This is who Steve Sarkisian is.

[immamac 42846]

2 minutes ago, burdine said:

 

I thought this week's press conference had some good stuff.

Sark was pretty reflective and voiced many of the concerns we have all had on here.  I can't remember Herman or Mack approaching things that way.

He took the blame for not running the ball better late in games.  Also said more development of the passing game would be the focus of bowl workouts.

Saying it doesn't mean it will get fixed but it does seem like he recognizes most  of the same issues we worry about here and isn't afraid to voice them as needing to be fixed.

So Sark reads surly confirmed. lol

[40acredropout 2902]

Just now, immamac said:

So Sark reads surly confirmed. lol

Handle is obviously @Thatguy

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

5 minutes ago, burdine said:

 

I thought this week's press conference had some good stuff.

Sark was pretty reflective and voiced many of the concerns we have all had on here.  I can't remember Herman or Mack approaching things that way.

He took the blame for not running the ball better late in games.  Also said more development of the passing game would be the focus of bowl workouts.

Saying it doesn't mean it will get fixed but it does seem like he recognizes most  of the same issues we worry about here and isn't afraid to voice them as needing to be fixed.

Seemed like he took a not so thinly veiled jab at the folks in maroon.

[83Horn 1640]

4 minutes ago, immamac said:

So Sark reads surly confirmed. lol

That would be funny.  But seriously, what this indicates to me is that Sark has a level of introspection and humility that Tom never had, or at least never showed.  This alone bodes well for his growth as a coach, and will hopefully manifest itself in more consistent ass kickings of opponents on the football field in the very near future.

[Slacks 6819]

On 11/26/2022 at 10:23 PM, MirrOlure said:

Maybe you should redirect your concerto figuring out how to fuck yourself

I've been fucking myself for quite some time now...

What else?

[burdine 522]

29 minutes ago, 83Horn said:

That would be funny.  But seriously, what this indicates to me is that Sark has a level of introspection and humility that Tom never had, or at least never showed.  This alone bodes well for his growth as a coach, and will hopefully manifest itself in more consistent ass kickings of opponents on the football field in the very near future.

It's hard to be successful in recovery without developing a fair amount of introspection and humility.  

Identifying the problems is the first step.  Mission accomplished.

Fixing problems can be harder.  He has to get it done.

If we play Utah in the bowl game, they have a pretty good  D.  It will be interesting to see if anything seems different in a good way.

[Slacks 6819]

On 11/27/2022 at 7:11 AM, Doc Daneeka said:

I believe he’s on the record as saying he recruits passers to pass and runners to run. 
 

I disagree strongly with that premise. Making the defense play 11 on 11 opens up many more opportunities. The QB doesn’t have to be VY, he just needs to be able to take yardage available and slide instead of being a statue who throws the ball away if there’s no open man. It’s fair to say that doing this doesn’t require a dual threat QB, per se, but this doesn’t seem like something he actively promotes. Or maybe he just doesn’t promote it as much as I’d like. Don’t know. 

I've heard him say the same and I know that is where he came from and how he views the world... 

I agree with your view. I don't say we need a run first guy, but CFB is won with a "run away when you need to, and occasionally when you don't need to buy the opportunity presents itself."

The threat of 15 yd QB runs create 40 yd wide open QB passes.

[Nueces River Rat 5538]

The upside is I've never heard Sark say "winning is hard."    If I had a dime for every time Herman said that I'd have enough to buy a McRib meal at Mc D's and upgrade the drink to a large.   

[Tex Long 4392]

52 minutes ago, immamac said:

So Sark reads surly confirmed. lol

My exact thought at the time.

Caveat: Sounded like he's planning on getting better as an OC, as opposed to handing the keys and phone to a real OC and attending to the whole team. 

[burdine 522]

I like Sark's vision for our program quite a bit.

Physical team.  Running the ball well and stopping the run.  Play action passes off the successful running game.

I like what he calls our "brand" of football.

It seems like it all starts with a dominant offensive line.

This is a lot like Georgia is built but maybe with a higher end passing game.

It's a good strategy and a good goal for a place like Texas.

I think Ohio State shows some of the weaknesses with being too pass happy.

I just need to see better execution.

Does anybody really dislike Sark's goal or vision of how the team should be constructed?

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

5 minutes ago, burdine said:

I like Sark's vision for our program quite a bit.

Physical team.  Running the ball well and stopping the run.  Play action passes off the successful running game.

I like what he calls our "brand" of football.

It seems like it all starts with a dominant offensive line.

This is a lot like Georgia is built but maybe with a higher end passing game.

It's a good strategy and a good goal for a place like Texas.

I think Ohio State shows some of the weaknesses with being too pass happy.

I just need to see better execution.

Does anybody really dislike Sark's goal or vision of how the team should be constructed?

I like it a lot other than perhaps the lack of enthusiasm for a QB who will make a defense play 11 on 11. It’s a lot harder to have an off day when your OL is beating people’s asses. 

[hobbes2702 13033]

I don’t think there’s ever really been a question that he seems to be smart and thoughtful and understands something about coaching.
His issue entirely has been his game day coaching. It’s great that he has recognized those problems that were obvious and I hope he fixes them.

He says the right things, now he needs to do the right things.

Edited November 29, 2022 by hobbes2702

[burdine 522]

10 minutes ago, Doc Daneeka said:

I like it a lot other than perhaps the lack of enthusiasm for a QB who will make a defense play 11 on 11. It’s a lot harder to have an off day when your OL is beating people’s asses. 

Yeah, somebody like Bryce Young.  Pass first guy for sure but can get you yards when the defense gives them.

[burdine 522]

1 minute ago, hobbes2702 said:

I don’t think there’s ever really been a question that he seems to smart and thoughtful and says the right things. 
His issue entirely has been his game day coaching. It’s great that he has recognized those problems that were obvious and I hope he fixes them.

He says the right things, now he needs to do the right things.

Just pointing out that we have had multiple coaches that had a hard time even saying the right things.  Mack was very thin skinned and Herman just had the script he cribbed from Urban.

Agree, that now doing the right things is pretty important.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

5 minutes ago, burdine said:

Yeah, somebody like Bryce Young.  Pass first guy for sure but can get you yards when the defense gives them.

Exactly. Like I said earlier, it doesn’t have to be a VY kinda guy — as if there are any — but a guy who can go, “Hey, no one is open but no one is close to me, I can move the chains myself here.”

[burdine 522]

I would also give credit to Sark for quite a bit of unexpected defensive improvement, quality OL play with 2 true freshman starting, and clear signs of player development. 

These are some of the right things to be doing and they seem to have been done.  And how long have we waited for a coach that could do those things?

Biggest disappointment to me, was our passing game.

Which Sark addressed in his press conference as one of his main priorities.

[Longhornlove 4818]

26 minutes ago, burdine said:

I like Sark's vision for our program quite a bit.

Physical team.  Running the ball well and stopping the run.  Play action passes off the successful running game.

I like what he calls our "brand" of football.

It seems like it all starts with a dominant offensive line.

This is a lot like Georgia is built but maybe with a higher end passing game.

It's a good strategy and a good goal for a place like Texas.

I think Ohio State shows some of the weaknesses with being too pass happy.

I just need to see better execution.

Does anybody really dislike Sark's goal or vision of how the team should be constructed?

I'm rooting for him. I like him, seems to be a good guy that the players like. Herman was a prick that no one liked, Charlie was a dumbass and Mack was a thin skinned pussy that got lazy in recruiting and hired/protected his buddies. Mack would make a great car salesman or politician.

[Gil Bang 25951]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:30 AM, Tex Long said:

I don't see Sark making this work, unless he relinquishes his sorry-ass clutch on the OC job and gets a real QB whisperer and play-caller. It took him 23 games to figure out that he had not one, but two, all-america caliber running backs to lean on, every game. The last 22 plays of the regular season, he either finally got it or someone told him he would be de-scrotified if he called even one pass play in the endgame.

Besides the insistence on being OC and play-caller, he hadn't seemed to grasp that his job - his main job, perhaps his only real job - is to win the game he's playing, right here, right now. He has left both Card and Ewers in games when it was clear they were hosed, apparently for future growth. Perhaps an indication of his love for the players and their tender psyches, but equally possibly simply mindless stubbornness. Whatever the problem is, I don't think it will get fixed short of a very, very good OC. I still like the idea of Riley Minor. Of course, as always, YMMV.

 

That's just dumb.  His job is the long-term success of the program.   Winning the most games over time. 

[Thatguy 8691]

14 hours ago, burdine said:

I like Sark's vision for our program quite a bit.

Physical team.  Running the ball well and stopping the run.  Play action passes off the successful running game.

I like what he calls our "brand" of football.

It seems like it all starts with a dominant offensive line.

This is a lot like Georgia is built but maybe with a higher end passing game.

It's a good strategy and a good goal for a place like Texas.

I think Ohio State shows some of the weaknesses with being too pass happy.

I just need to see better execution.

Does anybody really dislike Sark's goal or vision of how the team should be constructed?

  This has been where I'm at. I'm seeing a guy that understands how to manipulate a defense. His vision seems like this. You aren't handling our run game with your base front. You are going to have to dedicate more bodies to it. When you do there won't be anyone on the backend to save you vs our passing game. That's the way he is recruiting. Big physical linemen. Great running back room. A quarterback who can layer balls with good touch. They are just young but you can see how we can turn the corner. Long game the offense translates to NFL play so top QB recruits, backs, and linemen will want to play in it.

  Defensively we are going to be physical up front and be able to handle your run game in our base D. Now you are going to have to throw into the teeth of our defense amd while you will have some success eventually we will turn you over. 

   No coach calls a whole season of perfect games. Everyone has some stinkers, but it's really about the players. If you have some Fords on each side of the ball you will still make enough plays to win even when you aren't at your best. So far our recruiting has us pointed in that direction. 

[hookemATL 11724]

First time opening this thread…

[Loop 1604 227]

“when you see it…”

[40acredropout 2902]

6 minutes ago, Loop 1604 said:

“when you see it…”

Guess it was Steve-gets-to-pick-out-his-own-clothes day.

[Fondren & Main 6715]

11 minutes ago, 40acredropout said:

Guess it was Steve-gets-to-pick-out-his-own-clothes day.

Her shirt…they’re in the news.

[royiv 9302]

11 minutes ago, Fondren & Main said:

Her shirt…they’re in the news.

And not in a good way.

[Gil Bang 25951]

would you to fashion-forward folks explain it to us straight guys?

[royiv 9302]

8 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

would you to fashion-forward folks explain it to us straight guys?

https://people.com/style/balenciaga-campaign-controversy-timeline/

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

14 minutes ago, royiv said:

https://people.com/style/balenciaga-campaign-controversy-timeline/

Geez.  Just spitballing here, but I'm guessing that Edith Royal didn't go out of her way to wear shit that would be controversial in her appearances with her husband at official UT events?

[royiv 9302]

1 minute ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Geez.  Just spitballing here, but I'm guessing that Edith Royal didn't go out of her way to wear shit that would be controversial in her appearances with her husband at official UT events?

Was just answering Gil's question on why folks were taking notice. 

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

3 minutes ago, royiv said:

Was just answering Gil's question on why folks were taking notice. 

I understood you.  I just cannot imagine why she (Sark's wife) is so oblivious to the controversy.

[royiv 9302]

1 minute ago, DalTxHornFan said:

I understood you.  I just cannot imagine why she (Sark's wife) is so oblivious to the controversy.

Yeah, me too. Sorry, I misinterpreted your response. In my mind I was thinking Edith Royal wasn't making big fashion statements!

[troph 24789]

True dual threat QB is hands down preferred and even the NFL is now on to it. If sark turns down the best dual threats because he wants a pro style well he’s dead ass wrong. I’m not saying triple option, polished capable passer yes but the guy needs to have some wheels and some improv skills. RPO and zone reads are bread and butter now and are still extremely hard to beat when run well. It’s not the only way but if Ewers was a run threat I bet we are 10-2 not 8-4.

[Longhornlove 4818]

9 hours ago, Fondren & Main said:

Her shirt…they’re in the news.

Poor choice of attire at the moment. Not a good look IMHO. She could have picked one that didn't have their name blasted across it and few would have noticed. Hopefully she is oblivious to what is going on and not making a statement. Not sure anyone is supporting that company at the moment.

Edited December 2, 2022 by Longhornlove

[Fondren & Main 6715]

7 hours ago, troph said:

True dual threat QB is hands down preferred and even the NFL is now on to it. If sark turns down the best dual threats because he wants a pro style well he’s dead ass wrong. I’m not saying triple option, polished capable passer yes but the guy needs to have some wheels and some improv skills. RPO and zone reads are bread and butter now and are still extremely hard to beat when run well. It’s not the only way but if Ewers was a run threat I bet we are 10-2 not 8-4.

The refs would just call holding when Ewers took off.

[Tex Long 4392]

On 11/29/2022 at 3:00 PM, Gil Bang said:

That's just dumb.  His job is the long-term success of the program.   Winning the most games over time. 

Excellent take. How long a term do you plan on watching Sarkisian blow games that should be won because his coach at BYU woulda called the plays the same way in 1995?

[jw4381 3072]

So here's another take from his press conference earlier this week, in the "he can't get out of his own way" issue.

When asked if he might delegate play-calling, paraphrasing his answer here: "I love what I do (calling plays) so, no, I won't give that up." 

He's putting himself above the good of the program there. Now, if his playcalling was unreal, probably got no problem with it.  But multiple times this year it's been WTF shittastic. Worthless long balls, back to back 3 and outs, playing Bijan and Ro like DJ Monroe, ad nauseum.

Plus, because he's got to keep his head clear to make all these awful calls, he can't take time to ride the refs like we see other successful coaches doing in game.

So, in other words, fuckin a man. Fuckin a.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

Excellent take. How long a term do you plan on watching Sarkisian blow games that should be won because his coach at BYU woulda called the plays the same way in 1995?

Probably another couple of years until he has the pipeline stocked the way he wants it such that he can top off via the portal and the biggest whine will be playoff seeding.

Until then, he needs to put more effort into getting teams down and kicking them while they’re down because close games aren’t going to break Texas’ (or OU’s) way for a while.

In the meantime, I’m hopeful the offensive-ignorant Mannings don’t convince Arch to go somewhere else and maybe that awful DC just about everyone wanted fired not too long ago will go away to make more posters happy.

[burdine 522]

Seeing Christian Jones and Keondre Coburn become very good players and contributors after years of disappointment and stagnation, makes me okay with being patient.  

Aren't you pretty surprised by the year those two had?  I am.  Edit:  Both these guys made 2nd team PFF All Big12.  Who saw that coming? 

We have gone a decade with wasting talent and it has been our core problem, not game day playcalling.

Could the gameday playcalling be better? Yes for sure.  Is it what has kept Texas in mediocrity for a decade?  No.

He can always hire an OC to improve the playcalling.  Getting culture and development right is not near as easy to fix with a quick hire.

Edited December 2, 2022 by burdine

[Texzilla58 4735]

So here's another take from his press conference earlier this week, in the "he can't get out of his own way" issue.
When asked if he might delegate play-calling, paraphrasing his answer here: "I love what I do (calling plays) so, no, I won't give that up." 
He's putting himself above the good of the program there. Now, if his playcalling was unreal, probably got no problem with it.  But multiple times this year it's been WTF shittastic. Worthless long balls, back to back 3 and outs, playing Bijan and Ro like DJ Monroe, ad nauseum.
Plus, because he's got to keep his head clear to make all these awful calls, he can't take time to ride the refs like we see other successful coaches doing in game.
So, in other words, fuckin a man. Fuckin a.

This is exactly right. I tend to distrust coordinators who want to be the head coach, the OC, and the playcaller. It’s three big tasks and I don’t think being the HC and playcaller exist together. Obviously there are exceptions. Sark will call plays because it’s the fun thing to do. Then go be a OC somewhere if you’re that in love with it. You need to lead the whole team. Teach your OC your philosophy and keep a rarely used veto power. If im an AD hiring an OC im telling him he won’t call plays.

[JBJ 3654]

 

22 minutes ago, burdine said:

Seeing Christian Jones and Keondre Coburn become very good players and contributors after years of disappointment and stagnation, makes me okay with being patient.  

Aren't you pretty surprised by the year those two had?  I am.  Edit:  Both these guys made 2nd team PFF All Big12.  Who saw that coming? 

To add to that, everyone is overlooking the obvious: Ford is the lowest rated recruit on our roster and looked lost enough last year to stay backup to an injured walk on.  (Yeah, I know he started playing better late last year.)

[closetojumping 62688]

2 hours ago, Longhornlove said:

Poor choice of attire at the moment. Not a good look IMHO. She could have picked one that didn't have their name blasted across it and few would have noticed. Hopefully she is oblivious to what is going on and not making a statement. Not sure anyone is supporting that company at the moment.

I don't know the lady, but can't things just be innocent still on stuff like this? She has a high profile husband and kids and charity work and it's a hectic time of year. Can't she just not have followed the story? I assume she's been jumped all over by now, which is, frankly, fucking dumb. She wore a shirt she liked to a basketball game. 

[Longhornlove 4818]

1 minute ago, closetojumping said:

I don't know the lady, but can't things just be innocent still on stuff like this? She has a high profile husband and kids and charity work and it's a hectic time of year. Can't she just not have followed the story? I assume she's been jumped all over by now, which is, frankly, fucking dumb. She wore a shirt she liked to a basketball game. 

That's what I'm saying, that is what I think, that is what I hope.

[Hookem2147 21217]

47 minutes ago, jw4381 said:

So here's another take from his press conference earlier this week, in the "he can't get out of his own way" issue.

When asked if he might delegate play-calling, paraphrasing his answer here: "I love what I do (calling plays) so, no, I won't give that up." 

He's putting himself above the good of the program there. Now, if his playcalling was unreal, probably got no problem with it.  But multiple times this year it's been WTF shittastic. Worthless long balls, back to back 3 and outs, playing Bijan and Ro like DJ Monroe, ad nauseum.

Plus, because he's got to keep his head clear to make all these awful calls, he can't take time to ride the refs like we see other successful coaches doing in game.

So, in other words, fuckin a man. Fuckin a.

This is going to shock you, but every playcaller in the history of ever has called worthless plays and gone 3 and out back-to-back possessions. Some may have even done it *gasp* multiple times in his career.

If playing Bijan and Roschon like DJ Monroe results in a player leading the country in all-purpose yards and another rushing for over 500 yards, where do I sign up for that each year?

And also, he wasn't asked about delegating playcalling. He was asked about balancing everything that comes with being a head coach who calls plays and he said that is part of what drives him everyday, being in the QB meetings, scripting the plays, hearing input from the other offensive coaches on gamedays. He is a top 5-10 playcaller in the country and if you want to let a game or two cloud your view of that then whatever. His biggest value add is as an offensive playcaller/gameplanner, which is why Arch freaking Manning and the #1 RB in the country out of the heart of SEC country is coming to play for the Texas Longhorns next year.

The dude rides the refs plenty. If the thought process is if he gives up playcalling that will help us get more calls from the officials then l.o.l.

Edited December 2, 2022 by Hookem2147

[Dbeasy 15048]

On 11/29/2022 at 11:45 AM, C-Man said:

This discussion made me go back and read some PM's to refresh my memory of events. I'd heard Sark was a real possibility around the time you did from a good buddy, who knows some folks who would know. After Sark was announced, he said he was told that after Urban walked away we were all set to roll with Herman for 2021 until Sark absolutely crushed his interview. Didn't sound like Sark was a very serious candidate before that.

FTR, I'd love to be winning more games but I like the trajectory Sark has us on and cannot argue he's recruiting better than Herman was/would be. I hope he pans out because he's much more likable than Herman.

I’m not sure this is exactly what happened. I was told well before the first of the year (months) from an extremely strong source that Herman was gone regardless of Meyer. That’s why I never sweated Herman staying. I knew he was going to be gone. 

And I also knew for a fact Meyer was out in October, well before it became public. Technically, they could have changed their mind on Herman during a few week period, and then decided on Sark, but I don’t think that’s what happened. I was led to believe Herman was getting fired, period. 

[Js1 85320]

5 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

He is a top 5-10 playcaller in the country and if you want to let a game or two cloud your view of that then whatever. His biggest value add is as an offensive playcaller/gameplanner, which is why Arch freaking Manning and the #1 RB in the country out of the heart of SEC country is coming to play for the Texas Longhorns next year.

Which is why we hired him 

[C-Man 27222]

1 minute ago, Dbeasy said:

I’m not sure this is exactly what happened. I was told well before the first of the year (months) from an extremely strong source that Herman was gone regardless of Meyer. That’s why I never sweated Herman staying. I knew he was going to be gone. 

And I also knew for a fact Meyer was out in October, well before it became public. Technically, they could have changed their mind on Herman during a few week period, and then decided on Sark, but I don’t think that’s what happened. I was led to believe Herman was getting fired, period. 

Maybe. Maybe not. This is just what I was told by a friend who is pretty heavily involved. He was the one who mentioned Sark's name as a possibility long before that started leaking out.

[Doc Daneeka 6769]

2 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

This is going to shock you, but every playcaller in the history of ever has called worthless plays and gone back to back 3 and outs. Some may have even done it *gasp* multiple times in his career.

If playing Bijan and Roschon like DJ Monroe results in a player leading the country in all-purpose yards and another rushing for over 500 yards, where do I sign up for that each year?

And also, he wasn't asked about delegating playcalling. He was asked about balancing everything that comes with being a head coach who calls plays and he said that is part of what drives him everyday, being in the QB meetings, scripting the plays, hearing input from the other offensive coaches on gamedays. He is a top 5-10 playcaller in the country and if you want to let a game or two cloud your view of that then whatever. His biggest value add is as an offensive playcaller/gameplanner, which is why Arch freaking Manning and the #1 RB in the country out of the heart of SEC country is coming to Austin next year. 

The dude rides the refs plenty. If the thought process is if he gives up playcalling that will help us get more calls from the officials then l.o.l.

Yeah, this. 
 

Sarkisian certainly seems to dupe a lot of players and parents into thinking he’s knows what he’s doing. Top QBs and RBs are coming to Austin based at least in part on how Sarkisian uses those positions. 
 

i suspect most fanbases, particularly those who live and die on every play, see way more negatives than positives even when there’s success. The KU game thread sounded like Texas was getting pummeled. 
 

That said, something like a bench coach maybe with a more expanded role than anyone has at the moment to make sure Sarkisian isn’t getting tunnel vision, etc. might not be be the worst thing in the world. That doesn’t take someone elite, imo. Calling plays does. 

[jw4381 3072]

Meh.

I'd rather our best player not disappear in our biggest games due to not being used as he should.

I'm looking for never having a 3 and out. It shouldn't happen with our players. I would have also liked to have Card get some chances when our starter is shitting the bed.

And a better record than 8-4.

But maybe that's just me. And I know for a fact that y'all shouldn't listen to me. Ever.

Edited December 2, 2022 by jw4381

[Hookem2147 21217]

1 minute ago, jw4381 said:

I'm looking for never having a 3 and out. It shouldn't happen with our players.

[jimmyjazz 45916]

It sure seems like Sark's biggest strength is his ability to craft a strategy to attack an upcoming defense.  I assume this includes a lot of film work and cooperation with the offensive coaching staff.  He seems less capable of adjusting to changing conditions in the heat of the moment.

Keeping his role as a strategist but relinquishing in-game decision making doesn't seem like a huge stretch, should CDC or others put the pressure on him.  Make the case that even USC isn't quite the same as Texas, what with all the external responsibilities, and that these are the things he's going to need to do to be as successful as he wants to be.  He wouldn't be the first "CEO" who had to modify his behavior for the good of the organization.  It's the right thing to do, regardless of whether he wants to do it or not.

[jw4381 3072]

Don't like em. Don't want em.