Texas vs Texas Tech: Longhorns Enter Challenging Home Stretch

If it’s close, I’ll worry about the final four games after that. If we handle them, I will be cautiously optimistic, If we blow them out, Fiesta Bowl here we come!!! J/K. I do believe we will win this game though. 34-23.

They’re not going to stop the our ground game.

And I will be happy!

Depending on whether the OU/Tech or the ISU/Tech shows up Saturday will determine how we start this gauntlet, where playing the majority of your starters as freshmen/sophomores in this revitalized Big 12 Conference could prove to be disastrous….I dont think it will, but it could.

I’m optimistic we can win against Tech, but I dont think we are going to see the Tech that Iowa State did. Hopefully the coaches will continue to keep the throwing to a minimum like they did against Kansas…..ball control and turnovers will determine the winner.

Lets take these last 5 games one at a time……I’m nervous about Saturday…..but we should win. I’m really looking forward to watching MB, Foz, DJ and JB tear it up !

My heart says we go 10-2 and beat Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. My head says we go 8-4 and beat Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl…..either way would be great….but we must crush the aggroids.

Diaz resists the urge to play too much zone coverage. Apparently Akina has never been good at teaching a zone or something.

Our guys always seem flat-footed, not flowing with the receivers moving through the zone. Not only are they flat-footed when the ball’s thrown, but oftentimes still that way when it’s caught. Their angles are then always bad for the tackle as they’re starting from a dead stop trying to cut off a guy on a dead run. I still have bad visions of Wes Welker and Jimmy Neutron (Detron Lewis?) types catching the ball five yards off the line and running for 20 more.

Wish we still had real grass so we could grow that stuff about 5 inches high this week.

If Harsin panics, abandons the run and tries to match passing games to catch up….we are dead.

Turnover ratio will define the balance of the year. Each team we are playing rank as follows against conference opponents:

Kansas State (9)
Missouri (1)
Texas Tech (-1)
Texas (-3)
Texas A&M (-5)
Baylor (-6)

Have to get front 7 pressure to force balls into tight windows and continue to hit people in the mouth to cough up the rock.

We do this and I like our chances of running the table….a lot.

KSU and Mizzou are run first teams. Right in our wheel house.

…I think the running game gives reason to not worry too much about the Texas O vs. Tech D. Ash isn’t going to match what Barnett did against Tech last week, but he could definitely put up 150yds. passing and maybe grab a first down or two on the ground at times. I’m optimistic that Fozzy, Malcolm, and Harrison Bergeron can put up 400yds. between them.

 Linebackers in coverage could be a liability, but let’s face it: Tech is a totally different offense when Darrin Moore isn’t healthy, which he’s not. Depending on whether Adrian Phillips was held out against KU because he couldn’t go or just as a precaution, the defensive backs look like they could match up pretty well. Someone’s going to have to lock down on Torres, and Ward’s a capable matchup for any of the young corners, but I don’t think the Tech guys get behind the Texas defensive backs on any big, explosive plays.

45-21

I have to give it to you. Your running game is the key and basically every team we have played this year (asterisk OU) has run down our throat. Seriously, I was in the end zone for the aggie game this year and on one of the touchdowns they had the hole was wide enough for a huge F-250 to run through. It reminded me of those old Dallas Cowboy commercials with Jay Novacek. The back didn’t get past slow jog from 21 yards out. ISU did it as well with a good mix of the running QB. We weren’t ready for that and on the plays where our secondary shut down the receivers he would run for 15 yards. It was ugly all the way around. My gut says you guys win handily but all bets are off if our defense gets on a roll in the 1st quarter and forces Ash to throw the ball. I don’t see it happening but that’s my thoughts. Also, we are starting a new cornerback by the name of Corker. He was a receiver during the ISU game but with the injuries he is now a starting corner. I read somewhere on DTN that he turned down offers from schools like Bama that wanted to convert him to a DB to go to Tech because he wanted to be a WR but who knows. At this point I don’t give any merit to scout services and their star rankings. Yeah, that should be a real blast.

The complementary point there, of course, is that we are a below average passing team, and drastically so as compared with the rest of the Big 12. Setting aside the bigger picture goals related to developing Ash for seasons ahead, at present our passing attack is deeply limited, and if we find ourselves in deficits against any of these explosive offenses remaining on the schedule, we’re in trouble.

I think at this point, the remainder of the season will largely be a result of how much we can improve at the quarterback position.

Although the QB play was adequate on Saturday, the Kansas secondary held Texas to season lows for the Kansas defense in defensive passer rating, defensive YPA, and total passing yards. That is, at least statistically, Texas was the least efficient and explosive passing attack that Kansas has seen all year. The hope there, of course, is that our staff kept it close to the vest and just rode a dominant run game. Still, it at least raises an eyebrow.

I suppose the silver lining here is that Tech has the second worst rush D in the Big 12 in terms of YPG. Hopefully, at least for this week, we can manage things on the ground. Though, things get tougher when we get to Columbia (5th in Big 12), and grim when KState (1st in Big 12) comes into town.

the run game keeps building into the juggernaut it appears to be. 14-18 passing was perfect for what we are trying to do….(let our QB develop and not putting him in desperate situations) . Every team we will face from now on out will be seriously tougher than Kansas. Just run the ball and play man D and we will be more than fine.

I think Texas can beat anyone remaining.

Mack said these kids are no longer freshman, so i assume he isn’t allowing excuses ether.

TTU=W
Mizzou=Loss
KSU=Win (seriously arent we about due for one win against them?)
A&M=Win (of course A&M will lead by 10 at halftime)
Baylor=Win (if our secondary remains healthy and keeps improving week to week)

The fact is I will be inflammatory. As an Army veteran who has served with a number of UT and aTm heroes in many harsh places all I can say is Saturday’s contest is going to be donnybrook. I am hopeful for the Raiders but cautious on prognostications. Optimistic but grounded. Respectful but pugnacious. UT get ready to have your lip bloodied. The Raiders are youthful, sloppy tacklers but expansively opportunistic scorers. I don’t expect the Ut defense will hold them down the whole game and neither do I expect the Longhorn offense to run at will. You might get 175 yards. Rushing. But like old Peter B. says it’s pretty certain your team will surrender 300 in the air. You are facing the most schizophrenic team of the league. Your youthful O line will probably surrender 2 plus sacks and a forced fumble. By the same token your Freshman QB will likely burn the Raiders defensive backs for a couple of hundred especially when they pick up the corner fire blitz and a world class orange clad sprinter torches the depleted secondary. Expect the opposite of conventional wisdom. These guys are no respecters of the confines of anybodies home turf. Yet they defend their own house in a less than satisfying manner. Tubs is exactly like Mack the smack. Mouth full of corn syrup, used car platitude rendering salesman. They Coach speak the same, walk the same, are cut from the same cloth. Expect a couple of gambles and couple of not well thought out run it up the gut Halfback dives on 4th and 2 from Tommy. It’s a given folks. Good luck on the injury plague it’s a bloody shame when a 20 year old has to go under the knife. I wouldn’t t be surprised if the lead changes hands 2 or three times. Our lack of poise will be offset by your lack of execution or some such chaotic collision. Looking forward to this becoming the inside the borders of the republic Texas Bowl rivalry now that our Aggie brethren have run off to get hammered in the kiss your cousin Sss ee ccee. See you at 15th and San Jacinto prior to kick off. Enjoy the show.

The DL is playing well now.