IMHO, what Nick Saban has done at Alabama has proven that you can build a football dynasty even in the era of reduced scholarships. How many times have Texas fans heard the narrative that the only reason why Coach Royal was successful is because of the unlimited scholarships available at the time? How many times have UT fans been lectured by the press to have lower expectations because of the scholarship reductions? To those who dare lecture us on expectations, I tell them to look at Saban and Alabama then get back with me on it.
I might also add that when an opponent was finally flagged for doing a Horns Down, everyone else in the Big XII as well as the national media complained about it.
Very saddened to hear the news about the death an absolute Longhorn legend. You never felt the baseball team were out of a game with Coach Gus in the dugout, RIP Coach Gus...you will be sorely missed 😢
It seems like some of posters out there want us to stay in the Big XII and not go to the SEC. I am not one of them. The SEC will finally force UT to play mentally tough in all sports and that will be good thing. Another thing, I agree with Chris Simms,
TCU's Nonconference schedule of a really bad Colorado team, Tarleton State and SMU should alone keep them from any consideration in the playoffs. Lady Luck finally frowned on the Frogs today and I really love it. Somewhere, former Texas AD and KSU alum Deloss Dodds is smiling. Congrats to KSU on a well earned victory.
I am willing to give Coach Sark 4-5 years to clean up Tom Herman's mess. The Herman coaching staff was not very good in recruiting lineman and that situation is getting fixed by the current staff. Very few are willing to acknowledge that this year would have been Herman's Waterloo based on the fact that current players were recruiting against him. To this point, Coach Sark as not said that he is either "redeveloping the UT tradition" or "going 7-4 and 8-3 is preferable at a place like UT" or "learn to live with it". He does not appear to be the type who will hold one to incompetent assistants like Mack did with Greg Davis. We shall ee but I for one is willing to give him some time./
RIP to the greatest baseball announcer in my lifetime. What I really like about Vin Scully is that he never made the game about him or took time lecture the fans. He let the moment come to him. While my Rangers have had good announcers in Jon Miller and Eric Nadal, they do not even come close to Scully. My favorite Vin Scully call was Hark Aaron's 715 HR. His call was clearly better than the Braves announcer who obviously had a practiced response.
Overrated teams:
SMU 1981 and 1982: The Mustangs' nonconference schedule was an absolute joke(Grambling State, UTA, Wichita State and UNT). That fact didn't keep the idiots in the Dallas press(except for Blackie Sherrod) from ranking them high or demanding they play a tougher schedule. I have always said that if Eric Dickerson had to face OU very year like Earl Campbell did, he would never came close to breaking Earl's then rushing record.
1985 Penn State: This team finished undefeated, barely winning playing a Big East type schedule. They got exposed in the Orange Bowl later that year. OU was fortunate to play them and back into another MNC yet again.
I was on the UT Football support staff that season. The team played an extremely tough preseason scheduled(Auburn, Penn State and OU) but it appears that our fanbase never noticed. Of course. they're not the ones playing the games either. The team was extremely worn down by the end of the season as there was never really a chance to develop depth. Playing the the SWC back then was as fun as running through a minefield back with teams just anxiously awaiting to ruin your season. IMHO, the team was not overrated. It just suffered from the bravado of the coach back then.
I remember that game. Alabama had a human hitting machine in Dave Magadan who hit over .500 in the CWS. Somehow, our pitching that year slowed him down.
It's good that my HS alma mater is still in the same district with the RIchardson schools. Much better fit than playing the Lewisville schools. It's been 47 years since we were in the same district with HP and 32 years since we last played them, Should be interesting. Cannot really stand the Scotties though one of my best friends was the starting QB back for HP back in the early 1980s. (His Dad coached HP from 1974-1984).
Though I really do not care for Baylor and their fans, I really have to give them credit. They have rebuilt their program twice after the Briles Era emphasizing physical toughness. I sure wish that UT would return to that style of play. Like Bud Wilkinson once said "exciting football should never be played at the expense of sound fundamental football. Superior execution of the basic fundamentals will usually insure victory. The main emphasis should be on running, blocking, and tackling." That is how Baylor plays and something we should take note especially since we're joining the SEC in the near future.