Thou Shall Not Covet Thy...
by PB @ BON
on Jun 14, 2007 2:57 PM CDT
in Football
Ah, screw it. The commandments can take a backseat for a little while. After all, this is football we're talking about.
As I look up and down Texas' two-deep, I'm straight coveting some of my neighbors' assets. Hey, this is a loaded Longhorn roster, but let's face it, there's some holes to fill. At the very least, some very big question marks.
So play along with me and give me the five Big 12 players who would help Texas the most in 2007.
Yemi Babalola, OT, Texas A&M The transfers of J'Marcus Webb and Roy Watts leave Texas paper thin at tackle this season, even with the young talent that's headed up the pipeline. For 2007, though, adding a tackle of Bablola's caliber would be a tremendous boost to a questionable line.
George Robinson, OG, Oklahoma If Texas is a little bit thin at tackle, they're positively unknown at guard, where Cedric Dockery tries to return from knee surgery, and Chris Hall and Charlie Tanner battle for a starting job. Robinson would easily start on the 2007 line for Texas and add some much needed stability to the biggest question mark heading into fall practice.
Jorvorskie Lane, RB, Texas A&M Michael Goodson's the special talent, but is superfluous with Jamaal Charles around. Lane, though, could be the short-yardage back Texas so desperately needed in 2006. Third and short? Toss a cheeseburger across the line-to-gain and send the big boy after it.
Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas The very fact that Ryan Palmer or Brandon Foster might start for Texas at cornerback qualifies this as an urgent and immediate team need. And it'd be tough to nab anyone better than Talib, who would be on more All-American radars if he played for a better team. The Jayhawks are reportedly tinkering with using him on offense in '07, too. Kid can burn.
Reggie Smith, S, Oklahoma With Robert Joseph's departure, Texas is too thin at safety. Marcus Griffin is solid, but flawed. Drew Kelson is making his fourth(!) position change in as many years, Erick Jackson is a fifth-year senior who has never started, and the young guys need seasoning. Let's face it: it's a team need.
We'll get into the Texas team in great detail over the coming months, but this is a pretty tidy summary of where Texas needs help. Just looking at the question marks, you can already see how dependent this team is going to be on Colt McCoy putting up points.
Your turn: some additional suggestions on Big 12 players who'd help the 'Horns?
--PB--
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Reading this post almost confirms my fears about the upcoming season. For some reason, I just haven't felt good about it all offseason.
With the secondary and OL question marks, I get more and more scared each day. Are my fears unfounded? Is Texas better than I think? Is this just a product of a seemingly long spring and summer where the Rangers were out of it by April 30?
Can someone talk me off the ledge before I go offending 54b again (a commenter I usually enjoy reading)?
by Jason Mayer on Jun 14, 2007 3:24 PM CDT 0 recs
Your fears
Aren't without merit, I'm afraid.
This is a team with question marks. No two ways about it.
I think the most important question, though, is whether our coaches play to win the kinds of games we're likely to be in. I know it's hard for Texas fans to imagine a pass-first offense, but... honestly, we're gonna need to put up points, and fast, at times this year.
Our two biggest strengths appear to be McCoy and McCoy's targets. That and what should be another good run defense.
If it's a race to 40 - fine. But let's play like it is.
(I'm getting way ahead of myself here.)
by PB @ BON on
Jun 14, 2007 3:28 PM CDT
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McCoy and Co. are
only going to be as good as the O-line allows them to be. If the line gels, then McCoy has another record setting year, and Sweed rides the success to a first round draft pick.
Everything on offense starts with the line. If the O-line struggles, then the offense is going to struggle. It won't matter how great the QB/receiver combo is.
by Brandon 97 on
Jun 15, 2007 9:40 AM CDT
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the nervous-making factor...
the biggest problem with this off-season has been that every one of our question marks has become an even bigger question mark...
a little worried about O-line depth? How about losing a couple more really promising guys... Or a little worried about the secondary? How about losing another guy who looked really good while he was in there last year... Or a little worried about QB depth? How about losing the only experienced backup we had...
Other than that, though, No Worries...
except maybe all those blue chips signing up for Big Red Motors... or whoever took their place...
by agent orange on
Jun 15, 2007 7:22 PM CDT
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I'm not spelling doom and gloom but...
when the land of theives started having problems, it was when the O-line got thin and they were leaving faster than they could get the first checks out.
by Bevoboy94 on
Jun 16, 2007 9:46 AM CDT
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Fears
When reading this list I look at two games as potential problems. Funny enough neither are OU, A&M etc.
TCU
Okie State
I just think those are going to be troublesome games this year.
by sportsfan on Jun 14, 2007 3:44 PM CDT 0 recs
A Few
George Robinson is Duke Robinson right? None the less, a perfect fit and anchor for our line.
S Marcus Watts Kansas State
Never here much about him, but I'm a big fan of his game.
LB Bo Ruud Nebraska
Because no one wants to step up and the LB core, this remains a question mark for me. I have high hopes for Sergio, but an experienced captain like Ruud would be wonderful. We'll see what happens with him moving from the weak side to the strong side.
P Matt Fodge Oklahoma State
Am I the only one worried about special teams?
by nematode on Jun 14, 2007 3:55 PM CDT 0 recs
sounds good
when is the trading deadline??
I still feel pretty good overall about this season, but I've been thinking for a while that the '08 team is going to look a lot better by comparison.
How about Mike Leach as QB coach?
by SelimSivad on Jun 14, 2007 3:55 PM CDT 0 recs
If I'm being honest
I'll take Greg Davis over Leach. No joke.
Can't say there's a better QB coach than Davis.
Now playcalling is a different story.
by PB @ BON on
Jun 14, 2007 3:56 PM CDT
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Along that line, since we are wishing
How about co-offensive coordinator Major Applewhite, with the Major getting game time play calling duties.
by Wells on
Jun 14, 2007 3:59 PM CDT
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I'm not saying that Greg Davis
is or isn't a great QB coach. But he's had NFL level talent.
Mike Leach has turned non-NFL talent (Cumbie was a walk-on, if I recall) into fairly outstanding, productive college players. Remember that Leach coached Tim Couch too, and it turns out he wasn't nearly as good a player as the NFL thought after watching him play in Leach's offense.
What Greg Davis did with Vince Young and Chris Simms is outstanding, but aren't we still talking about one of the best college football players in history and a guy with enormous pedigree?
by Red Blooded on
Jun 14, 2007 4:20 PM CDT
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Does that make you a great Offensive Coordinator?
Or a great QB coach?
I think citing examples of QBs who turned out to be not as good as people thought means that the scheme is good and Leach knows how to use the talent he has, but shows that he is not as good at developing QBs into great talents.
by Wells on
Jun 14, 2007 4:24 PM CDT
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Or
Or it could just mean that Mike Leach never had the opportunity to coach QBs who also happened to be great talents. Again, Cumbie was a walk-on. Vince Young wasn't. If you can provide a list of walk-on level QBs that Greg Davis coached to greatness I'll concede.
by Red Blooded on
Jun 14, 2007 4:41 PM CDT
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Could be
I guess we will see in the next couple of years, wasn't Harrell a higher caliber recruit coming in than Colt?
If you can provide a list of walk-on level QBs that Greg Davis coached to greatness I'll concede.
Well, if you can provide a list of QBs who Leach coached who actually made it in the NFL I will concede.
by Wells on
Jun 14, 2007 6:08 PM CDT
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Graham Harrell
Absolutely is the guinea pig on the entire "system" theory as he is the first nationally recruited quarterback to come to Texas Tech. That fact alone doesn't mean he's the definitive word on whether Mike Leach is a sideshow or really great at getting the most out of his quarterbacks (since sometimes nationally recruited QBs just... suck) but if Harrell never develops past Kingsbury or Symmons or Cumbie that would be strong evidence that the talent of the QB at Tech really isn't important and that Leach might just be a schematic genius who really ain't all that great at developing QBs.
I have absolute confidence that Graham Harrell is going to do some things at Texas Tech that will really wow some people, and that he will go on to play in the NFL. I would point to his success in his Sophomore year which compares very favorably to our last underclassman QB, Kingsbury, who didn't break 4,000 yards until he'd had a year in our system. I think Graham Harrell could surpass BJ Symmons production, and I say that seriously. Keep in mind he's still very young.
DISCLAIMER: None of this is a knock on Coach Davis as a QB Coach. By all accounts, he's an outstanding QB coach.
All I'm saying is, let's give Mike Leach a fair hearing here. He turned some JuCo transfer out of Snow College out of Weber State and finally out of Oklahoma into the runner up for the Heisman in 2000. He turned walk-on Cumbie into a legitimate player. He made what is and always was an Arena Football level talent BJ Symons into the all-time leading passer in NCAA history.
I don't know what Mike Leach does with Chris Simms or Vince Young, and I don't want to take away from Greg Davis what he did do with those guys. But let's play the hypothetical and consider what Greg Davis would've done with Sonny Cumbie or BJ Symons or Josh Heupel or even Tim Couch or Kliff Kingsbury or Cody Hodges. Does he turn those guys into NFL level talents? Does he have a track record of turning those types of players into NFL level talents (I suspect no)? Does he have a track record of turning those types of players into College level standouts (I suspect not, though don't know enough about his earlier coaching career to say that -- Eric Zeier maybe? What he did with Hines Ward? I don't know)?
Let's be fair to both coaches. Perhaps I'm wrong to demand you list me scrubs that Davis has turned to gold, but let's not blame Mike Leach because he couldn't convince Chris Simms or Vince Young to spend a few years in Lubbock, TX.
by Red Blooded on
Jun 14, 2007 6:48 PM CDT
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I agree mostly with what you said
I just quoted you because I know you love to do that to people.
In actuality I think Leach as a QB developer is uncertain, but as an OC, it is incredible what production he can get out of limited talent.
GD on the other hand, has a history of developing NFL QBs, whether that is coaching or recruiting is tough to tell, although I think what he has done with Colt, who was not a major recruit, is a good indication. I don't think GD could ever be as innovative as Leach as an OC, and that, in the end, could make the top passing QBs in the state start thinking about Tech over Texas.
by Wells on
Jun 14, 2007 9:37 PM CDT
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with Leach , it is the system getting them yards
I don't think Leach is great at developing QBs so much as it is that he developed a system that is great for getting them gaudy yardage and TD stats.
Sonny Cumbie sucked in college and sucks right now in the Arena League. If you gave me a choice between Cumbie and a stoned Quincy Carter, I'd have to think about it for a few minutes (and Carter is currently in Arena 2, AFL's developmental league).
The fact that he put up some nice numbers at Tech speaks more to the system than it does to any growth he experienced as a QB, b/c he never grew out of his bad habits (turnovers, anyone?).
If you have the right system, you can make an average talent look awesome. Dustin Long was a highly-recruited QB who turned out to have a weak arm that floated the ball. His inability to zip the ball in there was the reason for many of his interceptions. Under Kevin Sumlin in A&M's spread offense in 2002, Long was a good QB, setting a school record for TD passes in a game with 7 against Tech (his final numbers for '02 were 19 TD - 10 INT, iirc, not bad considering he split time with McNeal at the end).
Similarly, Cumbie did well statistically in Tech's offense b/c it is a good system. EVERYONE does well statistically in Tech's offense, though. Some just do better than others (compare B.J. Symons to everyone else; I don't care what anyone says, I think he is still the most talented QB Tech has had to date under Leach).
The case for Davis is stronger as far as developing QBs goes, imo. Look at Major Applewhite and Colt McCoy. Both were recruited primarily to be back-ups, but were thrust into starting roles (Applewhite b/c of injuries, McCoy b/c of Young leaving early for the NFL).
Davis was able to work with the skillsets of both QBs and craft an offense around their strengths, which led to remarkable success for both QBs when they were forced to carry the offense (Major in '99, McCoy last season).
My only criticism of Davis' work with those players is that he doesn't seem to take the next step as the players become comfortable in the system and outgrow it; it is like he settles on a scheme in the pre-season and sticks with his base throughout the year, never adding on to make his scheme more diverse at the end of the year.
The end result is that by the end of the season, you pretty much have the whole book on everything Davis will call and do, and can call games for texas almost exclusively by formation.
That is more a criticism of him as the OC, though, not as the QB coach.
by Beergut on
Jun 15, 2007 1:47 AM CDT
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Trust Me
you are not alone in that criticism of Davis as an OC.
by Wells on
Jun 15, 2007 9:17 AM CDT
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let's not forget
you're the one who called a fade in the endzone on the last play of the Rose Bowl. ;-)
You should have gone for 2 to win it like Boise St.
by SelimSivad on
Jun 14, 2007 4:24 PM CDT
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Reggie Youngblood
When we were laser-beaming on OT Reggie Youngblood, LSU quickly focused on Ciron Black and obtained his commitment. We didn't offer him until after Reggie had stiffarmed us for Miami. After Ciron Black ignored our offer, we were left to get in late on OT Louis Vasquez who had committed quite early to Texas Tech. He, too, rejected our offer.
- Reggie Youngblood is starting for Miami
- Ciron Black is starting for LSU
- Louis Vasquez is starting for Texas Tech
We were left to pick up an OG prospect, Chris Hall, and were left wanting at OT. Now we're thin.
by HornChamps on Jun 14, 2007 6:37 PM CDT 0 recs
A&M
is going to have a very solid, experiences o-line and experienced, talented runners. goodson has not even shined yet, mcgee, and the j-train. it's going to be a great rush package. now the pass package.....?
by carsondude on Jun 15, 2007 11:55 AM CDT 0 recs
McGee had a torn triceps muscle last year
we'll see if that excuse holds up this season.
I think some of the problems last year were the playcalling, but how much of that was directed by injury, we don't know.
3rd and long and you only have one WR in the formation doesn't really jibe with the injury excuse.
by Beergut on
Jun 15, 2007 2:28 PM CDT
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yeah
if the pass package works out(they say it will) then of course the offense should be great...but as far as I remember(watching every game) last year the pass package was NOTHING. so....we'll see. yes the injury, but, again.......we'll see. but the thing is, the ags can rely on the run, they just need that deep bomb every once and a while to get points on the board
by carsondude on
Jun 16, 2007 5:06 AM CDT
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