VY just said on the post-game show that he's glad this happened. Thinks that this bunch doesn't understand what it means to play for Texas, and this just confirms it. Kind of damning, shoot-yourself-in-the-head analysis.
Somewhere Jamial and McCombs are sitting in front of a fire in a Brazilian wood paneled study laughing and throwing $10 million into the fire snap chatting our AD.
I AM SO DISGUSTED. THAT WAS THE WORST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE I HAVE SEEN FROM UT IN 51 YEARS OF WATCHING THEM PASSIONATELY.
I think everybody needs to take a deep breath and remember A. Where this program has been, and B. What this staff was hired to do. I understand the frustration and I also have my concerns about certain things such as systemic long term clock management and their failure to bring in another QB option last offseason. There should not be clock mismanagement at this stage and the blind belief in Ash's health and Swoopes' ability in a pinch after that spring game were genuine mistakes. However, we all knew, or should have known that wins and loss numbers in 2014 were not a paramount concern when CS kicked off both starting offensive tackles, a starting safety and the short yardage running back. Those are not decisions of someone that wants to win this year at all costs and that should be now, and should have been blatantly clear. This program has been a cancer. Entitlement, mental softness, lack of individual character, no respect for authority, lack of player development, poor talent in too many areas, bad evaluations and decisions to not bring in competition at certain positions were more the norm than the exception. It was a disaster that was being propped up by smoke and mirrors. How long do you think Mack could have continued to hide the truth? Could he have won more games this year? Very possibly if he had kept all those players who CS kicked off. He still would not have had a QB but perhaps he could have squeaked by a couple of those close games. Of course, the defense probably would not have been #1 in the conference, so maybe not either, but possibly. So where would that leave things? The same as the last 5 years which is unacceptable and doing nothing to change it. The current regime is changing it. They are not worrying about looking good to you and I so we won't write ugly things about them on the internet. In fact, they probably don't even have that team of Internet readers that log all the bad comments and report it to the head coach so he can retaliate. These guys don't give a hoot about our opinions and I find that refreshing. They know how to correct this atrocity and they are a proven quantity doing it. Does all this mean it may take a little longer and they won't get the easy path? Sure. Do you think they need "the easy path" to succeed? They don't. Remember: we are conditioned to believe that you have to have all 4 and 5 star recruits to win because that has been true for us for the last 16 years. However, that is no longer reality. We now have coaches who can coach. We have coaches who can evaluate talent. We have coaches who will choose players by how well they can serve the UT program, not by what star level some publication ranks them or whether they fit the system. This is Charlie's program and it has been very obvious that he is recruiting that way. He has been villified for months because he was not kissing MJ's backside enough. Well, does anyone really want anymore players walking in the door who think they deserve to have a 54 year old, proven $5MM per year D-1 college football coach kissing their backside? That's called entitlement and that era is,thankfully, over. I suspect this is why some guys (insert Weathersby here, although a guess only) pull away and say they were no longer "feeling it". It may take longer, but I'd rather UT football be worth something and recruits recognize that than having a roster full of bad attitudes who expect the team to revolve around them and who get mad when it doesn't after it was promised to them in the recruiting process. Or that the team will risk ending up without a QB option down the line because we promised a 2A project QB hopeful that we would not bring in a future Heisman candidate in the same class, after not recruiting a stud future NFL star one year because we were afraid he would scare off next year's hopeful (who doesn't pan out either), while we bring in someones baby brother who should be playing JUCO somewhere, etc., etc, Leave that for the Swag Copter fellows and our previous regime. Give this group some time. They are not working on short term objectives so don't judge them by short term benchmarks.
I don't blame anyone for being frustrated and angry. I am quite horse from yelling at my TV screen last night and don't feel great today either. But I will say that there is a lot more to offensive coaching than what offense you run, formation you set up in and play you call. Those are important factors along with many others, but several of those factors are last in line and dependent upon prior coaching factors. This group does not appear to be innovative in its scheme, no doubt. There are no Hal Mumme's or even Art Briles on the staff, who innovate never before seen plays and formations. But we could argue that the offensive coaches this year actually did a better job than the defensive coaches, considering the above mentioned sow's ear they had to work with. Who else could have been competitive in 9 out of 13 games with that (2 OTs who were never meant to see the field, a center who was a career 2nd or 3rd team backup, no WR deep threat and a probable TE for a QB)? Does anyone really think that the majority of the offensive coaching staffs in the FBS would have faired better with this roster? They made John Harris an NFL prospect. They made Doyle a quality OL and stopped Flowers' slide and we know the OT and QB situations. That was offensive coaching. Those players were developed as far as was possible in the 9-10 months they had and none of these guys were their recruits, necessarily with the skill set they want. We have seen nothing like that in the last 16+ years. I am looking forward to seeing what they can do with some time and resources.
I tend to agree with Giveemhell. Was there not a way to make it your team and your rules without conceding the season before we started. And, we start Spring ball with no experience at QB. Heard could have played the last 6 games and had 160 pass attempts and 500 yards rushing to build on. With three years to play, what to we miss? And, you bring Daje back to run one play!!?? Where is the creativity? I have great hope for the future, but this year was tougher than it had to be.
I'm not sure we can ever know if this could have been done differently with any certainty. We can be sure that the cancer than had infested this program for the years prior left numerous casualties both in the ranks of players and coaches. We know MB tried to bring in outside coaches to help correct the problem and they had little effect, either because their efforts were thwarted, because they were ineffective or because they became frustrated and left. Ultimately, trying to correct the problem without too much disruption did not work. Was it just MB and someone else could have still done it with minimal disruption? We can't know that. Several of these guys flunked four consecutive drug tests. Another is reported to have been the local dope connection for the frat houses. Two more have been indicted for gang raping a coed. The rest of the team reportedly was upset over this type of behavior and wanted these problems gone. Just how much more rope could CS really offer these guys and still maintain any kind of respect and buy in from the team, not to mention the monumental task of turning the team success around. It is very likely this was the only way, and oddly, the fastest way to cure the underlying disease.
Caryhorn, like you one of my biggest problems is how the QB position was handled. They have admitted that they knew Ty wasn't "it" and had hoped for David to stay healthy. I think that was pretty naïve, to say the least and they should have brought in a Juco or transfer QB. I'm guessing here, but I would put my money on the facts that they 1. expected Heard to be much further along than he actually was, and 2. were surprised by the Wittek issue which cropped up in late May and derailed his possible transfer to UT. They should have had a backup plan, IMHO, but I am also sitting in my living room, so to speak and do not know all the ins and outs. I also think we need not forget the weekly roller coaster we felt we all were on, watching Ty on his roller coaster ride. He played some terrific football this season in certain games. For a period, he was improving immensely and then it came crashing down in a very ugly way for him. Nobody, including him or the coaches expected that. We all wrongfully assumed that improvement comes with every meaningful snap (because it usually does) when unfortunately, we should have known from recent past experience that is not always the case. It was not a clear matter every game all season and his meltdown the last several games is more reflective of his future than this past season. Without bringing in somebody else, I don't know who on the roster would have faired better at QB other than possibly Heard, who was not even close to equal to Ty in production until Ty melted down. In retrospect, the reps certainly could have been meaningful to him as Like Mike pointed out, but again, his current level was much further back until Ty melted down at the end. It is disappointing, but it all is a step and we now have to watch and see if this group is better at solving their problems than the last group. I believe they are and showed some of that with the changes and adjustments they made, but I'm guessing and hoping until we see the QB position solved, and not just addressed.
We will wander and wonder the next two years. Why? 1. The new head coach could have hired any OC and instead hired Watson. Watson will not wake up tomorrow and become excellent. He will still be a bad OC. Strong said at the post game that he was keeping Watson. 2. Game adjustments and field discipline(especially on offense) are non existent and the present coaches will not wake up tomorrow and become excellent in either area. 3. Special teams coaches will not wake up tomorrow and become excellent. Hopefully better, but will still underperform. 4. Defense will be worse losing Brown, Edmund, Hicks, Diggs, Reed, Thompson, Turner and Evans. Even if Strong pulls off a recruiting miracle(doubtful), those players are two years away. He was unable to make a recruiting impact in 2014 and was unable to hold on to committed defensive recruits. The 2014 recruiting leaves a void that will show up in year three. We will be fortunate to have a winning season the next two years with all of these coaches remaining in their present coaching positions. I wish it was different.
