echeese
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View from the Cheap Seats-Kansas
Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse
How in the Wide Wide World of Sports does a team as talented at TEXAS lose to one of the worst teams in College Football? In the first game of the season since UTEP, TEXAS came into the game as a double digit favorite with their bowl invite assured. Kansas is the ultimate tomato can win. We are talking a team which had not won in conference in 3 or 4 years. NOT SO FAST MY FRIENDS. . . as Lee Corso would say. Despite D'Onte Foreman going to 250 yards. ... but WTF???? 51 carries???? Despite owning time of possession. .. . .despite an almost 100 yard advantage in total offense. . . .TEXAS came away a loser.
It's an old adage in sports. . . . .never let a dog hang around. . .he'll eventually bite you if you don't put him down. And Kansas is one of the biggest dogs in CFB. But what the heck, not the only dog TEXAS has lost to this year, Cal certainly a dog at 4-7 though not a 2-9 mutt like KU.
As the season has gone on, the Cheap Seats has been less and less impressed with the scheme, play calling and with our overall offensive results. In fact this game was a microcosm of the 2016 season. We open with a kickoff return for a Touchdown (1st of the year?) which like the Norte Dame game, creates the illusion we're better than we thought. Through our first 5 games, TEXAS was averaging 41 points a game. Over the past 6, that average has fallen to 28 points per game despite facing some of the worst scoring D's in CFB.
So following up that opening KO for a TD would be 10 offensive drives in the 1st half. Not one of those drives lasting more than 5 plays, nor would any of those would lead to a score. Nope, TEXAS' offense would open by recording 5 straight punts, a fumble, back to back INTs a fumble then close out with a punt. No worries, TEXAS opens the 2nd half with it's best drive of the day, 8 plays for a TD, a punt, a missed FG (which would turn out to be HUGE) and then another TD to start the 4th quarter. 21-10 lead, game appears to be in hand. NOT SO FAST MY FRIENDS . .. ..Kansas would go on it's best drive of the day, 10 plays 80 yards for a TD and a 2 point conversion midway through the 4th then would close out the 4th with a FG at the 7 second mark to tie up the game. A Buechelle INT in OT would seal TEXAS' fate.
Key stat of the game: 6 turnover balanced with 3 fumbles and 3 INTs.
Key Stat of the game #2: 3 of 17 on 3rd down conversions.
Key Stat of the game #3: 8 punts by Ray Guy finalist Michael Dickson for a 44 yard average. And several of those pinning Kansas very deep. He is currently #4 in the nation.
Key Stat of the game #4: Defense only allowed 14 points to the Kansas offense as KU's D would record a pick 6.
Cheap Seats is not sure if CFS has been fired or not yet but the sole silver lining of such a bad crapping performance is even our optics concerned admin has to realize that CFS simply is not a D1 Head coach at the highest levels. Make no mistake, we love CFS as a man, we love what he has tried to accomplish at TEXAS and we love his recruiting. But the truth is, he cannot motivate rabbits to copulate, especially on the road. For as much as his players may love him, at the end of the day, they have not performed for him. And if you want to point to one moment, it was bringing coordinators like Shawn "I'm still not employed" Watson and Vance "I'm a TEXAS Alum who can't coach" Bedford. Those two dominoes highlight why we are here today. Watson's hiring was compounded by Watson being retained in Year 2 only to be relieved after ND by Norvell who had just been added to the staff who was then canned after Year 2 only to hire an OC who had never called plays at the D1 level before. But hey, he ran a popular offense so what could go wrong.
CFS' shortcoming have been rehashed enough though Jack Chevigny's family is cheering as it is now assured that CFS will leave TEXAS as statistically the worst HC in TEXAS history (worst W/L %) and there is still a chance he is the ONLY HC in TEXAS history who leads his team to 3 straight losing seasons. To avoid that he must beat TCU, which frankly isn't farfetched as they genuinely suck too though they have the advantage of a much better football coach/staff, and then must win TEXAS' bowl game though it's highly doubtful CFS is coaching the bowl game so at best he finishes .500 this year. Which means he is the 1st HC in TEXAS history to go 3 straight years without a winning season.
Oh yeah, another silver lining. By losing, TEXAS has a chance with a win over TCU for a re-match of the 1963 National Title game with Navy in the Armed Forces bowl. Sadly, the Cheap Seats thinks the Texas Bowl picks TEXAS to showcase new Head Coach Tom Herman's 1st game as a Horn. Assuming rumors that CFS is already gone and Herman will be announced early next week. Keep in mind that while that projects as a matchup of the 1983 Cotton Bowl, that was not a "National Title game" as the winner was not assured the title. TEXAS winning most likely makes them the champ but not so for Georgia.
Cheap Seats is not even contemplating any other possible options at HC today. This is an easy call with a man referred to by some as a young Darrell K Royal. Hire Herman on T+4 or 5, generate massive BUZZ in the state, create 2 months+ to secure the recruiting class and with any luck, have 2 weeks of practices for bowls to introduce a new system.
Now the biggest recruiting job facing Tom will be pulling a Mack Brown and convincing D'Onte Foreman to return for his senior year. The carrot will be him being a Heisman front runner if he's back.
Editor's Note: Cheap Seats is sitting in time out currently so may not be able to respond (have not even tried to log onto the board in a few days) as it offended some of our snowflakes who need a safe space where the truth will not offend them.
Ranking the Big XII
#1 OU Big-time show down with OSU for the Sugar Bowl berth. Barring an insane weekend, no chance BigXII makes playoffs. Projection: Sugar Bowl
#2 OSU They have a chance to win the conference if their D can slow down OU's attack. Projection: Russell Athletic
#3 WVU Not good enough to beat OU but hope they smoke Baylor to finish the year. Projection: Alamo
#4 KSU Best coach in the BigXII, does more with less year over year. Projection: Liberty Bowl
#5 TCU 2nd best coach in the BigXII. Has to win one of TEXAS or KSU to go bowling. Projection: Texas Bowl
#6 TEXAS Only because we beat Baylor that is clearly a fraud. Projection: sucks to say but don't see this team beating TCU. If we win T+1, then we take TCU's TEXAS Bowl spot
#7 Rape U Fraud. . . while eligible for a bowl, I have a fantasy the bowl say thanks but no thanks and leaves Rape U at home. But likely to the Cactus Bowl
#8 TT cannot get to 6 wins
#9 Kansas
#10 ISU
Very good chance the BigXII does not fill all it's bowl spots this year.
CFB Playoff Vote (if the Cheap Seats had a say)
#1 Bama duh#2 tOSU
#3 Clemson
#4 Michigan
#5 UDub
#6 Wisconsin
