HOW did we get here?

[WorsterMan]

Coaching 40%
Play predictability 30%
Failure to make game time adjustments 20%
Poor execution by players 10%

 

[MajesticII]

We got here due to regents giving a HC a raise and extended contract for a mediocre season. 9-4 regular season did not merit a contract through 2023. This made the coaches comfortable, especially Herman. Mack was fired for 8-5.

 

[zuckercanyon]

We got here due to regents giving a HC a raise and extended contract for a mediocre season. 9-4 regular season did not merit a contract through 2023. This made the coaches comfortable, especially Herman. Mack was fired for 8-5.

Mack was fired for letting the program go from big time football to can't beat Baylor. Charlie took it to the HNL (Hole Nother Level). Now Herman is attempting to pull out of the doldrums. Winning seasons (unfortunately) have not been the norm as of late, so, alas, we're winning now, and that's an improvement on not winning.

 

[wadster]

There is one glaring aspect of blame missing from this page that is becoming clearer and clearer to me..and some others.
Amazing to me that so many smart people on here cant see it, but that's just human nature.
You guys are so focused on blaming coaches and play on the field that your missing the big picture.....
There is a problem with the UT/Austin/football program/culture/fans.
Sorry, but it is quite evident and becoming more so all the while.
It would take days to properly extrapolate and unpack all evidence and detail this, but...open your eyes
We...we...everyone and everything surrounding this school and program bear responsibility in this...and I, for one, am more ashamed/regretful of this than I am the team's record or how we got here on the field.
The real question should be How did we get here as a school/program/fanbase/culture?
If you dont think it matters....you better start asking yourself exactly what does a true, healthy, productive, effective football school/culture/town/program/fan base look like..and how does that translate to what happens on the field/play/coaching?
Here's a big clue.....It most certainly plays a large role, these days especially. Larger than most on here apparently realize.
Does you guys really believe the thing that separates UT from LSU, OU, Ohio St., Georgia,...or even down a tier OSU, TCU, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Florida, Boise St etc is just coaching?? I beg to differ. Every aspect of a town/school/program/fan base/culture comes into play. I'd say today more than ever. Fact is....We simply do not have those things aligned in such a manner to breed success on the field right now. Goes waaay beyond coaching and everyone around the school/community/program is culpable.

Not buying this at all. What I do see is a great coach can come in and turn a team in a few years. Look at Baylor. Program/culture/fans/team were all in the toilet. Get a good coach and go from 1-11 to 11-1. Now that's the extreme, but still a valid data point. Look at Florida. Strong program but not often elite. Played for one NC and got killed by one of the best teams ever. Meyer comes in and they win 2 NCs. He leaves and they go back to being a good program, but not elite. Look at Bama. Historically strong program but oh what a difference Saban has made. Look at Clemson and Dabo. Never elite until he gets there. Now they are every year. The list goes on and on. Great coaches win, period. Especially in college where you don't have a draft that limits you. When a college team with the resources Texas isn't winning it's because we don't have an elite coach. It's that simple. CDC is on the clock. It's his job to get the right guy whether that's TH or someone else. But don't put this problem all over the map. It lies with the people running the program. They are responsible for recruiting the right players, training them, feeding them, instructing them, and calling plays. They own the whole damn product soup to nuts and get paid handsomely to do it. CDC inherited the staff and the staff inherited the players so they should be given time to make it work. But they own the outcome. Period.

 

[caryhorn]

Injuries-15%
Coaching 70%
youth on defensive side 15% (back seven)

Sam had an off year, especially TCU and since. But I attribute his struggles mostly to the scheme he's in; not coaching him up/putting him in the best situation for him to excel.

Watching the Kansas, ISU, Baylor and TCU games its pretty clear which programs/players are being coached up and which are not.

 

[NorfolkVATiger]

Truth is, you guys weren't as good as you thought you were last year, and grossly underestimated how little experience you brought back for this year. Nobody on here wanted to hear that before the season started, which is perfectly normal for fans of any team.

Should be much better next year with returning experience if the coaching staff can stabilize the team and keep a tough season from causing an implosion (attitude/faith) they can't recover from.

 

[dukesteer]

There is one glaring aspect of blame missing from this page that is becoming clearer and clearer to me..and some others.
Amazing to me that so many smart people on here cant see it, but that's just human nature.
You guys are so focused on blaming coaches and play on the field that your missing the big picture.....
There is a problem with the UT/Austin/football program/culture/fans.
Sorry, but it is quite evident and becoming more so all the while.
It would take days to properly extrapolate and unpack all evidence and detail this, but...open your eyes
We...we...everyone and everything surrounding this school and program bear responsibility in this...and I, for one, am more ashamed/regretful of this than I am the team's record or how we got here on the field.
The real question should be How did we get here as a school/program/fanbase/culture?
If you dont think it matters....you better start asking yourself exactly what does a true, healthy, productive, effective football school/culture/town/program/fan base look like..and how does that translate to what happens on the field/play/coaching?
Here's a big clue.....It most certainly plays a large role, these days especially. Larger than most on here apparently realize.
Does you guys really believe the thing that separates UT from LSU, OU, Ohio St., Georgia,...or even down a tier OSU, TCU, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Florida, Boise St etc is just coaching?? I beg to differ. Every aspect of a town/school/program/fan base/culture comes into play. I'd say today more than ever. Fact is....We simply do not have those things aligned in such a manner to breed success on the field right now. Goes waaay beyond coaching and everyone around the school/community/program is culpable.

I probably couldn’t disagree more. This has nothing to do with the culture of the school, the city or the fan base. Go to College Station and check out that culture and that fan base. Go to most SEC schools and then let’s compare those cultures with Austin, and Texas. Night and Day. Hell, we had the genius LSU fans calling in death threats, and antagonizing Herman’s wife. Want to talk about a culture issue?

Football can be a simple game. If the coaching is equal but the talent isn’t, the team with the better talent will almost always win.

If the coaching isn't equal, then the better prepared and coached team will usually win unless there is an overwhelming talent disadvantage.

TCU, ISU and Baylor each dominated Texas — a more talented team — because their coaching was superior.

We’ve had a run of bad luck. Mack lost his way, his drive and his judgement starting in 2010. Charlie was a poor choice. While the jury may be out on Herman, he may also not be the right guy.

How successful was Alabama between Bear Bryant and Nick Saben?

If Herman isn’t the right guy, we’ll have to go out and look again. But I just cannot buy into the excuse that it’s the culture.

 

[Galvestonhorn]

norfolkvatiger is correct. like I've posted before, there is a reason the real pros that make a living on setting odds and futures posted a win total for Texas at around 8 games last summer instead of fans prediction of 10-11 wins and a playoff berth.

and the sharps in Vegas wore the under 8 side of that bet out and the fans/public wore the over 8 out.

Next year is going to be different story, but the real team to watch is when Herman gets his kind of QB...and Sam isn't his type of QB.

 

[TEXnSEATTLE]

norfolkvatiger is correct. like I've posted before, there is a reason the real pros that make a living on setting odds and futures posted a win total for Texas at around 8 games last summer instead of fans prediction of 10-11 wins and a playoff berth.

and the sharps in Vegas wore the under 8 side of that bet out and the fans/public wore the over 8 out.

Next year is going to be different story, but the real team to watch is when Herman gets his kind of QB...and Sam isn't his type of QB.

so much truth in this....I knew with getting a new D would be daunting....

 

[Run Pincher]

Truth is, you guys weren't as good as you thought you were last year, and grossly underestimated how little experience you brought back for this year. Nobody on here wanted to hear that before the season started, which is perfectly normal for fans of any team.

Should be much better next year with returning experience if the coaching staff can stabilize the team and keep a tough season from causing an implosion (attitude/faith) they can't recover from.

Bulls&$%! I'm as big a Texas fan as there is and I pointed this out many times before the season began.

 

[AC]

Bulls&$%! I'm as big a Texas fan as there is and I pointed this out many times before the season began.[/QUOTE

Well then someone must have spiked my burnt orange kool aide before the season. Cause nobody could convince me we weren’t going 11-1! I was thinking CFP and playing Clemson for the Championship.
What was I thinking!

 

[RainH2burntO]

RainH2burntO,

Are you trying to say we have too much hype towards the Horns and no substance behind it? Highs are too high letdowns are too low? Just asking.

This is one small part of what I am referring to...though I believe some of it is contrived by media (the highs part mostly). I definitely believe the lack of substance aspect. I believe we saw reflections of that in particular alot this year.

 

[RainH2burntO]

I probably couldn’t disagree more. This has nothing to do with the culture of the school, the city or the fan base. Go to College Station and check out that culture and that fan base. Go to most SEC schools and then let’s compare those cultures with Austin, and Texas. Night and Day. Hell, we had the genius LSU fans calling in death threats, and antagonizing Herman’s wife. Want to talk about a culture issue?

Football can be a simple game. If the coaching is equal but the talent isn’t, the team with the better talent will almost always win.

If the coaching isn't equal, then the better prepared and coached team will usually win unless there is an overwhelming talent disadvantage.

TCU, ISU and Baylor each dominated Texas — a more talented team — because their coaching was superior.

We’ve had a run of bad luck. Mack lost his way, his drive and his judgement starting in 2010. Charlie was a poor choice. While the jury may be out on Herman, he may also not be the right guy.

How successful was Alabama between Bear Bryant and Nick Saben?

If Herman isn’t the right guy, we’ll have to go out and look again. But I just cannot buy into the excuse that it’s the culture.

I never said it was just culture...only that I believe it is a more important factor here than many think and want to acknowledge. I believe it can be overcome also...but I think our culture makes things harder, not easier...that is my main point.

 

[RainH2burntO]

Not buying this at all. What I do see is a great coach can come in and turn a team in a few years. Look at Baylor. Program/culture/fans/team were all in the toilet. Get a good coach and go from 1-11 to 11-1. Now that's the extreme, but still a valid data point. Look at Florida. Strong program but not often elite. Played for one NC and got killed by one of the best teams ever. Meyer comes in and they win 2 NCs. He leaves and they go back to being a good program, but not elite. Look at Bama. Historically strong program but oh what a difference Saban has made. Look at Clemson and Dabo. Never elite until he gets there. Now they are every year. The list goes on and on. Great coaches win, period. Especially in college where you don't have a draft that limits you. When a college team with the resources Texas isn't winning it's because we don't have an elite coach. It's that simple. CDC is on the clock. It's his job to get the right guy whether that's TH or someone else. But don't put this problem all over the map. It lies with the people running the program. They are responsible for recruiting the right players, training them, feeding them, instructing them, and calling plays. They own the whole damn product soup to nuts and get paid handsomely to do it. CDC inherited the staff and the staff inherited the players so they should be given time to make it work. But they own the outcome. Period.

I believe you are misinterpreting my view of "culture " based on your comparisons between us and Baylor. Has to do with much more than just scandals or no scandals. And your points/examples do not disprove my theory whatsoever. You can hire coaches to improve teams, no doubt. This isn't an either/or argument. I am suggesting some "cultures/climates" are more conducive than others. I can give examples both pro and college, too, but it wouldn't prove my theory any more than your examples disprove it. I'd bet you anything Clemson has a better football culture than Texas right now with or without Dabo (whom I love). Georgia...same. LSU...same. We may hire the next great Whodini soon and win 3 NCs and it wouldnt change my mind. Coaches matter. Coaches help. Coaches make a difference. But there is definitely more going on around UT football since 2009 than just poor coaching. You guys want a quick fix...one that will hide the obvious blemishes. I say fix the foundation first.

 

[AC]

I would suggest LHN is a negative to UT’s culture and is not too helpful in recruiting. Seems more of a negative than a positive.

my .02 only. I was happy before LHN. TH is probably scared to talk about it but MB mentioned what a distraction it was.

 

[ShAArk92]

@RainH2burntO ”We...we...everyone and everything surrounding this school and program bear responsibility in this...and I, for one, am more ashamed/regretful of this ...”

this is a cop out ... of UT Tower proportion. My responsibility as a fan? What is this there some sort of ouiji board deal? Fans can affect the emotion of the game at the moment ... a 3rd down defensive stand ...
Fans have ZERO impact on the practice/preparation and opportunity.

Someone around here once said luck is when preparation meet opportunity. Who was that?

And the Fans/most Alum have almost NO impact on that whatsoever.

The head coach is where the buck stops. Performance of the staff, preparation and execution of/by the players. Game-time decisions.

recognizing none of the coaches play the game ... but with THIS group of athletes in every position, the culpability is with the coaches, and that means Herman.

 

[wadster]

I believe you are misinterpreting my view of "culture " based on your comparisons between us and Baylor. Has to do with much more than just scandals or no scandals. And your points/examples do not disprove my theory whatsoever. You can hire coaches to improve teams, no doubt. This isn't an either/or argument. I am suggesting some "cultures/climates" are more conducive than others. I can give examples both pro and college, too, but it wouldn't prove my theory any more than your examples disprove it. I'd bet you anything Clemson has a better football culture than Texas right now with or without Dabo (whom I love). Georgia...same. LSU...same. We may hire the next great Whodini soon and win 3 NCs and it wouldnt change my mind. Coaches matter. Coaches help. Coaches make a difference. But there is definitely more going on around UT football since 2009 than just poor coaching. You guys want a quick fix...one that will hide the obvious blemishes. I say fix the foundation first.

You brought up LSU. Their culture was crap. Fire Les, he wins one game, don't fire Les. Next year fire Les. WTF is that??? Les leaves, they get a new OC and wham, #1. Perfect example of just getting the right coach and everything changes. LSU had been in the offensive dinosaur age for decades. Same QB, mostly same players.

My point is the foundation is the AD and HC. You're trying to make it more than it is and think we as fans have more power than we do. IMHO we don't.

 

[LonghornCatholic]

norfolkvatiger is correct. like I've posted before, there is a reason the real pros that make a living on setting odds and futures posted a win total for Texas at around 8 games last summer instead of fans prediction of 10-11 wins and a playoff berth.

I like your post G, makes a lot of sense, but I'm not too confident we even reach 7 wins, let alone 8.

Tech is terrible, but no one would be surprised if they smoke us. And then Kansas takes us to the wire.... I would be okay with 8 wins (and we may still reach 8) if our defense and offense didn't look so stink'in pathetic and embarrassing in most of our conf. games.

This team should have easily reached 9 wins, imo.

 

[Creek]

I believe you are misinterpreting my view of "culture " based on your comparisons between us and Baylor. Has to do with much more than just scandals or no scandals. And your points/examples do not disprove my theory whatsoever. You can hire coaches to improve teams, no doubt. This isn't an either/or argument. I am suggesting some "cultures/climates" are more conducive than others. I can give examples both pro and college, too, but it wouldn't prove my theory any more than your examples disprove it. I'd bet you anything Clemson has a better football culture than Texas right now with or without Dabo (whom I love). Georgia...same. LSU...same. We may hire the next great Whodini soon and win 3 NCs and it wouldnt change my mind. Coaches matter. Coaches help. Coaches make a difference. But there is definitely more going on around UT football since 2009 than just poor coaching. You guys want a quick fix...one that will hide the obvious blemishes. I say fix the foundation first.

He speaks the truth. Throughout history, We have gone through dozens and dozens of coaches, we always aren't good enough. The facts are true we aren't aligned and win in accordance to how big our program is. We are the largest football program and we have just 3 true Nat'l Championships. We needed a few miracles and Vince Young in 2005. Before that 34 fling years. Now it's been another 14.

You people have said that only 2-3 coaches are guaranteed to win big here. Well those same coaches could also win just as well at Baylor or TCU.
So what does that say about Texas. Given all our resources, and size? Surprisingly it actually hurts us.
If we are such a great program, than any mediocre coach should be able to win here. We all know that isn't the case. Why?
It takes a super rare wizard coach that can deal with our culture.

I'm convinced as a concept----that it's easier for the TCU football program to beat Texas than Texas to beat TCU. Probably why Patterson wants no part of you and me and this. Patterson at Texas with 5 star recruits gets beat by Patterson with 2 stars at TCU every time.

We are Rome in the late 300's and the other teams are the barbarian hordes. Soft, wealthy, and think we are great for just being Texas. Win a few games, relax. Get up on teams, relax. It has historically plagued us throughout time, but now is worse.
Sure we can keep looking for coaches, and find some better success but it isn't sustainable.
A first step is to not have Revenue be the #1 goal at Texas.

 

[RainH2burntO]

You brought up LSU. Their culture was crap. Fire Les, he wins one game, don't fire Les. Next year fire Les. WTF is that??? Les leaves, they get a new OC and wham, #1. Perfect example of just getting the right coach and everything changes. LSU had been in the offensive dinosaur age for decades. Same QB, mostly same players.

My point is the foundation is the AD and HC. You're trying to make it more than it is and think we as fans have more power than we do. IMHO we don't.

LSU has been a consistent factor in CFB discussion/top 25, top 10, top 5 etc now through three different coaches in recent history. Look at Creeks post here and you will see a better description of the point I am alluding to with my position on these type of comparisons. Pick a place...you tell me...Easier or harder at UT???

 

[RainH2burntO]

He speaks the truth. Throughout history, We have gone through dozens and dozens of coaches, we always aren't good enough. The facts are true we aren't aligned and win in accordance to how big our program is. We are the largest football program and we have just 3 true Nat'l Championships. We needed a few miracles and Vince Young in 2005. Before that 34 fling years. Now it's been another 14.

You people have said that only 2-3 coaches are guaranteed to win big here. Well those same coaches could also win just as well at Baylor or TCU.
So what does that say about Texas. Given all our resources, and size? Surprisingly it actually hurts us.
If we are such a great program, than any mediocre coach should be able to win here. We all know that isn't the case. Why?
It takes a super rare wizard coach that can deal with our culture.

I'm convinced as a concept----that it's easier for the TCU football program to beat Texas than Texas to beat TCU. Probably why Patterson wants no part of you and me and this. Patterson at Texas with 5 star recruits gets beat by Patterson with 2 stars at TCU every time.

We are Rome in the late 300's and the other teams are the barbarian hordes. Soft, wealthy, and think we are great for just being Texas. Win a few games, relax. Get up on teams, relax. It has historically plagued us throughout time, but now is worse.
Sure we can keep looking for coaches, and find some better success but it isn't sustainable.
A first step is to not have Revenue be the #1 goal at Texas.

You nailed it Creek. I've been so busy I couldn't do this justice. Thank you for so eloquently making the point I've been getting at. Yes, we have coaching issues...
But there is something going on here that makes it harder than it would be somewhere else...for coaches and players.

 

[IvanDiabloHorn]

The LSU game. The coaches never got this team off the mat from losing that game.

 

[AC]

I’ve spent years around Baton Rouge and LSU fans. Not anymore, that chapter is closed. But, LSU is most similar to Texas in terms of their fan base and how rabid the fans are. We will gel as a culture and a fan base as LSU has when our OLine and TE’s start blocking downfield and we have a real running game again. I don’t blame Sam it’s on the coaches. We should have had the talent to block downhill and open holes against TCU, ISU, OU, and Baylor. Once that happens everything opens up and all this angst is released! Among us fans. TH May end up being our Les Miles, time will tell.

 

[LonghornCatholic]

So it’s the culture, not coaches?

 

[Horn hubby]

Injuries have played the biggest part. If we lose VY or Colt none of the most recent special years happen.... and that was just one player. We lost so many this year I lost count...

 

[wadster]

I’ve spent years around Baton Rouge and LSU fans. Not anymore, that chapter is closed. But, LSU is most similar to Texas in terms of their fan base and how rabid the fans are. We will gel as a culture and a fan base as LSU has when our OLine and TE’s start blocking downfield and we have a real running game again. I don’t blame Sam it’s on the coaches. We should have had the talent to block downhill and open holes against TCU, ISU, OU, and Baylor. Once that happens everything opens up and all this angst is released! Among us fans. TH May end up being our Les Miles, time will tell.

Miles won an NC. TH has a lot of catchup to be a Les Miles.

 

[dukesteer]

Folks, it’s mostly about the coaching.

How good was Alabama before Saban?
How good was Clemson before Sweeney?
USC before and after Carroll?
Texas before Mack Brown?
FSU before Bobby Bowden?
OU before Stoops?
The list goes on and on...

Find the right coach for Texas and we will be back at the top of the hill. Herman, as he is today, has proven not to be that guy. I doubt he can change but would be pleased if he did.

It’s the coaching, not the culture. Have you ever been to Columbus?

 

[wadster]

Injuries have played the biggest part. If we lose VY or Colt none of the most recent special years happen.... and that was just one player. We lost so many this year I lost count...

On offense we lost 1 WR and one OL. And it was the O that cost us the last 3 games. Yea, I agree injuries played a part, but O cost us TCU, ISU, and Baylor. Too easy to blame it all on injuries. Have to look at each game and how they played out.

 

[zuckercanyon]

Folks, it’s mostly about the coaching.

How good was Alabama before Saban?
How good was Clemson before Sweeney?
USC before and after Carroll?
Texas before Mack Brown?
FSU before Bobby Bowden?
OU before Stoops?
The list goes on and on...

Find the right coach for Texas and we will be back at the top of the hill. Herman, as he is today, has proven not to be that guy. I doubt he can change but would be pleased if he did.

It’s the coaching, not the culture. Have you ever been to Columbus?

I believe the BMD's get in the way. That there's certain "requirements" for being a Texas Longhorn. "Requirements" that are absent at Oklahoma Alabama LSU USC Ohio State Clemson etc. There's a reason that a lot of 5 stars don't come near Texas. I just wish Sabre would tell me what that is.

 

[horninchicago]

He works hard, no doubt. But doing a good job? How does Beck measure this?

By height?