*****GAME THREAD: No. 1 Texas versus Oklahoma*****

[Baron]

One thing that does sit well with me after last weekend's game is the traitor getting shutdown.

 

[83Dee]

Well for arguments sake let's compare. The first rank for each team will be scoring defense. The second ranking will be total defense.
Ohio St. 9th, 19th
Tenn. T19th, 30th
OU 24th, 5th
A&M (Elko) 37th, 38th
Ole Miss (Golding) 117th, 115th
Honestly, LSU looks like the hardest defense we will play in upcoming games. They rank T19th and 2nd.
Teams stats come from NCAA.com

Good points. But I was responding to this part of your statement "There aren't many better than Patricia, Knowles and Venables."

I concede OU may be the best defense we will play all year.

 

[83Dee]

One thing that does sit well with me after last weekend's game is the traitor getting shutdown.

I have an OU buddy whose kids went to the game for free.... because OU big donars didn't want to go.

Not often in my lifetime can I remember feeling like we were clearly better than OU.... we squandered this rare opportunity away with terrible special teams, and turnovers.

 

[Dillohorn1]

I am still just sick over this game.

 

[Baron]

I am still just sick over this game.

I am too, but I wonder if this team didn't need a slap in the face to wake it up.

 

[Kmed]

This

 

[83Dee]

I am still just sick over this game.

One of the things I've noticed.... is that elite coaches (Saban being the perfect example), don't show loyalty to their coaches or players. If you are not performing, you are replaced quickly. To be quite honest, it is the opposite of compassionate, but eliteness in football seems to require it. Mack Brown was just a hair beneath elite (in my opinion) and this was, arguably, the reason. Bringing back Manny Diaz probably cost him his job. I honestly don't believe I could fire my assistant coaches / friends - in haste when it wasn't working out. I don't think many people could.... I'm not saying it is easy. But when people know that lack of performance comes with the consequence of being replaced... it generally enhances performance.

I would place Sark in this category as well. He is loyal to his coaches (and players). A good personal quality to have. But it is costing Texas on the football field. Sark is and can be very good, but not where most Texas fans think the program ought to be - hanging on to coaches who obviously aren't performing... and certain players too for that matter.

Just my opinion. I'll bet Curt Cignetti over at Indiana has a zero tolerance policy for sub-par performance. Just a guess.

 

[Baron]

One of the things I've noticed.... is that elite coaches (Saban being the perfect example), don't show loyalty to their coaches or players. If you are not performing, you are replaced quickly. To be quite honest, it is the opposite of compassionate, but eliteness in football seems to require it. Mack Brown was just a hair beneath elite (in my opinion) and this was, arguably, the reason. Bringing back Manny Diaz probably cost him his job. I honestly don't believe I could fire my assistant coaches / friends - in haste when it wasn't working out. I don't think many people could.... I'm not saying it is easy. But when people know that lack of performance comes with the consequence of being replaced... it generally enhances performance.

I would place Sark in this category as well. He is loyal to his coaches (and players). A good personal quality to have. But it is costing Texas on the football field. Sark is and can be very good, but not where most Texas fans think the program ought to be - hanging on to coaches who obviously aren't performing... and certain players too for that matter.

Just my opinion. I'll bet Curt Cignetti over at Indiana has a zero tolerance policy for sub-par performance. Just a guess.

Benching players when needed I get, but I did a google search and Saban only fired one assistant at Bama in his entire tenure there. How many he forced to voluntarily leave might be another discussion.