echeese
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[SIZE=16pt]View from the Cheap Seats-Baylor[/SIZE]
Wacko-N-Waco
The old adage is that I'd rather win ugle than lose pretty. Yep, props to the guys for a win, an ugly win but a win none the less. You could not have scripted a better path to victory starting with 4 turnovers and jumping out to an early 17-0 lead and a 17-3 lead at halftime. Then let's knock out Baylor's #3 QB to which Art Briles responds. . screw it, I'll beat TEXAS running the ball. .. . and he damn near did it. Gotta say, our best offensive weapon is the power rush, Art abandoned the pass, lined up in shotgun and ran wild cat with a WR and a RB and WHIPPED our front 7 repeatedly. Perhaps we need to look to Baylor for an OL coach. . . .watching plays over and over in slow motion showed our guys getting whipped one-on-one play after play.
Cheap Seats would love to gloat that we called the win over Baylor in our preseason issue but that was when I thought TEXAS would be better at the end of the year vs the beginning and that is CLEARLY not the case.
Our star of the game, true freshman Chris Warren with a workhorse 28 carries. When he wasn't being hit in the backfield. . .when he had any kind of a hole, he gained yardage and always was falling forward for an extra yard or 2 when he wasn't breaking tackles. And finally, after 11 and a half games, we found a 3rd and short play when teams put 9 in the box to stop the 18 wheeler package. . . .a play action variation of the pop pass to Beck in the flat. . . . of course that has been there all year but hey, better late than never.
Seems CFS' counter to Briles saying he'd play with one arm tied behind his back was to play prevent offense. . . .a football version of 4 corners to milk the clock. But hey, in a statistical anomaly that would have cost most a ton in a bar bet, TEXAS almost doubled Baylor's passing yardage . . .over a third of TEXAS coming on a great play to Caleb Bluitt for a TD. Of course it would also be his only reception and to the best the cheap seats noticed.
TEXAS would scored 3 points in the 2nd half, which was important as it forced Baylor to play for a TD at the end of the game. And in the end, TEXAS needed every break because Baylor just kept running and running and running. . . .while TEXAS continued to do on defense what we have seen all year, venerable to the run and a dual threat QB, inability to hold contain on the edge, arm tackling and a pathological refusal to spy a running QB/wild cat player. Which does not mean the D didn't have it's moments . .both Poona Ford and Paul Boyette made big stops to put Baylor in holes. . . .again, each one of those plays were needed as Baylor finished the game only needing to make one play to head to the Sugar Bowl.
As an aside .. . . . cuz Briles' actions trying to bring a rapist onto his team tells me all I need to know about the character of the man, I do find it odd that his #2 QB this year was a true freshman. One would think QBs are lining up to play for Baylor but that is just not the case. OTOH, very much in the "give the DEVIL his due". . . . .Briles runs the ball better than we do and frankly his front 4 is better than ours . .. they play fundamentally sound defense and they actually know how to tackle. Here are Baylor's last 7 drives:
· 9 plays missed FG
· 11 plays missed FG
· 8 plays TD
· 18 plays FG
· 9 TD
· 4 plays fumble (and they were driving again)
· 10 plays-end of the game
TEXAS countered with a 2nd half of:
· 3 plays-Punt
· 5 plays -Punt
· 4 plays-Downs (that play action pass would have worked well on 4th)
· 12 plays-FG TEXAS would convert 2 of the 3 3rd downs in the game on this drive, both using the play action to Beck play
· 3 plays-punt
This pretty much highlights the offensive ineptitude we saw from the Longhorns not just this game, but this season. And segues into a review of the season. #1 item that stood out to me. . . Our QBs are no better today than they were at the start of the year. In fact you can argue the staff has lost faith in Jerrod Heard since once he left the game, he never returned. Swoopes is not a passer. Yes he can complete the occasional pass, the one to Bluitt was great. But when you need him to complete a pass, he simply cannot do it. Love him in the limited 18 Wheeler package.
Now this is a view from the Cheap Seats with no "insider" information at all. . . but I see an offensive staff that spends too much time playing "king of the hill" and not enough time working together to build a better team. . . .our passing game "scheme" is a freaking joke. .our QBs have regressed and there is no creativity to our play calling at all. Why would you not run a single jet sweep? Why have we abandoned the counter or trap plays which worked so well? Not sure why we burned the red shirt of players like Ryan Newsome. . . . we never used him. Skill position players should be devoloped not squandered on special teams. . . . .
And honestly, our defense isn't any better. Without a QB, Baylor still put up almost 500 yards on us and if not for a couple drive killing turnovers, they likely win the game. But how do you not stop the wildcat? Jefferson rushed for almost 7 yards a carry while Coleman over 11. Unreal. Can one of you so called "insiders" pass along Greg Robinson's number to CFS . .. .
So the season is over, good one to bury. CFS is the 1st coach at TEXAS in over half a century to finish with back to back losing seasons. But he'll can most of his offensive staff to buy another year. Hopefully the next OC will be able to coach-up our QB and install a passing game to work off what appears to be an outstanding running game. Hard not to be excited about Warren and Foreman, Johnson too. Our OL is growing up and will only get better and Bluitt as a TE has a future. Now to me the wild card is McNeil as a slot back/slot WR/HBack type. . . . but who knows what is up with him. Outside of Burt. .we have no clue what we have at WR . . .one because they don't have a QB who can get the ball to them and two because the passing game scheme would embarrass a high school team.
So let's see who we get as a new OC, Sonny Cumbie seems to be the favorite though he loves the 3-4 WR look of the air raid which doesn't really fit our talent. . . . PS, you hear lots of people claiming teams run "air raid". . . which is a fairly specific sub-set of the "spread". Key air raid features are:
· 4 WR 1 RB sets
· Smart QB who makes decisions at the line
· Seams. . . . a very uptempo offense, wear out the D use confusion to help create seams in the D
· pass heavy (though you see air raid teams like TCU and Baylor run well. . .)
· very wide splits along the OL to create better passing lanes
Not sure what the "official" name for it is but coaches like Meyer, Holgerson, Herman, Fedora/Brewster and Guz all run spread offenses that are more 'run first' offense. They tend to use 3 WRs (though Holgerson ran a bunch of 2 WR this year) with a traditional TE or 2nd RB. The running spread uses more counters and misdirection to open up the running game. This fits TEXAS. . . this is what tOSU, OU, UNC, Auburn etc do. Now both TCU and Baylor approach running the ball out of the spread very differently. TCU clearly has a dual threat QB so that helps, Baylor's QB can both run but would notbe considered real "run dual QB threats" and they use their air raid scheme (4 WRs) to eliminate 4 defenders. . .they line their WR up very wide which forces the opponent to match them. So even if you cover each WR man to man. . . you are still left with 7 on 7 in the box. Baylor now uses a couple very good RBs and counts on winning man on man matchups with the idea that the ball carrier can make one guy miss to gain 4-5-6 yards a carry. But the real key is if that man misses, you have an "explosive play". And since Baylor's passing game is so good, generally you have forced at least one DB to play "over the top". .. now you are 7 v 6 in the box. Advantage offense
Now all football is based on "seams". The famous video clip of Vince Lombari describing his "sweep" play. Air raid uses the 4 WRs spread to create vertical seams. . .and it works whether they run or pass but at the end of the day, it's the pass that everyone is afraid of. . .
Just the Cheap Seats opinion but we do not have the QB to run such an offense and our personnel has more in common (style wise not talent wise) with the offenses run by tOSU, UNC, OU and Auburn. Thus Cumbie's background is a concern. The biggest plus he brings is a rep for being a QB whisperer . . .if that is the only thing he brings. . .he's a plus hire. . . . though i suspect he can build a better passing O than what we have seen. Doesn't need to be overly complicated but we are JV simplistic.
My stance on CFS
I was a BIG BIG supporter of the hire, thought CFS would bring the toughness and mental attitude to win games. Sadly, I have seen someone who appears lost. He played not to loss yesterday with NOTHING on the line. . .play to win the game CFS. . . one 2nd half TD and there was no question, instead TEXAS finished the game quaking in their boots, one play from defeat.
But CFS is back, hopefully with a complete new offensive staff, sadly with the same DC. If the new guy wants Traylor, he's shown to be a great recruiter, it certainly does not appear Norvell understand he might have an idea or two on offense. . .or he's a HS coach over his head too. . .don't know.
I am a TEXAS fan 1st so I'm behind CFS and these young men to succeed. Maybe 2016 we "shock the world" but to me, it is going to take 8-9 wins to be on an upward trajectory. I would love for CFS to prove me wrong, to show me he understands motivation and game management and instilling a winning attitude in the team. I would LOVE to be wrong. . . . .it starts by closing out recruiting with a couple of gems including a bad azzed S (we don't have one) and a couple of future DLs. . .another OL or 2 wouldn't hurt my feelings.
Playoffs
Clemson
Bama
Mich St
OU
Next 4 doesn't matter . ..other than does the B1G send tOSU or Iowa to the Rose bowl though I have to admit, kinda nice knocking Baylor out of the Sugar Bowl. . .. . .there is no #5 team that can make a coherent argument for inclusion. Sorry Stanford. . .though Stanford v tOSU would be a pretty legit "consolation bracket". . . oh man I was pulling for Iowa and UNC though UNC would not have made the playoffs.
Props to Larry Fedora. . . a much better coach than some claimed. He will be the 1st coach since Mack left to lead UNC to a final poll ranking and he could finish Top 10 with a win.
BigXII standings:
OU
OSU
TCU
Baylor
WVU
TT
KSU-ISU-TEXAS (the mutts beat each other up)
Kansas
Coaching moves so far
smart to Georgia? Don't see it but good luck
Muschamp to USCeast? I like Will and hope he learned from his time at Fla
Dino Babers to Syracuse? Excellent coach goes to a football waste land
