Don't Believe the Hype...

[Dionysus]

I think I saw LSU do a double fake screen and throw deep.

I sometimes dream of a creative play caller wearing burnt orange who knows defensive weaknesses and how to successfully exploit them in unexpected ways.

 

[BurntOrangeLH]

I sometimes dream of a creative play caller wearing burnt orange who knows defensive weaknesses and how to successfully exploit them in unexpected ways.

To sleep, perchance to dream - ay, there's the rub,
For in this sleep of death what dreams may come...
William Shakespeare, Hamlet

 

[RainH2burntO]

I would be equally unsurprised if we won or lost this game by 2-3 touchdowns.

I respect your view, Sap. BUT....
I hear people say things like this alot and, while I can see some reasons to be nervous about this team, there is very little evidence to suggest any real reason to believe it likely that we lose this or any game by that margin. Largest loss this year was by 14 and 1 more by 10. We played three top teams within 7, 7, and 14.
We have 1 loss in last three seasons >14 points (vs TCU by 17 in 2017).
Next largest outside of the 14pts to BU this year was 2018 CCG by 12 aided by refs.
So a 17, 14, 12 and two 10 point losses in 3 years and every other loss since Herman's arrival a 1 possession game. He had 1 loss >10 points in coaching career prior to arriving here. Our team, and TH coached teams rarely if ever get blown out. It's like being a Cowboys fan. They may lose, they may drive you crazy, but they rarely get blown out, and it is almost always interesting. I never get ready to root for the Horns thinking it likely they get blown out. It isn't. That's 3 losses by >10 points out of 38 tries. OU lost by close to that aggregate in a single game. LOL

 

[El Sapo]

I hear people say things like this alot and, while I can see some reasons to be nervous about this team, there is very little evidence to suggest any real reason to believe it likely that we lose this or any game by that margin.

Let me round it out by saying I'd be equally unsurprised if we won or lost the game by a single point. What I'm really getting at is even now, with the 13th and final game of the season looming, I personally have no idea what this team is or isn't capable of tonight.

 

[MajesticII]

Moving the pocket and rollouts is one thing that Texas did not do this year. I have no explanation why.

Ask Tom Herman why......He might say, " I don't know. I'd have to look at the film."...Or he could say. " Moving the pocket and rollouts are really really hard to do."

 

[#2is#1]

Or maybe Sam isn’t very accurate on the roll out, as it cuts the field in half. They feel more comfortable with him in the pocket and then running north/south which we know he’s really good at.
I agree rolling him out and giving him a two level route, and if it’s not there tucking it would be a great addition though.

 

[BurntOrangeLH]

Or maybe Sam isn’t very accurate on the roll out, as it cuts the field in half. They feel more comfortable with him in the pocket and then running north/south which we know he’s really good at.

Last year he showed well throwing on the run, even to his left. Leaving only the dive from a stationary pocket does not buy him any time nor unblock throwing lanes.

 

[longhorn47]

With Utah's All-Pacific Islander DL, seems like we'll need the passing game to click early and often.

 

[RainH2burntO]

Let me round it out by saying I'd be equally unsurprised if we won or lost the game by a single point. What I'm really getting at is even now, with the 13th and final game of the season looming, I personally have no idea what this team is or isn't capable of tonight.

Apparently the sharps think UT won't do too much. Doesn't always mean much, though.

 

[BurntOrangeLH]

OP called it. Utah is good, but not proven.

 

[Detective Shilala]

Good call.

This was probably our most complete game of the year. We play like this all season and we’re a 10 or 11 win team. It’s just too bad we usually couldn’t put it all together in one game like this all year. We played well in all three phases for 4 qtr which may be the first time since the Sugar bowl.

Either that or the PAC 12 is just terrible. That team was the PAC 12 runner up?

 

[BurntOrangeLH]

Good call.

This was probably our most complete game of the year. We play like this all season and we’re a 10 or 11 win team. It’s just too bad we usually couldn’t put it all together in one game like this all year. We played well in all three phases for 4 qtr which may be the first time since the Sugar bowl.

Either that or the PAC 12 is just terrible. That team was the PAC 12 runner up?

It was and a NCAA statistical leader in several defensive categories. Like only Oregon got 200+ rushing yards until Texas. Season average was 70 yds. ASU got 111 rushing yds.

Best on preventing 3rd down conversion also. Good in pass defense.

 

[2003TexasGrad]

It was and a NCAA statistical leader in several defensive categories. Like only Oregon got 200+ yards until Texas. Season average was 70 yds. ASU got 111 yds.

Best on preventing 3rd down conversion also. good in pass defense.

Utah had great stats.... against lousy competition. Just like the SEC beats up on eachother but they are always overrated.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Good call.

This was probably our most complete game of the year. We play like this all season and we’re a 10 or 11 win team. It’s just too bad we usually couldn’t put it all together in one game like this all year. We played well in all three phases for 4 qtr which may be the first time since the Sugar bowl.

Either that or the PAC 12 is just terrible. That team was the PAC 12 runner up?

It was as healthy as our roster has been since the LSU game. Having your players apparently makes a difference. Who could have guessed?

 

[AC]

It was as healthy as our roster has been since the LSU game. Having your players apparently makes a difference. Who could have guessed?

I have been saying this since the LSU game. I was there and a lot of good players were lost in that game and several others leading up to & including the OU game. The rest of the way Texas was at 50% to 65% strength until the TTU game. I have been gutted before in business, so come backs are a specialty of mine. I appreciate them very much! Second chances too!

 

[RainH2burntO]

Good call.

This was probably our most complete game of the year. We play like this all season and we’re a 10 or 11 win team. It’s just too bad we usually couldn’t put it all together in one game like this all year. We played well in all three phases for 4 qtr which may be the first time since the Sugar bowl.

Either that or the PAC 12 is just terrible. That team was the PAC 12 runner up?

The Pac12 CCG loser is now 0-9 in bowl games since its inception

 

[RainH2burntO]

It was as healthy as our roster has been since the LSU game. Having your players apparently makes a difference. Who could have guessed?

And you know Herman wants to bring that up now and push back against the pressure he got to get rid of a few guys. We'll never know, but I'd say in the future the fandom may want to exercise a tad more restraint, either way. People draw parallels that aren't parallel when they want to be right...
Like "Why cant Herman win with 2nd string or 3rd string 4 star guys? ...That other coach is over there winning some with 3 stars".
BUT BUT BUT...these 3 star guys were together from training camp...and they arent winning that much. If that fan was af that school they'd be complaining there, too.
Fact is, we had an absolutely unbelievable string of key injuries and there was some distracting and demoralizing issues regarding some drama/coaches/players etc. that gutted our season after an already demoralizing loss to LSU. Herman has to manage these headwinds better in the future, he has amassed a good deal of talent to do it with, and we..clearly..have some dawgs who can get it done if managed properly. This can and should (and probably is) a better team than the year showed. 2020 will be show me time for the staff and the players. Theyve shown they can flex some muscle, and I think should be the toughest team in the Big12. They have to believe, be prepared, and do it every week.
Again, though, I believe Utah was overrated, so....don't go all post-Georgia if you were one of those.

 

[Austin_Bill]

And you know Herman wants to bring that up now and push back against the pressure he got to get rid of a few guys. We'll never know, but I'd say in the future the fandom may want to exercise a tad more restraint, either way. People draw parallels that aren't parallel when they want to be right...
Like "Why cant Herman win with 2nd string or 3rd string 4 star guys? ...That other coach is over there winning some with 3 stars".
BUT BUT BUT...these 3 star guys were together from training camp...and they arent winning that much. If that fan was af that school they'd be complaining there, too.
Fact is, we had an absolutely unbelievable string of key injuries and there was some distracting and demoralizing issues regarding some drama/coaches/players etc. that gutted our season after an already demoralizing loss to LSU. Herman has to manage these headwinds better in the future, he has amassed a good deal of talent to do it with, and we..clearly..have some dawgs who can get it done if managed properly. This can and should (and probably is) a better team than the year showed. 2020 will be show me time for the staff and the players. Theyve shown they can flex some muscle, and I think should be the toughest team in the Big12. They have to believe, be prepared, and do it every week.
Again, though, I believe Utah was overrated, so....don't go all post-Georgia if you were one of those.

Here is how I would counter this.

We started the same dline the whole damn year, they did nothing, but against Utah who had probably the 3rd or 4th best line we faced all year, they dominated. Why is that? I would say it was the scheme and the 4th down linemen. That is right in the face of Todd Orlando.

Now don't get me wrong, I think Orlando is a good DC, however, he did not see the problem with this defense and if he did, he didn't know how to fix it. That created a cascade effect for the defense the whole season. If anything, it proved us fans were right. I know I came away feeling right.

 

[BurntOrangeLH]

And you know Herman wants to bring that up now and push back against the pressure he got to get rid of a few guys. We'll never know, but I'd say in the future the fandom may want to exercise a tad more restraint, either way. People draw parallels that aren't parallel when they want to be right...
Like "Why cant Herman win with 2nd string or 3rd string 4 star guys? ...That other coach is over there winning some with 3 stars".
BUT BUT BUT...these 3 star guys were together from training camp...and they arent winning that much. If that fan was af that school they'd be complaining there, too.
Fact is, we had an absolutely unbelievable string of key injuries and there was some distracting and demoralizing issues regarding some drama/coaches/players etc. that gutted our season after an already demoralizing loss to LSU. Herman has to manage these headwinds better in the future, he has amassed a good deal of talent to do it with, and we..clearly..have some dawgs who can get it done if managed properly. This can and should (and probably is) a better team than the year showed. 2020 will be show me time for the staff and the players. Theyve shown they can flex some muscle, and I think should be the toughest team in the Big12. They have to believe, be prepared, and do it every week.
Again, though, I believe Utah was overrated, so....don't go all post-Georgia if you were one of those.

That is why I'm at HornFans as there's more reasonable assessment especially of defeats. Sure no one wants them, but a team giving up and rolling over and the team that is trying hard is a completely different thing.

We have seen Texas rollover in the past, but since Herman has been here we have not seen that. Even while being thoroughly dominated by Oklahoma Texas did not give up.

Whether or not OU gave up against LSU it's a whole nother matter for debate. Either case it's not our problem.

 

[BurntOrangeLH]

Here is how I would counter this.

We started the same dline the whole damn year, they did nothing, but against Utah who had probably the 3rd or 4th best line we faced all year, they dominated. Why is that? I would say it was the scheme and the 4th down linemen. That is right in the face of Todd Orlando.

Now don't get me wrong, I think Orlando is a good DC, however, he did not see the problem with this defense and if he did, he didn't know how to fix it. That created a cascade effect for the defense the whole season. If anything, it proved us fans were right. I know I came away feeling right.

In Orlando's defense, it is difficult to fix a team that has freshman and redshirt freshman starting in your defensive backfield. Mistakes will be made and Lessons Learned and games lost. Piling up on Orlando really does not serve much of a purpose and if you think he's so bad I think you should ask Georgia and Oklahoma last year and Oklahoma State this year and LSU this year how bad the Texas defense was when it was healthy.

 

[BurntOrangeLH]

Again, though, I believe Utah was overrated, so....don't go all post-Georgia if you were one of those.

Before Texas, Utah lost only to an 8 - 5 (sound familiar?) USC team and an 11 - 2 Oregon team. While. their rating is debatable, the record is the record. They're not a bad team in any respect.

Texas just played up to its abilities finally at the end of the season. Congratulations to the skeleton coaching staff and the players for showing Pride in themselves and the University.

Losing games is one thing but losing your pride and belief in your teammates is altogether something else much worse.

 

[Austin_Bill]

In Orland's defense, it is difficult to fix a team that has freshman and redshirt freshman starting in your defensive backfield.

You see, this is part of the cascade effect I was talking about. Stop relying on your 180 lb Dbs to make all the tackles. A good dline making actual plays gives you the results you saw last night. And that was against a damn good oline. It comes right back to the lack of production of our Dline.

Ossai in this one game became our single season Sack leader, that is pathetic.

 

[Texas Lawhorn]

And you know Herman wants to bring that up now and push back against the pressure he got to get rid of a few guys. We'll never know, but I'd say in the future the fandom may want to exercise a tad more restraint, either way. People draw parallels that aren't parallel when they want to be right...
Like "Why cant Herman win with 2nd string or 3rd string 4 star guys? ...That other coach is over there winning some with 3 stars".
BUT BUT BUT...these 3 star guys were together from training camp...and they arent winning that much. If that fan was af that school they'd be complaining there, too.
Fact is, we had an absolutely unbelievable string of key injuries and there was some distracting and demoralizing issues regarding some drama/coaches/players etc. that gutted our season after an already demoralizing loss to LSU. Herman has to manage these headwinds better in the future, he has amassed a good deal of talent to do it with, and we..clearly..have some dawgs who can get it done if managed properly. This can and should (and probably is) a better team than the year showed. 2020 will be show me time for the staff and the players. Theyve shown they can flex some muscle, and I think should be the toughest team in the Big12. They have to believe, be prepared, and do it every week.
Again, though, I believe Utah was overrated, so....don't go all post-Georgia if you were one of those.

I think very few people viewed the LSU loss as demoralizing. I think people viewed it as a measuring stick and at the time, as proved to be the case, we measured up pretty well. Not go to the National Championship well, but win 10 or 11 games and beat OU well. You can say all you want about injuries, but the coaching felt off this entire year. The schemes and plays were like the coaches were trying to fit square pegs in round holes. I think this Alamo Bowl proves that out somewhat. The defense felt more natural. Coaches letting their athletes be athletes. Same with the offense.

 

[BurntOrangeLH]

Ossai in this one game became our single season Sack leader, that is pathetic.

And you find that demoralizing?

What is a better alternative? Was it Orakpo or Okafor who also did pretty well in the Alamo Bowl also?

 

[rick mueller]

Ossai played a great game and was dominant from start to finish. That was has been emphasized over and over, but having a healthy Caden Stearns was huge too. That young man can flat out play! Enjoy him next year, because if he stays healthy, he's the next Longhorn safety to be taken in the first round.

 

[RainH2burntO]

I think very few people viewed the LSU loss as demoralizing. I think people viewed it as a measuring stick and at the time, as proved to be the case, we measured up pretty well. Not go to the National Championship well, but win 10 or 11 games and beat OU well. You can say all you want about injuries, but the coaching felt off this entire year. The schemes and plays were like the coaches were trying to fit square pegs in round holes. I think this Alamo Bowl proves that out somewhat. The defense felt more natural. Coaches letting their athletes be athletes. Same with the offense.

Great post. Can't argue with it.
Though, I personally think the LSU loss affected the team...not because they just loss...but they felt like they could have won. That kind of "getting-over-the-hump" stuff is tough for a team/program trying to dig out of a hole and get "back".
Anyway, good post.
Something was off for sure...

 

[nashhorn]

I think Sterns being back healthy and Collin at 90% are crucial to this team’s attitude, effort and overall capability. They are two guys who change things, CJ for the offense and Sterns changes the D. Just what I think, especially after last night.

 

[Austin_Bill]

And you find that demoralizing?

What is a better alternative? Was it Orakpo or Okafor who also did pretty well in the Alamo Bowl also?

What is de-moralizing is that Roach was our leading sack man with 3. Ossai matched that with one game. That is pathetic, not for Ossai, but for our dline for the whole year. What pisses me off more was the excuses that were made all year. One good defensive performance blew away all those silly excuses.