Jump to content

2018 Longhorns Fall Practice/Football Season Thread

Tex Pete

By Tex Pete
in Football

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 3.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

horngasm
horngasm

I am curious why anyone thinks we will improve this year? Our best players are gone. OLine will be worse. Our QBs haven't progressed since they set foot on campus. Beck and the bin

ClubWhatever
ClubWhatever

Start watching men's basketball

LTtxfan
LTtxfan

Nutty Gruesome Surly Story https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2792085-ufc-fighter-suffers-gruesome-injury-in-accident-with-power-drill Sorry not football related, but definite SURLY Materia

Bodacious Bevo

Bodacious Bevo 3578

Posted
Posted

FWIW Bobby predicted 10 wins for us this year

Bobby: Tuesday

Spoiler

I thought I'd do a little experiment today and look at the Longhorns' season three different ways.

- How a pessimist forecasts the 2018 season. 
- How an optimist sees it. 
- How I see it.

How a pessimist sees the 2018 Longhorn season.

Final Record: 7-5 
@Maryland - W 
Tulsa - W 
Southern Cal - L 
TCU - L 
@Kansas State - L 
Oklahoma - L 
Baylor - W 
@Oklahoma State - W 
West Virginia - W 
@Texas Tech - L 
Iowa State - W 
@Kansas - W

The optimist.

Final Record: 11-1 
@Maryland - W 
Tulsa - W 
Southern Cal - W 
TCU - L 
@Kansas State - W 
Oklahoma - W 
Baylor - W 
@Oklahoma State - W 
West Virginia - W 
@Texas Tech - W 
Iowa State - W 
@Kansas - W

How I see it. For the sake of building suspense, the projected final record is below.

@Maryland - W 
- The Terrapins lost their key receiver from a year ago, and the Texas defense is much, much different than the one the Terps played last year. The Horns actually understand assignment football and won't get caught trying to overpursue in the run game.

Tulsa - W 
- Tulsa is going to try to run it up the gut and throw it outside; that's what Baylor-like offenses love to do. But Texas should be more than enough physically to overcome any scheme.

Southern Cal - W 
- I waffle on this prediction. Texas came up just short a year ago. The defense played terrific but the offense didn't produce much other than go routes to Collin Johnson for three quarters of play. I think Texas will do enough to win but I won't be surprised if USC gets the W instead.

TCU - L 
- At 4-0, the Horns suffer a letdown. Plus, Gary Patterson simply has the Longhorns' number. There's no other way to say it. His defense seems to be stingier against Texas and his offense seems to make the back-breaking plays. Early word is that the Horned Frogs really love their new QB.

@Kansas State - W 
- Texas beats K-State in Manhattan and all of a sudden there's a real chance the Horns will be in the Big 12 title game and it exorcises demons of years past. The Horns better have their field goal kicker ready because it'll probably be a tight contest.

Oklahoma - L 
- I think the loss of Baker Mayfield is significant but I expect the Sooners to still be able to put 20+ points on the board against Texas, which means Tom Herman better be the one calling the plays in the Cotton Bowl, otherwise it'll be an L for the Horns.

Baylor - W 
- Matt Ruhle is a good coach who seems to have a good eye for talent. But Texas still has too many weapons on defense and Baylor not enough on D.

@Oklahoma State - W 
- The Cowboys will have a running game and a functional QB by the time the Horns visit Stillwater. But I think the Horns have just too much talent on D to be denied.

West Virginia - W 
- Will Greer's finger is back in place, which means Texas is going to have a fight on its hands. He is the Big 12's most talented QB. WVU should be a little less effective on defense this season than last which gives the Horns the nod.

@Texas Tech - W 
Handing over the defense and recruiting decision-making on that side of the ball to David Gibbs is the best decision Kingsbury has made as a head coach. The Red Raiders have a defense that is now in the top half of the league and allows Kingsbury to not take so many chances on offense. This is one of those games I feel could go either way, especially if it's a night game and the stadium is rocking.

Iowa State - W 
The Cyclones were the surprise of the league a year ago. And QB Kyle Kempt was granted a sixth year. But they lost the heart-and-soul of their defense. If they can keep opposing teams out of the end zone, this could be a tougher game than it appears on paper.

@Kansas - W 
God forbid what happened two years ago happens again in Lawrence. If it does, the pessimist option of these predictions will be the more likely one to have come true.

Final Record: 10-2

To be fair, I could see Texas beating OU and TCU having more problems with the QB transition than expected. But I could also see the Horns losing to USC, K-State and then also Texas Tech on the road.

I think it's fair to expect the Horns to win anywhere between 8-10 games this season. While that may not be as many wins as some want, it's still a marked regular season improvement from just six wins a year ago.

Bobby: Wednesday

Spoiler

I've been doing this - covering college football and recruiting - for 25+ years now.

Over the years, I've been accused of a lot of things.

1. Being a Longhorn recruiting homer once Mack arrived, according to Aggie fans.

Of course, those critics failed to recognize or remember that I had ranked A&M's classes in the 90s ahead of Texas' almost every year until Mack's arrival. The Aggies fans couldn't actually believe that I was calling it as I saw it.

Then there's the whole Vince Young-Reggie McNeal debate.

2. I've also been accused of being a Mack favorite and apologist, according to those who were ready to see Mack go.

For the record, I was friendly with Mack but we were never friends. I always saw it as my job to call it like I saw it rather than to coddle Mack's ego.

That's why I took him to task when I thought he deserved it, like not recruiting certain quarterbacks during the process yet signing others with the promise of exclusivity (like Tyrone Swoopes and Garrett Gilbert). Like his almost complete reliance on early recruiting because once Texas had won the national championship he wanted to take it easy on the recruiting trail.

Mack has been the best Texas coach of the modern era. But he wasn't without his faults and for those I feel like I called them like I saw them.

3. I was accused of being a Charlie Strong hater. By just about everybody.

But they're wrong. Never has a Texas coach been more open than Strong.

Yes, I always predicted poor records under Strong.

But the fact is, I actually wanted Charlie Strong to succeed because he seemed honest and forthright, because he seemed to treat people in and around the program the right way.

Yet reality is that his openness, strictly from a head coaching standpoint, showed a tremendous shortfall in critical judgment.

Whether that includes decisions on who to hire as assistant coaches or even the inane way how he went about doing it, to retaining a coordinator for a whole off-season only to fire a coordinator one game into a season, he almost always came up short, time and time again.

It wasn't a one time thing with Coach Strong, it was an every-time thing. And that's ultimately what I saw and what I wrote.

4. So now it's a new era of Texas football.

And I guess some people think I don't like Tom Herman, since I was highly critical of Tim Beck's play-calling last season or didn't immediately recognize him as the messiah for the Longhorn program.

And then there are some that, now that I have predicted the Horns to go 10-2 this season, I am somehow immediately on the Herman bandwagon.

**

My answer to all of those accusations?

I try to call them the way I see them. That's all anyone can do in this job.

For the record, I feel like Tom Herman has some things going for him this season that no other Texas coach has had since Mack Brown.

He has a good offensive coach (himself) and a good defensive coordinator. Both Herman and Orlando would be considered in the top two or three in the conference as coordinators, if they alone called the shots on their respective sides of the ball.

Herman has good, experienced talent returning this season, including a couple of seniors who can make off-schedule plays that can alter the outcomes of tight games, which is something that has been all too uncommon on the 40 Acres in the last decade.

Also, the non-conference opponents seem a little more ripe for the picking with Maryland's upheaval and Southern Cal changing QBs.

The schedule itself is what I'd call home-heavy, something that I'm not sure has mattered much in the past decade.

Perhaps the biggest factor is that other Big 12 teams are going through seismic shifts at the key position of quarterback. OU, Oklahoma State and TCU are saying goodbye to impact, multi-year starters.

All of that combined, along with several other factors, tell me that Texas has a chance to finally have a rebound year.

It's not about whether I'm on the Herman bandwagon or off of it. It's about calling it how I see it.

So I clearly see a lot positives coming from Herman, like his change to calling plays late last season. Like his 2018 recruiting class. Like his ability to hire and retain Todd Orlando. Like his demanding attention to details surrounding the Texas program.

But I see negatives, too.

Tim Beck is still wearing the headsets in practice which may mean we get more Beck and less Herman as play-caller, a decision I would fail to support. Like his questionable decision to retain Derek Warehime as a full-time coach instead of hiring a knock-out recruiter as the 10th assistant.

So to be clear, my 10-2 prediction is about how I see it this year, and at this exact time. It's not some preconceived notion guided simply by whether or not I like Tom Herman and I'm on his bandwagon, or that I favor the Longhorns and am wearing Burnt Orange glasses at my very core.

Instead, I simply think Texas looks good this year. I think this should be the year where the tide finally turns.

I'd caution that my past predictions haven't always been correct. But they have always been honest.

In my opinion, ~I'm told~ these aren't the worst takes you'll see

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Zavala

Zavala 1384

Posted
Posted

I'm told that Shane better get rid of the ball or make serious shit happen with his feet if he wants to starts. I'm told that the defense better eat Maryland's fucking heart in the first half and the rest of them in the second half because I dont trust the offense first couple of games. I'm told that while its sad Heard isn't a great reciever,  we should still find creative ways to get him the rock because hes a beast after the catch. I'm told that apparently the WR core is so great we dont even need tight ends so don't report on them or play them please.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Zavala

Zavala 1384

Posted
Posted

kenyon_green_texas_visit.0.jpgAlso, if Tim Beck starts to look like an awesome playcaller he should kiss this man on the left's shoes. Also thank God Herman is all about putting the focus on OL and DL. If you have NFL talen at OL and NFL talent in the box on D, you start to look like Bama, un-fucking beatable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BevoBuck14

BevoBuck14 27

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, satyanash said:

Bobby Burton: Thursday

 

  Reveal hidden contents

What I’m told...

- Shane Buechele had his best day of the pre-season. He ran with the first team the majority of practice and “earned it”. I was also told that Sam Ehlinger looked almost “lethargic” at times yesterday. I’m told that before anyone reads too much into things. After all, this could be a blip for both players. It’s not what either has shown on a consistent basis as yet.

- Chip mentioned Moro Ojomo in his notes and I was told something very similar. Ojomo crushed the reserve OL multiple times. In fact, I’m told he did it on consecutive plays and that got Todd Orlando particularly excited.

- I’m told Kobe Boyce, in the absence of Davante Davis, was once again the starting corner opposite Kris Boyd. Anthony Cook is running second team.

- The mix of Byron Vaughns and Joseph Ossai is an interesting one that the coaches are trying to sort through. As has been reported elsewhere, I’m told Ossai is ahead of Vaughn’s but that Vaughns is “active”.

- I’m told Cam Townsend was running second team behind Anthony Wheeler with Ayodele Adeoye currently on the shelf.

- Jerrod Heard is in danger of becoming an after-thought. He just isn’t producing comparatively nor is he improving his receiver skills at a rate commensurate with still being a relative newcomer to the position. Much has been made about the emergence of freshmen Josh Moore and Jordan Pouncey but Heard isn’t doing himself any favors. “You can’t be just a guy and play the slot. That’s not gonna cut it,” I was told of Heard.

- I’m told Denzel Okafor may have had his best all-around practice of his career yesterday. Again, I’m told to caution being too optimistic but Okafor is starting to have more good days than bad.

 

5fhq9f.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bobby_Batronic

Bobby_Batronic 1994

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, Steamboat1874 said:

All of the GD hate is so stupid.

While he was at Texas we had the most prolific offenses in school history and good luck finding one of his former players saying a bad word about him.

You realize that saying we had the most prolific offenses in school history is meaningless at a university that was noted for running the ball, playing defense and barely had an acquaintance with the forward pass until 8-10 years before GF was hired right?  And that he had extra games compared to his predecessors to accomplish it?

By that reasoning Sterlin Gilbert produced the best rushing offense in school history because Foreman almost matched Williams output on 30 less carries and one less game. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Richter

Richter 2254

Posted
Posted
57 minutes ago, Steamboat1874 said:

All of the GD hate is so stupid.

While he was at Texas we had the most prolific offenses in school history and good luck finding one of his former players saying a bad word about him.

You know who else had a prolific offense?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hitler.

  • Like 6
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Steamboat1874

Steamboat1874 4041

Posted
Posted
43 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

You realize that saying we had the most prolific offenses in school history is meaningless at a university that was noted for running the ball, playing defense and barely had an acquaintance with the forward pass until 8-10 years before GF was hired right?  And that he had extra games compared to his predecessors to accomplish it?

By that reasoning Sterlin Gilbert produced the best rushing offense in school history because Foreman almost matched Williams output on 30 less carries and one less game. 

Sure......but nothing I stated is untrue.

Vince, Colt and Major all have nothing but praise for GD. Pretty sure I will take their word for it over a bunch of Internet message board posters.......every time.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Machinator

Machinator 32098

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, Steamboat1874 said:

Sure......but nothing I stated is untrue.

Vince, Colt and Major all have nothing but praise for GD. Pretty sure I will take their word for it over a bunch of Internet message board posters.......every time.

Do you really think former players are going to publicly throw coaches under the bus?

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Richter

Richter 2254

Posted
Posted

How does Bobby actually get paid to write for a living?

Quote

Over the years, I've been accused of a lot of things.

1. Being a Longhorn recruiting homer once Mack arrived, according to Aggie fans.

...

2. I've also been accused of being a Mack favorite and apologist, according to those who were ready to see Mack go.

...

3. I was accused of being a Charlie Strong hater. By just about everybody.

...

4. So now it's a new era of Texas football.   <- ???

..

Bobby has been accused of being a new era of Texas football?  That's pretty arrogant.  It's also weird that he totally lost his sentence structure after the first item in his list.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 47998

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, Richter said:

How does Bobby actually get paid to write for a living?

Bobby has been accused of being a new era of Texas football?  That's pretty arrogant.  It's also weird that he totally lost his sentence structure after the first item in his list.  

 It probably would really upset you to learn that not only does Burton "get paid to write" (not really), he's almost certainly a multi, multi, multi millionaire. Several times over. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bobby_Batronic

Bobby_Batronic 1994

Posted
Posted
37 minutes ago, Steamboat1874 said:

Sure......but nothing I stated is untrue.

Vince, Colt and Major all have nothing but praise for GD. Pretty sure I will take their word for it over a bunch of Internet message board posters.......every time.

What you wrote lacked context, and I don’t care what his former players say about him publicly.  

He was so well thought of as an OC by his peers that he enjoyed a “redshirt year” off before Kirk Ferentz and Iowa finally relented and hired him. He’s as hated in Iowa City as he is here. Though I’m sure someone is lauding some lame offensive achievement of his up there at another school that has never been known to move the ball. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ousux

ousux 5595

Posted
Posted
All of the GD hate is so stupid.
While he was at Texas we had the most prolific offenses in school history and good luck finding one of his former players saying a bad word about him.
As much as I cussed GDGD back in the day, I really think it was Mack's meddling (along with some recruiting deficiencies) that caused his downfall more than anything. That and the fact he became far too predictable in his last 2-3 seasons..
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Machinator

Machinator 32098

Posted
Posted

TFB notes from Wednesday and Thursday: https://texas.thefootballbrainiacs.com/2018/08/open-post-weekend-august-17th-19th/

Tre Watson & The Running Back Rotation | Sourced Update | Aug 15

– Andrew King

Cal grad transfer running back Tre Watson, has been one the most vocal guys out of the running back room so far in camp.

The issue is that he hadn’t been a full participant in practice and was wearing a green non-contact jersey. Watson has been recovering from a torn ACL that ended his season at Cal in 2017. Earlier this week he practiced with no restrictions.

I talked to someone who told me that Daniel Young still got the first reps with the starters. The Watson was the first running back to run with the 2s, splitting carries with Keontay Ingram.

I suspect we’re going to start seeing Watson get some reps with the 1s sooner rather than later. And, if he stays healthy, he’s going to make a run at being the starter vs Maryland.

Source said that in yesterday’s practice (August 14), Watson had a phenomenal run. The offensive line opened up some space and once he was in the hole he made a man miss and split the safeties. Very quick and veteran vision.

Post Practice August 16th | Sourced RB Note | Injury Updates
– Alex Briseno

Tom Herman spoke with the media following Thursday’s practice. Here are the highlights:

*** Texas still doesn’t have its starting quarterback. Herman says Rising and Thompson are in the mix but due to lack of experience combined with how Sam and Shane are playing, it will be “an uphill battle” for them.

*** With a little over two weeks until kickoff, though, Sam nor Shane have earned the starting spot outright.

“We need to have one guy be ahead for more than one day. They’ve both had their really, really good moments. They’ve both had some that you kind of shake your head at. Overall, it’s a really good thing. Both of them have pushed each other to where they are both playing at a level that I haven’t seen either of them play. Now, one of those guys has to put a few of those back-to-back-to-back-to-back.”

*** The offensive line will continue to be a question until we see the in-game product. As of right now, Herman has six guys he’s comfortable playing. Take your pick between Vahe, Shackelford, Rodriguez, Kerstetter, Okafor, Cosmi, Hudson and Anderson.

“He’s (Cosmi) in it. We’re probably nine guys right now: we have six that you would not hold your breath when they’re in the game. The other three could get you through a game but you would have to protect them a little bit. The rest of the crew is developmental at this point. Sam would be one of those nine.”

*** Herman is “very close” to naming the running backs he will run with on Sept. 1. He said the order will be set after their next scrimmage on Saturday.

“We don’t have a D’Onta Foreman just yet. He rushed for 2000 yards. We do have some developed talent in there… You can’t play seven of them but we will probably play at least three guys throughout the course of the ball game.”

Sourced Note: After Thursday’s practice, my source tells me Daniel Young, Toneil Carter, and Tre Watson are shaping up to be the three guys while Keontay Ingraham is hanging around and making a push.

*** Herman is concerned about depth at linebacker, and rightfully so. Between the first half suspension of Anthony Wheeler, suspension of DeMarco Boyd and injuries to McCulloh, Overshown and Adeoye, depth isn’t exactly at an all-time high.

*** Herman said Overshown would have seen the field at linebacker against Maryland before the injury. He isn’t considering moving anybody to linebacker just yet, though.

“It is a concern but the good thing is that we are pretty well-versed in our dime package too so if we had to live with it for a week or two I think we could. We’ll find a way to get through it.”

*** With Texas’ season opener against Maryland, it’s impossible to ignore the situation unfolding in College Park. Herman was asked to comment on the death of Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair and his confidence in his training staff at Texas.

“Any time you lose a student-athlete it’s a tragedy. Our hearts and thoughts and prayers are with him and his family and the whole University of Maryland community. I have a lot of confidence that the way our training staff, strength staff and our assistant coaches are as good as there is in the country. We take every precaution that there is.”

Injury Update:

*** The biggest news this week came after Texas announced freshmen Ayodele Adeoye (knee) and DB DeMarvion Overshown (knee) have both been ruled out for the Longhorns’ season opener against Maryland. Jeffrey McCulloch is hoping to return for game week.

*** A UT spokesperson announced that wide receiver John Burt sprained his foot in practice. He told me they are “hoping to get him back by game week.” I saw Caden Sterns with his shoulder wrapped after practice. Herman says it’s a contusion but that he finished practice and will be fine.

*** Davante Davis is expected to return at some point next week.

*** Texas will have another practice on Friday before a scrimmage on Saturday. That’s when we should get our best look at how the depth chart is shaping up.

“Most of the two-deep will be set after the scrimmage. We’ve got to prepare to win a game on Sunday. We’ve got to know who the guys are that we are able to do that with.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bobby_Batronic

Bobby_Batronic 1994

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Kirk Ferentz must have meddled with him at Iowa too.

Kirk never bothered to recruit a generational talent to give Greg a rudder for his offense, and certainly didn’t give him a player that provided natural constraint. 

If that’s not meddling then I don’t know what is. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Auto Driller

Auto Driller 2504

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, Bobby_Batronic said:

Kirk never bothered to recruit a generational talent to give Greg a rudder for his offense, and certainly didn’t give him a player that provided natural constraint. 

If that’s not meddling then I don’t know what is. 

Never forget that Greg Davis called C.J. Beathard the “best he’s ever coached.”

https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2016/06/29/greg-davis-cj-beathard-iowa-hawkeyes/86537968/

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Zavala

Zavala 1384

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, 6th Street said:

Is there any chance that Herb Hand will take over playcalling or is Herman the de facto guy once Beck flames out?

I'm hoping QB dive back to back on the 7 yd line drives the ball strait into the endzone due to Herb's coaching and the OL crushing fuckers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Huckleberry

Huckleberry 32830

Posted
Posted
no he did not say that.

Is what he really said much better? Did Beathard really have a chance to be the best he ever coached? I mean maybe if you think it was possible for the guy to add 3 inches, increase his speed by an order of magnitude, his agility by two orders of magnitude, his field vision, and his playmaking ability a thousand percent.

Let's keep in mind that Beathard went on to rush for NEGATIVE THIRTEEN YARDS his senior season. Oh, and Young was a better passer, too.

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rickyspub

rickyspub 801

Posted
Posted
58 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Is what he really said much better? Did Beathard really have a chance to be the best he ever coached? I mean maybe if you think it was possible for the guy to add 3 inches, increase his speed by an order of magnitude, his agility by two orders of magnitude, his field vision, and his playmaking ability a thousand percent.

Let's keep in mind that Beathard went on to rush for NEGATIVE THIRTEEN YARDS his senior season. Oh, and Young was a better passer, too.

 

I took that to mean that GD was admitting that he didn't actually coach VY. Everything positive accomplished once they 'took the reigns off' was all VY and GD just sat there eating his animal crackers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...