Guys:
Personally, it is my feeling that now is a proper time for the Longhorn's
fan base to take a deep breath, relax and make a realistic evaluation of year #1 of the Tom Herman era and perhaps put the 2017 season's accomplishments into proper perspective.
I am certain we all had some higher expectations and experienced some disappointments during the last season as well as some positive surprises and moments of seeing real hope for an improved future for our Longhorn Football team.
At times it was like being on a Manic-Depressive emotional roller coaster ride that brought us massive elation only to be followed by the incredibly frustrating depths of disappointment.
Like a pendulum moving from one extreme to the other it creates an environment in which it becomes very difficult to gain real perspective into where we realistically are in the development of our football program...in fact this also affects our coaches ability to gain the same realistic perspective on where we are as a football team.
This was certainly evident in Tom Herman's own shock and bewilderment right after the Texas Tech loss (I believe he was actually stunned by the outcome of that game).
So, what are we to realistically make of the 2017 season when viewed with some emotional moderation and true introspective analysis...I would offer the following:
1) We need to let Tom Herman form and shape this team into his own vision of what it should be and trust his evaluation regarding personnel utilization and the coaching capabilities of his staff...and support his efforts fully...after all this is only year one.
2) This team experienced an incredible amount of attrition with player injury's, transfers and early exits from the program.
3) I believe the real buy-in to Herman's vision is just now happening (with some early exits and players leaving because they do not see themselves contributing in Tom's vision of "Team").
4) Tom has had to contend in varying degrees with "passive/aggressive" behavior from some players and some in the press during the last recruiting season.
5) In spite of all this, as the leader of the program Tom has kept his focus on his vision and has not become lost in the blame game, trying to defend his actions, making irrational decisions on his staff or doubting his own judgement.
6) Given all the points already mentioned above, this team has actually exceeded realistic expectations in my opinion...and is I believe now developing a leadership base in the program that will engender future success.
7) The 2017 Longhorn team played 9 bowl teams and won 4 while loosing 5...but we actually had a real chance to win 4 of the 5 bowl teams we lost to...and were not that far from being an 11-2 season...we were the only team to hold OU under 30 points this year.
8) At the beginning of the year, how many of us would have believed we would play the majority of the year without both of our starting offensive tackles and would have to play in a bowl game (against an SEC team that had won 6 straight games and had scored an average of 45 points in those games) and play that bowl game without C.Williams, C.Warren, D.Elliott, H.Hill, M.Jefferson, etc. and still win the game going away?
9) Our 2018 Recruiting class would end up being #3 in the country in spite of all the above.
It is just my perspective, but I think after reflecting on the season that we are moving in the right direction and are developing a team and staff of "over achievers" who love the challenge and are starting to believe in each other.
I know we are not yet where we want to be and are not happy with the productivity in some areas (offense), but I see real reason to be excited about our Defense, Special Teams and Offense.
I for one will continue to trust Tom Herman and his judgement to make the correct and appropriate calls related to personnel and staffing. I love what Tom has done and what I see him doing to develop my Longhorn football program.
It is time for all in the program and all fans outside the program to get to thinking positively and eliminate negativism.
Just my two cents worth.
Hook'em,
Paul S. Nichols
