Lets Step Back from the Ledge

by kriess on Oct 2, 2010 7:35 PM CDT

I remember a certain gem that 54b wrote a few years back asking, "What kind of BONer are you?" I've always figured that I've been a very optimistic fan, that at times fails to keep things realistic in his optimism. I guess you can say that about alot of my favorite sports teams, as I've had to have learned patience after growing up an Astro and Oiler fan. I'm not one to throw in the towel, and I'm not one to give up on a season in which so much can happen. Remember 2007? After OU beat us, did anyone ever think that Rutgers would have a chance to play for the MNC? Kansas? Missouri?

I don't need to tell you that alot can happen in a season as it progresses, and as being a fan, I'm sure you're quite aware of that. I also don't need to tell you that we still have a chance to play in a decent bowl, even the Fiesta Bowl if we take care of business, and get a little help.

Of course, these are things you don't want to hear, because we just lost to our bitter arch-rival, Oklahoma (Sorry aggies). I know alot of you feel like putting our head in the sand, until we get notice that Greg Davis is being ousted, and MacWhorter was sent packing. Hell, I completely understand. However, I refuse to acknowledge that our team is worth giving up on. I also refuse to acknowledge that our team is giving up on themselves. I know my fellow BONers aren't going to give up on this team; however, I'll give a few quick ideas as to why not...just in case.

We're Texas, and OU still sux. Regardless of the outcome, they still have to go back to that desolated waste of territory, called Oklahoma.
This team is young, and their talent isn't ripe yet. They need about another year to gel before becoming a dominant team across the board.
Lower you expectations for Gilbert, and you will be alot happier. I understand that it natural to get on GG for making a bad decision, or rookie mistake; however, please realize that he is still young, and has alot of maturing to do. He's not Colt, he's not VY, but he has the chance to be great. He's serviceable now, but will be good-to-great by the end of this season.
We really are rebuilding on the offensive side of the ball. To re-scheme everything, it takes time and recruiting, and execution. Its not expected to work right away. Case in point was the pro-set offense we had most of 2003 with Mock and VY.
Aaron Williams has had a decent season, but many forgettable moments this year. Maybe this lowers his stock and gets to return for his senior season? Not likely, but possible.

I'm not happy that we're 3-2, but if this team needs to have a rough season of learning to be a dominant dynasty in the future, then I'll take it. I'll take it with an extra bottle of Crown and a few prozac, but I'll take the knock-you-out concoction right now, for a Champagne-shower in the locker room party in 2011/2012.

We're going to be okay. We're going to the Cotton/Holiday/Alamo/Sun Bowl We're going to become better We're going to have a 2008-type season next year We're going to have a 2009-type season after. We're going to be great.
PS. Alcohol may or may have not played a part in this post.

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I firmly believe...

the true culprit of this season is changing the offensive scheme. GG has run the spread his entire life basically. We are not a power running team. We do not have a two TE set to go to to get tough yards. We do not have the dominant power back which we can rely on 25 carries per game. We also do not have a true playmaker on offense. I damn sure wish we did.
This line cannot open holes consistently. They’ve been pass blocking their entire careers…and now we are going to change it up because we are Texas? It was a fatal move prior to the season beginning. We are not Alabama. We do not have that level of personnel and I am speaking in spite of Ingram and Richardson. We need to start dancing with the one we brought to the dance to begin with.

"Stats are for losers. I like winning games." ~ Will Muschamp

"I always felt like, and I paid a price for it, that it didn't seem right for one guy to bring me down." ~ The Tyler Rose

by Mulliganville on Oct 2, 2010 7:46 PM CDT reply actions

I agree to an extent

We need to make a conscious effort to run the ball with dominance. It will certainly help Gilbert in the long run. Problem is that we needed to help Gilbert in the short term. Having him guide a limping running game is killing his ability to make plays happen. It keeps putting him in awful situations. I agree with the need for a running game, but to expect it to not affect our passing game early is foolish of the coaches.

I agree that we do not have the personnel to run power running football on offense, but we are getting them. It will happen, and it will not be an easy transition. All of our current players were recruited to run the spread or zone-read. Thats why we’re resorting back to the spread now, because when power fails, they HAVE to resort back to what they know.

Like I said above. I’m not happy with the game and the short-term aspects of this football team, but I understand that it may be necessary to grow into a beast of a power team for next year.

Eight Walls
<> a new MMA blog from Fantake

by kriess on Oct 2, 2010 7:58 PM CDT up reply actions

I wonder if...

it is going to be a an issue of increasingly greater concern that seemingly every successful high school program in Texas right now runs some variation of the same basic spread offense. If these QB’s are all essentially 7 on 7 QB’s, and the linemen are all taught zone blocking, and as you say, that’s what they’ve been doing their entire lives, it limits our ability to diversify our own offense, particularly if we stick to in-state recruiting.

Over the past 3 or 4 years, I’ve seen teams like Southlake Carroll, Austin Lake Travis, Kerrville Tivy, etc., and they all ran precisely the same patterns and plays, and each QB played exactly the same role in his respective offense.

Perhaps it was just a poor sampling, but the conformity was blatant.

by BrooklynHorn on Oct 2, 2010 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions

Rec'd

I needed to hear that too. Thanks for keeping calm.

I’m not frustrated with the offensive development itself. I knew it would be a struggle this year. The unforced errors and penalties are what’s getting me. Get those out of the way, and this team can be competitive. Right now, I feel like we can lose to anyone because we make so many silly mistakes.

by TheElusiveShadow on Oct 2, 2010 7:48 PM CDT reply actions

And yes, I'm still not happy with GD

by TheElusiveShadow on Oct 2, 2010 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions

The "GG is still young" argument is getting stale to me

He’s been in the program a year now, had the whole NCG experience (which we all assumed would be beneficial long-term, but I haven’t seen it), and now has five starts. At what point should we be upset that he isn’t playing even adequate football? Should we be happy to throw away any season with a first year starter at the QB position? I believe that most of it isn’t his fault (mostly it’s because of the Colt Hangover), but man the kid makes some dumb decisions. He seems to be all too happy to check down to receivers who aren’t capable of getting the necessary yards, until the D blitzes and then he stands tall in the pocket when we NEED him to find that hot read. I’m happy to keep giving him time, and I agree that he has the potential to be one of the better ones to play the position, but I disagree that we shouldn’t be disappointed with how he has played so far.

If you're so sure of what it ain't, how about telling us what it am!

by circa1015 on Oct 2, 2010 9:06 PM CDT reply actions

Remember in 2003 and 2004

when ALOT of UT fans were calling for VY to be put in at WR? Especially after the 2004 RRS and the awful awful win against Missouri the week after that? VY wasn’t ready….to an extent.

Or remember back in 2007 when ALOT of UT fans were calling for John Chiles to replace Colt McCoy after he started 0-2 in conference play? Colt wasn’t ready.

We have too much invested in GG to throw anything away, and he is still young. GG isn’t there yet. He will be though.

Eight Walls
<> a new MMA blog from Fantake

by kriess on Oct 2, 2010 9:17 PM CDT up reply actions

This guy will get better!

You are absolutely right, VY, Colt , Major all had growing pains. But damm, 3-2 still stings!

by BABevo on Oct 2, 2010 9:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Don't get me wrong

I’m not happy, but I don’t let it get in the way of my long term expectations for the guy.

Eight Walls
<> a new MMA blog from Fantake

by kriess on Oct 2, 2010 9:18 PM CDT up reply actions

umm I wasn't calling for anything...

VY to WR….always thought it was a dumb idea. We could have gone straight option with Ramonce and done well.
Chiles over Colt: downright insane, even at the time (Chiles was terrible throwing and running)
And I’ll support GG because I agree he’s going someplace good.

But GD has to go. Give me Applewhite (who was better than people think at Bama — very unpredictable), Leach (look at Tech tonight vs ISU), Holgerson, Gerry Faust, my dead grandma, anybody.

by Kwix on Oct 2, 2010 9:51 PM CDT reply actions

I never said you were

I said there were alot of fans who did. People go through growing pains. Its cool. I just don’t see that as a reason to get down on GG. He’s doing what he can and what his ceiling is right now. Yeah he can do better but so can the other 10 guys out there. Especially the guy in the booth.

Eight Walls
<> a new MMA blog from Fantake

by kriess on Oct 2, 2010 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions

The problem is more than GD

It would be tremendous if this were an outstanding team that was only being held back from the MNC by an inept OC. That would be an easier fix. But based on this season, especially the last 2 games there are problems across the board. The last 6 quarters the defense has missed tackles, made dumb penalties that kept drives alive, and been both run on and passed on with impunity. Special teams have been very poor also with fumbled kicks and giving up some long returns on kick-offs. UT for several years has been one of the best teams in the nation in blocking kicks. Not a single one this year. I think we are just not a very good team right now and that expecting us to “run the board” and wind up in a major bowl is going to lead to disappointment. As far as Applewihite is concerned, he has always been one of my favorite players. However, his performance as RB coach since he arrived hardly indicates he should be promoted, although I would be OK with making him QB coach.

"Only angry people win football games." --DKR

by OBdoc on Oct 3, 2010 7:37 AM CDT up reply actions

In all honesty

I think we lose in Lincoln, but after that, we could easily win the rest. I say this not so much because we’re all that good, but because I believe the Big XII is mediocre. Most of the teams I’ve seen look about on par with Tech, and we get A&M and OSU at home. If our defense cleans up the penalties, we’ll be fine in those games.

We lose our bowl game, however, and go 9-4. I’m feeling very 1999-2000 right now.

by BrooklynHorn on Oct 2, 2010 11:27 PM CDT reply actions

I agree

that we’re rebuilding on the offensive side of the ball but only in the sense that we’re replacing a few playmakers. Today looked like the last couple of years to me, with the exception of the throws to the tight end. In other words, I think we’ve already abandoned the idea of a run game just because it was so poorly conceived and executed that the coaches knew it was embarrassing to keep forcing it. We’re back to square one and right in GD’s/GG’s comfort zone again just to save face in tough games. BTW I’m not suggesting that we do otherwise at this point, just that the coaching staff wasted the off season. And for what? Where is all of the “H” back stuff? Yes, the new guys will get better and, no, the season won’t be last year’s version of Notre Dame or Michigan.

by utexas87 on Oct 3, 2010 1:14 AM CDT reply actions

Good points

And let’s not put it all on the offense. The defense had multiple times that we held them on 3rd down just to let them off the hook with stupid penalties. We were shooting ourselves in both feet.
Did anyone see the Jeffcoat personal foul? I never saw it, but what a terrible break against us.

The officiating—some very questionable calls but we have to play through that stuff.

Kirkendoll had a 1st down pass hit him in the hands and face, and that isn’t GGs fault.
So many, many mistakes that it is not on any one area.
WE have so much talent, but we can’t expect to win if we are going to play sloppy ball. If we clean up the play we still have a good chance to end this season in a good bowl.

I am so freaking depressed—I really thought we were going to dominate OUSux. Now that we are underdogs maybe we can start opening it up and letting the talent shine.

by Wrangler86 on Oct 3, 2010 4:50 PM CDT reply actions