Cotton Bowl: Horns-Buckeyes Game Thread

Run Pincher said:
A forum is to discuss both the good and the bad. Otherwise, why have a forum?

Sark has certainly done a lot of good things, but every coach has his faults. Mack had VY to make up for his faults, those don't come around very often. He also had Colt, but decided run him up the middle in the 1st Qtr of the NC game. The ONE player you absolutely can't lose. Fred didn't tell his DB's, "no matter what, don't touch that punt".

Mack probably had more faults that Sark does, but there are some things you simply can't do. Those include running the 1 play that has a high chance of an interception and low chance of completion on 2nd and 4 when you need to run out the clock. Fortunately Quinn's heroics bailed him out. Another is a sweep that requires perfect blocking against a fast defense on 2nd and 1 that could put you in a situation of losing considerable yardage requiring a pass on the next play. Texas hasn't passed well inside the 10 all season. And protecting Quinn against a stout DL has also been a problem for the OL all season.

Sark may make the playoffs every year, but I don't think he wins a NC until another VY comes along.
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I think this about 95% of the titles. 5% of them are because of amazing coaches who build a very good team and execute flawlessly. 95% have very good coaches and a special player or two.

I don't even think that's a hot statement.
 
Run Pincher said:
A forum is to discuss both the good and the bad. Otherwise, why have a forum?

Sark has certainly done a lot of good things, but every coach has his faults. Mack had VY to make up for his faults, those don't come around very often. He also had Colt, but decided run him up the middle in the 1st Qtr of the NC game. The ONE player you absolutely can't lose. Fred didn't tell his DB's, "no matter what, don't touch that punt".

Mack probably had more faults that Sark does, but there are some things you simply can't do. Those include running the 1 play that has a high chance of an interception and low chance of completion on 2nd and 4 when you need to run out the clock. Fortunately Quinn's heroics bailed him out. Another is a sweep that requires perfect blocking against a fast defense on 2nd and 1 that could put you in a situation of losing considerable yardage requiring a pass on the next play. Texas hasn't passed well inside the 10 all season. And protecting Quinn against a stout DL has also been a problem for the OL all season.

Sark may make the playoffs every year, but I don't think he wins a NC until another VY comes along.
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^^^ Well said. I agree with just about everything you say. I hope another VY comes along soon. But honestly, I’ve only seen one in my 77 years on earth.
Sark and coach K, as someone else said earlier, will need to improve their in game calls , maybe Sark can ask coach Flood for suggestions about how to get a yard or two; and teach our guys to hold as well as OSU does.
 
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caryhorn said:
^^^ Well said. I agree with just about everything you say. I hope another VY comes along soon. But honestly, I’ve only seen one in my 77 years on earth.
Sark and coach K, as someone else said earlier, will need to improve their in game calls , maybe Sark can ask coach Flood for suggestions about how to get a yard or two; and teach our guys to hold as well as OSU does.
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Cary,

I agree with most of your posts, but until Flood can teach a bunch of 300+ pounders to move their lard asses, pull, trap, pass protect, I don't want him "troubled" with calling plays. I like the guy, but one, two, or three things have to occur:

1) Better weight training
2) Select the candidates recruited more carefully
3) Better coaching and technique training

I don't give a crap what the NFL gurus think, the internet experts post, what awards they are nominated for, I care about protection, opening holes, and PANCAKES (have we had any other than at the training table).
 
SabreHorn said:
Cary,

I agree with most of your posts, but until Flood can teach a bunch of 300+ pounders to move their lard asses, pull, trap, pass protect, I don't want him "troubled" with calling plays. I like the guy, but one, two, or three things have to occur:

1) Better weight training
2) Select the candidates recruited more carefully
3) Better coaching and technique training

I don't give a crap what the NFL gurus think, the internet experts post, what awards they are nominated for, I care about protection, opening holes, and PANCAKES (have we had any other than at the training table).
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As lauded as our offensive line is, there does seem to be a missing element of nastiness and edge. They seem to back away or get confused against a really physical defense.
 
TEXAS1983 said:
As lauded as our offensive line is, there does seem to be a missing element of nastiness and edge. They seem to back away or get confused against a really physical defense.
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Channeling UT Offensive line 2005... that was our last nasty O line. 20 friggin' years ago.

Blalock, Sendliene, Studdard, Allen, Scott. Throw in TE David Thomas as a great 6th blocker!
 
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Thomas & Studdard were enforcers protecting VY. We have not had any OL that walked up to an official to verify the number of the opponent before leaving him in a rumpled pile on the next play, much less tell the opposing HC “cut the crap” now. Barnett didn’t know what to do. Bob Stoops took immediate action.

Against Colorado, it was the referee’s last game. He later said he was so stunned when asked “92”, that he verified it. He was a good guy.

Neither CU nor OU took anymore cheap shots.

Like I said, we haven’t had that kind of leadership in 20 years.
 
Watching the Ravens use TE Andrews under center and getting four short yard first downs with no problem against the Steelers.

I hope Sark was watching because he never fixed the problem all year….
 
HalRex said:
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Time to move on and accept that Texas got beat by a very good team and the game was pretty even. Fans are disappointed and that is understandable because Texas could have won. Time to support the team and coaches and keep them on the 40 acres so they can redeem themselves next year.
 
Chinstrap said:
Time to move on and accept that Texas got beat by a very good team and the game was pretty even. Fans are disappointed and that is understandable because Texas could have won. Time to support the team and coaches and keep them on the 40 acres so they can redeem themselves next year.
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I'm sorry, but I must go through the stages of grief with this one. I've been telling everybody it's not that we lost. I can deal with a losing to a team who was clearly better. I have to cope over time when we genuinely outplayed the other team and two bone headed play calls was the difference. Otherwise the entire coaching staff did a solid job with the game plan and in game decision making/play calling.

We lost because we stepped on our own dick not because OSU beat us. The lack of penalties is quite another subject. This will stick with me for a while so please don't be too harsh on me as I cope. I promise I'll try to keep things as positive as I can.
 
Aside from the poor play calling at the goal line being a killer for us, did anyone else notice that the hit on Arch was targeting? I’ve seen a number of different angles this morning and it’s pretty clear that number # 8 should have been ejected, not to mention the resulting 15 yard penalty.
 
I'm very concerned with the interview I read about with Sark after the game. His comments that the pitch play at the goal line should have worked if it was blocked correctly bothers me. But Sark, if it isn't blocked correctly it loses 7 yards therefore making it a boneheaded call. Be accountable, learn from your mistakes. That's what I want him to do.
On another note: how about Arch under center, Broughton and Norton lined up behind him and a tush push? Seems pretty hard to stop from a yard out, IMO.
Yes, I played QB in high school. Now I play one on Monday mornings. :e-hookem:
 
TEXAS1983 said:
As lauded as our offensive line is, there does seem to be a missing element of nastiness and edge. They seem to back away or get confused against a really physical defense.
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It's my opinion, which is only an opinion, is that most of the lauding done for our OL was because they had been together for a lot of games. Other than that, I never saw an OL that impressed me much. Not great run blockers or pass protectors. Maybe I'm wrong. After all we made it farther in the playoffs than all but two teams. But I just never saw it. Running all over mediocre defenses doesn't send me into ecstasy.

VolHorn I'm in the same boat. After the game Friday night I was disappointed, of course, but kinda ok because we played OSU toe to toe. Then it hit me on Saturday how depressed I was that we lost. So I have to go through all the stages and also revisit the game in my mind here and there. I'm 69 years old and it amazes me sometimes how tied up my happiness is with this team. I try to maintain perspective but it ain't easy.
 
One more thing. Everyone thought OSU played better than Texas, but if you ignore the pre-game hype and the opening drive, you would be thinking that OSU scored on 2 lucky plays to win the game.
 
BornOrange0855 said:
It's my opinion, which is only an opinion, is that most of the lauding done for our OL was because they had been together for a lot of games. Other than that, I never saw an OL that impressed me much. Not great run blockers or pass protectors. Maybe I'm wrong. After all we made it farther in the playoffs than all but two teams. But I just never saw it. Running all over mediocre defenses doesn't send me into ecstasy.

VolHorn I'm in the same boat. After the game Friday night I was disappointed, of course, but kinda ok because we played OSU toe to toe. Then it hit me on Saturday how depressed I was that we lost. So I have to go through all the stages and also revisit the game in my mind here and there. I'm 69 years old and it amazes me sometimes how tied up my happiness is with this team. I try to maintain perspective but it ain't easy.
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Yeah. I NEVER understood the accolades for the offensive line. They were occasionally good in pass protection but that was inconsistent. They were good at bullying one and two star defenders they outweighed by 40 pounds. They were five star NIL p-ssies against good defensive lines. Excuse the bitterness but some other offensive players took unwarranted, harsh criticism when much of the blame rested squarely on their shoulders.
 
SabreHorn said:
Cary,

I agree with most of your posts, but until Flood can teach a bunch of 300+ pounders to move their lard asses, pull, trap, pass protect, I don't want him "troubled" with calling plays. I like the guy, but one, two, or three things have to occur:

1) Better weight training
2) Select the candidates recruited more carefully
3) Better coaching and technique training

I don't give a crap what the NFL gurus think, the internet experts post, what awards they are nominated for, I care about protection, opening holes, and PANCAKES (have we had any other than at the training table).
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Sabre,

I can’t disagree with anything in your ^^^ post. I was being slightly sarcastic referencing Flood. I meant it more as a slam at the stupidity of the pitch left to Wisner; and Sark’s defense of his call by saying “it would have worked if it was blocked properly “.
Any play in the book would succeed if “blocked properly.” The key is to choose a play that gives our players the best chance to maximize their chances of succeeding in blocking it sufficiently to gain the yard needed. Running north/south is the best option against osu for One yarder.
 
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caryhorn said:
I can’t disagree with anything in this ^^^ post. I was being slightly sarcastic referencing Flood. I meant it more as a slam at the stupidity of the pitch left to Wisner; and Sark’s defense of his call by saying “it would have worked if it was blocked properly “.
Any play in the book would succeed if “blocked properly.” The key is to choose a play that gives our players the best chance to maximize their chances of succeeding in blocking it successfully. Running north/south is the best option against osu for One yarder.
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Texas' offensive line wasn't gonna block 'em anyway. They were overmatched and trying to block stronger, faster players. That was clear all night. I strongly suspect that Sarkisian and others literally re-designed the offense during the year to compensate for small backs and a line that could not block "inside zone", unless they were against opponents who were clearly physically inferior (three or four games). He went to outside zone and more passing to compensate.

I've been kind of angry about this issue, at times, because I'm retired and bored and I've read SO many dumb *** comments from Texas fans about the offense this year that it makes me want to jump through my computer screen and choke them.
 
Yeah Sarks comment bothered me too. Didn’t seem like him. The defense was wayyyy overloaded on that side from the get go, crazy to think good blocking was all that was needed. Four or more defensive players needed to fall in their face for that to work.
In another vein I know for me a real aspect of the pain from this loss is this team itself and the overall character and moral fiber. From Taafe’s story to Barron and on and on it was easy to get attached to this years team. Gonna hurt for them for awhile.
 
Saint Jimmy said:
Texas' offensive line wasn't gonna block 'em anyway. They were overmatched and trying to block stronger, faster players. That was clear all night.
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I disagree, sort of. The UT line has not blocked well enough to depend on the run since the a/m game. A/m D line was good. But their linebackers are not in the same class as osu's Sawyer.

However, our line is big and strong. Especially our center and our left tackle. Like Sabre said in another post, for a one-two yard push put our left tackle at guard and block down and run our strongest back, or our best leaper straight ahead. Or put Arch in and run a fake to the back or fake Arch going in behind the runner and pull it and find a receiver. If that fails on 2nd down, then you still have two shots from a yard or so.Much better chance of blocking well enough to get a couple of yards.

Sweeping it or a sack is the only way to lose 8 yds. Still, with eight yds to go, you move the pocket rolling right with Ewers or Arch and give them the option to run or pass or throw it away and give yourself one yard for the 4th down.
 
caryhorn said:
I disagree, sort of. The UT line has not blocked well enough to depend on the run since the a/m game. A/m D line was good. But their linebackers are not in the same class as osu's Sawyer.

However, our line is big and strong. Especially our center and our left tackle. Like Sabre said in another post, for a one-two yard push put our left tackle at guard and block down and run our strongest back, or our best leaper straight ahead. Or put Arch in and run a fake to the back or fake Arch going in behind the runner and pull it and find a receiver. If that fails on 2nd down, then you still have two shots from a yard or so.Much better chance of blocking well enough to get a couple of yards.

Sweeping it or a sack is the only way to lose 8 yds. Still, with eight yds to go, you move the pocket rolling right with Ewers or Arch and give them the option to run or pass or throw it away and give yourself one yard for the 4th down.
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I'm describing the line play, as a whole, and I am not trying to justify play calling, which I also think was weak, at times. I'll go ahead and say it.....

The biggest weakness on the 2024 Texas Longhorns was the offensive line and run blocking.

End of story. That specific weakness affected many things, including in game decisions and play calling.
 
I hate to post this, but AGAIN, look at the pitch play. Ordinarily, it would be a good call, BUT Ohio State knew what was coming. When Quinn got to the line, he should have audibled out or called time out. SEVEN defenders on the left side? If they are spread across the endzone, I think the play had a chance with our LT sealing the inside, although I still prefer line up with beef and knock them off the ball.

If you're angry with Sark's comment, did you ever consider he is protecting his QB from aggressive Monday morning QBs?

Yes, I'm pissed, but I learned with David's dumbasses (I offered a fat check any major school that would hire anyone on that staff), Mackovic's arrogance, Charlie's ignorance, and Mack hardheadedness, that my friend Bill Little would often tell me, "All you're going to get is a bloody nose it you keep beating your head against that wall".
 
I love what Sark has done, except for his lack of run toughness inside the 5.

Why doesn’t he have a tush push package with Arch? If they run it 4x and don’t get in, so be it. But the toss, ugh. Caleb Downs is an NFL dude.
 
dukesteer said:
Aside from the poor play calling at the goal line being a killer for us, did anyone else notice that the hit on Arch was targeting? I’ve seen a number of different angles this morning and it’s pretty clear that number # 8 should have been ejected, not to mention the resulting 15 yard penalty.
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I said the same thing during the game. Announcers so focused on the potential fumble they didn't contemplate a potential targeting. My wife finally told me to shut up because I couldn't believe there wasn't even a booth review and wouldn't stop yelling about it. :argue:
 
Run Pincher said:
Welcome to the life of a Texas fan. I've just come to accept and in games like this, expect it.
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I have yet to learn how to accept it... and that is for ALL UT teams. I have to learn how to understand its just a game and won't change my life either way. So far, no luck. Today's womens basketball game was another example...
 
Yeah it pains me to say it but I’m in agreement on this Sabre. The pain is not in agreeing with you but the admission Ewers may be the responsible one who blew it here. Coming up to the line he had to see what I didn’t realize till replay, the defense was stacked to our left, totally anticipating exactly what we were running. I totally (even as an unabashed Ewers fan) cannot appreciate why something didn’t go off in his head.
Nevertheless, I have to admit that the view by Day has merit. When you look at it from the ‘other’ side m, without those penalties against them on those drives the whole thing might have been different.
 
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