Epilogue, Texas Longhorns 6 Loss Season 2010

I'm writing my final Texas Longhorn blog of the 2010 season.  I think after watching the season unfold, and watching our struggles with the beloved Longhorns' typical collection of mishaps, mistakes, lack of strategy and coaching, plain bad luck, and collective of average and low performing athletes, that I can accurately predict the season's final outcome, and will even be as bold as to suggest our next steps for the 2011 season.

Before the Oklahoma State Cowboy's game at week 10, I was predicting a 7 loss season for the beloved Longhorns, given that A&M had just taken down then number 11 Oklahoma in week 9, and Baylor in week 10.  However, after careful thought and review and a little bit of gamble, I am giving the A&M game to Texas.


Let's just hope that the Florida Atlantic game in Austin this Saturday is a slam dunk.  I guess things could go way, way wrong for the Longhorns, which we already know can happen, but surely they can't go so wrong that a team who was beat by North Texas can outscore us.  I mean, most people don't even know we have a team called North Texas in Denton.  Last year they were maybe the 2nd worst team in the NCAA, this year they are rated as the 13th worst team in the NCAA, and they beat Florida Atlantic.  So, mother of God, please, please, have mercy.

A&M is on a four game winning streak.  They've been taking down some other well playing teams, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Baylor, and they think they're going to take down Nebraska (AP 9) at Kyle Field, but I doubt that because Taylor Martinez can pass and run.  The Aggies will do okay against Martinez's run, but A&M doesn't have much of a passing defense, so he'll just switch to a passing game, and run just enough to keep the defense guessing.  Most of A&M's playmaking is tied up in their passing game, and Nebraska has one of the best passing defenses in the NCAA.  The home game advantage at Kyle Field should not be underestimated.  Vince Young was quoted once as saying it ".. [the noise]  was very unsettling."

The Thanksgiving Day game is hard to call.  A&M will be coming off a loss to Nebraska on their own turf.  A&M is sitting at number 18 on the AP 25 after week 10.

A&M is weak in passing defense, just what we need, since we can't run the ball.  So, Texas offensive strategy will be an aggressive passing game, then it will just be up to our receivers to catch and hold onto the ball.  I'm leaning toward a good showing there.  Why would I think that? There was some improvement between Baylor and Kansas State with how receivers were playing.  They were more aggressive, they were diving, reaching, for the ball, and even running aggressively. They are making slow progress in the right direction.

A&M is stronger in rushing defense, but we don't care about that, except for the Red Zone issues we seem to have. Maybe the coaches could think up a few special plays for that little problem?

As mentioned, A&M's playmaking is tied up in their passing game, and the Texas Longhorns hold a top 10 spot in best passing defense.  Our defense is also not shabby at all against the run.  So, if A&M thinks they're going to sneak in a running game, that's a dead idea.

It is a home game, and the Longhorns will have a lot of pride on the line.  It's a difficult call, but if the pride or pressure doesn't get in the way of the game, I'm giving it to Texas.  That's how they're going to want to end a season like this.  After the beating we've taken this season, the last thing we need is A&M beating us on our own sacred Longhorn turf.

I think we'll take it.  It may be a close game, which is great football, but we have the advantage.  If we start our version of mishaps, mistakes, fumbles, interceptions, then the game will go to A&M, who would like nothing better than to give us our 7th loss of the season.

So, there you have it.  A 6 loss season for the Texas Longhorns and Mack Brown and company.  I think the coaches should already be thinking about season 2011, not preoccupied with it, but some discussion should already be taking place about possible changes for next season.


What About The 2011 Season?


Mack Brown took over as head coach in 1998, and had a 5 loss season in 1999.  Since then, and until now, 2010, all of his seasons have been 3 or less losses.  He took us through a 2005 National Championship.  Well, I guess I should say that Vince Young gave us that championship in the last seconds of a game that looked like a certain loss. 

Mack Brown also took us to another National Championship in 2009.  One that I believe we would have won, if Colt McCoy would not have been taken out of the game with a shoulder injury at 4 minutes into the game.  We were already dominating the field. Our backup QB, Garrett Gilbert, had to play the remaining 56 minutes, which he did courageously, against the toughest team in the NCAA.  Before that championship game we had played Alabama 7 times, and won every game.  The 2009 Championship game was our first loss to Alabama ever.

The Texas Longhorns are the 2nd most winning team in the history of the NCAA.  We started playing football in 1893, and played that season without a coach.  We played 4 games, and held 3 opponents to zero point games. The next year, 1894, we held 6 opponents to zero point games.

We have 162 consecutive games on the AP top 25, and 9 consecutive years with 10 or more wins.  We are 4 time National Champions, and have the 2nd most all time NCAA Bowl appearances.  We are number 5 in all time NCAA Bowl wins. Mack Brown holds the highest win percentage in 117 years of Texas Longhorn football.  Darrell K. Royal holds the next highest win percentage. In season 2005 we scored 652 points in 13 games, which is an average of 50 points per game.

In the 13 years that Mack Brown has been head coach, 1998 - 2010, and if things come out as I've predicted, the Texas Longhorns will have won 138 games, and lost 35 games, and Mack Brown will walk away with only a 6 game loss season.  If A&M takes the field, then Mack Brown will be among the very few Texas coaches ever to have seen 7 or more losses in a given season.  That has happened only 4 times in 117 years of Longhorn football.

The record is 9 losses in the 1956 season.  We saw an 8 loss season in 1938.  Then we saw two 7 loss seasons in 1988, and 1997.  Mack Brown took over then, in 1998, and hopefully he will not become a member of the 7 or more loss club.

The most losses per season that Fred Akers ever saw was 6 in 1986, which was also the year he retired as head coach.  Coincidentally, coach Darrell Royal also retired after the year of his most losses.  He had a 5 loss season in 1976, and retired after 19 years of coaching.

Whether this season ends up a 6, 7, or even 8 loss season for Mack Brown, what I'm suggesting here is that the timing seems right.  Call it intuition, call it the winds of change are blowing, call it the Great Fathers of Football are gently speaking a message.

There could not be any better timing for Mack Brown to step down at the end of the season.  Not because he lost 6, 7, or 8 games this year, and not because anyone thinks he's a bad coach, or because people are hot about things and want heads to roll, but because it makes sense.  It's the right thing to do for the entire collection of the Texas Longhorn community, including the team.

Coach Brown is not a hands on coach like Nick Saban.  Brown's strengths has been as an organizer, a general manager, more like Tom Landry.  His strengths are in organizing his recruiting staff to do great work, in thinking ahead enough to keep Muschamp on staff, and on making sure all of the supportive mechanisms are top notch, for a top notch team.

Let's give Muschamp a chance as head coach for the 2011 season.  He's a seriously hands on coach, and knows football inside and out.  He's got the drive, the determination, and he'll just need some excellent scouting for coordinators. 

Coach Brown has served us well, and there's no reason in the world why he wouldn't step down now, except for pride.  Muschamp is ready to take the reigns, he's ready to go at it fiercely, the Longhorns are ready for new blood, the new recruits want to know they're coming into something different.  It's the new and different that will energize the Team.

Coach Brown will retire as one of the best coaches in the 117 year history of our football program.  Fred Akers and Darrell Royal had no shame to retire on their worst seasons.  They knew it was time for a change, and they certainly had no doubts whatsoever that they had been some of the best coaches in college football.


Hook Em' Horns