Urban Meyer or bust

[IDIOTsavant 8419]

12 minutes ago, wood said:

Hold on. Here's my venmo ...

@BigDickEnergy

[FloridaHorn 4725]

2 minutes ago, wood said:

OK? I'd love to see some actual journalists post something of substance from someone involved, but that's not happening. Nobody's talking, even after FCB's report that Urban is 'leaning to a no'. And here's a big hint for you: FCB, Ketch, the rest of the $9.95ers, and anyone at the Statesman ... those aren't real journalists. And no, the twitter guys, etc aren't journalists either, but I don't recall anyone actually putting all their faith in anything they say either.

What's driving much of this continued buy-in is that the things we are hearing generally don't make sense.

that's because....

 

[BabaYaga 15116]

[Bevo&Pevo 4880]

16 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

1    Michigan    962    346    36    .729    1344
2    Ohio State    924    326    53    .729    1303
3 (T)    Alabama[c]    916    331    43    .727    1290
3 (T)    Texas    916    375    33    .704    1324
3 (T)    Yale    916    380    55    .698    1351
6 (T)    Notre Dame[d]    908    326    42    .728    1276
6 (T)    Oklahoma    908    327    53    .726    1288
8    Nebraska    902    395    40    .690    1337
9    Penn State    898    393    41    .690    1332

 

Just think where those numbers would be if we had decent (instead of marginal) coaching for the last 2 decades.

[DFW Horn 6020]

1 hour ago, lonestarsooner said:

It get discussed here frequently but if you aren’t subscribing to the Athletic, you’re missing out in the best long form sports writing and reporting out there today. To that end, Andy Staples has a piece out today that encapsulates a bit of everything with the UT program, from the current coaching situation/search to a nod to the past state of the program that has led you to this point. It won’t be anything that many of you here don’t already know but it is well written and informative. Apologies in advance for not knowing how to use the spoiler to hide the longcat text of the article. 
 

From Andy Staples at The Athletic:
 

Now it gets awkward.

Whether Urban Meyer ever was a real option for Texas will drive fan site discussions for the foreseeable future, but we may not get any sort of on-the-record confirmation of whether anything actually happened for years.

It took three years for former Texas regent Tom Hicks to spill any beans about approaching agent Jimmy Sexton about Alabama coach Nick Saban in 2012 (a year before Mack Brown was ousted as the Longhorns’ coach). At the moment, both parties seem content to let everyone else talk about Meyer and Texas without Meyer or anyone from Texas acknowledging the other.

What seems clear at the moment is that Meyer is not an option to be the football coach at Texas in 2021, which might offer some comfort to current Texas coach Tom Herman if the Texas administration would acknowledge that Herman will coach the Longhorns in 2021. Athletic director Chris Del Conte has made clear he isn’t offering a definitive opinion on the direction of the football program until after the season. When that happens is a matter of discussion at the moment. Texas was supposed to wrap its regular season against Kansas on Saturday in Lawrence, but the Longhorns have paused football activity because of several COVID-19 positives on the team. The game might get played Saturday. It might get played Dec. 19. If the virus continues to be an issue, it might not get played.

So Del Conte faces a decision. Does he keep a coach the fan base has abandoned? Or does he write checks that could add up to $30 million to make a change that doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything because there is no Meyer, Nick Saban or Dabo Swinney in the candidate pool?

Texas finds itself in a position similar to the one rival Texas A&M faced three years ago. The Aggies fired Kevin Sumlin, whose record at the school made him one of the most successful coaches in the program’s history, and then-AD Scott Woodward had to land what he called a “rare-air” coach. Woodward determined that he needed a coach with a national title on his résumé, which meant one of four names. Meyer, Saban and Clemson’s Swinney weren’t going anywhere, which left Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher as the only option. “In contractual negotiations, you have leverage or you don’t,” Woodward told me for a story I wrote for Sports Illustrated. “I had zero leverage.” So Woodward offered a fully guaranteed, 10-year, $75 million contract and would have gone higher had Fisher not said yes. Woodward knew there was no Plan B.

The similarities between the situations end at the options. The acting coaches with national titles on their résumés are Fisher, LSU’s Ed Orgeron, Saban, Swinney, Kansas’ Les Miles and, of course, Brown. The first four aren’t moving. Miles isn’t getting hired by any program at that level. And Brown would be terribly complicated — plus he seems very happy back at North Carolina. Meyer, with three national titles between Florida and Ohio State on his résumé, apparently is happy behind the Fox Sports desk. This means if Del Conte wants to make a change, he’ll have to take an expensive leap of faith on someone who hasn’t ever reached the heights Texas donors and fans believe the Longhorns should reach. He would have to spend millions and then turn around and sell the coach to those donors and fans. Or he could keep a coach those fans don’t like anymore but who — based on his record so far — might offer a similar chance of success.

Neither situation is ideal, but at some point in the next few weeks, Del Conte will have to choose. And as he considers, he’ll probably also need to consider some of the institutional factors that have helped bring Texas to this point for the third time in seven years. So let’s examine the issues that will influence the decision.

The Coaches

Herman is finishing his fourth season in Austin, and though his tenure has been better than that of predecessor Charlie Strong, it has included only one Big 12 title game appearance. This year’s team had a chance to make the game but lost it when it blew a fourth-quarter lead against Iowa State and fell 23-20 on Nov. 27.

Herman was the toast of Austin following the 2018 season when the Longhorns reached the Big 12 title game and beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, but the backlash against Herman began last season when the Longhorns went 8-5. Losses to College Football Playoff participants by a combined 14 points were understandable, but the Longhorns also lost to TCU (one of three losses to the Horned Frogs in Herman’s four seasons), Iowa State and Baylor. The Longhorns have a significant advantage in the recruiting rankings against those three teams, but Texas hasn’t been able to translate a raw talent advantage into wins — especially against coaches who have proven player-development track records. TCU’s Gary Patterson, Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and former Baylor and current Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule fit that description.

Firing Herman now would require a $15 million payoff because of the extension Del Conte gave Herman after the 2018 season. That figure likely would rise above $20 million when factoring in staff buyouts. And that’s before any buyout payments to a new coach’s old school.

Because we’re trying to figure out if changing coaches is worth the price tag, we probably should compare Herman to coaches who might be in the hunt for the Texas job if it opened. So let’s play the blind résumé game using the factors a coach at a program such as Texas should be judged upon.

Coach 1: Winning percentage against Power 5 teams at current job: .692, Power 5 conference titles: 1, Median recruiting class rank: 11, First-round draft picks coached at current job: 1 (With at least one getting picked in the first round in 2021.)

Coach 2: Winning percentage against Power 5 teams at current job: .571, Power 5 conference titles: 0, Median recruiting class rank: 5.5, First-round draft picks coached at current job: 0 (With one possibly going in the first in 2021.)

Coach 3: Winning percentage against Power 5 teams at current job: .500, Power 5 conference titles: 0, Median recruiting class rank: 52, First-round draft picks coached at current job: 0

Coach 4: Winning percentage against Power 5 teams at current job: .611, Power 5 conference titles: 1, Median recruiting class rank: 15, First-round draft picks coached at current job: 1 (With one possibly going in the first round in 2021.)

So do any of these stand out above the others? Maybe No. 1? What if I told you he has an $8 million buyout and lost to Oregon State and Cal in the past two weeks? Feel differently? No. 1 is Oregon’s Mario Cristobal, who has proven to be an excellent recruiter and roster builder. The question with Cristobal is whether he can avoid losing games his team should win. This has been one of Texas fans’ biggest gripes with Herman, and given the extremely high price, it could be more vexing if the Longhorns hire a coach who does exactly the same thing that currently infuriates the fan base.

No. 2 is Herman, who will cost $5.8 million next year if Texas retains him. One of the more frustrating facts about this Texas season also could be encouraging depending on your perspective. (Especially if your perspective is to try to save some money.)

Yes, the Longhorns have lost three games. But they’ve lost them by a combined 13 points. Turn either the Oklahoma game or the Iowa State game into a win, and Texas is playing for the Big 12 title. But Herman’s personality has turned off people in the Texas administration and donor base. I always say that it doesn’t matter if people like you if you’re 0-12 (You’re fired!) or 12-0 (You’re getting a raise!), but it matters a great deal if you’re in the — depending on the school — six- to eight-win range. Had Herman been the guy who has admittedly been humbled by this year all along, there might be no conversation. He’d definitely be coming back. But that’s not what happened those first three years, and here we are.

No. 3 is Iowa State’s Campbell. His record should be graded on a curve because he inherited a program that went 8-28 the three seasons before he arrived. His recruiting also should be graded on a curve because Iowa State does not have the access to players that Texas does. But this also would be the only question about Campbell. He has worked at Division III Mount Union, at Bowling Green, at Toledo and at Iowa State. He has never had to swim in the recruiting waters Texas must navigate. That doesn’t mean he can’t; it only means there is no data yet.

The other major issue with Campbell is he might not want the job. He probably isn’t leaving Iowa State unless it’s for a situation he considers ideal. For a guy from the Midwest, that might be Michigan should the Wolverines move on from Jim Harbaugh. Also, don’t be shocked if some NFL teams sniff around Campbell. The qualities that have made him fantastic for Iowa State — great evaluation, development and culture building — are the same ones that allowed Rhule to win at Temple and Baylor. Those qualities travel a lot better between levels of the sport than simply being able to collect five-star recruits. If anyone in college or the NFL wants Campbell, it’ll cost a cool $6 million to Iowa State.

No. 4 is Penn State’s James Franklin. It might be tough for Del Conte to sell a coach who lost his first five games this season and is having a tough recruiting cycle in his own state, but what Franklin has done at Penn State remains remarkable considering the situation he inherited. Plus, he did win nine games twice at Vanderbilt. A fun party game is to try to figure out what other college football coaches could do that. Spoiler alert: It’s a short list. Franklin would be expensive, though. On top of likely commanding a higher salary than Herman makes, it would cost $5 million to leave Penn State now. Plus, he already has a really good job.

The School

As Del Conte examines the situation, he also needs to consider the factors at Texas that could hinder any coach’s success. Mack Brown’s run at the turn of the century obscured the fact that Texas hasn’t been a year-in, year-out superpower for most of its history. Herman is only the third coach in the program’s history — Brown and Fred Akers are the others — to win 25 games in his first three years. And as great as Brown was from 1998-2009 (128-27), the Longhorns only won the Big 12 twice in the period.

For much of the program’s history, the problem has been one of alignment. Darrell Royal compared trying to unite the university’s various factions of administration, donors and football staffers to trying to put spilled BBs back in a box, and it could be argued that only he and Brown have done that — but unfortunately Brown couldn’t keep the BBs in the box.

To understand what great alignment does for a program, look north across the Red River to Oklahoma. From December 1998 to June 2017, that school had one president (David Boren), one athletic director (Joe Castiglione) and one head football coach (Bob Stoops). Boren and Stoops have since retired, but Boren was still in place when Castiglione tapped then-Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley to succeed Stoops. The alignment all the way up the chain has continued unabated. Since Stoops took over, the Sooners have won or shared the Big 12 title 13 times.

Meanwhile, Texas hasn’t been aligned since Brown began to falter in 2010. Athletic director DeLoss Dodds and president Bill Powers were busy pulling strings in conference realignment, and Dodds’ retirement in 2013 brought what might be the single most disastrous hire in Texas athletics history: Steve Patterson, who served a hellish 22-month tenure as athletic director beginning in November 2013. Patterson was supposed to streamline a bloated athletic department but only made it more dysfunctional.

Attorney Mike Perrin stepped in to steady the ship — he wound up firing Strong and hiring Herman — and Del Conte’s charge when he was hired in 2017 was to bring the Texas athletic department into the present. Since 2010, Texas has had three presidents (Powers, Greg Fenves, Jay Hartzell), four ADs (Dodds, Patterson, Perrin, Del Conte) and three head football coaches (Brown, Strong, Herman). That isn’t an environment conducive to alignment, and it should be cause to redirect some of the criticism leveled at Brown, Strong and Herman.

One of Del Conte’s biggest tasks has been combining the Texas men’s and women’s athletic departments, which were separate before his arrival. He also has had to raise money for football capital projects that Texas previously didn’t spend on despite frequently raking in more money than every other athletic program in the nation.

Since 2010, Oklahoma has spent about $235 million on football facilities. Clemson has spent about $165 million. Georgia has spent about $133 million. Texas has spent about $45 million. The current football facility was built in the late 1990s, and the only recent improvements have been a new locker room and a weight room renovation. Compare that to Oklahoma, which opened a 132,000 square-foot facility in 2017. Or compare it to Clemson, where the slide gets all the publicity, but the facility is far less ostentatious and far more functional in person.

Buildings don’t equal success, and they aren’t going to guarantee that the best recruits don’t go to Oklahoma or Alabama, but it makes sense that the school former AD Dodds once referred to as “The Joneses” should at least attempt to keep up with The Joneses. To that end, Del Conte has raised money for a $175 million project that will give the Longhorns essentially a new football facility prior to the 2021 season.

But who will sit in the new head coach’s office? Herman or someone else?

The Choice

One question is whether the runaway speculation about Herman’s job security has neutered his ability to recruit. The Longhorns lost a commitment in late October from top class of 2022 quarterback Quinn Ewers, who quickly flipped to Ohio State. That decision is tough to dispute. The last starting quarterback to leave Ohio State (Dwayne Haskins) was a first-rounder in 2019. The guy Haskins beat out in 2018 (Joe Burrow) transferred to LSU and became the No. 1 overall pick in 2020. Current Buckeyes QB Justin Fields is a likely first-rounder in 2021.

If Herman or any of the potential replacements were better at developing top draft picks, the decision might be easy. To compete for national titles, a program needs to consistently develop first-rounders. Texas hasn’t had a first-rounder since defensive tackle Malcom Brown went No. 32 to the Patriots in 2015. In same period, Alabama has produced 17 first-rounders. Clemson has produced 10. Georgia has produced eight. LSU has produced nine. Ohio State has produced 15. Oklahoma has produced five. That is how programs win consistently, and developing draft picks makes its own gravy by making programs more attractive to recruits.

The Longhorns’ best hope for a first-rounder this year is offensive tackle Sam Cosmi, who opted out of the team’s final two games last week. One selection probably wouldn’t get the Longhorns’ class of 2022 recruiting jump-started, but it would offer some positive momentum. Winning in 2021 would help as well. Much of the in-person evaluation that would have been done for the class of 2022 would have taken place at camps this past summer. If — and that remains a key word — coaches can go on the road and conduct camps in 2021, schools situated near large numbers of quality recruits likely will have an advantage if the world hasn’t returned completely to normal. So Texas should be in better position with nearby players. That could help Herman or someone else.

Del Conte also will need to decide how to handle some thorny issues going forward.

The situation involving alma mater “The Eyes of Texas” has calmed down, but it will need to be addressed. The team traditionally stays on the field after games to sing the alma mater, but during the summer a group of athletes — in response to social justice demonstrations across the country — asked the school to replace the song with a tune that didn’t have “racial undertones.” The group also asked that athletes no longer be required to sing the song. At issue is the song’s history. The phrase “the eyes of Texas” was coined by former Texas president William Prather, who was paraphrasing Robert E. Lee, who used the phrase “the eyes of The South are upon you” while president of Prather’s alma mater William & Mary. The song debuted at a minstrel show in 1903. Minstrel shows of the period frequently featured performances by people in blackface.

The edict from the administration was that no one would be forced to sing the song, but teams would be expected to stand respectfully while it is played. Controversy erupted after the loss to Oklahoma when a fan photo of quarterback Sam Ehlinger standing nearly alone as the band played The Eyes of Texas went viral. What the photo didn’t show was that the playing of the song took place nearly 10 minutes after the game had ended because of the presentation of the Golden Hat to the Sooners. That image produced a narrative that Herman had allowed his players to disrespect the song, which many alums — and importantly many donors — consider a cherished tradition.

This placed Herman in a no-win situation. He could have lost the locker room with a hardline stance on the song, and he already faced recruiting repercussions with opposing coaches asking recruits if they wanted to go to a school that would force them to stand for a song they considered racist. Meanwhile, anything but full support for the song angered some influential donors. Two groups had diametrically opposite opinions on the issue, and there simply was no way for Herman to thread the needle.

Del Conte needs to protect his coaches on this front. Whether he keeps Herman or seeks a different coach, he needs to formulate a plan for how the Longhorns will handle the song in 2021 and get out in front of the issue. If Texas makes a change, candidates will want to know how Del Conte intends to defuse this potential bomb. If Texas keeps Herman, he can’t be the face of any decision lest it harm recruiting more than rampant unchecked speculation about Meyer did.

Herman might still be able to help himself here. This has been a trying year, and all this talk of replacing him should leave him humbled. Maybe he could offer some assurances that he’ll be more pleasant to work with going forward. Sure, he can make $15 million if he gets fired. But he can make more than $20 million and potentially quite a bit more if he keeps his job.

When Auburn’s president and athletic director flew to meet with Louisville’s Bobby Petrino while Tommy Tuberville was still the Tigers’ coach in 2003, Tuberville survived the coup attempt, went 12-0 the next season and remained Auburn’s coach until the end of the 2008 season, when he got fired and collected a fat buyout. Herman knows all the stats that were rattled off earlier in this column. He can make a strong case that he’s the safer gamble. And if Herman can turn some of these close losses into wins next season, he could snatch all the leverage. Then he could either graciously take more money or strap the Longhorns over a barrel and laugh as the dollar figures rise.

Del Conte has to decide how he wants to place his bet. Does he wager less money that a coach who hasn’t quite met expectations will finally meet them? Or does he spend lavishly with the hope that a good-but-not-spectacular pool of candidates can produce the coach who finally can get all those damn BBs back in the box?

Herman has a little more time to convince Del Conte to take Option A. And as long as he doesn’t lose to Kansas, he might have a chance.

Based on this article, we should hope Hartzell and CDC stick around at UT awhile.

But, they need to agree on and hire the next HC. Because, "alignment". 

[Beantown Express 2.0 6490]

17 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

1    Michigan    962    346    36    .729    1344
2    Ohio State    924    326    53    .729    1303
3 (T)    Alabama[c]    916    331    43    .727    1290
3 (T)    Texas    916    375    33    .704    1324
3 (T)    Yale    916    380    55    .698    1351
6 (T)    Notre Dame[d]    908    326    42    .728    1276
6 (T)    Oklahoma    908    327    53    .726    1288
8    Nebraska    902    395    40    .690    1337
9    Penn State    898    393    41    .690    1332

 

Sweet we are equal to Yale at football.  Who said we aren't part of the pantheon?  The truth is we have made many a bad hire over the last 40 years but that doesn't mean we aren't still a Blue Blood.  Wake Forest can hire the next great coach but he will never turn a school like that into a Blue Blood.  If Texas ever gets the coach hire right we will be winning a lot of games and the occasional National Championship.  There are only a few schools in the country that can do that.  Also, of all the bad hires we have made have any of those coaches gone on to another school and lit it up?  McWilliams?  Mackovic? Strong?  Soon to be Herman? If CDC is competent like other schools AD's he should be able to hire a good coach and the rest will take care of itself.

[Bigbend1812 12864]

25 minutes ago, Kel Varnsen said:

1    Michigan    962    346    36    .729    1344
2    Ohio State    924    326    53    .729    1303
3 (T)    Alabama[c]    916    331    43    .727    1290
3 (T)    Texas    916    375    33    .704    1324
3 (T)    Yale    916    380    55    .698    1351
6 (T)    Notre Dame[d]    908    326    42    .728    1276
6 (T)    Oklahoma    908    327    53    .726    1288
8    Nebraska    902    395    40    .690    1337
9    Penn State    898    393    41    .690    1332

 

[Tom Chairman 264]

So is Urbs coming or nah?

[Beantown Express 2.0 6490]

Just now, Tom Chairman said:

So is Urbs coming or nah?

Probably not but never say never.  You owe me $9.95

[PassiveAggressiveCoach 118]

31 minutes ago, wood said:

This is exactly right. We have numerous people on here saying 'CDC did this', 'Hartzell did that', Urban said "No" to them, 'the boosters leaked this or that, and fucked everything up', etc. The truthof the matter is that we just don't know.

I know we have been fucking up coaching searches and hires for a decade now. If this one is dead which appears to be so on FCB's weak story but it probably is then another example. The coaching searches are handled totally wrong and most of it is due to leaks. We can't conduct anything in secret.  Someone has to leak something.  If no one knew we were meeting with UM that would've been ideal. Just like the Saban deal. Complicates it too much. Now Herman is chucked due to it and we have no option but to fire him and hire plan B because this was mishandled. 

[TornACL 7652]

Just now, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

Probably not but never say never.  You owe me $9.95

This is a very complicated case. You know a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what have yous.

[PassiveAggressiveCoach 118]

31 minutes ago, TexasRenegade said:

 

WTF does that even mean? This guy is a joker. 

[TxEx84 367]

4 minutes ago, Tom Chairman said:

So is Urbs coming or nah?

It's fluid.

[Tex Long 4264]

My original scenario is still playing out. Urban and Del Conte met and agreed months ago to an understanding that #MensaTom was done if he failed to win the XII CC. It was painfully obvious to all, following the TCU/0U debacles that it wasn't going to happen, but the next several games made it possible, even if extremely doubtful. Losing to ISU while 0U continued to win ended the chance, and the serious talks escalated.

We are on Urban's timeline now. Urban appears to have targeted some assistants at schools who are still in play for the Final Four, and he's not going to disrupt their seasons until they're finished. Period.

We'll see early signing come and go, and we won't be pleased with our results. Urban has seen the team he's going to be inheriting, and he understands the weird transfer rules. He's not worried.

When tOSU is done (and now apparently Clemson as well) announcements will be forthcoming and there will be joy unconfined among our ranks.

[TejasPedro 1848]

5 minutes ago, PassiveAggressiveCoach said:

WTF does that even mean? This guy is a joker. 

Tea Cup Frog, dear god no......

[Octavian 1025]

5 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

My original scenario is still playing out. Urban and Del Conte met and agreed months ago to an understanding that #MensaTom was done if he failed to win the XII CC. It was painfully obvious to all, following the TCU/0U debacles that it wasn't going to happen, but the next several games made it possible, even if extremely doubtful. Losing to ISU while 0U continued to win ended the chance, and the serious talks escalated.

We are on Urban's timeline now. Urban appears to have targeted some assistants at schools who are still in play for the Final Four, and he's not going to disrupt their seasons until they're finished. Period.

We'll see early signing come and go, and we won't be pleased with our results. Urban has seen the team he's going to be inheriting, and he understands the weird transfer rules. He's not worried.

When tOSU is done (and now apparently Clemson as well) announcements will be forthcoming and there will be joy unconfined among our ranks.

Here's your $9.95

[VABuckeye 2472]

6 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

My original scenario is still playing out. Urban and Del Conte met and agreed months ago to an understanding that #MensaTom was done if he failed to win the XII CC. It was painfully obvious to all, following the TCU/0U debacles that it wasn't going to happen, but the next several games made it possible, even if extremely doubtful. Losing to ISU while 0U continued to win ended the chance, and the serious talks escalated.

We are on Urban's timeline now. Urban appears to have targeted some assistants at schools who are still in play for the Final Four, and he's not going to disrupt their seasons until they're finished. Period.

We'll see early signing come and go, and we won't be pleased with our results. Urban has seen the team he's going to be inheriting, and he understands the weird transfer rules. He's not worried.

When tOSU is done (and now apparently Clemson as well) announcements will be forthcoming and there will be joy unconfined among our ranks.

That's some next level hopeful thinking there.  Good for you.

[Michael Knight 12663]

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

Hahahahahaha. Fucking page 505 is outstanding. Watching the two factions develop on this thread - the believers versus the rest of us working with a smidge of sanity - holy fuck this could really go somewhere in terms of hilarity. 

I choose to believe that the past decade didn't really happen. Think about it on Nov 30th 2009 the large hadron collider achieved 1.18 TeV that very same day LHG posted on shaggybevo claiming to be a life long fan. 5 days later was the Big 12 championship game and nothing was ever the same. That can't be a coincidence, Texas won the MNC Mack Brown retired and we hired Nick Saban and has won another 5 championships since then. Vince Young was never released by the Titans and won 2 Super Bowl MVPS. Aggy still left for the SEC but that was only cause Texas started their own super conference and we needed good teams. In 2025 Tenet was formed to have a team move backwards in time in an attempt to prevent all this but since its technically in the past it should have already happened so they already failed and are doomed to repeat their failure or maybe they succeeded and we have to wait 5 years for our realities to converge. I dunno its complicated but the point is we're fucked but none of this is real so its ok.

[stork642 4498]

27 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Isn’t it I see nussing!  I know nussing!?

[TexasPride10 573]

9 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

My original scenario is still playing out. Urban and Del Conte met and agreed months ago to an understanding that #MensaTom was done if he failed to win the XII CC. It was painfully obvious to all, following the TCU/0U debacles that it wasn't going to happen, but the next several games made it possible, even if extremely doubtful. Losing to ISU while 0U continued to win ended the chance, and the serious talks escalated.

We are on Urban's timeline now. Urban appears to have targeted some assistants at schools who are still in play for the Final Four, and he's not going to disrupt their seasons until they're finished. Period.

We'll see early signing come and go, and we won't be pleased with our results. Urban has seen the team he's going to be inheriting, and he understands the weird transfer rules. He's not worried.

When tOSU is done (and now apparently Clemson as well) announcements will be forthcoming and there will be joy unconfined among our ranks.

Fuck it. I choose to believe this. Following this board over the last few weeks is the most fun I've had as a Texas football fan in awhile, so I might as well keep the fun alive while I can. Let's fuckin ride

[alincoln 2344]

The dudes on Columbus sports radio (Carpenter, Schlegel and the host) discussed Meyer "turning down" Texas this morning and were very rational.  Carpenter basically said that Urban apparently turned down the job for now but nothing would surprise him going forward.  Schlegel said Urban would want to secure his support staff (Italian mafia) before he goes anywhere and isn't going to disrupt Ohio State's season and current recruiting in doing so.  They also had a good laugh regarding what the support staff actually does (not too hard to read between the lines re: bagmen and practicing/training without coaches).

They all acknowledged that Texas is a huge part of Ohio State's current recruiting plan and that makes it harder for Urban to take the job as it would disrupt a lot of work Ohio State has put in down there as opposed to USC where Ohio State isn't very active.

 

[gmr548 16255]

So the main reason a blue blood program needs a coach like Urban is the very thing preventing him from doing the job going forward.  Too much pressure and stress.  Sounds like he’s done coaching.  

Yep. There doesn’t have to be more to it. We’ve all been in situations where the idea of something sounds a lot cooler before you actually get into it. It isn’t that hard to believe the guy who walked away from an elite program don’t actually want to get back into the game when it comes time to sign the papers and get things rolling.

I appreciate that Texas swung for the fences. Sometimes things don’t work out. Just can’t meltdown from here.

[Bigbend1812 12864]

17 minutes ago, TxEx84 said:

It's fluid.

It’s piss.

[1leggedduck 443]

12 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

My original scenario is still playing out. Urban and Del Conte met and agreed months ago to an understanding that #MensaTom was done if he failed to win the XII CC. It was painfully obvious to all, following the TCU/0U debacles that it wasn't going to happen, but the next several games made it possible, even if extremely doubtful. Losing to ISU while 0U continued to win ended the chance, and the serious talks escalated.

We are on Urban's timeline now. Urban appears to have targeted some assistants at schools who are still in play for the Final Four, and he's not going to disrupt their seasons until they're finished. Period.

We'll see early signing come and go, and we won't be pleased with our results. Urban has seen the team he's going to be inheriting, and he understands the weird transfer rules. He's not worried.

When tOSU is done (and now apparently Clemson as well) announcements will be forthcoming and there will be joy unconfined among our ranks.

I chose to believe that this is one of many possibilities. I have no basis for determining the likelihood, but it is one of many possible scenarios that could play out. It is the one I will hope to be true as I don't see any really attractive alternatives. If it happens I will be pleased and if it doesn't I'm not surprised. Like the Prozac effect of religion.

[deech 2222]

3 hours ago, Sir Ulrich said:

A new insider has appeared on 247 and he came out firing.

 

[cabowabo 4381]

Anyone know what Art Briles is up to these days?

[TexasRenegade 2389]

44 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Except that's bullshit. I've been as transparent as possible and have said all along that I don't know shit about what was happening in the Meyer back and forth. If I know something, I'll say what I can. When I don't, I won't, and admit as much. 

CTJ,  just curious if you still hold to what you posted back on December 1 of last year?  Things change and all that, just curious.

-Herman is roundly despised by the academic side and the money. Tech win gave him another season. He has been told unequivocally that they should be competing for a national title next year, that he needs to win the fucking bowl game, and they better damned sure land a top 10 class this year. If he fails at any of those, his ass is fucking gone. Obviously, if he fails at the bowl win and the recruiting class and then goes to the CFP, he’s keeping his job. 10 wins though? Some shit like that? Nope. Dude is fucking despised by too many important people. I personally believe he is gone regardless, just curious if you are still on board with that prediction/information.

- The guy(Matt Campbell you posted just this past week) they had lined up would have been pretty fucking great and it will be interesting to see if he goes anywhere this year or if he’s still available after Herman buttfucks 2020. 

[senorfussybutt 32]

2 minutes ago, cabowabo said:

Anyone know what Art Briles is up to these days?

No. No rapists.

[1leggedduck 443]

1 minute ago, cabowabo said:

Anyone know what Art Briles is up to these days?

Bout one fiddy. Boy needs to eat. Also, enabling monsters to sexually abuse young women.

[B00M 6001]

1 hour ago, Dr. Beeper said:

Yep. No doubt. Any pointing this out will be shouted down about how this is media-driven sensationalism. But our fan base has a massive overestimation of what we are and how attractive this job is. WE are fueling the embarrassment. 

General rule to live by: any time you find yourself agreeing with a troll like David dennison you should take a break from the internet

[TexasRenegade 2389]

4 minutes ago, cabowabo said:

Anyone know what Art Briles is up to these days?

supposedly negotiating with Tech.

[Thiefery 4940]

6 minutes ago, alincoln said:

The dudes on Columbus sports radio (Carpenter, Schlegel and the host) discussed Meyer "turning down" Texas this morning and were very rational.  Carpenter basically said that Urban apparently turned down the job for now but nothing would surprise him going forward.  Schlegel said Urban would want to secure his support staff (Italian mafia) before he goes anywhere and isn't going to disrupt Ohio State's season and current recruiting in doing so.  They also had a good laugh regarding what the support staff actually does (not too hard to read between the lines re: bagmen and practicing/training without coaches).

They all acknowledged that Texas is a huge part of Ohio State's current recruiting plan and that makes it harder for Urban to take the job as it would disrupt a lot of work Ohio State has put in down there as opposed to USC where Ohio State isn't very active.

 

LOL..  If they are as good as they think they are they will continue to recruit heavy in Texas.. Herman kicked them out in '18..  But that didn't stop them from getting back on the horse for the '19 '20 and '21 classes.

[Tex Long 4264]

4 minutes ago, cabowabo said:

Anyone know what Art Briles is up to these days?

Looking for flights to Lubbock, it seems.

[UDontKnow 10439]

2 hours ago, David Dennison said:

We don't want to be Stanford. We think we're Berkeley.

Yes, because unlike Stanford's tree-mascot minstrels, our band knows when to be on the field.

[victory88 5641]

And if Meyer is going to take this job, he needs to lose any affinity to tOSU.  We're not hiring a guy to help another program continue their streak of cherry picking elite talent from our backyard.  If he's going to turn us down, fine.  If he decides to accept this job, he needs to be fully invested in this program just like we would be fully invested in him and his demands.

[FloridaHorn 4725]

2 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Yes, because unlike Stanford's tree-mascot minstrels, our band knows when to be on the field.

Do they?

[Eggo 3973]

Just now, victory88 said:

And if Meyer is going to take this job, he needs to lose any affinity to tOSU.  We're not hiring a guy to help another program continue their streak of cherry picking elite talent from our backyard.  If he's going to turn us down, fine.  If he decides to accept this job, he needs to be fully invested in this program just like we would be fully invested in him and his demands.

I'm not sure how it would be in his interests to help his former employer beat his current employer in recruiting. Based on his time after Florida, I think he'd do just fine.

[Sir Ulrich 5187]

Any way to get Urban's OSU contract for his current position? Thinking that they agreed to keep him on as assistant AD and professor but had heavy restrictions on how we could go about taking another job i.e. timing and staff limitations.  Would help explain why we went from a done deal to no deal in less than 12 hours.

 

[victory88 5641]

1 minute ago, Eggo said:

I'm not sure how it would be in his interests to help his former employer beat his current employer in recruiting. Based on his time after Florida, I think he'd do just fine.

My post was in response to the post about the radio guys talking about Meyer not wanting to disrupt tOSU's recruiting. 

[Steelers Roll Left 1140]

12 minutes ago, cabowabo said:

Anyone know what Art Briles is up to these days?

Negotiating to become Mike Leech II at Tech to climb the in-state ladder over us just like he did at Baylor.  Dang frustrating these here morals.....

[General Specific 3148]

We should have hired Ellis to do the negotiations to get Urban.  “Hey babe, I negotiate million dollar deals for breakfast.  I think I can handle this Ohiotrash.”

Yeah, but his M&A game came up short with that 9mm Ruger!

[PassiveAggressiveCoach 118]

4 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

My original scenario is still playing out. Urban and Del Conte met and agreed months ago to an understanding that #MensaTom was done if he failed to win the XII CC. It was painfully obvious to all, following the TCU/0U debacles that it wasn't going to happen, but the next several games made it possible, even if extremely doubtful. Losing to ISU while 0U continued to win ended the chance, and the serious talks escalated.

We are on Urban's timeline now. Urban appears to have targeted some assistants at schools who are still in play for the Final Four, and he's not going to disrupt their seasons until they're finished. Period.

We'll see early signing come and go, and we won't be pleased with our results. Urban has seen the team he's going to be inheriting, and he understands the weird transfer rules. He's not worried.

When tOSU is done (and now apparently Clemson as well) announcements will be forthcoming and there will be joy unconfined among our ranks.

Why the fuck not? Why not us? 

[wood 10791]

1 hour ago, Gravy Train said:

This is the sort of shit I'd like to see the sportswriter pundits headline.  Not a swing-and-a-miss, but the biggest swinging-dick contract in all of CFB, offered to the one available man who checks all boxes.  On the heels of last weekend when Urban specifically called out "infrastructure" as the difference for programs that get it.  

The agenda shouldn't read "Urban Meyer or wandering the desert for another decade."  It should read, "Outspoken (and wealthy, experienced) Texas alums muscling the ship upright."  

Most valuable program in CFB offering the most significant HC contract and nobody taking the numbers seriously.  The collective should be throwing names at Texas, but the collective doesn't know shit aside from who's in the rearview mirror or already the hot-hand of the moment.

Out of rep. Someone pay this man his rep.

[TexasFan21 1275]

5 minutes ago, Sir Ulrich said:

Any way to get Urban's OSU contract for his current position? Thinking that they agreed to keep him on as assistant AD and professor but had heavy restrictions on how we could go about taking another job i.e. timing and staff limitations.  Would help explain why we went from a done deal to no deal in less than 12 hours.

 

Came here to post this question. I imagine there is something as they anticipated him coaching again sooner or later. 

[closetojumping 61996]

10 minutes ago, TexasRenegade said:

CTJ,  just curious if you still hold to what you posted back on December 1 of last year?  Things change and all that, just curious.

-Herman is roundly despised by the academic side and the money. Tech win gave him another season. He has been told unequivocally that they should be competing for a national title next year, that he needs to win the fucking bowl game, and they better damned sure land a top 10 class this year. If he fails at any of those, his ass is fucking gone. Obviously, if he fails at the bowl win and the recruiting class and then goes to the CFP, he’s keeping his job. 10 wins though? Some shit like that? Nope. Dude is fucking despised by too many important people. I personally believe he is gone regardless, just curious if you are still on board with that prediction/information.

- The guy(Matt Campbell you posted just this past week) they had lined up would have been pretty fucking great and it will be interesting to see if he goes anywhere this year or if he’s still available after Herman buttfucks 2020. 

It looks like it's playing out exactly as conveyed regarding Herman being gone. As I've stated repeatedly and consistently to this board, I've asked time and again and no one seems to think or believe that Herman is staying. He's a dead man walking. 

Regarding Campbell, yes, I believe there are folks that really like him and that he's a real candidate. Any talk of him not taking the job is laughable. Let's see what Campbell does if he's offered 5 years at $5.5million with ratchets and also total control and a commitment for facilities upgrades. 

"But closetojumping, Matt Campbell has no Texas ties!" - neither did Matt Rhule. Nick Saban coached as a DB coach for the Oilers, so I'm sure he really figured out Texas and the south in that period, but then he coached at Toledo, the Browns, and Michigan State. He didn't know shit about recruiting in Louisiana or this area. Somehow, a coach that can identify talent and develop it was able to find enough guys to win a national title after arriving from the north, nonetheless. 

The only legitimate whines about Campbell are a) he's not Urban Meyer and b) he's never been around a major program and all that that entails. The rest is handwringing silliness. 

[C-Man 26536]

22 minutes ago, alincoln said:

The dudes on Columbus sports radio (Carpenter, Schlegel and the host) discussed Meyer "turning down" Texas this morning and were very rational.  Carpenter basically said that Urban apparently turned down the job for now but nothing would surprise him going forward.  Schlegel said Urban would want to secure his support staff (Italian mafia) before he goes anywhere and isn't going to disrupt Ohio State's season and current recruiting in doing so.  They also had a good laugh regarding what the support staff actually does (not too hard to read between the lines re: bagmen and practicing/training without coaches).

They all acknowledged that Texas is a huge part of Ohio State's current recruiting plan and that makes it harder for Urban to take the job as it would disrupt a lot of work Ohio State has put in down there as opposed to USC where Ohio State isn't very active.

 

It's gonna suck if Urban tells us no and signs on with USC. Regarding the bolded statement above, wouldn't OSU pivot and start making a push in SC if Urban locks down Texas as Longhorns coach? Seems I read that was part of Pantoni's successful recruiting strategy -- target the talent-rich areas where the local juggernaut is underperforming. 

[TexasRenegade 2389]

2 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

It looks like it's playing out exactly as conveyed regarding Herman being gone. As I've stated repeatedly and consistently to this board, I've asked time and again and no one seems to think or believe that Herman is staying. He's a dead man walking. 

Regarding Campbell, yes, I believe there are folks that really like him and that he's a real candidate. Any talk of him not taking the job is laughable. Let's see what Campbell does if he's offered 5 years at $5.5million with ratchets and also total control and a commitment for facilities upgrades. 

"But closetojumping, Matt Campbell has no Texas ties!" - neither did Matt Rhule. Nick Saban coached as a DB coach for the Oilers, so I'm sure he really figured out Texas and the south in that period, but then he coached at Toledo, the Browns, and Michigan State. He didn't know shit about recruiting in Louisiana or this area. Somehow, a coach that can identify talent and develop it was able to find enough guys to win a national title after arriving from the north, nonetheless. 

The only legitimate whines about Campbell are a) he's not Urban Meyer and b) he's never been around a major program and all that that entails. The rest is handwringing silliness. 

I'm same spot on Herman being gone.  Was just curious.

 

Campbell I think has definite appeal.....I actually for whatever reason keep coming back to Fickell, but I don't pay enough attention to coaches out there to know if he really is worth pursuing or not.

[Tex Long 4264]

15 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Yes, because unlike Stanford's tree-mascot minstrels, our band knows when to be on the field.

 

11 minutes ago, FloridaHorn said:

Do they?

Wellll, let's just say our band knows when not to be on the field.

Associated factoid: losing QB that day was John Elway; winning QB was Squints's dad.

[wood 10791]

59 minutes ago, FloridaHorn said:

that's because....

 

Isn't that what I've been saying? So if nobody knows anything, why believe anything coming from fucking FCB or Ketch of all fucking people?

[senorfussybutt 32]

So, we still know basically shit.

What we actually know:

• Team cancels practice after blowout win
• Team going into COVID protocols
• Herman cancelling a remote presser with COVID as excuse (this one is the biggest "something's up" to me; he held remote pressers all year. Makes me suspect he was gagged by CDC.)
• Herman is an average to slightly above average coach but not elite, who is an arrogant jerk so he gets none of the grace Charlie got
• Herman's recruiting class fell apart after the OU loss (as anyone with half a brain could see that a lot of that one was on poor coaching decisions)
• CDC has to do something to salvage recruiting even if it means not getting your number 1 guy as setting back the program 2-6 years on recruiting is worse than Herman and staff's buyouts
• The Fox Saturday team ribbed Meyer repeatedly about taking a coaching job and Meye was preoccupied with his answers
• Meyer praises Sam as a warrior and a leader and repeats that
• There is no journalistic integrity and major newspapers will report un-sourced trash like a gossiping southern church lady

Other than that, we don't know shit. We have a Chip Brown report that Meyer is leaning no. We have all sorts of bullshit speculation from 9.95ers.  And NONE OF IT MATTERS.

Herman's not getting canned until after the regular season if he didn't get canned after ISU. So we must wait until KU is cancelled or after KU plays.

If Meyer was ever in play (which we don't actually know and to what extent he is/was/ever was etc..), he's still equally in play. It's always a longshot.  However, there's also a decent chance we don't get Meyer, or we get a less than slam dunk hire like Campbell or Franklin. And there's still the chance that if no other coach wants to come, we're stuck with Turtle Tom.

So, until there's a formal press release or actual statement from CDC/Belmont, we still don't know shit, should smoke some meat and drink some whisk(e)y, and hope CDC doesn't fuck this up.