I hate neuter dame so I agree. I do hope we are hungry and beat them. I don't hold my breath, however.
This is always the case. I think we tend to base our opinions on what we know so far but people are capable of improvement. We did see flashes out of Swoopes last year like second half against OU and against WV.
Sure I think Swoopes will improve this season, simply because it doesn't take much to improve upon the inconsistencies and lack of command we saw in him last year. Also, the OL won't be nearly as bad and thin. Year to year improvement isn't always the case though in general. There's a reason for the saying "Sophomore Slump". There are countless examples of QB's regressing in one of their following years. With some it was their team's decline at fault, and some guys just flat out played worse. I will say I didn't see any marked leap of improvement from TS in the Spring Game. Even with more improvement, which will be marginal, Swoopes still doesn't have what it takes to go steal a game when the going is rough against better defenses. Just my opinion. I'll be glad to be proved wrong and eat crow if so.
Uh, I remember a couple of games in which ND was better than advertised. The victim of said ND team was UT in the Cotton Bowl in Earl Cambell's Heisman year. They beat us. They also beat us to stop a very long winning streak that Coach Royal's team had going on during the wishbone era. These are two reasons I hate Notre Dame. We will have to play our asses off and get some breaks to win. Maybe we can. Hope so.
Hammer, I think I muddled my own thread point when I took to discussing Swoopes' capabilities. I wrote this thread not about Swoopes, but about Strong, his judgment and cavilier approach to the QB issue. After the spring game of 2014, he knew and even stated that he had QB problems and that Ash was all he had. He also knew Ash might not make it through a season so he considered briinging in Max Wittek from USC, although Wittek's own actions derailed that from happening. Strong chose not to bring in another transfer QB (as stated above, there are over 650 FCS, D-2, D-3 and Juco QBs out there, along with grad transfers who could have been eligible immediately. Strong chose to bet on Ash staying healthy, Swoopes deveolping or Heard coming in and beating out Swoopes. Well, as we know he lost that bet as Ash finished his football career in the first game, Swoopes played like a guy with tremendous potential but who might not ever reach it and Heard was very inconsistent and couldn't perform close to Swoopes' level. We all saw Charlie ripping Swoopes' publicly last season and we heard him say he was disappointed in his QB and allude to the fact that he could not trust his play. So in the 2015 spring game we saw very inconsistent QB play, we had 650 more QBs available to search through for transfers (including Hubenak, who led all Juco in most passing stats and lost 2 games in high school, begging to be offered by Strong and ultimately going elsewhere) and yet it appears that he will once again bet the farm on Swoopes or Heard developing and performing at an acceptable level, something they have not yet done and may never do. The gamble may pay off this time or it may not. I sincerely hope that it does. But it squarely puts questions on Strong's judgment. He has at the very least, the potential for another serious QB problem. He has available scholarships. He has transfer options. He had this same decision last year, decided to do nothing and it probably cost him at least a couple of Ws. (Lest not forget that it was so bad we actually missed Case McCoy on several ocassions last year.) It costs him almost nothing to bring in a Hubenak, or another transfer QB, but gives everyone hope and also makes himself credible as if trying to correct a glaring problem. If Swoopes or Heard come out playing great come August, he can still play them. However,if they don't, he has another option to play at QB and he doesn't look arrogant, cavalier with the program and like someone who refuses to admit his mistake from last year. What is that saying about taking the same action that led to a failure and expecting a different result?
I think this year will change some minds about Strong. Strong knows how good Heard is, he had to redshirt him, now he is playing it close to the vest. I expect Heard to start against Notre Dame or at least take over during the first quarter. Swoopes is a just the guy getting all the talk until kickoff so ND as no choice but to prepare for both.
Food for thought. Babers is also worried about Strong's treatment of the QB position. I hope Strong knows what he's doing. Its hard t imagine why he'd close down recruiting so early : http://texas.247sports.com/Article/...orns-football-quarterback-recruiting-38517986 On the other hand I like the nugget about Strong and Watson knowing their type of QB and recruiting to a system (not all over the map going for any pro-style and / or dual threat QB with enough stars by their name)
Ohio State certainly proved the value of having multiple quality quarterbacks ready to go. Three quarterbacks is almost a must these days for D1 football. Your very lucky to go through an entire season without injury to a starting quarterback. So then the backup goes in and you still need a reserve for him, because another injury is just a play away. It's always nice to have a wealth of quality quarterbacks, if you can convince them to stay around long enough to contribute. Miller getting hurt let the other two quarterbacks at OSU step in right away and show their talents. Miller may very well never be able to play the quarterback position again, with that bad shoulder. So now OSU has two quality qb's with experience to play in big situations. That's the nature of the game these days.
Hmmm...I think OSU is the rare exception that was fortunate to have 3 QBs ready to play. It's a masterful job of coaching up that MNC winning QB to have him ready. Virtually no coach goes into a season expecting 3 QBs to be ready to lead them to the promised land. Honestly, most are probably thinking they'll be luck to get to a bowl game if they are down to their 3rd string QB.
True. Ohio State is the only team in recent memory (if ever) to succeed at the highest level despite relying heavily on 3 QBs. It is hardly a "must" but certainly a nice luxury on the rare chance you stumble upon it. Of course, to consistently have 3 QBs ready to go, you would have to have 8-10 guys in the pipeline, if not more. This would be an unwise dedication of limited scholarship slots to one position.
yep, three is awesome but at this point I'll settle for a solid 2 deep... especially with a spread attack and running QBs who tend to get dinged up more often.
Texas had three quarterbacks ready to play in 1977, as two went down in the OU game. They being McBath and Aune. So McEachern comes in and plays the rest of the season. Texas goes undefeated and plays Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl. The Horns had lost their senior middle linebacker, who was replaced by a freshman and Earl was banged up. Notre Dame won, but Texas did get there. You may not get to a championship game, but you should have three that can at least play decently. One quarterback can easily get hurt, so you going to have a backup for the second stringer. The spread offense makes injuries even more possible.
Due to factors like Oline play and general offensive malaise, Texas has not been an attractive option for big time QBs. So, we will have to get hold of a kid who loves Texas, and is also a stud. It looks like we have two coming in Buchelle and the kid from Westlake. I would like to have pulled a QB of that quality out of the '15 class, but it just didn't happen, unless Locksley turns out. Patience. He's only recruited one full class. I consider 2014 half Charlie's at most.
I agree with this. I'm also not sold on the idea that a transfer QB automatically equates to a new starter, or even quality depth.
It is not about assuring a transfer would be the starter. It is about attempting to reduce your exposure, showing to your team and to the world that you are trying to solve your multi-year problem that you already gambled on and lost just a year ago and that you are not being arrogant and cavalier with the program. When you have 2 underperforming QBs as your only QBs and you then pass on a guy who just lit up the Juco ranks and lost only 2 games in High school who is practically begging for an offer, and then you bring in no other transfer QB after doing the same thing last year that cost you games and you have 6 unused scholarships available, it makes one wonder.
How do you know hubnarek wanted to go to Texas? Also, how do you know that a juco transfer doesn't cause a future transfer or decommitment from one of our qb's? Note we will have 5 qb's in spring training.
Besides connections to Georgetown and the family, the stated his interest in Texas publicly several times last year. Would have been his dream come true as it is his hometown and Texas has no apparent serviceable QB. There was no reciprocity, presumably because it did not appear he would be able to complete the ridiculous # of hours he would need to graduate Blinn. I don't know when Texas found out it made it, but it was long after the spring signup and despite his interest, UT had none. Hubenak wanted UT but then with no mutual interest from UT and San Diego State calling in the spring and then A&M making a late offer, he accepted the spot as QB #5 at A&M in early May.
We got an OL and an DL juco this past year. Best I can tell, they are 3rd string. Another OL juco may be 2nd string. Not a good precedent for your case, unless you are advocating getting 3 juco QB's.
Regardless of the circumstances at present, the program appears set to "dance with the ones that brung us." Make things work with what we have. The formula for 2015 is every spot on the field must excel, not putting it all on the quarterback. For now. In the long run, this may turn out to be a God-send. Forced to insure the other 10 on offense--and the defense and special team--all play to extremely high standards, Texas becomes a program that does not rely on Heisman QB play in order to win, to control games. Then when exceptional IT-factor talent fills that spot,... you get the picture. Several times Strong has talked about the talent on the field with Tebow. It was a lot. That's what he's asking of the program since last spring, all summer, all camp...
Because several have stated similar objections as Mchammer, I must take responsibility for failing to make my point clear. My issue has never been Swoopes' ability, potential or even that UT must bring in a ringer, guaranteed starter transfer QB. My point is that refusing to bring in a transfer QB for 2 consecutive years while knowing that you have QB deficiencies, have lost games because of those deficiencies, refused to bring in a transfer QB with the potential of 650 transfer QB options per year with available, unused scholarships in house is brazen, cavalier, arrogant and gambling yet another season on hopes and dreams of somebody developing, while presenting an image of mismanagement, stubbornness and ineptitude to your both team and the sports world. Strong has an obligation to do everything within his power and within ethical and reasonable standards to solve the team problems, each and every problem. Hoping it gets fixed this year by using the same failed strategy as last year is not doing that and is risking games and the prospect of success for practically nothing, save a few scholarship dollars. The #1, record setting Juco QB wants badly to come to your school and you say , "no thanks. Although they sucked last year, we are hoping one of our current guys gets better and develops to an acceptable level or the guys around them gt good enough to hide their poor performance," then you look no further for anyone else, either. I have liked Strong otherwise but this is just plain irresponsible and not representative of The University. Swoopes or Heard may tear it up this year and this may all go by the wayside (and I hope that happens), but we have now seen a glimpse of a side of CS where his stubbornness and arrogance can overtake his good judgment and where he will gamble and leave The University exposed unnecessarily.
Or maybe Charlie sees more than we see and has well founded faith in Swoopes and/or Heard. Just because he chose not to bring in a transfer QB does not necessarily mean he is stubborn and arrogant to a detrimental degree.
We get it - you don't like Charlie Strong. I guess you don't realize you're sounding like... something.
From footage on the news and LHN, Swoopes is throwing some of the best arched spirals I can recall ever seeing from anyone. If he jumps to gamer-attitude when the lights come on... Hook'em !!
I am reminded of a story told by T.Bridgewater when he was a freshman and asked CS to switch him to a WR position because he was discouraged and wanted to play. CS said essentially, "be patient --- you will be my QB." Thre is a side to CS that he only shows to his players. He is not an open book. The confidence the player has is very important to CS (and Watson) and he will do what it takes in public to maintain it. The Horns need to maintain at least two viable QBs and it is unlikely that a true freshman (KL) will compete with the two that are there until late in the year. With that being said, TS's confidence will not be affected by what I say. I do not forget the last two games of last season. I saw both in the spring game. JH will start within the next few games. The short to mid passing game will belong to JH. TS will go in probably for a quick strike capability until JH shows he can throw the long ball consistently. A problem with TS has always been his confidence and it is very tenuous. Having the "it factor" has a lot to do with confidence. JH has always shown that while in high school.
My credibility as an assessor of quarterbacks ended a few years ago when I said: "Thank GOD we're getting Ryan Perriloux, a REAL quarterback and they can switch that Vince Young guy to wide receiver where he belongs."
Since it is confession time. Before he ever played a meaningful down of football at UT, I once predicted Garrett Gilbert would be one of the best QB's the Horns ever had. Since then I am out of the UT QB prediction business.....
I'm going to trust Coach on this one. We'll see as the season progresses how the QBs have developed their play and how the tam has improved overall. We should have a better indication in about 12 days.
