statsman

I can see why the B12 would be interested in FSU and Clemson (although I’m not so sure it’s a great idea; are they just recreating the UT/OU dynamic- Gulliver and the Lilliputians?). Why would FSU and Clemson be interested in the B12? Sure, it’s better than the ACC,…if the ACC doesn’t have FSU and Clemson. Are they talking to the B12, hoping to elicit interest from the SEC and B1G? Because, if they had interest from the SEC or B1G, they sure wouldn't be talking to the B12. I had my doubts already that FSU and Clemson had a landing spot all worked out should they break out of the ACC…

Politics aside, Harris should be already sworn in as president, and sending a VP name to be confirmed in Congress.

Indiana can hate Michigan, but if they decide they need to win so much that they have to start buying players (like SMU), it won’t detract from Michigan’s recruiting.

I know KD has to fight through his calf injury now, but I just want to express appreciation for his love of this game. He is about to get his fourth gold medal because Olympics after Olympics, he wants to play. The dude lives to play basketball. Other stars want to take the summer off, recover from the playoffs, get their bodies right for the coming season and KD just wants to play in the best games he can scramble into. It’s too bad they didn’t let him go in 2008, after his rookie year. In three Olympics, and one World Cup, he is averaging 48.8% from 3PL. Check out the roster he led to the 2010 title, and how he dominated- https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/teams/united-states/2010.html

Michigan is the closest analog to us, culturally, academically and competitively, including having an analog rival (tOSU to OU). They have an advantage in that they were never forced by geographic constraints to join a league with a bunch of nearby schools that simultaneously hated and free rided them. We have an advantage in that we are located in a more talent rich region.

Even for Jason White?

I’m disappointed Jarrod Huffer (back for another season!) isn’t joining them.

I never thought I’d see NBA all stars looking to a guy to take over and win the game, but that’s exactly what I saw in 2021.

2021 was headed to a 1988 or 2004 finish, but KD took over. It was incredible. KD is the best FIBA player ever. It’s as if they let him draw the three point line, and he said- “Let’s put it here, where I’m two steps from the rim but also where I can pull up for my mid-range shot”.

I take it you didn’t watch the 2021 Olympics? Team had Tatum, Booker, Lillard, Draymond, and they spent the medal rounds looking to KD to win the game.

I still believe that the “TAMU to the B1G” talk is based on the B1G wanting into Texas (the assumption is that their revenue model still rewards adding a big state full of subscriber; I could be wrong) and the Ags wanting the SEC to feel “jealous” and throw the Ags a bone. However, I am coming around to thinking the SEC could drive the Ags away with a couple of well timed snubs and insults.

Thanks. And the coach goes along with it? 🙄 How ridiculous

Question- on Klatt’s podcast interview with Ryan Day, Klatt would ask a question that referenced the Michigan game and Day would reply about “the rivalry game”. Do the Buckeyes have an Aggy-like tradition of not saying “Michigan”?

Question- SEC media days are next week, in Dallas. Any announced plans for Sark to speak to local Texas Exes?

Oh, they joined in such a non-assuming and inconspicuous manner, that it’s hard to remember.

If uncle Phil allows him to leave, sure. There's no reason why Lanning couldn't become the highest paid CFB coach in the country in spite of lack of championships. Jerrah isn't hurting for money, but his little fiefdom is nowhere near the Nike empire. But, coaches do leave Oregon. Kelly left (for the NFL), Helfrich was fired, Taggert left for FSU and Cristobal left for Miami. Sure, each had their understandable reason (alma mater, NFL), but the point remains- since Bellotti was pushed aside, the Oregon job hasn’t been so fucking great that nobody wants to give it up.

In 2017, Texas signed two WR, a 3 star and a 4 star. Neither did shit, really. In 2018, Texas signed three 3 star WRs, and they were all very modest contributors. In 2019, Texas signed one 5 star (McCoy) that never made it in, three 4 stars (Whittington made it big) and one three star. In 2020, Texas signed one 4 star WR and two 3 star WRs, all forgettable. Yes, that special, elite WR is absolutely a prize that you would pay a ransom to get. Yes, the 9.95s really struggle to ID which of the 200 fast, tall, TD scoring machines that this state produces each year are really special. Yes, coaches like Herman can always fill out their class with lots of 4 star WRs to pad their ranking (even though their offense is built around the QB running power inside) and make the boosters feel better. Maybe Moore is that special guy, that type that Riley used to always ID for OU. Maybe Hudson was, too, last year. I’m ok with Sark’s approach, going after the best recruits, churning the bottom of the room, and grabbing the guys from the portal that the big schools missed the first time around. Now, DT really is a problem we haven’t got a fix on yet.

National Review (most writers actually not Trump fans) had a post that noted that you can blame the GOP electorate for Trump. The GOP primary had lots of choices, from different parts of government, from different parts of the conservative political spectrum. They chose Trump. If he flames out, it’s on them. They contrasted with the Dem primaries, where the party very much limited the field to ease the path of the incumbent. Their point was that if Biden flames out, you have to blame Dem leadership and not the electorate.

Can I ask? My understanding is that Texas adjusts NIL agreements with current team so as to avoid a 2022 TAMU situation, where entrenched starters find out that raw freshmen are compensated higher? Is that close to how we work? Are Oregon and tOSU doing the same? If Oregon is resetting markets, are they catching their roster up, too?

The Ags. I think they want the SEC to be afraid they’ll leave, and show them more respect in order to keep them. I don’t think their worldview allows them to consider that, with Texas in the fold, the SEC might not really care whether they leave or stay. As for the B1G, if taking the Ags lets them put the B1G network throughout this population 28M state, I assume they’d do it.

That game hurt. We dropped to #8, OU rose to #6, taking our pole position for the Big 12 title with them. All we could hope for was a rematch in the Big 12 title game. It would have happened if OU could have just slipped past KU or OSU.

Oh, no! Whatever will they do? At least they still have the two coordinators that schemed up that great game plan.

Gotta hand it to OU. Gabriel certainly carried the Sooners that day. I reckon he’ll be a Sooner hero forever. I hope we have a better answer for him this year.

I absolutely can believe that the Ags want everyone to think they might scamper to the B1G, hoping that the SEC would start appreciating them more. And I can see an argument for the B1G wanting them, hoping to get the B1G carried in Texas (does that revenue model still work?) and opening up recruiting (this argument also applies to FSU). I just can’t see them really doing it.

Marco Martin. Larry Dibbles. Taylor Bible. These were all high profile DT wins that never reached potential. There is a risk in committing big NIL to a freshman that may never pan out. (It’s funny. We all enjoyed the Sark interview where he emphasized that NIL was the very last thing he would bring up with a recruit, because we’re not going for the “all about the money” guys. Now, Nahlin is writing that these DT recruitments are all about NIL) I’m not going to praise our strategy- clearly it’s not working this year. I don’t know that we have to blow it up. Maybe adjust it. Maybe cast a wider net of offers? Maybe increase NIL allotment for DTs 20%? I don’t know, but I think we need a deliberate strategy rather than a rash reaction to feel good about recruiting.