Realistic expectations for the upcoming football season

[scotas497]

I watched College Football Live today and listened to Joe Schad and Andre Ware talk about the Texas Spring game.  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the greatest concern, Schad gave the QB position at Texas a 9 and Andre Ware gave it a 7.  Lightly put they did not think Tyrone Swoopes was going to take us very far this year if Ash is not back.

There were other things said by both, particularly by Andre Ware, that made me upset but what do you expect from a guy that wasn't recruited to play qb at UT.  He took his jabs at Texas in a non-subjective manner (IMO) and basically said Texas is a 6 or 7 win team this season.  He also mad mention of how he and UH beat UT 3 times and how Baylor has whipped Texas on the field lately and also in recruiting.

Looking at the schedule I cannot say that I disagree (SMH).

My win predictions for the '14 season based on the schedule:

vs North Texas - WIN

vs. BYU  - LOSS

vs. UCLA  LOSS

vs.  Kansas - WIN

vs.  Baylor - LOSS

vs.  Oklahoma - LOSS

vs.  Iowa State - WIN

vs.  Kansas State - WIN

vs  Texas Tech - WIN

vs  West Virginia - WIN

vs  Oklahoma State - LOSS

vs. TCU - WIN

What does everyone else think?  I was downright mad after watching that show today.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I'm afraid the QB question is a legitimate concern. Ash will be back, but for how long? You hope he can make it through the season and if he does, we're certainly NOT a 6-7 win team.

But my friends, I'm going to say this once again and duck because you all always throw stuff at me when I say it - but - when Jerod Heard steps on campus, he will be the most talented QB in Austin not named Vince Young. Yea, would love to see him redshirt but if he's this good, how do you not play him?

Ducking now . . . . 

 

[chilly52]

Agree with the Jerod Heard comment and what's more, HE thinks he's going to win the job. The kid's been a champion everywhere he has played! We should make every effort to get Witteck on board to have a healthy, mature additional QB candidate; them pump up the competition between the three or four if you include Swoopes.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Agree with the Jerod Heard comment and what's more, HE thinks he's going to win the job. The kid's been a champion everywhere he has played! We should make every effort to get Witteck on board to have a healthy, mature additional QB candidate; them pump up the competition between the three or four if you include Swoopes.

We get Witteck, then perhaps problem solved.

Heard is a special player and a special person. That second item sorta lifts the first one a little higher than most. Amazing composure for a kid his age.

 

[Agmaniacmike]

If Ash isn't healthy then I would go to war with Heard over Swoopes. Heard gives you the better chance to win this year over Swoopes, and quite frankly, has a much higher upside anyways. QB position is not enviable at the moment, but the solid DL and skill position weapons (if Gray plays) should keep ya'll in consideration for the conference championship. I think they can win 9-10 games if things fall the right way and Ash stays healthy.

 

[monarch]

I watched College Football Live today and listened to Joe Schad and Andre Ware talk about the Texas Spring game.  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the greatest concern, Schad gave the QB position at Texas a 9 and Andre Ware gave it a 7.  Lightly put they did not think Tyrone Swoopes was going to take us very far this year if Ash is not back.

There were other things said by both, particularly by Andre Ware, that made me upset but what do you expect from a guy that wasn't recruited to play qb at UT.  He took his jabs at Texas in a non-subjective manner (IMO) and basically said Texas is a 6 or 7 win team this season.  He also mad mention of how he and UH beat UT 3 times and how Baylor has whipped Texas on the field lately and also in recruiting.

Looking at the schedule I cannot say that I disagree (SMH).

My win predictions for the '14 season based on the schedule:

vs North Texas - WIN

vs. BYU  - LOSS

vs. UCLA  LOSS

vs.  Kansas - WIN

vs.  Baylor - LOSS

vs.  Oklahoma - LOSS

vs.  Iowa State - WIN

vs.  Kansas State - WIN

vs  Texas Tech - WIN

vs  West Virginia - WIN

vs  Oklahoma State - LOSS

vs. TCU - WIN

What does everyone else think?  I was downright mad after watching that show today.

greetings mr. andre ware.  long time no see!  long time no hear!  "ware" have you been all this time?  but then again, isn't this the primary query that most houstonian's are always at some point, presenting to you?  (just "ware" on earth have you been)  you just seem to appear right out of nowhere!  now being spotted upon some tv jaunt, making assinine arbitrary statements that you really don't know anything about.  you were a college superstar.  a university of houston darling, you brought upon untold media vs worldwide attention, to the city of houston, as per your winning the "heisman trophy" during your collegiate gridiron heyday.  we were all so very proud of you andre.   but then came upon your NFL career...   ENOUGH SAID! 

greetings mr. joe schad.  please excuse me sir, but just who the hell are you again?  ENOUGH SAID!

greetings administrators / notable officials as per "college football live.  may you please hear my most humble plea?  the next time, that you allow for your heralded commentator's to just sit back, and totally denounce one of the most storied programs upon all of college football, may you please have the "cajones" enough to show to your thousands of viewers worldwide...  that there is actually a "crystal ball" located between the two of them.  heck, you can even produce enough "cajones" to show which one is doing the actual "rubbing".  for just how else are these "numb nuts" able, to just openly predict the future of "texas" football?  even ($5 million dollars a year mack brown) could not accurately predict such.  ENOUGH SAID!

greetings "hornsports".   how are you by the way?  ok, here it is...  i for one, am getting DAMN SICK AND TIRED of hearing vs reading...  "when david ashe get's well, when ashe get's well, when ashe comes back from noted injury, when ashe is cleared as per his next doctor's visit, when ashe get's treatment as per his headaches, when ashe get's, when ashe, WHEN?  (you know!)  i absolutely love david ashe.  i love the will power that david ashe presents upon each season.  i love the hard work ethic that david ashe present's upon each season.  i love that david ashe present's goodness as well as humility as a person.  however, agree with me or not, imo, david ashe is a great football player...   but he's no athlete!  the "university of texas" requires an "athlete" at the helm of it's quarterbacking position.  ENOUGH SAID!

greetings anyone, anywhere, that produces a pulse...  please allow as per "head coach charlie strong" to develop all decisions as per his quarterbacking situation heading into the forthcoming gridiron season.  please allow for "longhorn nation, the utmost in strength, to not adhere to any arbitrary rhetoric, regarding "tyrone swoopes, vs jerrod heard vs mr. witteck.  this shall be in lieu of the very fact that "coach strong" is hereby being compensated extremely well to perform his duties as head coach.  and to make noted decisions accordingly.  ENOUGH SAID!

 

[java]

Guys, quit listening to the media! Ash is no more likely to suffer a head injury than anyone else, at least so say the medical professionals. Throughout 2005, I kept hoping that Vince would stay healthy, and he did.

I realize that Heard is great and expects to win the job. Any real competitor would, but even Vince redshirted. I am hoping for the best for Ash, and I hope he is able to play out the season.

Hook 'em!

 

[Sejjr]

I watched College Football Live today and listened to Joe Schad and Andre Ware talk about the Texas Spring game.  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the greatest concern, Schad gave the QB position at Texas a 9 and Andre Ware gave it a 7.  Lightly put they did not think Tyrone Swoopes was going to take us very far this year if Ash is not back.

There were other things said by both, particularly by Andre Ware, that made me upset but what do you expect from a guy that wasn't recruited to play qb at UT.  He took his jabs at Texas in a non-subjective manner (IMO) and basically said Texas is a 6 or 7 win team this season.  He also mad mention of how he and UH beat UT 3 times and how Baylor has whipped Texas on the field lately and also in recruiting.

Looking at the schedule I cannot say that I disagree (SMH).

My win predictions for the '14 season based on the schedule:

vs North Texas - WIN

vs. BYU  - LOSS

vs. UCLA  LOSS

vs.  Kansas - WIN

vs.  Baylor - LOSS

vs.  Oklahoma - LOSS

vs.  Iowa State - WIN

vs.  Kansas State - WIN

vs  Texas Tech - WIN

vs  West Virginia - WIN

vs  Oklahoma State - LOSS

vs. TCU - WIN

What does everyone else think?  I was downright mad after watching that show today.

If Ash is healthy, there is no chance we lose to BYU. Zero percent. In fact, we will probably destroy them. I also think UCLA is completely overrated. There is no question that the QB situation is dire. Swoopes just isn't close to being ready. That said, we nearly won the Big 12 with the atrocious Case McCoy and a lame-duck Mack Brown last year; to think this team can't be in the mix, even with Swoopes, is just silly. We will have a vastly superior defense, a future NFL pick at RB, and a very underrated receiver corps led by Shipley. We also have a staff that actually teaches and holds players accountable. This team will be better than last years' for certain. Even if Ash goes down.

 

[echeese]

I'm afraid the QB question is a legitimate concern. Ash will be back, but for how long? You hope he can make it through the season and if he does, we're certainly NOT a 6-7 win team.

But my friends, I'm going to say this once again and duck because you all always throw stuff at me when I say it - but - when Jerod Heard steps on campus, he will be the most talented QB in Austin not named Vince Young. Yea, would love to see him redshirt but if he's this good, how do you not play him?

Ducking now . . . . 

Kid named Colt McCoy says hi. .. 

With Ash and Whittlek (I'm assuming he signs here). . .shirting Heard is easy. . . .QBs and OLs need a redshirt year.  . .have we not learned from burning shirt years on Simms and Ash?

I see us as a 3-4 loss team this year .. . .if we have a 100% Ash for 100% of the season 1-2. .  .

 

[Lukus Alderman]

There's no way to tell from that Spring Game what we will look like next year. Coaches have had relatively no time to actually coach these kids and get a system in place. By the time next season rolls around, we'll have a completely different team than what we saw on Saturday.

 

[Juan]

Charlie was realistic enough.

 

[Coleman Feeley]

David Ash isn't written off. He still has the oportunity to be the starter come fall, and he has the talent to WIN in the fall. However....

The AANS (American Association of Neurological Surgeons) says that..."Reasonable estimates show that between four and 20 percent of college and high school football players will sustain a brain injury over the course of one season. The risk of concussion in football is three to six times higher in players who have had a previous concussion."

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Low-end, 7-5 if we don't get Ash healthy or Wittek signed

High-end, 9-3...we've got no lay-ups on this schedule

 

[Chris Flanagan]

It's tough to predict how the Texas Longhorns are going to respond in the fall. The Spring Game gives you an idea of how they will look and what to expect this fall but I remember players who performed well in the Spring game but were MIA in the fall. 

The schedule is front-loaded with UCLA, Baylor and OU (and BYU too). That means if you are expecting the Longhorns to be ranked at the end of the season, they are going to have to at least go 5-1 after OU. That's not going to be easy with road games at Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Not to mention West Virginia could vastly improve and Lubbock is Lubbock. It's going to be a tough year with a number of quality opponents that the Longhorns will play. This is Charlie Strong's first year. There are going to be growing pains. He might win games he is suppose to lose and lose games he is suppose to win. I would say 5-7 at the worst and 8-4 at the best. The worst assuming David Ash's foot injury doesn't heal properly which can happen. 

It will be interesting to see if Jerrod Heard can win the backup role, Charlie Strong isn't afraid to start true freshman QBs. 

 

[doc longhorn]

I watched College Football Live today and listened to Joe Schad and Andre Ware talk about the Texas Spring game.  On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the greatest concern, Schad gave the QB position at Texas a 9 and Andre Ware gave it a 7.  Lightly put they did not think Tyrone Swoopes was going to take us very far this year if Ash is not back.

There were other things said by both, particularly by Andre Ware, that made me upset but what do you expect from a guy that wasn't recruited to play qb at UT.  He took his jabs at Texas in a non-subjective manner (IMO) and basically said Texas is a 6 or 7 win team this season.  He also mad mention of how he and UH beat UT 3 times and how Baylor has whipped Texas on the field lately and also in recruiting.

Looking at the schedule I cannot say that I disagree (SMH).

My win predictions for the '14 season based on the schedule:

vs North Texas - WIN

vs. BYU  - LOSS

vs. UCLA  LOSS

vs.  Kansas - WIN

vs.  Baylor - LOSS

vs.  Oklahoma - LOSS

vs.  Iowa State - WIN

vs.  Kansas State - WIN

vs  Texas Tech - WIN

vs  West Virginia - WIN

vs  Oklahoma State - LOSS

vs. TCU - WIN

What does everyone else think?  I was downright mad after watching that show today.

Here is the way I see it:

vs North Texas - WIN - NTS won't even score a TD.

vs. BYU  - WIN - game is in Austin and we will be well representated.  The wives and children of the BSU players will go home disappointed.

vs. UCLA  LOSS - Their talent is better and their coaching is as good as ours.

vs.  Kansas - WIN - we own Kansas and they know it.

vs.  Baylor - WIN - game is in Austin and we will be looking for them.

vs.  Oklahoma - WIN - what has OU done to improve themselves over last year?  Knight is barely better than Bell and Case McCoy beat them - Case McCoy, for god's sake.

vs.  Iowa State - WIN - they will be feisty, but ISU knows how this will end

vs.  Kansas State - WIN - Snyder is not Merlin - he was just smarter than Mack.

vs  Texas Tech - WIN - Boy toy will not like this day

vs  West Virginia - WIN - and handily and by a large score.

vs  Oklahoma State - WIN - Gundy and his players are like Mack was against KSU - deep down, they don't think they can beat UT.

vs  TCU - WIN - a possible trap game, Patterson is an excellent coach.  But they can't match our talent and Mack is gone

UT will win the conference, but lose to Alabama in the bowl game.

 

[HornNdriftwood]

When has BU EVER beat us in recruiting? Show me a link to any recruiting service that had Baylor finish ahead of UT at any time in history.

Ware is a douche and I'm beginning to suspect Schad, too.

You can't factor in injuries when trying to predict. Who knows which team will be healty or hurt when game time rolls around. Our QB situation will be much different in the fall. We'll have 4 Qbs instead of just 1.

I think we win 9 games with a good shot at 10 (counting a bowl).

What I love best about the college game is you never know how 18-19 yr. old kids will respond year-to-year. Stars out of HS mean something, coaching and scheme mean somethig. But as much as these discipline and attitude mean something, too. Win the battle up front and out-execute the other guy and you'll probably win on Saturdays.

One thing we didn't see on Saturday which could have a big impact in the fall is special teams. As DKR used to say, special teams are 1/3 of the game. I think CS's teams will be like Snyder's KSU teams. Great defense, great special teams and an O that moves the chains. That formula will win conference championships.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

Guys, quit listening to the media! Ash is no more likely to suffer a head injury than anyone else, at least so say the medical professionals. Throughout 2005, I kept hoping that Vince would stay healthy, and he did.

What you're not accounting for is how good the 2005 OL was. When talking about Ash's risk factors, you have to take into account the OL play.

 

[HornSolo]

I'm in at 9-4, that includes a bowl win and a victory over the land thieves. Could be a long year.

 

[86MEHorn]

Low-end, 7-5 if we don't get Ash healthy or Wittek signed

High-end, 9-3...we've got no lay-ups on this schedule

Same on the low end. I'd go 10 - 2 (Ash finishes the year) on the high. There are a few other question marks for QBs in the B12 this year.