17 Comments

  1. brandon

    We getting any bedlam previews? Kind of a meaningless game, I suppose, but should be an entertaining matchup.

  2. Chris R.

    OU fans have been complaining about Riley not running it enough against TCU. He ran 64 times vs 21 passes. Most runs in a game since the 90s. Not saying Riley is perfect but no OC is. Just cracks me up how OU fans will complained about him. Who else would they rather have as OC?

  3. matt

    Not disputing this but just curious what your read on this team is: Why do you think that OU has no chance in the CFP? You think that those teams will just sell out to stop the run and force Hurts to make deep throws?

    • ianaboyd

      Yeah I think this power-option stuff and Hurts’ penchant for trying to scramble out of every mess or else turn it over is more easily locked down by teams with NFL talent and championship discipline across their fronts.

      Additionally, OU’s defense would get torched by a lot of the other potential playoff teams. All that they ask of their cornerbacks has worked out in a year when the league’s QB play and outside receiver talent is in a bit of a rebuild mode. I think Motley, Brown, and Davis get torched by guys like Higgins, Ross, Chase, Jefferson, etc.

  4. Andrew

    Ian,

    What are your thoughts regarding the potential for staff changes for UT, if any, that might happen come next spring?

    My thoughts are as follows:
    *Keep the coordinators, get rid of some assistant coaches & promote some quality control guys as on field assistant coaches for some positions. The positive is that at least there will be some scheme continuity. The negative is that things weren’t consistently working, but it also doesn’t take into account numerous injuries & youth.
    *Significant coordinator & assistant coach changes. The positive is hopeful & eventual improvement. The negative is learning new schemes, though not sure if Herman will be given another year to figure this out with potential mundane results at his price tag.

    • ianaboyd

      To make this work Herman needs:

      -Several new assistant coaches that will teach better technique. CB stands out here but they aren’t alone in underachieving.

      -new coordinators. Orlando needs half the season every year to figure out who his players are and what they do best. He’s also a major proponent of the over aggressive philosophy and the “don’t tackle, kill” methodology that helped injured the whole defensive backfield.

      On offense Herman needs to go more smashmouth spread and less power-spread. Really he should go more pro-spread but I think that’s going to be a bridge too far for him. They don’t protect their core concepts well, they don’t gameplan matchups well, and they haven’t evaluated and developed for the essential TE position that makes their system work.

      -They need to patch up relationships with multiple players and get buy in.

      It’d probably be better if Texas moved on. This season has been a total collapse of the Herman project and I’m not sure he deserves a chance with senior Ehlinger.

      • Brand

        Any information on the relationship patching with players part? Hadn’t heard that, but sounds quite damning.

        • ianaboyd

          Suffice to say that the players don’t really believe in him right now. Texas has one of the more rigorous programs in the country, they train extremely hard and harder than at a lot of other places. So when you put players through that but then they go out on the field and it isn’t paying off and they can’t run the ball, then your moral authority collapses.

          • Andrew

            Ian,

            I agree with your response to my thoughts and Brand’s point. Tbh, I think the lack of buy in from the players is the root cause of their issues. Players have lost trust in the staff & there was that big recruiting snafu that angered several recruits to the point they decided to decommit in a matter of a few days.

            Last year they had tangible worthwhile results more in line with what UT used to be. However, the huge letdown this year coupled with significant internal player/personnel issues, is resulting in players looking at the transfer portal & recruits losing interest. Add that to the coaches that are recruiting them might not be there next year & you have the makings of another difficult year for the UT staff. Almost a self fulfilling prophecy.

            I do think Herman gets another year, maybe 2 if they compete for the B12 championship, but there are large portions of the fan base that are no longer willing to pay for this type of result. The moment that accelerates, is the moment that Herman is out. He’ll be the next guy to lose a HC position at his dream job after Taggart.

          • ianaboyd

            I don’t think lack of buy-in is the root cause, I think poor coaching is the root cause and that’s why there has been a decrease in buy-in. This team has played really hard for much of the year and many guys have played hurt, only to see their gameplans fail to set them up to compete.

      • Hopefully Herman will realize his current offensive philosophy isn’t working and is willing to change. Most coaches/play callers won’t do this in fear of having to admit they were wrong. We had the same problem at Tennessee with Butch Jones, he refused to change a few philosophical things his last year or so and it cost him.

      • ryan

        No they aren’t, but you can’t completely hand-waive away his deficiencies either. There are many players in the conference (not QBs) who have a better claim to the Best Big 12 player than Sam.

        • ianaboyd

          There’s a difference between best and then who had the best season. Lynch is my POY currently and id have Hurts over Ehlinger for that as well.

          If Texas hires Harrell and gives him free reign in 2020 I think what I’m saying about Ehlinger will be more clear. In 2019 Ehlinger wasn’t positioned to control and dominate games like he was capable of doing.

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