Tommy Boy is in Denial

dukesteer

dukesteer

5,000+ Posts
Forgive the new and probably redundant thread but I couldn’t help myself.

Like all of us I have been processing since yesterday, trying to make sense of the inexplicable. For me, everything comes back to Tom Herman, his judgment and his arrogance. With a record of 7-7 through 14 games there are no excuses available that work for me. It’s a coaching issue.

Sam melted down repeatedly last year. Yes, he had flashes of greatness but they were overshadowed by his failures. While I don’t question Herman’s decision to go with SE, I will question it going forward. On another thread one poster mentioned the courage DKR exhibited by benching his prized recruit, Bill Bradley, because he wasn’t getting the job done. Let’s see if TH is capable of doing the same. I’ll believe it when I see it.

(My take on Sam is that he lacks the judgment to consistently perform at a high level. He isn’t a skilled passer, and he doesn’t understand his limitations. Unless or until he improves his passing and develops better judgment, he will never reach greatness or even high proficiency.)

The offense seems not to have progressed one iota, which is unfathomable. But we all saw it yesterday. With a better and deeper OL, a good stable of RBs and an outstanding receiving corps, no improvement? This is on Herman, 100%. If Beck can’t get it done, demote or fire him. But stubborn and arrogant Tom seems incapable of addressing an issue that even the least sophisticated fans can see.

The issue is talent? Please. And even if talent were the issue — which it is not — great coaches win with mediocre talent. Our talent is not mediocre.

Herman’s comment that this loss is very different than the game last year is all the evidence we need to comfirm the contention of this post: Tommy Boy is in denial.

Can and will this team do better. I “think” so. But with Herman’s apparent and perhaps fatal character flaw, I have to wonder.
 
Anyone who says that talent was the issue yesterday, or that we lost because Charlie Strong (fill in the blank with the tired blaming nonsense), etc. etc. is simply in denial.

Does Maryland have better talent than us? Absolutely not.
Did they have a significant home field advantage? Absolutely not.
Did their head coach scheme for weeks on end for this one game, and/or send spies to Austin to gain TH's secret plans? No, in fact their head coach was suspended and an interim coach was trying to keep his players at school, focused and heads in the game--to show up and not embarrass themselves--they succeeded.
Did Herman have his players focused, playing within themselves, and not making game losing mistakes? Obviously not.
Has TH given me any reason to feel that this program has turned a significant corner, and will compete successfully against OU, WVU, or TCU for the B12 title? Absolutely NOT.
 
But stubborn and arrogant Tom seems incapable of addressing an issue that even the least sophisticated fans can see.
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Agree @dukesteer. The pieces are there to have a good offense. We do not even need a Colt McCoy. We just need a competent quarterback and better play-calling. The fact that Herman stubbornly sticks with Ehlinger and Beck is really indicating he is not the guy. I feel like this is Charlie Strong year 2 all over again where there are obvious problems and the head coach is either refusing to fix them or is ignoring them. Just like with Charlie at this point, Herman still has time to fix these problems... but will he?
 
I supported Sam because I thought he would grow as a player even if it only meant eliminating the bonehead plays. It's like accounting. His skills are assets; his boneheadedness his liabilities. You pay off the liabilities and your net worth increases even if your assets remain static.

I agree Herman seems to be arrogant because of his inability to manage the media. He is being pinned down and doesn't want to admit they are correct. He's already in the bunker.
 
I am left with the distinct impression that the arrogance of TH has rubbed off on the players...try listening to the Ehlinger interview snippet with the voice of TH and tell me I am wrong.

It reeked of "I'm the one who did it and I know better because I am the one doing it." In other words, the sophomore version of TH telling the reporter they are an idiot for even asking the question.

The arrogance of TH came through loud and clear when he was being asked by a reporter about the disappearance of Collin Johnson and others when they were clearly players who seemed to be on track for a good day. Herman's response was "what coverage were they in?" He repeated that several times as the reporter sought clarification. In other words, because the reporter isn't a coach and wasn't able to name the coverage the defense had shown (which would not have been known before the play was called anyhow), the question did not merit a reasoned response.

The arrogance of TH is beyond the pale. I can get not throwing a kid under the bus on some of the responses, but the reality is that this program has issues that land squarely at the footsteps of TH, and that the fan base is reasonably entitled to a decent answer for. Instead he tells us that the only people he cares about are bosses and family, to include the 'family' of coaches and players behind those doors. The only problem is that he is a public-sector employee, meaning taxpayers get the right to question certain decisions.
 
I saw the "what coverage were we in" exchange. The reporter kept his cool. Clearly TH was saying, "You don't know sh*t."
 
Considering first game and a few young players, weather conditions in 2nd half, the players did pretty good. The whole problem is with the offensive plays and the play calling!!! This zone read or what ever you call it can only work if the QB runs one of the first two or three times. Our play is SO SLOW developing that it just won't work with the speed of players in Div 1 foofball.

We need some old fashioned qick run plays because we have the talent to be successful. We also need to throw the ball more the 5-15 yrd routes that seemed to work yeaterday and the O had good tempo (for one drive). Why they didn't keep Gilbert (like they promised) for more than one year I just can't understand.

I'll admit I haven't seen much UT football the last few years, but I was at the OSU game last year and this O HAS NOT improved.
 
mb227 said:
Instead he tells us that the only people he cares about are bosses and family, to include the 'family' of coaches and players behind those doors.
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Perhaps a weak parallel, but would be as if a guy takes over as CEO of a once-leading Fortune 100 company, struggled of late, gets in and not showing much improvement, and replies: "I don't care that much about the customers or shareholders (fans) --- it's the board of directors (Board of Regents) and regional VPs (Univ Pres/AD) and assembly line foremen (my coaches) that I aim to please."

And when the customers and shareholders stop their support if losses continue guess how your "friends" on the other side of the equation are going to support you?
 
blonthang said:
Perhaps a weak parallel, but would be as if a guy takes over as CEO of a once-leading Fortune 100 company, struggled of late, gets in and not showing much improvement, and replies: "I don't care that much about the customers or shareholders (fans) --- it's the board of directors (Board of Regents) and regional VPs (Univ Pres/AD) and assembly line foremen (my coaches) that I aim to please."

And when the customers and shareholders stop their support if losses continue guess how your "friends" on the other side of the equation are going to support you?
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I think he's saying that his bosses get it. They are not allowing impatience to derail a process that they believe him (i.e. Herman's process). They understand the hand he was dealt. It goes without saying he cares for his family. That's just a defensive comment. But in the end he's saying the people that are sophisticated get it, meaning the reporters and the fans don't get it and are allowing emotion to direct their questions and body language.
 
I seem to recall Charlie Weis walking out of the locker room before his last game (or last home game) at Notre Dame arm and arm with him. He had them make a statement to the world and FU everyone else. Didn't work.
 
bystander said:
But in the end he's saying the people that are sophisticated get it, meaning the reporters and the fans don't get it and are allowing emotion to direct their questions and body language.
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Yeah, I get that. Not surprising that fans react more emotionally than rationally...e.g. at the game: "Hey, the QB's a bum, put in the second stringer...." etc., while the AD is in the stands understanding the bigger picture.

But a major program HC can't overlook that while it's fairly easy to go into the AD's office on Monday over donuts and espresso and give the AD all the "sophisticated and technical reasons that, well, the ignorant fan just can't begin to comprehend, harumph", it's ultimately, ....

"Did you win, or did you lose?"

(Of course, it goes without saying winning with the accompanying consideration for player safety, rules compliance, etc.).

When the HC leaves the AD's office, he can reassure himself he's still got a job, the AD is still with him, no need to be looking for the next gig.

But there are 500,000 fans out there that were not in that one-on-one meeting. And they're still pissed off and scratching their heads. A lot are sheep and will still fork over $100s per home game and travel to Manhatten or Lubbock to see the Horns play. But don't forget the almighty TV dollars.

I, as a fan, am NOT reacting to the poor performance yesterday emotionally, but neither am I just waving my hand to the side and saying, "Oh, well, Maryland is just a better program/team, last year and this year."

???? If so, rationally, not emotionally, some serious questions should begin with those real smart decision makers who are so much more wise than the unwashed like me.
 
bystander said:
I think he's saying that his bosses get it. They are not allowing impatience to derail a process that they believe him (i.e. Herman's process). They understand the hand he was dealt. It goes without saying he cares for his family. That's just a defensive comment. But in the end he's saying the people that are sophisticated get it, meaning the reporters and the fans don't get it and are allowing emotion to direct their questions and body language.
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Again, I think he’s in denial and I don’t believe that his bosses “get it.” Texas Football is what it is because of the history and the fan base. Without that fan base you don’t get ratings, you don’t expand stadiums, and you don’t spend $10,000 per locker. Humility sometimes requires courage. I haven’t seen that in Herman.

The most important “boss” is CDC. Del Conte, who appears to exude class and humility, doesn’t strike me as someone who would have much patience for Herman’s shenanigans, particularly if he is not progressing.
 
Not surprising that fans react more emotionally than rationally...e.g. at the game: "Hey, theQB's a bum, put inthe second stringer...."
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Well, about Sam “Old Faithful” Ehlinger... they’re not wrong!
 
Denmark said:
We need some old fashioned qick run plays because we have the talent to be successful.
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Yes. Go back and watch some old UT games when Royal was the coach. As soon as the QB turned around, the back was charging full speed to hit the hole before the defense could react. Our run game was so sloowww to develop it’s no wonder it didn’t work.

Sam’s running, the few times he ran, was very effective. But, apparently the game plan was for him to sit in the pocket, read the D and throw. That’s not Sam’s game. On those last drives, if Sam had been running on third and short instead of throwing wide receiver screens with WRs that don’t block , we’d have had a better chance IMHO.
 
dukesteer said:
Again, I think he’s in denial and I don’t believe that his bosses “get it.” Texas Football is what it is because of the history and the fan base. Without that fan base you don’t get ratings, you don’t expand stadiums, and you don’t spend $10,000 per locker. Humility sometimes requires courage. I haven’t seen that in Herman.

The most important “boss” is CDC. Del Conte, who appears to exude class and humility, doesn’t strike me as someone who would have much patience for Herman’s shenanigans, particularly if he is not progressing.
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Some here are acting like there’s 5star fifth year seniors running around out there. Where is this talent you speak of? Tell me the players on defense that make the critical tackle or stop the scoring play. Or offensively, where’s the nfl ready players on the online? This team is full of what’s left of Strong’s house cleaning. Get over yourselves. This team was never going to smell 10 victories. Next year at the earliest, folks. Breckyn Hager is not the answer. Everyone loves our defensive coordinator but the defense didn’t do the job either. Doesn’t matter who is qb.
 
Clean said:
As soon as the QB turned around, the back was charging full speed to hit the hole before the defense could react. Our run game was so sloowww to develop it’s no wonder it didn’t work.
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With THIS OC, it doesn't matter if the back is charging at full-speed following the clap (that EVERY DC has coached THEIR squad to look for) because Sam then proceeds to hold the ball for an eternity before actually giving it TO the back on a run play. Meanwhile, the DL and LB corps is in the backfield looking for the buffet...a task made easier by the fact we don't have an OL that isn't out there doing their best impression of a sieve.
 
zuckercanyon said:
Some here are acting like there’s 5star fifth year seniors running around out there. Where is this talent you speak of? Tell me the players on defense that make the critical tackle or stop the scoring play. Or offensively, where’s the nfl ready players on the online? This team is full of what’s left of Strong’s house cleaning. Get over yourselves. This team was never going to smell 10 victories. Next year at the earliest, folks. Breckyn Hager is not the answer. Everyone loves our defensive coordinator but the defense didn’t do the job either. Doesn’t matter who is qb.
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Oh yeah, you're the one who was basically telling us over and over that TH is the best ever so now you're blaming CS holdover players. This team with these players if they were well coached should have dismantled that crappy Maryland team in complete disarray. I'll listen for so long before I start questioning what I see and what I see is crap from the top down.
 
zuckercanyon said:
Some here are acting like there’s 5star fifth year seniors running around out there. Where is this talent you speak of? Tell me the players on defense that make the critical tackle or stop the scoring play. Or offensively, where’s the nfl ready players on the online? This team is full of what’s left of Strong’s house cleaning. Get over yourselves. This team was never going to smell 10 victories. Next year at the earliest, folks. Breckyn Hager is not the answer. Everyone loves our defensive coordinator but the defense didn’t do the job either. Doesn’t matter who is qb.
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Zuck, I heard the same argument at about this time last year. “No talent.” No players that could make it at the next level. Plenty did.

That assertion was inaccurate then, and it is inaccurate now.

On defense, Chris Boyd is probably a first or second rounder. Gary Johnson, a third rounder. Hager and Nelson will make a roster. Omenihu might as well. Then we have future NFL starters (aside from Boyd) in Sterns and Foster, admittedly Herman recruits.

On offense, my bet is that at least one of our linemen will go on day two. I also think that both Collin Johnson and LJH will be no lower than second rounders. Johnson might be a top 15 pick.

We’ll see. But to suggest that the cupboard was empty when TH took over is simply not the case. It’s just an excuse to deflect from the real issue.
 
zuckercanyon said:
Everyone loves our defensive coordinator but the defense didn’t do the job either. Doesn’t matter who is qb.
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Exactly. They were totally confused by Maryland’s offense for the first quarter and a half. It was hard to believe we had 8 Srs on defense.

Save some blame for our best defender, Kris Boyd, too. That “right in his hands, blue-plate special” interception he dropped was right up there with Gideon’s drop. That was a game changer. Late in the game he kept a Md Drive alive with a stupid PI penalty too. In fact the D just gifted Maryland that last TD with freshman level penalties. It was a very discouraging performance by what was supposed to be our strongest group.

In short, we’re right back where we’ve been for the last 9 years.
 
I know one enters the high school recruiting rating service debate with taking a deep breath and pausing a bit, but....

Rivals 2013-2018 recruiting class ratings (I think 2013 would be the outside possibility of a 6th-year redshirt/medshirt player in 2018, maybe), Texas, Maryland, and just for shits and giggles TCU (so correct me if I'm wrong, standard 4th year seniors would be from the 2015 recruiting class?):

Recruiting year -- Texas, Maryland, TCU (ranking by Rivals)
2013 -- 24, 33, 30
2014 -- 20, 53, 50
2015 -- 12, 54, 34
2016 -- 11, 39, 20
2017 -- 31, 17, 41
2018 -- 4, 29, 28 (these are 1st year freshman, if playing)

Do your own analysis.

Oh, B/t/w, if one gives a mulligan to Herman it was last year. This year not so much. Unless you would give 18 holes of mulligans to the Maryland stand in coach who had all of 2 weeks to take over and get the players to "buy into his philosophy of team." IIRC he wasn't even on the Terps staff last year either.
 
zuckercanyon said:
Some here are acting like there’s 5star fifth year seniors running around out there. Where is this talent you speak of? Tell me the players on defense that make the critical tackle or stop the scoring play. Or offensively, where’s the nfl ready players on the online? This team is full of what’s left of Strong’s house cleaning. Get over yourselves. This team was never going to smell 10 victories. Next year at the earliest, folks. Breckyn Hager is not the answer. Everyone loves our defensive coordinator but the defense didn’t do the job either. Doesn’t matter who is qb.
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Aren't about half the team TH's recruits? Didn't a frosh from Maryland rip through our D while TH is hesitate to play our best running back (a frosh) because he thought the moment might be too big for the frosh?

Excuses are starting to sound very familiar to a Duke WBB program that used to be an elite program, changed coaches, and is no longer elite despite the HC insistence that every loss is a "learning experience."

I am a bit tired of "learning experiences" when there is no indication of the lesson being learned, that is, wins showing up.
 
Just some Sunday morning thoughts, in no order, most having nothing to do with the other. Preface by saying I was, am and always will be a Mack apologist. Same with Sally's cookies,

If TH reacts and adjusts to the new recruitment/signing periods as well as he adjusts in game, then Mary Mother of God help us all, as the stock piling of talent continues in Norman and Hooterville.

These one score games where we can't make the one play to win it, those were Mack's bread and butter. A couple of Rose Bowls, Lincoln, that ONE trip to Manhatten, twice trailing OSU 35-14 in the second half.....and winning, twice in Ames, twice last play kicks against the ags, last play kick against OSU in 1998, the Horse Shoe game, etc. We became so accustomed to winning those games, that trailing Bama 24-20 and having the ball in the Rose Bowl, as horribly as we had played, we expected to win. We were spoiled. Our expectations were not unreasonable. Because the best indicator of future behavior is always past performance. Sadly, as we saw yesterday, that's a sword that cuts both ways.

Next week TH will be presented step one of a process that no coach in NCAA history has ever done: losing to all 3 D-1 schools in Oklahoma. Personally I feel he will fail at this and Tulsa will look a lot like San Jose last year.

The Storm Trooper Uniforms. Other than at Fair Park, you slap those all whites on one of Mack's teams, they were gonna win. A lot. Of course they were winning a lot no matter what, but road games became way more fun.

I had earlier made a pre-season comparison between this staff/team and the 1991 staff/team. Never for a moment did I question the agony that David McWilliams put himself through for not getting it done. Ever. In March 1992 at the Women's SWC Basketball Championship Game he sat directly behind us. He was a broken man. He had lost 15-20 pounds and was ashen. David was given a job he was not qualified for and it ate him alive. He was family.

I want to believe that TH had trouble sleeping last night. I really do. But he has done nothing to make me think he did.

Hook Em. Beat Tulsa.

:hookem2::cowrose:
 
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Just some Sunday morning thoughts, in no order, most having nothing to do with the other. Preface by saying I was, am and always will be a Mack apologist. Same with Sally's cookies,

If TH reacts and adjusts to the new recruitment/signing periods as well as he adjusts in game, then Mary Mother of God help us all, as the stock piling of talent continues in Norman and Hooterville.

These one score games where we can't make the one play to win it, those were Mack's bread and butter. A couple of Rose Bowls, Lincoln, that ONE trip to Manhatten, twice trailing OSU 35-14 in the second half.....and winning, twice in Ames, twice last play kicks against the ags, last play kick against OSU in 1998, the Horse Shoe game, etc. We became so accustomed to winning those games, that trailing Bama 24-20 and having the ball in the Rose Bowl, as horribly as we had played, we expected to win. We were spoiled. Our expectations were not unreasonable. Because the best indicator of future behavior is always past performance. Sadly, as we saw yesterday, that's a sword that cuts both ways.

Next week TH will be presented step one of a process that no coach in NCAA history has ever done: losing to all 3 D-1 schools in Oklahoma. Personally I feel he will fail at this and Tulsa will look a lot like San Jose last year.

The Storm Trooper Uniforms. Other than at Fair Park, you slap those all whites on one of Mack's teams, they were gonna win. A lot. Of course they were winning a lot no matter what, but road games became way more fun.

I had earlier made a pre-season comparison between this staff/team and the 1991 staff/team. Never for a moment did I question the agony that David McWilliams put himself through for not getting it done. Ever. In March 1992 at the Women's SWC Basketball Championship Game he sat directly behind us. He was a broken man. He had lost 15-20 pounds and was ashen. David was given a job he was not qualified for and it ate him alive. He was family.

I want to believe that TH had sleeping last night. I really do. But he has done nothing to make me think he did.

Hook Em. Beat Tulsa.

:hookem2::cowrose:
 
C'Mon guys- you all need to give Michelle Herman errrrrr I mean Zucker a break. Don't you all know that yesterday is all Charlie Strong's fault! It will be better next year.
 
Indeed, we had zero talent on Herman’s 2017 roster:

“Of the 34 former Longhorns attempting to play in the NFL this season, 28 made a roster. Of the 28 Longhorns named to squads, seven are rookies. DeShon Elliott, Malik Jefferson, Connor Williams, Holton Hill, Chris Warren, Michael Dickson and Poona Ford all made the cut.”

No talent at all.
 
This loss was all on the QB, and play calling.

The defense didn't play well, but we were in it at the end of the 4th quarter until we had 3 turnovers.

Our offensive coaches have no idea how to use one play to setup another. Maryland did it to perfection. Jet sweep, jet sweep, bang, fake jet sweep and WR pass for a TD. That is what this offense is missing. Creativity. We don't have Vince Young or Colt McCoy. We can't just go out there and expect our offense to go plain vanilla and score at will. We need to run plays that will set up other plays.

I don't care how much they tell us Sam has improved, he got excited at the end and made two huge turnovers. He is just not ready to be a starting QB. For all their BS, this is the same Ehlinger that lost the game against OSU, Tech, and now Maryland.

Tom Herman is now square in the sites of all Texas fans, if he doesn't want to be the next Charlie Strong he better put together a hell of a season and a hell of a recruiting class. As of right now Texas can do a hell of a lot better than him.
 
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