statsman

We have a lot of season to get through before we get the post season dessert of a national search for a new OU OC.

A quote of Venables’ Gabriel comments (from Sooner Scoop): "I would because I know there was something brought to my attention, was a story that was written just not that it really matters, but at the same time, at the end of the year, had a meeting after a few weeks at the end of the season, where Dillan Gabriel came to visit with me. He wanted to have a meeting and let me know that he wasn't going to play in the bowl game. And so I had already gotten wind and he knew some other guys were opting out on the offensive line and things like that, and I did not know that at that time that he wasn't going to go to the NFL. "When we had a great conversation with him, disappointed that he wasn't going to go play in the bowl game, and the circumstances of coach Lebby leaving, and thought he wanted to get closer to home to Hawaii, and I was like, I didn't know I had to fight this fight, you know, I didn't realize that you were even considering coming back, and he says, Yeah, but I just really want to, you know, get closer to home. So that's — we hugged and shook hands. And, you know, he was a little emotional, and I was, but it was all really good and positive. Make a guy stay, you know guys trying to find the next thing you know, the next chapter for him. I'm sure there was probably some disappointment, you know, that he wasn't more highly thought of in the NFL. "Had an amazing year. It was a fantastic quarterback. But nobody (was) running, nobody off or things like that. So always the veterans are good. You know, I think always said that the experienced player can do a little more than sometimes the young guys. But it's neither here nor there. But I did want to clear that up." (statsman comment): It’s telling that Venables didn’t know that Gabriel was not definitely going to the draft and was considering the portal. He is the HC. His QB is a priority. If he wasn’t working to stay in contact with Gabriel, to make sure that he understood what he was planning, it was because Gabriel was no longer his top priority. Now, Venables is just trying to provide cover for his choice of Arnold over Gabriel.

I mean, I guess Venables’ summary is more palatable than: ”So, yeah, Dillon was our two time player of the year, so there was a real opportunity when he decided to play another year. However, other schools were in his ear and he wanted a raise. Meanwhile, Arnold’s family was saying that he was ready to play and was done sitting. “Plus, Gabriel was asking what we were going to do to have someone block for him. “So, we decided to go with Arnold and wish Gabriel farewell. And that freed up money we could use to get better at other positions, like DT and WR”.

In Venables’ press conference, he offers his slant on the Gabriel departure. Conveniently, it exonerates the Sooner coaches. He says Gabriel opted out of the bowl, hoping to go to the draft, and decided to transfer after his draft grade. (My memory is that everyone knew that 2024 was the wrong draft for all but the best prospects, and Gabriel wasn’t one of them).

He is seven wins behind Saban at year’s start. He is 38 behind Bryant. Robinson and Paterno are past Bryant. It might be just Saban that he’s chasing.

On the Sooner boards, they’re taking the long view- they want to hire a young, innovative up-and-comer at OC to fix the offense. Which is hilarious. There are no sure things there. Sure thing OCs take new jobs as HCs, not OCs. The kind of OC you can hire is more like Tim Beck, Sterlin Gilbert, Kendall Briles. That’s just how things are now. They hired Riley in 2015 and made him HC in 2017. Or, they can hire an up-and-coming position coach as OC, which is a gamble. The end for all these “what if we…” decision trees end up at the same place- “Make a list of HC candidates “

Far be it from me to quibble with you, but I think you’re severely underestimating the economic allure of Indian casinos and legal cannabis products. Is it possible you have not visited the state of Oklahoma recently?

But, is it? Ten years ago, I really felt that Mack, for all his talk about looking for a high point to leave on, really didn’t want to go from $5.5 M per year for coaching to $1.5 m per year for emeritus status and some broadcasting. Would you? He ended up getting a buyout (low eight figures), I believe For all that we can say, “He has made plenty and ought to be set”, how can any of us make that decision for him? Not knowing anything, the correct play for UNC is to assume he believes he needs the money, and to not assume any benevolence or generosity.

I would. Arnold isn’t coming back next year. His NIL hit is too big, and he’s not taking a cut. OU won’t put all their QBing eggs in one basket again (I expect them to seek a new QB in the portal), and they’re not budgeted for two big NIL QBs. So, if he’s not coming back next year, what is his role this year? Frankly, I won’t be surprised if he leaves the team, as a mutual decision agreeable to both parties. Of course, I may be talking out my ass. A lot of this probably depends on how payments are scheduled. OU has screwed their QB position up like I have not seen in decades. Letting Gabriel get away was a huge mistake, but the precursor, the original mistake, was assessing Arnold, and the OL, and deciding he was good enough to commit the 2024 season to.

WRT Hawkins’ performance. Yes, he led two TD drives. No, he was not running an offense. Klatt noted that, in the second half, OU abandoned the run game and balance, and just asked Hawkins to play hero ball against a Vol defense playing to keep everything in front of them. You can try to build on that. You’ll have something like the John Chiles offense of 2007 Texas or Jerrod Heard of 2014.

Amended IFY

I think you’re forgetting (or have suppressed) Blake Bell in 2013. Against Texas: 26-12, 133 yards (longest was 47), 0 TDs, 2 picks. Four sacks.

Exhibit A in “why the B1G’s academic standards precluded them from accepting OU as a member”

I had a summer intern who played water polo. She said that, pregame, officials did a fingernail check and clipped nails that were too long, for safety.

In 2021, Patterson was openly telling TCU boosters that they needed to pay up, or other schools were going to take their best players away. After his experience at UT, I got the idea that Patterson doesn’t dislike what college football has become as much as he doesn’t want to run a program that is at a disadvantage (not enough money) in the modern game.

To be fair- in ‘99, Mack(and Texas) allowed it to dominate the week. Mack offered to cancel the game (Texas had already clinched the B12 South), and encouraged everyone off the two deep to donate blood. The LHB made a special half time show. In 2009, the Ags really tried hard to play up the 10th anniversary. Texas (the whole school and program) declined to participate (the TAMU-Baylor game was actually closer to the 10th anniversary date). Thankfully, the broadcaster (ESPN) declined to play up the Ags’ commemorative activities, too. (I have to wonder if someone from Texas spoke to ESPN). Still, we know that in the off season, Ag regents explored starting their bonfire up again, on campus, unsuccessfully. I fully expect the Ags (none of whom in leadership were around 25 years ago) to make a big deal about it, seeking an emotional and sympathy edge.

Thx. Even if it’s 2:30, that’s late enough to overcome hotel jackassery. Also, Sark is wired different from Mack. When the Ags try to play up the 25th anniversary of the bonfire collapse (I have a 98% expectation that they will), Sark is more likely than past Texas coaches to say, “What does that have to do with me or my team?” And refuse to engage.

There was no way to prepare the allied forces in the Pacific in the 1930’s and ‘40s for the dichotomy of the Japanese- at home they would be kind and considerate to a fault, and at war they would kill surrendered prisoners and eat their livers. Similarly, this staff will just have to learn about Ags for themselves. Luckily, it’s a night game this year, right? So no breakfast denial shenanigans

Three games on ESPN or Fox on Saturday is pretty good for them. Kansas/TCU streaming is something

Drew Kelson made the point that, although OU and the Ags are in a similar place, they got there from different directions. Sooners are so used to good football, they have cognitive dissonance. The Sooner fans cannot conceive of a crappy offense wearing crimson and cream with paper clips in their helmets. It doesn’t compute. Meanwhile, the Ags expect their crappy offense to excel because they have no idea what good football looks like. Driving home this morning, the Sooner podcasts were more entertaining than the Texas podcasts. I suspect Venables is much like the Sooner fanbase- he has been attached to not just good, but exceptional offense for over a quarter of a century, and he doesn’t quite get how much planning and good work goes into having one (although he will either learn or go back to being a DC). This is why Castiglione gave Venables a preseason extension, so as to not be forced into a premature decision. OU is much like the Dallas Cowboys right now. They gave a lot of money to Arnold, Burks and Damonic Williams and expected them to be great, because they cost a lot. It doesn’t work that way. Now, Arnold might have a future. Who knows? OU has gone decades since not having a capable QB on the roster (interrupted by short stints of Bell and Breville). Making decisions without having solid answers is a new territory for them. If Arnold has a future, can OU commit to it?

I believe it. In 2013, after the embarrassing BYU loss, powerful boosters were unhappy. Mack told them- “you won’t have to fire me. I’ll resign at season’s end.” A couple of games later that became, “If I don’t win the conference, I’ll leave gracefully”. After the loss to Baylor, he told them that he thought he saved his job by playing for the conference title on the last weekend.

Without getting paid

The Texas schools in the B12 have a lot of history, and should care about playing each other, but I’m not convinced they do. Baylor and TCU have one of the longest rivalries, and yet, only occasionally played each other while not in the same conference. TCU is declining to continue its SMU series. The dynamic you see repeated again and again- the school perceived to have (or believes it has) the superior status is less willing to schedule its longtime nearby rival if it’s not forced to by its conference.

That is an amazing quote by Taurasi. I mean, in the NBA, touted rookies come in all the time, take a while to get their legs and catch up to the speed, and then ignite. I can’t imagine LeBron (who was a highly touted rookie like I just described) saying about any NBA rookie something like Taurasi did. Is the WNBA really that different?

The cheat code for college HC’s is to have a HC with a rep for developing QBs. That allows the programs to have QB depth at a discount, and makes the OL and WR recruiting pitch simpler. I see theee programs like that in P2: Texas, USC and Bama. Who are the Mid2 and G5 HCs (or OCs looking to move up) with that rep? That’s who Florida should be looking at.