View from the Cheap Seats-WVU

[echeese]

View from the Cheap Seats-WVU​

 ​

TEXAS wins another close one​

 

 

 

TEXAS football wakes up on Sunday morning with their #1 pre-season goal firmly within their grasp and a bye week to prep for their final 3 games.  Win out TEXAS wins the conference.   Pretty simple.   Does not matter what anyone else does.    Winning the conference is what we said will define success for the season in our pre-season edition.   Make not mistake, this has been an ugly season, even in the games TEXAS has won. they have won ugly and needed 4th quarter/overtime heroics to win.   And none of the wins (save the UTEP scrimmage) have seen TEXAS play a complete game.    Was shocked to hear that WVU was 4-1 at DKR. .  .well now they are 4-2 coming off the worst offensive performance of the year by TEXAS but easily the best defensive performance. 

 

Make no mistake, winning ugly is better than losing pretty.   Many fear that by winning the conference, Coach Tom keeps his job for another year and we are going to offer an interesting consideration below.  Some claim change is coming regardless.   Not sure if this is based on “inside information” few have or simply hope.   The Cheap Seats has seen enough, not unlike Shaka, we do not believe CTH is the answer and if he is retained, 2021 recruiting will take an even bigger hit.    We are not sure the answer to CTH's future is clear nor do we believe  CDC or President Haskell have completely decided.   Regardless, that call is well above our pay grade so let examine what we are semi-qualified to discuss, the game on the field.

 

It is near impossible to watch a TEXAS game and not pull for victory, even when positive results risk negative long term consequences.   This was by far, the worst offensive game since Baylor (10 points) last year.  OTOH, best defensive performance over all since the Alamo Bowl victory over Utah.    Coach Ash has sold out the last two weeks to shut down very good run games and has been successful.  Two weeks in a row now TEXAS has faced a Top 10 ranked RB.   Two weeks in a row, those RBs have been knocked not only out of the Top 10, but out of the Top 20.   Now the much more balanced OSU was able to do damage through the air but WVU simply did not have the passing attack to put enough points on the board ala Okie Lite as Coach Ash’s charges held them to less than 2 ypc after holding OSU to 3 ypc.

 

Three times WVU went for it on 4th down.  3 times they were denied including BJ Foster’s biggest play of the year when he knocked a TD completion from the hands of the WVU TD in the end zone.   Two of those 4th down attempts were chip shot FGs so you have to wonder in a 4 point game if Neal Brown is doing some 2nd guessing/woulda/shoulda/coulda this AM.   And props to WVU.  Even though they were significantly out-talented, they hung tough.   Amazing how well a team can play above it’s weight class when you do the basics like tackling well and winning contested catches, on both offense and defense.

 

As well as the D played, outside of Bijion “Break out game” Robinson, our offense was pretty weak.   Sam was once again the 2nd best QB on the field.   Let’s start with the positive.  Bijion showed us why he was so highly touted registering his 1st 100 yard game.   Half of which come on a 54 yard run.  Still, the TEXAS running game relies very heavily on Sam the Man’s legs.    And good news, no turnovers by the O.

 

Very short list of offensive positives.    One of the reasons Sam’s stats were so poor and the game so close, our WRs simply do not make contested catches.    It is clear that Sam misses the efforts of Lil Jordan Humprey and Devin “Mr 3rd down” Duvernay, guys who won far more contested catches than they lost.  Joshua Moore has been that guy this year but he was injured in the game and it’s clear teams scheme to take him away and dare the rest of our WRs to beat them.    While BiJion had a good day, our rush game is sporadic at best.    We wonder where the Utah game plan has been, lots of mis-direction to force D’s to play honest.   Not sure the last time we saw Sam roll right and throw back to a TE or RB left.  Where is Sam on the bootleg with the option to run or pass?   We ran a great mesh route (WRs from opposite sides crossing to the other side of the field) early. . .worked so well we never went back to it.    And what is the fascination with “bombs away” calls on 1st down?   Sam has been hurt and has been less than accurate on those throws.   When it is accurate, our WRs do not fight for the ball/win the contested challenge.   Too many drives start with TEXAS behind the chains.   Was very impressed with the way WVU’s WRs were more likely to bring down a contested ball.    Why can’t TEXAS be a tad more creative?  

 

Special shout out to Ryan Bujcuvski, 6 punts, 43 ypp average but more importantly, pinning WVU 3 times inside the 20, twice inside the 3.   Hopefully he will heal quickly in our bye week.

 

 

 

End of the day, TEXAS won, ugly but it’s still HELLO win column.

 

Crazy prediction of the weekend

 

As we watched the game, an idea took hold.   What is to stop Sam from coming back in 2021?   Kid loves TEXAS, this year has done nothing but hurt his draft stock.  Clearly he’s not 100% this year.  He started this year on the Heisman watch list and really has not had a week where he has truly shown what he can do.  Cheap Seats doesn’t think it’s as far fetched as many might think.   Oh and what he would do to the record books with a bonus/COVID season.    

 

Offensive player of the Game

 

BiJion Robinson   12 carries 114 yards.   9.4 ypc.   Even without the 54 yard carry he was still well over 5 ypc.   Well done young man and we LOVED the spin moves

 

Defensive player of the game

 

Demarvion Overshawn     8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack.  Well done

 

 

 

Stats that matter

 

• [SIZE=13pt]8 of 17.   TEXAS on 3rd down conversions, barely 50% and ranked a paltry 71st in the nation[/SIZE]
  
• [SIZE=13pt]4  Penalties on TEXAS.  By far our cleanest game of the year.  [/SIZE]
  
• [SIZE=13pt]6 of 11     TEXAS had 11 drives in the game with more than half of them ending in punts.[/SIZE]
  

Game Highlights







[SIZE=14pt]On Deck[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Bye week before Kansas and then what shapes up to be a potential BigXII title elimination game with ISU.  [/SIZE]

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Fighting Mack Brown’s

[SIZE=14pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]No comeback needed this week.  [/SIZE]Mack’s troops took an early lead and never took their boot off Duke’s neck.  Wake up next then UNC faces Notre Dame and Miami in back to back weeks.  

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[SIZE=14pt]Ranking the Big XII[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]1 loss teams.   [/SIZE]All 1 & 2 loss teams can win out and play for the BigXII title.  

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[SIZE=14pt]Okie Lite-squeaked by KSU and controls their destiny with Bedlam on tap following this week’s bye.  [/SIZE]Has tiebreaker vs ISU & KSU

[SIZE=14pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]ISU-Overcame 3 INTs including a pick 6 to come back and beat Baylor.   [/SIZE]This is the toughest team left on TEXAS’ schedule.  Tie breaker vs OU

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[SIZE=14pt]2 Loss Teams.   [/SIZE]2 loss teams cannot afford another loss.

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[SIZE=14pt]OU- destroyed conference door mat Kansas.  [/SIZE]Tie breaker vs TEXAS

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[SIZE=14pt]TEXAS-  [/SIZE]Tie Breaker vs OSU

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[SIZE=14pt]KSU-Tie Breaker vs OU, playing with their QB2[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]The rest, hard to see a path to the conference for any[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]West Virginia  [/SIZE]3 conference losses

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[SIZE=14pt]TCU   [/SIZE]3 conference losses

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[SIZE=14pt]TT  [/SIZE]1 conference win

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[SIZE=14pt]Baylor  [/SIZE]1 conference win

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[SIZE=14pt]Kansas  [/SIZE]0 wins of any kind

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[SIZE=14pt]Playoff picks if we had a vote[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Bama[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]ND[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]tOSU[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Clemson[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Just a bit outside[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Unbeaten Cincy (Top 10)  [/SIZE]& BYU (Top 10?)

[SIZE=14pt] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Oregon/USC[/SIZE]

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[SIZE=14pt]Florida[/SIZE]

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

The Cheap Seats has seen enough, not unlike Shaka, we do not believe CTH is not the answer

FIFY

 

[echeese]

FIFY

Good catch, the old double negative.

 

[dillohorn]

Like the read. We need to clean house FB and mens BB coaching.

 

[Huskie1]

CDC showed mediocre is not good enough with his WBB coaching change. Here’s hoping it leads to FB and MBB changes. The COVID factor may make the financial ability to part ways the deciding factor however. 
Also to consider, if you can’t get Urban Meyer, who is out there that can be realistically lured to Austin?

Thanks for the thought echeese. 

 

[echeese]

CDC showed mediocre is not good enough with his WBB coaching change. Here’s hoping it leads to FB and MBB changes. The COVID factor may make the financial ability to part ways the deciding factor however. 
Also to consider, if you can’t get Urban Meyer, who is out there that can be realistically lured to Austin?

Thanks for the thought echeese. 

After Urban there is no coach who is remotely close to a sure thing.

While his resume is thin, the one name who seems to check most of the boxes is Mario Christobal from Oregon.    He is a top flight recruiter, he's a former OL which might be our 2 biggest needs.

But as I said, everybody but Urban is a gamble and I fear the 2021 class will be a shadow of what we once thought it would be.

 

[tejasrulz]

Very short list of offensive positives.    One of the reasons Sam’s stats were so poor and the game so close, our WRs simply do not make contested catches.

The WRs dropped some balls no doubt but Sam had his misfires also with one would have been a sure TD. As I stated on a different thread, I believe Sam is playing banged up and it shows.

 

[echeese]

The WRs dropped some balls no doubt but Sam had his misfires also with one would have been a sure TD. As I stated on a different thread, I believe Sam is playing banged up and it shows.

Absolutely true.    And I agree, Sam appears playing hurt and it shows.  One misfire would have been an easy TD.   

On one series, we went bombs away, 3 straight plays, one throw off the mark, 2 which shoulda/coulda  been caught. . . .not sure I like playing behind the chains or the 6 punts on 11 drives all 6 plays or less.

 

[83Dee]

After Urban there is no coach who is remotely close to a sure thing.

While his resume is thin, the one name who seems to check most of the boxes is Mario Christobal from Oregon.    He is a top flight recruiter, he's a former OL which might be our 2 biggest needs.

But as I said, everybody but Urban is a gamble and I fear the 2021 class will be a shadow of what we once thought it would be.

What type of offense does Mario run?

 

[echeese]

What type of offense does Mario run?

I actually have no idea.  I am assuming some form of a spread since Oregon has been running a variation for years.    Will see if I can dvr a game and check it out.

 

[83Dee]

Would this be an accurate summary of where it seems we are:

A loss to Kansas = scorched earth mid-season firing 

Any other regular season loss = Herman's fired at seasons end 

A conference championship = Herman is back for at least one more year.  No way you fire him after he wins conference.  

A loss in the Big 12 championship = this is the great unknown.  IMHO this may be the worst case scenario.  

 

[North Texas Golfer]

Would this be an accurate summary of where it seems we are:

A loss to Kansas = scorched earth mid-season firing 

Any other regular season loss = Herman's fired at seasons end 

A conference championship = Herman is back for at least one more year.  No way you fire him after he wins conference.  

A loss in the Big 12 championship = this is the great unknown.  IMHO this may be the worst case scenario.  

I think you have to factor in how things stand with Urban. 

If it's a done deal, then how the season plays out simply doesn't matter. 

If Urban is out of play, Tom is most likely back no matter what.