TEXAS vs Oklahoma State (10-22-22) – Pre-Game

Godz40acres said:
Three Burning Questions Ahead of Oklahoma State’s Homecoming Bout with Texas
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1. Can the Cowboys Contain Bijan Robinson?
While the Cowboys rank seventh in total rushing offense allowed, they have at least been decent at not letting backs go off on them. TCU’s Kendre Miller joined Arizona State’s Xavazian Valladay as the only two rushers to hit the 100-yard mark against the Pokes this year. Of course, neither of them are Bijan Robinson.

Robinson is the motor that makes Texas run. The Cowboys need to do a good job of bottling up him, and the Longhorns’ offense, on early downs if they want to get off of the field consistently.

2. Which Quinn Ewers Do They See?
The Longhorns are 3-1 when Ewers starts, with that loss coming to Alabama. He left with a shoulder injury after the opening drive. He looked the part of a franchise QB when he dismantled the Sooners’ defense two weeks ago. Then he came back to earth against Iowa State missing a couple of key throws that could have made UT’s win much more comfortable.

The Cowboys lead the Big 12 in sacks per game, and they need to play to their strengths on Saturday. For all of Ewers’s strengths as a pocket passer and playmaker, he’s still a rookie and can be bothered.

3. How Do the Cowboys Bounce Back?
We’ve seen some warts show up for OSU over the first six games of the season: lack of experience in the defense’s back end, inconsistency rushing the football and, at times, the inability to punch it in at the goal line. OSU has also dealt with injuries in key positions, not least of which along its O-line and apparently at QB.

How many of those weaknesses the Cowboys can figure out, and how quickly, will determine how they fare over the next six games to end the season.

[More at Pistols Firing]
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"The Cowboys lead the Big 12 in sacks per game..."
Wonder what we are??
 
Godz40acres said:
Mike Gundy in Pre-Texas News Conference on Monday

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On whether he got any clarification on the substitution rule
“I don’t call Greg [Burks] on Sunday. Greg is involved with NFL and all that. I’ll call him today and try to find out how we’re going to do this. I just want to know how we’re going to do it. When they do that [substitution signal] when we go on the field, we should get a chance to come off the field. That’s the rule, in my opinion. Now, I need to call and find out.”

On players slowly jogging off the field during those subs
“Everybody in the league is doing it. Tech was really good at it against us. I mean, really good at it, right? They were really good. I guess the best way to put it is it’s just a part of the game that’s going on that needs to be eliminated, but most everybody’s using it. So, we need to clarify it, and it’s funny you guys bring that up because I was thinking about it last night driving home, you almost want a timer to go off. You want another clock, in my opinion. So the rule says when somebody subs, then the guy in the back, he turns over and does [the substitution signal]. That means you have three seconds to sub. If somebody starts on the field, then he holds it until that guy gets on that guy gets off and then he puts it down and he walks away. That’s the rule, but it’s not working for some reason. There’s too much of a human involvement and human error. And I think the officials would agree, everything that we can do to take the officials out of the game where human error cannot be a factor would be better. That’s why eventually we’re going to see balls and strikes called in the big leagues without an umpire back there because that takes the human element out of it.”

“So once he turns and does [the substitution signal], if we have a guy start to jog on, [the official] should be able to walk away and there should be a clock go off, like the 40-second clock. You got 12 seconds, 10 seconds, I don’t care, you gotta get that guy off the field because when that clock goes to zero, the ball can be snapped and it’s your fault. And then what that does is that takes away the human element of how fast you sub and how fast you don’t sub. Unfortunately, in my opinion, that’s what’s eventually going to have to happen because people use it as a weapon just like the fake injuries on a turbo team. That’s been greatly reduced this year because they’ve got moral rules put in effect that could affect your team if you don’t follow them. It’s been reduced, which is good. So anyway, I think they’re gonna have to come up with an extra clock as much as I hate to say it because how do you really say you’re jogging off too slow and you’re not? Who’s to judge that? I might call [Burks], and he might say, ‘Hey, your guy is jogging off too slow. So we just said it’s your fault.’ I’m good, but that doesn’t say that the rulebook.”

On whether he thought the officials policed it differently during the game
“It changed obviously because [the officials gave the substitution signal] and we came on the field then they threw the flag on us, so it changed.

“But let me say this, I think this is a good discussion for the future, but that’s not why we lost the game. They made plays and made good calls in the end. We didn’t. But we need to get this figured out because that element we need to take out of the game.”

On the issue showing up more this season as teams move faster offensively
“No doubt. It’s showing up more this year. So what happens is, you guys know, going fast, going fast, going fast, you’re wanting to sub. Well, if they sub then you start looking to send everybody in, and then they do it slow to give themselves a rest. That’s why they’re doing it, and it’s happening more this year because most everybody in this league is playing fast now.”

On it being an advantage for teams with more depth
“They’re controlling the clock. There’s a long story behind it, and it helps you control the disguise. There’s a reason why everybody’s doing it. So, we’re going to have to come up with, I don’t care what we do. It doesn’t make a difference to me. We just need a standard, and this is the way it is, and we all have to live by it, and I’m good with it.”

On how late in the play clock he feels comfortable making an offensive substitution
“Well, that’s why I don’t know because I don’t know how long they’re gonna hold it. See what I’m saying. So that’s why we’re gonna have to come up with some way to do this because we can sub with about 18, if they give them three seconds, and then somebody comes on and somebody goes off then it should be like eightish, sevenish. We’re fine. But if they wait longer or if they let him bring a guy and then another guy comes out three seconds later, that’s a problem. So, we just need some sort of consistency. It’s nobody’s fault, but we need, in my opinion, some consistency that way that part is taken out of the game.”

On what challenges Texas’ run game presents
“[Bijan Robinson] is a good player. The other back they put in there, (Roschon Johnson), is a good player. You know, [Quinn Ewers] obviously flips it around pretty good. [Xavier Worthy] is dynamic, [Worthy] is a threat wherever he is, whenever, catching it, running it, throwing it. He can do a lot of things. [Ja’Tavion Sanders] is a unique player. [Sanders] is a hybrid tight end, they use him in the blocking game some, but he runs and plays like a wideout. So, they use him doing some different things. He’s a good player. You know, the left tackle they have, (Kelvin Banks Jr.), the one we had committed here for a long time, good news is he won’t be here but three years. He’ll be gone. But he’s a good player. So, they look kind of like what they have. They’re always going to have a couple wideouts that can burn 4.4 (40 yard dash). They’ve always had five-star running backs and this quarterback throws it around pretty good.”

On Quinn Ewers being less of a mobile quarterback
“Makes it a little easier for us from that standpoint. Obviously you got to be aware — most quarterbacks in this league take off and run on you. We did a good job with [Max Duggan] Saturday. I thought we did a really good job. Hard to do, because you’re a half-man short. They’re protecting [Ewers]. They use a lot of slide protection and they use backs and tight ends on the edge. And they’re max protecting, what I would call, and doing some down-field plays. They have fast guys, so they can run all over the place. And they’re protecting him on purpose, I’m sure. I mean, he knows he’s a freshman, [Steve Sarkisian] knows he’s a freshman, and he’s smart. He’s going to protect him and that’s what they’re doing. And he doesn’t want to take off and run much in my opinion. They don’t try and design runs for him.”

On Texas’ defense
“They’re the same every year, right? They’re big up front. They don’t play with small guys. They don’t play with undersized guys. All their backers are thick and they can run. They’re in a challenging mode more this year than they were last year. They’re playing more man this year than they were last year. But, you know, they’re playing with NFL guys on defense. It’s the same thing they’ve always played with.”

On Gary Patterson’s influence in Texas’ defense
“Sure, he’s very involved. I mean, I’m not in any of their meetings. I don’t know any of them, I just know that it looks that way to me.”

[Link]
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Personal opinion...I think Coach I'm 40 is one of the best in the game. At one point he was butting heads with osu admin & we weren't doing so well, I was kinda hoping he would come here. Great respect for him; one of a # of reasons I love to beat him.
 
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys Preview

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The Cowboys are a good team led by a very good coach, but they have uneven talent and some key injuries that can be exploited. The game will be determined by each team’s ability to protect their weaknesses and emphasize their strengths while maintaining composure when the game has its inevitable swings.

OFFENSE

QB Spencer Sanders is the Cowboy offense. It all flows from his arm and feet and they have no real Plan B. The experienced dual threat has been consistently inconsistent in his 38 career starts, but had clearly turned a page in that regard before injuries degraded his performance over the last two weeks. Over the last two games, he’s been a sub 50% passer, largely due to a shoulder injury and a variety of lower body dings and dents. He looks good early in games, particularly at tempo, and is always a dangerous runner... but degrades considerably as the contest wears on and he begins to absorb contact.

Sanders can struggle to throw accurately outside the hashes, particularly as hits accumulate. Combine that with his tendency to throw off his back foot when pressured and you’ve got a recipe for intrigue if the Longhorn defense attacks the ball in the air and Longhorn edges make him give ground rather than slide out of the pocket.

Five different Cowboy pass catchers have between 16-30 catches and they spread it around. Slot Brennan Presley is their best chain mover and he will be a significant security blanket this Saturday. If Barron can shut him down, the Horns are in good shape. Unlike other Cowboy offenses of yore, they don’t have real threats at tight end or H-back and there isn’t a ton of diversity. Nor do they have their typical NFL caliber running back. This is a conventional tempo spread offense and everything flows from Sanders.

Maybe the Cowboys should just rely on their running game and use Sanders in a controlled play action passing game? Gundy has done that to Texas before. As recently as 2021. And also in 2017. The problem is that they have little conventional running game. The only effective runs come when they involve Sanders either as the primary runner or as an option threat. They also struggle to pass block if Sanders can’t get rid of it quickly or buy time with his legs.

DEFENSE

The Cowboys were gutted in the back 7 by the NFL draft and graduation, but this unit returns some outstanding defensive linemen... Beyond those clear strengths, there are some target rich positions that the Cowboys hide by inflicting negative plays with their front and linebackers (they lead the Big 12 in tackles for loss). They also tend to make good coverage adjustments over time... That’s evident in their 3rd down efficiency, as they’ve held opponents to <30% conversions on the year.

The Cowboys have a dangerous front with good depth and multiple options.

The Cowboy linebackers are quick but inexperienced and Derek Mason likes to run blitz them and deploy them downhill to maximize havoc and exploit the opportunities his defensive front creates. The downside is that they can give up big runs when they guess wrong and it makes the Cowboys vulnerable to pass catching running backs and tight ends. This isn’t the game for Bijan to squat in the hole looking for a second or third cut. Plant and go.

The OSU corners are not without ability, but a step back from last year. If Texas can block OSU’s front, there’s plenty of yardage available in both the running and passing game.

[More at IT]
 
They're going to follow ISU's offensive gameplan, but with more QB draws thrown in for good measure whenever #3 or #47 are on the field. Lots of intermediate throws, although if he's hurt it's more likely to be a bunch of 7-yard throws. I think we'll squash their RBs way better than last season, but it'll still be a close game.
 
1sa
Agree. In fact I thought his standing up for his player was great. Never understood the derision.
That doesn't mean I don't want the Pokes to get mud stomped by the Horns.
 
Godz40acres said:
Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys Preview

Stampede.gif

The Cowboys are a good team led by a very good coach, but they have uneven talent and some key injuries that can be exploited. The game will be determined by each team’s ability to protect their weaknesses and emphasize their strengths while maintaining composure when the game has its inevitable swings.

OFFENSE

QB Spencer Sanders is the Cowboy offense. It all flows from his arm and feet and they have no real Plan B. The experienced dual threat has been consistently inconsistent in his 38 career starts, but had clearly turned a page in that regard before injuries degraded his performance over the last two weeks. Over the last two games, he’s been a sub 50% passer, largely due to a shoulder injury and a variety of lower body dings and dents. He looks good early in games, particularly at tempo, and is always a dangerous runner... but degrades considerably as the contest wears on and he begins to absorb contact.

Sanders can struggle to throw accurately outside the hashes, particularly as hits accumulate. Combine that with his tendency to throw off his back foot when pressured and you’ve got a recipe for intrigue if the Longhorn defense attacks the ball in the air and Longhorn edges make him give ground rather than slide out of the pocket.

Five different Cowboy pass catchers have between 16-30 catches and they spread it around. Slot Brennan Presley is their best chain mover and he will be a significant security blanket this Saturday. If Barron can shut him down, the Horns are in good shape. Unlike other Cowboy offenses of yore, they don’t have real threats at tight end or H-back and there isn’t a ton of diversity. Nor do they have their typical NFL caliber running back. This is a conventional tempo spread offense and everything flows from Sanders.

Maybe the Cowboys should just rely on their running game and use Sanders in a controlled play action passing game? Gundy has done that to Texas before. As recently as 2021. And also in 2017. The problem is that they have little conventional running game. The only effective runs come when they involve Sanders either as the primary runner or as an option threat. They also struggle to pass block if Sanders can’t get rid of it quickly or buy time with his legs.

DEFENSE

The Cowboys were gutted in the back 7 by the NFL draft and graduation, but this unit returns some outstanding defensive linemen... Beyond those clear strengths, there are some target rich positions that the Cowboys hide by inflicting negative plays with their front and linebackers (they lead the Big 12 in tackles for loss). They also tend to make good coverage adjustments over time... That’s evident in their 3rd down efficiency, as they’ve held opponents to <30% conversions on the year.

The Cowboys have a dangerous front with good depth and multiple options.

The Cowboy linebackers are quick but inexperienced and Derek Mason likes to run blitz them and deploy them downhill to maximize havoc and exploit the opportunities his defensive front creates. The downside is that they can give up big runs when they guess wrong and it makes the Cowboys vulnerable to pass catching running backs and tight ends. This isn’t the game for Bijan to squat in the hole looking for a second or third cut. Plant and go.

The OSU corners are not without ability, but a step back from last year. If Texas can block OSU’s front, there’s plenty of yardage available in both the running and passing game.

[More at IT]
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So what yer sayin’ is: Hit Sanders hard, and often.
 
Horn6721 said:
1sa
Agree. In fact I thought his standing up for his player was great. Never understood the derision.
That doesn't mean I don't want the Pokes to get mud stomped by the Horns.
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Because he came off as a total douchecoanoe buffoon? Start there. It was idiotic. Get out of big time football if you are going to cry about questions from the media.

He's a crybaby. And, he apologizes for stupid things.
 
horninchicago said:
Because he came off as a total douchecoanoe buffoon? Start there. It was idiotic. Get out of big time football if you are going to cry about questions from the media.

He's a crybaby. And, he apologizes for stupid things.
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Totally disagree. He has his players backs. Some reporters are, as you say, "douchecoanoe buffoons." If you want to talk about crybabies talk about tceh. Or, you could bring it closer to home & talk about T. Herman. I'm no fan of osu, but I do believe Coach I'm 40 is one of the best in the business.
 
1sahorn said:
Totally disagree. He has his players backs. Some reporters are, as you say, "douchecoanoe buffoons." If you want to talk about crybabies talk about tceh. Or, you could bring it closer to home & talk about T. Herman. I'm no fan of osu, but I do believe Coach I'm 40 is one of the best in the business.
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Oh you can go back and read my thoughts on Binder. I agree with the intent of the rant, but stand by that it was just totally ridiculous and asinine.
 
Five things to know ahead of Saturday

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1. OSU has a program record of 12 consecutive home wins on the line.

2. Texas holds a 26-10 all-time advantage and has won nine of 12 games played in Stillwater. Gundy for his career is 8-9 vs. Texas.

3. OSU has won five of its last six homecoming games and 11 of its last 14 overall.

4. OSU has the fourth-highest scoring offense in the FBS at 45.3 points per game.

5. OSU has won six consecutive times immediately following games in which it took a loss.

[More at Pistols Firing]
 
Roschon to start at Linebacker against OSU

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Okay, maybe not. But, according to Hook'EM, he wouldn't mind....

Heck, the tailback even volunteered to play linebacker. “I’m serious. I would if they want me to,” the quarterback-turned-running back-turned-possible linebacker said. And he’s not kidding. Johnson said he once made a tackle in high school on a Hail Mary pass by an opponent, and he’s always willing to contribute. … Johnson is probably the most versatile player on the entire Texas roster. No joke. He should be drafted by some lucky NFL team in the third or fourth round, and that team could have him for 10 years. He’s not thrown a pass yet out of the Wildcat, but it has to be coming, right? Saturday’s tackle on the kickoff was one of four this special teams warrior has. … Johnson comes off as a serious, dedicated player who’s committed to his craft. He’s also one of the most unselfish Longhorns as he quickly accepted being moved from quarterback to tailback even though he’s never been the feature back although he could.
 
cnb said:


I don't think has contributed much this year, but it certainly hurts depth for the Cowboys
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Was just about to post this^^^^^.
Says he started 4 of their first 6 games this year and was listed as the starter for the game this weekend. Their best NFL dline prospect this year according to another article. Whether he was going to contribute this weekend or not...not the sort of thing you want coming out to the locker room two days before a big game...bad vibes. The sort of stuff we've had all too much of last few years.
 
horninchicago said:
Whom and what questions? And, were any posters here on TV being interviewed and coming unglued like 2 year olds?
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Personally, I thought he came unglued like a 40 year old coach standing up for his 20 year old player who was being unfairly criticized by a douchebag buffoon media prick. But that's just my opinion.
 
horninchicago said:
Whom and what questions? And, were any posters here on TV being interviewed and coming unglued like 2 year olds?
Click to expand...
I dont know this ^^^^
But I do know if I were in the position of these coaches dealing with modern day media, I would very definitely either A) Go hardcore sarcastic Belichick/Saban with a big, patronizing, annoyed grin on them, or B) Come unglued like a two year old
...and often
 
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