playing kent state while we play florida, they'll be jizzing all over Mateer and Oklahoma. 

very unlikely OU is not ranked above us before the game imo , vegas however will be more nuanced depending on how arch does against the florida - d 

personally im hoping for OU staying above us for the disrespect / bulletin board material 

If Texas plays well vs. Florida and OU looks blah vs. Kent State, the storyline flips. I'm not saying it should, but that's the modern sports culture. 

 

Posted
Just now, Hank Kingsley said:

If Texas plays well vs. Florida and OU looks blah vs. Kent State, the storyline flips. I'm not saying it should, but that's the modern sports culture. 

 

Lol. OU is going to beat Kent State by 40 points, and Venables will play Mateer late into the 4th quarter. They're a bunch of front-running shitbirds. 

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Posted

I really like the setup for this Florida game. Sark can preach an aggressive mentality about going into a major SEC road destination and putting a program in the grave. Our defense is a huge problem for them, and our offense has the bye week to regroup, get healthy, leave the lackluster performances behind and start a new campaign. The SHSU game was a much needed jerkoff session to clear out some blue balls. UF is ripe for a blowout loss in my opinion, the writing is on the wall there and that is a team thats ready to lay down. I felt the same way about them last season, this feels like a bad spot for them. 

Obviously it all rests on which version of Arch we get. I dont know what to make of his struggles besides they are clearly mental. Ive heard rumors about some of his extracurricular activities along the lines of he put in a lot of work getting ready for Ohio State and saw this part of the schedule as an opportunity to relax a bit before the grind of SEC play, and that he overdid it and it bit him in the ass. One point that was brought up to me was his Grandfather, Uncles, and Dad were all big partiers in school. Its part of why Arch chose Texas, and his brother is at the center of a very active party scene. The rumor I heard was Arch noticeably started showing up to the fraternity house right after Ohio State. Dont know if its true but thats what some fraternity members are telling their parents. 

The whole thing could be typical dipshit college kid mega fan bs, but it does make some logical sense to me. Sell out for Ohio State, then sow some oats before the bye week and get back to grind mode for the rest of the season. 

Posted
1 hour ago, BigHornedLurker said:

Its hard to type this up thinking back just two years ago and the preceding 20 , but Vandy could legit be a top 15 team coming into DKR this year

I'd be surprised if they didn't get through LSU , Bama , Mizzou 1-2 and maybe even 2-1 . should be a great game against them again this year 

I think LSU is most likely to go down, that clemson win is all they are riding on and they have more problems on offense than we do 

 

Jimmy Fallon Reaction GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

I think Vandy is on the verge of getting high on their own supply and comes out of that stretch 0-3.  

Posted
5 minutes ago, Park Gothic said:

I think the Covid senior thing has really brought home something that I should have already realized - super veteran QBs are a cheat code in CFB. Before Covid it was unheard of for there to be a guy on his 6th or even 7th year in CFB, but then we got to see what several teams look like with that kind of player running things. Obviously the talent level is lower, or the QB would be in the NFL, but the experience is a game changer. Vandy has one of the most veteran QBs in all of FBS. The dude literally established legal precedent for how long one can tease out the college career. Pavia makes Vandy dangerous. 

That being said, I just don't think Vandy has the horses. I will be shocked and impressed if they can win even 1 of the three games you mentioned. If they win 2, then they deserve to be in the early CFP conversation. Personally, I don't see it. Pavia maximizes what they can do, but they are still a scrappy underdog at best. When push comes to shove, the team talent will be too much for them to overcome. 

This is an excellent point, not just about what we need Arch to do in order to win, but also about what we want Arch focused on. If he thinks he has to look like superman in order for us to win games, then he starts pressing again and we see him start to hesitate on open guys and throwing more worm burners. He needs to just focus on picking up yards and avoiding bad plays. I get @Codaxx's concerns about the defense, but I think the defense is still more than good enough to carry us through 99% of our schedule. 

I understand your worries about Guilbeau - he is definitely the weak spot - but our IDL is so much better than it was last season. In fact our entire front 7 is better than it was last season. Losing a guy like Barron was always going to make the secondary a bit worse, he was just a rare talent and football brain. But we are so much stronger in the box that I think it more than makes up for that loss. Edge, DT, and LB are all elite, and a good pass rush makes the DB's job easier. I tend to focus on that and just hope Guilbeau can be competent (which is what he seems to be). 

The OL is definitely worse than last season, but by how much? And for how long will it be worse? By getting the right guys out there and giving them time to gel, I think the are only a small step back. And if Baxter is healthy then I think our RB room is better and will look closer to how we looked in '23 than we looked last season. Not trying to rag on you for your concerns, but I think you are focused on the negative.

In the ven diagram of pants pissing, you and I are most aligned about what the run game will look like going into Red River. I don't know if a bye week and Florida will be enough time for the OL to get its shit together. So I agree that the run game could still be a WIP by then. But I doubt it takes longer than Vandy or otherwise we really need to worry (even more) about what the fuck Flood is doing with that room. 

RB is better simply based on bodies. The fact that we can discuss who should be the 3rd RB means it is better. In some games last year Texas did not have 3 RBs available for games. 

LB- is the biggest improvement. You could argue they are the strongest unit on the defense and PK has not really unleashed Hill as a blitzer/pass rusher through 4 games (saw more of it vs SHSU). Defense being worse does not mean they will finish 40th in the nation, but it is not crazy to think they could finish closer 10 than 3 this year. 

What Texas needs from Arch can certainly change. Right now they need him to be a big part of the run game and throw the ball well. That changes if the OL makes takes some large steps. Also changes if the perimeter blocking gets sorted out and the screen game improves.

We are only through 4 weeks of the football season. Right now every fan base has a rudimentary idea of their team. You can point to the potential strengths and weaknesses, but we really do not know how those will evolve over the course of the season. 

Posted

 

1 hour ago, SL Xpress said:

If Texas goes 10-2 in the regular season they're still making it in to the playoffs. I have concerns about Georgia in Athens, unless/until I have some kind of belief that Manning won't shit the bed. But I believe we'll beat OU, A&M, and Vanderbilt, and I believe we'll take care of the other teams on the schedule. The wiggle room will be enough. 

If we lose to the Sooners in the Cotton Bowl then I'll start getting concerned. 

I will be absolutely fucking flabbergasted if this team manages to go 10-2. The interior of the offensive line is a tire fire of mediocrity. Our skill position players are comprised of JAGs as far as the eye can see. Our quarterback appears to be a head case who needs to play one of the worst teams in FBS to "get right". Our offensive coordinator has a fucking seizure every time the offense moves inside of the 20 yard line. And we balance all of that with being one of the most penalized teams in the country. 

We have an elite defense and an elite punter. Unless Sark decides to start managing games like we're the 2001 Ravens, we aren't sniffing the playoffs.  

Posted
54 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

How about you read my response in context to your OP.

You stated, "Other teams have bigger problems than we do to be honest." How can we know that based on the level of competition we've played since OSU? You paint a more rosy picture in your OP and then respond to me with "yeah, well, I know by watching we have these problems." Yeah, that's my point. We know we have problems, and those haven't been tested against further good competition. So, how can you assert "other teams have bigger problems than we do" when we haven't found out at all yet what might be less problematic against better competition? The answer is, you can't.

7c791304-aeeb-4db1-9e17-ab2696bbd424_tex

Posted
15 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I'm also not yet sold that our IDL is "so much better" than it was last year. We were pretty fucking good last year, and lots of our opponents so far have sucked. It's obvious Simmons hasn't settled down yet, and I'm not sure Burke doesn't have some warts on the other side as well. I expect the OU game to be more of a frustrating pain in the ass than it fucking should be, but here we are...

I'm surprised by this comment. Maybe I'm just carrying forward old biases, but I thought Broughton and Collins were late bloomers who barely played their way into midround draft spots. And that they actually got overdrafted (especially Broughton). Of the transfers we brought in, the only that seemed be a consistent contributor was Norton. I'm not trying to be too negative about what was, objectively, a good unit, but I still saw a lot of room for improvement. 

I'm probably enamored with shiny new toys, but the DTs we transferred in seem to be great. Kanu and Watson especially, but Shaw and Brevard have been great too. And January looks ahead of schedule. My opinion is probably more fueled by optimism than anything else, but I really think we improved that room over the offseason. 

11 minutes ago, BlackCat said:

I really like the setup for this Florida game. Sark can preach an aggressive mentality about going into a major SEC road destination and putting a program in the grave. Our defense is a huge problem for them, and our offense has the bye week to regroup, get healthy, leave the lackluster performances behind and start a new campaign. The SHSU game was a much needed jerkoff session to clear out some blue balls. UF is ripe for a blowout loss in my opinion, the writing is on the wall there and that is a team thats ready to lay down. I felt the same way about them last season, this feels like a bad spot for them. 

Obviously it all rests on which version of Arch we get. I dont know what to make of his struggles besides they are clearly mental. Ive heard rumors about some of his extracurricular activities along the lines of he put in a lot of work getting ready for Ohio State and saw this part of the schedule as an opportunity to relax a bit before the grind of SEC play, and that he overdid it and it bit him in the ass. One point that was brought up to me was his Grandfather, Uncles, and Dad were all big partiers in school. Its part of why Arch chose Texas, and his brother is at the center of a very active party scene. The rumor I heard was Arch noticeably started showing up to the fraternity house right after Ohio State. Dont know if its true but thats what some fraternity members are telling their parents. 

The whole thing could be typical dipshit college kid mega fan bs, but it does make some logical sense to me. Sell out for Ohio State, then sow some oats before the bye week and get back to grind mode for the rest of the season. 

Stop with this shit. The rumor thing is dumb. First, because it's probably bullshit. Second, even if there is a kernel of truth to it, it's not something that needs to be repeated. And third, do you know how many players get trashed on the regular? You think Stetson Bennet was sober all through the 2021 and 2022 seasons? Did that lose UGA games? No. Hell, look at Sweat in 2023 - dude loved to party and still wrecked shop every week. 

I doesn't sound like you're judging Arch or anything and I'm not the conversation police, but I get annoyed seeing this shit perpetuated. 

Posted
National media talking heads do not set the line. Vegas does.
Now, I do agree that a majority of talking heads are likely to PICK OU.
You don't think Vegas will also favor BlowU if they remain undefeated coming into the shootout? Seems everyone has written off the Horns at this point, but I guess we'll see how things play out the next couple games.
Posted
Like everything in life, it depends on a number of factors. 
If Manning shows the yips early, he's going to have a tendency to revert back to pre Sam Houston Manning. 
Florida frankly HAS to have success early. That is a program about to completely implode. Well, I'd argue they already have. If Texas gets up on them by a couple of scores early, everyone on the Florida side is going to give up. The fans, the players. The coaches will be texting their buddies pleading for a job opportunity. Napier will project delusion, but he knows the score. He's gone. 
If Florida gets up early maybe they get a dead cat bounce effect. Regardless, that program is going to have a new coach next year. They're just playing out the string at this point. 
Manning just needs to keep stringing together successful plays. One thing about the yips, is that once you get them, there's a niggling feeling in the back of your mind they can come back at any moment. He had one good performance against poor competition. It still counts, because what we saw in the previous 3 games wasn't about the opponent. It was about what was between his ears. I have hope and faith that he's going to be fine, but he'll have to earn his self confidence. There's no magic wand that's going to give it to him. And he knows that. 
I hope he has another opportunity to give someone a stare down. He says he doesn't care what the media writes about him. I'd like for him to show it. I like fired up Manning.
The fans may bring out the bags for their heads if we go up two scores early, but we can't discount Florida players auditioning for the portal or whoever the new coach will be.

I've only watched parts of two of their games this year, but their defense plays hard and pretty sound. We almost NEED to go up too scores early...if Billy figures things out on offense it could get interesting...and I'm not interested in that type of excitement.
Posted (edited)
12 minutes ago, Park Gothic said:

I'm surprised by this comment. Maybe I'm just carrying forward old biases, but I thought Broughton and Collins were late bloomers who barely played their way into midround draft spots. And that they actually got overdrafted (especially Broughton). Of the transfers we brought in, the only that seemed be a consistent contributor was Norton. I'm not trying to be too negative about what was, objectively, a good unit, but I still saw a lot of room for improvement. 

I'm probably enamored with shiny new toys, but the DTs we transferred in seem to be great. Kanu and Watson especially, but Shaw and Brevard have been great too. And January looks ahead of schedule. My opinion is probably more fueled by optimism than anything else, but I really think we improved that room over the offseason. 

Well, I don't know what to tell you other than I watched all the games last year, multiple times. Broughton and Collins may have been late bloomers, but they showed the fuck up all year with TFL after TFL in the biggest moments. I don't care where they were drafted, the fact that either of them were drafted, particularly Broughton, was a testament to how good they were last year as opposed to their previous seasons. We were all melting down before the season, and by OU weekend no one was sweating shit on the IDL. Maybe this year is the same, but I'm not sure. 

Sure, Brevard has looked fucking great in spots, Shaw seems fine so far, but it's early. Watson came on last week, to me, but seemed slow to get there. Kanu is steady eddie, but dude hasn't been making wow plays all over the place to my eyes. Kanu leads the team in snaps at IDL, but statistically they're all pretty similar at this point. Listen, I like the depth we've added, and they seem great, but it's Ohio State and three deflated testicle sacks for opponents. Get back to me in 3 weeks. 

I'm pretty sure that Bobby or Gerry or someone at OTF said that while Arch showed up at various greek houses last season, he's been all business this season. 

Edited by SydneyCarton
Posted
2 hours ago, Hornmatic said:

Vandy should be the concern my dudes. Ball control option offense. Low position game. Sleepy atmosphere if DKR isn’t lit. Could be like the Vandy or Arizona St game from last year. 

Vandy worries the shit out of me.

Posted
6 minutes ago, Park Gothic said:

 

I doesn't sound like you're judging Arch or anything and I'm not the conversation police, but I get annoyed seeing this shit perpetuated. 

Its not exactly salacious stuff. 21 year old takes his eye off the ball against weak competition so he can party with his brother and friends and chase some skirt before buckling down for a long hard stretch of conference play. I hope this doesnt get leaked to tmz. 

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Posted
36 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I expect OU to do what they always try to do, sell out to stuff the box and pressure manning. I don't have much faith we're going to line up and run it on them, even if our OL magically gel's in the next 2.5 weeks. Venables will lean into his team strength, because it also is his best bet at diverting attention from his weak secondary. He's going to force Arch to beat him with his arm, which, lets be honest if we were a DC is exactly what we'd  be doing right now as well. Plus we all know they'll get up, it's a rivalry game. 

I think the Auburn and Michigan games are fools gold, like most people here, but at the same time they'll be confident. We'll need Arch to make the reads and throws that will be available, or it could be a real long fucking day. 

I'm also not yet sold that our IDL is "so much better" than it was last year. We were pretty fucking good last year, and lots of our opponents so far have sucked. It's obvious Simmons hasn't settled down yet, and I'm not sure Burke doesn't have some warts on the other side as well. I expect the OU game to be more of a frustrating pain in the ass than it fucking should be, but here we are...

I actually think we are going to be able to run the ball on OU. They had a similarly fast defense last year that was flying around and disruptive, and we ran it on them very effectively. I think Sark will scheme up the run game and get some favorable angles to take advantage of their aggressiveness. 

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Posted
4 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Well, I don't know what to tell you other than I watched all the games last year, multiple times. Broughton and Collins may have been late bloomers, but they showed the fuck up all year with TFL after TFL in the biggest moments. I don't care where they were drafted, the fact that either of them were drafted, particularly Broughton, was a testament to how good they were last year as opposed to their previous seasons. We were all melting down before the season, and by OU weekend no one was sweating shit on the IDL. Maybe this year is the same, but I'm not sure. 

Sure, Brevard has looked fucking great in spots, Shaw seems fine so far, but it's early. Watson came on last week, to me, but seemed slow to get there. Kanu is steady eddie, but dude hasn't been making wow plays all over the place to my eyes. Kanu leads the team in snaps at IDL, but statistically they're all pretty similar at this point. Listen, I like the depth we've added, and they seem great, but it's Ohio State and three deflated testicle sacks for opponents. Get back to me in 3 weeks. 

I'm pretty sure that Bobby or Gerry or someone at OTF said that while Arch showed up at various greek houses last season, he's been all business this season. 

Yeah, that's fair. It's probably too early to judge how good the DT room is this season. I'm just glad that it looks like we hit (to greater and lesser degrees) and all 4 transfers. I'm probably too hard on Broughton but man was he a frustrating player. 

I think we're better at DT this season, but we can agree to disagree - you're right that it is probably too early to tell. 

Posted
2 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

I actually think we are going to be able to run the ball on OU. They had a similarly fast defense last year that was flying around and disruptive, and we ran it on them very effectively. I think Sark will scheme up the run game and get some favorable angles to take advantage of their aggressiveness. 

And you trust this line to execute those schemes? Well ok. 

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