5 Takeaways from an embarrassing loss in Ames

[Mike Roach]

1. I'm not sure there's a word to describe what we saw from Texas tonight

Because flat doesn't begin to accurately portray what Texas put out on the field tonight. All of the progress gained in the last three weeks is out the window after Iowa State proved to be the better team in every aspect of the game. Paul Rhoades had his team ready to play and the Cyclones physically punched Texas in the mouth from the beginning. The defense wasn't atrocious but they could not get off the field, and the offense was a complete negative. The hallmark identity of the physical run game Texas found in performances against Oklahoma and Kansas State disappeared as the Longhorns struggled to cross midfield the entire game. This was worse than TCU and it was worse than Notre Dame because those teams were better by a lot. Which brings me to my next point.

2. This isn't about lack of talent

Texas was facing a team in all sorts of trouble with a new offensive coordinator and quarterback and a team full of players who would never sniff an offer at Texas. The Longhorns didn't execute and the coaches did not have them prepared for what they encountered. While many might say trap game, this was a beating that left no doubt. Give credit to the Cyclones and their coaches because they owned that game from the opening kickoff. It's been said throughout Strong's tenure that people will forgive you for losses but not for embarrassments. Texas is once again at a crisis point in their season.

3. Texas is a mediocre team

Failure to string together consistent performances is what separates mediocre teams from good ones. Nothing is a given, not even the Kansas game next week. The Longhorns seem to be lost in the wilderness once again looking for the magical elixir that brings them back to where they used to be. There will be questions about Strong once again after this game and even though I think it's still a bit too early, the questions are starting to become more fair. Recruits might once again start questioning their commitments which is their right because it's their future that looks murky here. Winning solves a lot, losses hurt a little, and blowouts are devastating.

4. Is Jerrod Heard regressing?

The truth is the progression of a young quarterback is not linear. To treat is a such is a foolish exercise, but the passing game is non existent, and the dangers Heard once posed with his legs are no longer there. Teams are starting to figure out how to defend the Texas quarterback and Norvell has not been able to counter that ability. The offense is one dimensional and seems to operate in a box of about six plays the Longhorns are comfortable with running. With games looming against high powered offenses like Texas Tech and Baylor and a road trip to Morgantown it's tough to see those issues fixing themselves.

5. You have to win the ones you're favored in

For a team like this, the margins are incredibly thin and you have to win the games you are favored to win. To get bowl eligible Texas now has to take three of the next four and the chance to make a late season run probably ended tonight. To make matters worse it looks like Texas will have to sweep the next three because a win in Waco to end the season looks impossible right now. You can't giveaway opportunities against teams playing at a similar level. The good news is Texas will have a good chance to get back on the right track next week against Kansas, but all bets are off.

 

[MikeV73]

We only came up with five? I lost my desire to watch this team after the TCU game, drew me back with the OU win, but this is pathetic. Looking forward to hoops and baseball at this point. No desire to coach or play to their fullest abilities in this one. Every person involved with this disaster sucks.

 

[DMAC]

Fool me 7 times shame on you, fool me 8 times shame on me?  Considering we are 8-12 and in 2 years.

 

[TeamMayhall]

1. I'm not sure there's a word to describe what we saw from Texas tonight[/size

 

There's definitely a word to describe tonight performance but Im too reserved to type it

 

[North Texas Golfer]

Totally disgusting performance by the offense and coaching staff.

But once again, Mike provides one of the best synopsis of the game that you will read anywhere.

 

[TeamMayhall]

[Tweet =https://twitter.com/ChipBrownHD/status/660682028027809792]

 

[Shannon Kelley]

There are no other changes you can do with your offensive staff once you have replaced your OC.. The only other change Strong can make, is to hire another OC right after the season, IF that will suffice. Yes, you can change your OL coach, your QB coach, your WR coach, your TE coach, and your RB coach, but all those coaches with the exception of your OL coach, all fall in line with your OC''s demands. Typically, your OL coach and OC work very closely together. If they don't, you got the wrong OC.. I do not profess to know the answer, other than recruiting AT THIS POINT. 

What I will say, is that recruiting usually is the answer. I said "usually"...here is what I do know. It seems we have been behind the 8 ball with recruiting, development of the recruits and team play for some time. The one position you HAVE to get right, is your QB..Everything else on the O, comes in a distant 2 nd place. Heard has talent and can be really good. He's young, very young..I think he can be developed, but that takes a minute....Strong will have another season to show where the trend of the program is heading. If it trends down, then the state of the program will be the proof in the pudding. I believe Strong will be judged by the "State of the program' more than he will be judged by wins and losses on the short. It will depend on how we win and how we lose next year. One more year will be what he gets, UNLESS the bottom completely falls out for the rest of the season. We need to win these last few games, or at least show we have a competitive product we are trouncing out on the field!

 

[Ryan Bridges]

The reason I was worried for Texas going into this game was that we know it's an immature team, and one not accustomed to success. Backed into a corner, they stomped an OU team that didn't look prepared. Then they had to prove that game wasn't a fluke by beating Bill Snyder, and they did, albeit with weather that suited the game plan.

What I thought might happen was that the young players would get ahead of themselves, and would think about how they mashed OU and KSU and expect that it would be easy to do the same to Iowa State. Even worse, if that happened, there would be no upperclassmen -- no Brian Orakpos -- to shut that thinking down. Would it even surprise you if it was the upperclassmen leading the charge?

Right now this team can only be motivated by doubters and criticism. I don't know how much of that to put on the coaches. I find it hard to believe Charlie isn't a good motivator, and you've also got guys like Quentin Jammer on Twitter saying it's up to the players to motivate themselves, and that if they love football and Texas that shouldn't be hard. I tend to agree.

 

[Ryan Bridges]

One other quick thought before I go to sleep (don't ask):

The thinking before the season was that Swoopes better understood the offense and could stress defenses more with packaged plays, but then it turned out he was shell-shocked, or maybe just that our thinking about him was wrong. We were pretty sure Heard couldn't do those things.

He can't. The offense is predictable and limited because Heard is predictable and limited. When we have Marcus Johnson 1-on-1 in a 20-yard-wide area with a corner playing 8 yards deep and backpedaling at the snap, and our QB can't see that that's a decision defenses should be punished for ... and instead we run between the tackles into Cover 0 ...

Texas needs a QB who understands what the offense is trying to do. That QB could still be Heard. Texas also needs a QB coach who can teach said QB what the offense is trying to do. Clearly that QB coach is not Shawn Watson.

 

[Coal Harbour]

2. This isn't about lack of talent

Texas was facing a team in all sorts of trouble with a new offensive coordinator and quarterback and a team full of players who would never sniff an offer at Texas. The Longhorns didn't execute and the coaches did not have them prepared for what they encountered. While many might say trap game, this was a beating that left no doubt. Give credit to the Cyclones and their coaches because they owned that game from the opening kickoff. It's been said throughout Strong's tenure that people will forgive you for losses but not for embarrassments. Texas is once again at a crisis point in their season.

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Sorry, but the hell it isn't!!  You have (2) QB's who struggle with the forward pass, which is a pretty big deal when playing the position.  An OL that is so talented, that (2) true freshman have to start for crying out loud!!  The TE position that has been upgraded by starting a DE and a true freshman who starts at WR and that isn't b/c he is NFL ready.  Besides the RB position, it is ALL ABOUT A LACK OF TALENT!

The defense spotlights a DL with (1) possible NFL player in Ridgeway and the best player on the whole damn defense is a true freshman at MLB.  The secondary features (2) walk-on safeties, WHICH START and the best athletes on defense, other than Malik, are Hill and Boyd, which are true freshman.  Duke will get a look at the next level.

I wouldn't trust the placekicker in an intramural (surely mispelled) game.  The inconsistency is ALL ABOUT A LACK OF TALENT and youth.  The coaching staff doesn't have a chance until the youth of this team continues to grow over the next couple of years and has a couple more recruiting classes.  I simply can't blame the coaching staff with the current personnel on the field.  Its a freakin' miracle they were able to pull in the talent that they did from the last recruiting class.

 

[Eastexhorn]

coal Harbor agree 100% I have saw other teams playing true freshmen who could start at Texas espically RBS.

Some how the coaches seem to not be in control too much internal bickering between classes and too many mental mistakes.

 

[Mike Roach]

2. This isn't about lack of talent

Texas was facing a team in all sorts of trouble with a new offensive coordinator and quarterback and a team full of players who would never sniff an offer at Texas. The Longhorns didn't execute and the coaches did not have them prepared for what they encountered. While many might say trap game, this was a beating that left no doubt. Give credit to the Cyclones and their coaches because they owned that game from the opening kickoff. It's been said throughout Strong's tenure that people will forgive you for losses but not for embarrassments. Texas is once again at a crisis point in their season.

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Sorry, but the hell it isn't!! You have (2) QB's who struggle with the forward pass, which is a pretty big deal when playing the position. An OL that is so talented, that (2) true freshman have to start for crying out loud!! The TE position that has been upgraded by starting a DE and a true freshman who starts at WR and that isn't b/c he is NFL ready. Besides the RB position, it is ALL ABOUT A LACK OF TALENT!

The defense spotlights a DL with (1) possible NFL player in Ridgeway and the best player on the whole damn defense is a true freshman at MLB. The secondary features (2) walk-on safeties, WHICH START and the best athletes on defense, other than Malik, are Hill and Boyd, which are true freshman. Duke will get a look at the next level.

I wouldn't trust the placekicker in an intramural (surely mispelled) game. The inconsistency is ALL ABOUT A LACK OF TALENT and youth. The coaching staff doesn't have a chance until the youth of this team continues to grow over the next couple of years and has a couple more recruiting classes. I simply can't blame the coaching staff with the current personnel on the field. Its a freakin' miracle they were able to pull in the talent that they did from the last recruiting class.

So where was the lack of talent in the last 2 games?

Before the game started how many players do you think from Texas would have started at Iowa State? Spoiler alert: a majority of them.

 

[Coal Harbour]

So where was the lack of talent in the last 2 games?

Before the game started how many players do you think from Texas would have started at Iowa State? Spoiler alert: a majority of them.

Yes, there was a lack of talent the last two games.  Winning a game or two doesn't define your football team or the talent of your roster.  Many wanted to believe this thing was turned around.  How many teams win consistently being one dimensional, which is another way of saying the coaching staff is hiding their deficincies.

Who cares if a majority of UT players could start for Iowa State.  Are you saying it was a fluke?  Something about 24-0 suggests more of an a$$ kicking than a fluke.  I believe in the coaching staff, well, Coach Strong, once he gets a number of recruiting classes in house, but until he does, this roster seems to be playing with a short deck that can be exposed at any time or at least, at any visiting stadium.

 

[texasdalton]

There is enough talent to beat Oklahoma. If we have glaring needs at certain positions then you come up with a gameplan to work around those needs. That is what a coach is suppose to do, coach. Strong always talks about making the other team one dimensional, how the hell are you not going to address our own teams shortcomings with not having a passing game. Another thing why the hell is Norvel and Traylor down on the field instead of up in the press box, the only saving grace for them better be that Watson was feeding them bad intel out of spite for losing OC duties. If Watson is on the staff after the season then i will have lost the little faith that remains for Coach Strong.

 

[Mike Roach]

Yes, there was a lack of talent the last two games. Winning a game or two doesn't define your football team or the talent of your roster. Many wanted to believe this thing was turned around. How many teams win consistently being one dimensional, which is another way of saying the coaching staff is hiding their deficincies.

Who cares if a majority of UT players could start for Iowa State. Are you saying it was a fluke? Something about 24-0 suggests more of an a$$ kicking than a fluke. I believe in the coaching staff, well, Coach Strong, once he gets a number of recruiting classes in house, but until he does, this roster seems to be playing with a short deck that can be exposed at any time or at least, at any visiting stadium.

No I don't think it's a fluke and that's my point. It was an ass kicking from a less talented team. Outplayed and out coached by a less talented team. It was not a fluke and it wasn't due to being outmatched. More talented teams get beat a lot by less talented ones.

 

[North Texas Golfer]

No I don't think it's a fluke and that's my point. It was an ass kicking from a less talented team. Outplayed and out coached by a less talented team. It was not a fluke and it wasn't due to being outmatched. More talented teams get beat a lot by less talented ones.

Mike, you have a real knack for being to boil things down and simply state what is taking place in a very concise manner. No waste of words whatsoever. Kudos my friend! 

 

[Sirhornsalot]

Jeff Traylor designed the two-back set that beat OU and K State. Against Iowa State, we got well away from that and decided to test their secondary with a QB who doesn't want to throw.

Here's what I lay at Charlie's feet . . . at halftime, you go up to Norvell and say "enough of this shit, get back to what we did best and what beat OU. You're trying to be who we are not."

I give the keys to Traylor and let him audition.

 

[Danny Hale]

if Norvell keeps calling plays and Wickline sends Doyle and Flowers out to start Kansas game then Charlie has no clue about offensive football. we all assumed Watson was bad hire as play caller from the start but most thought he could develop QB`s which he clearly can not. Everyone thought Wickline was home run hire and yet his position group has been putrid for 2 years outside of Vahe,Williams and Perkins. then continuing to play the 2 seniors is killing the offense. playing J.Gray because he is good person is not helping either Gray can help if we passed the ball to RB`s but the only player used in pass game is Daje who is clueless on how to play WR.

on defense Chris Vaughn has shit the bed by not playing his most talented players from beginning. Haines is great story but he is huge liability and player any good OC will exploit. Hall is lost on pass defense and should only play as run support safety. Bonney is not a corner or nickleback he is a free safety but he plays out of position and ahead of Kris Boyd who is clearly a better player. Davante Davis and Holton Hill will make mistakes but are only DB`S that play who can tackle and make any deflected passes. yet the same players play.

overall this is a poorly coached team with marginal talent that plays with little intensity most games. i would like for Charlie to be the one to turn Texas around but unless he starts holding upperclassmen and coaches accountable his tenure at Texas should be over.when the same performance keeps happening over and over either Charlie can fix the problem or he is the problem

 

[Coal Harbour]

Sir, good point; CS talked up DeLaTorre alot following the KSU game and there didn't seem to be a plan B after he got injured.  I really don't think it matters if you bring in a different OC every week, its like being in a fist fight with one arm tied behind your back.  Sorry Mike, the lack of talent at the QB position is the issue.  I remember a certain OC back in the day that folks wanted run out of town, then Vince arrived on the 40 and he become much smarter.  QB's make OC's in college football, not the other way around.  The downfall of the program began with Gilbert being an average QB as it cost Mack Brown his job in the long run and may in fact cost Charlie his as well.