My Longterm Concern

[Seldomseenhorn]

I don't think the problems we are having on offense (weak OL, young QB, avg receivers) once they are fixed with time will solve our main problem. In the big 12 we play teams with spread offenses every week and average defenses at best. Most of the top talent in Texas high schools play spread offenses. This puts us at a big disadvantage in 3 areas - recruiting, scoring, and our defense being able to practice against the spread everyday. With CS, we should always have a better defense than our opponents and with a potent offense we should be playing for the big 12 championship every year. Even Saban has come to realize that the spread is tough to defense. The team east of us has been able to have a lousy defense, but was able to just out score the other team in a few of their games. Just my 2 cents after trying to stay awake watching our offense the last 3 games.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

It's a legitimate concern.

I was excited about the Wickline hire, originally, because I thought we would implement the OSU spread offense.  That hasn't happened and it isn't necessarily due to our personnel's shortcomings.  Power Running + West Coast Passing?  I don't know if it will appeal to TX high school recruits, either.

Top skill players in TX like what Sumlin and Briles are doing with their offenses.  Can't say that I blame 'em.  It's an easy transition for most and fun to play.  Yeah, I'm worried about this offense.

 

[Lukus Alderman]

There's no way to know what kind of offense we will have in the future after the first four games of this season.

 

[Sirhornsalot]

I have seen Wickline take a patchwork group of average OL and turn them into a formidable group by season's end. So I hold out hope for the OL if only because Wickline is calling the shots there.

Watson calls the shots on play calling and scheme. I doubt we'd do any better right now in the spread. We've got to get better at QB as we get better on the OL. Those two things happen, we're a different team. And I think they will, although I'm more optimistic about the OL than I am about QB.

 

[Seldomseenhorn]

There's no way to know what kind of offense we will have in the future after the first four games of this season.

I agree with you on not knowing after 4 games, but for future recruiting and being able to have a offense that can score quickly and come from behind and take advantage of all the 7 on 7 kids out there might be something that CS might consider. Bring in a spread knowledgeable coach to work along side Watson and Wickline and maybe add a few wrinkles to the offense. I watched the piggys and farmers game and the farmers were a lot more scary on offense and should have lost, but a few quick scores and they live another week. The spread can hide a lot of zits on the offense with a good QB and speedy receivers.

 

[echeese]

If you actually watch Watson's offense from the Teddy Bridgewater years at UL, you see a very diverse offense and a great deal of spread

But I think you are confusing spread with up tempo. . . . Baylor and TT's defenses largely suck so they use their O to force other teams out of their game plan.

If you look at the commits we have so far and the interest we are getting, I am not at all worried about future recruiting. . . .we saw Chip Kelly's vaunted offense spit the bit at SF today, they scored ZERO points. . . 

If there was just one offense, everyone would run it. . . you still win titles with defense. . . .

 

[Stringer Bell]

I mostly agree with you, but look at a school like Stanford in the Pac 12. They play in a wide open and similar league to the BIg 12 with less money, talent, resources, ect. than Texas. They have been a dominant program the last 5 years with a power run scheme and a great defense. They have committed to a scheme and stuck with it unlike the past few years of the MB era where we have had no identity and multiple coordinators with different philosophies. Any offense can work with the right personel and execution. Right now we simply dont have the o-line to run the offense CS and watson want to run, but im optimistic that in a few years with this staff and incoming recruits we should be ready to recclaim our place on the top of the standings 

 

[joeywa]

One thing I think that is missing in this discussion, (and I really like this type of banter,) is that the staff appears to be doing as much as they can with the tools with which they have to work. 

The QB is a work in progress.  The OL is severly decimated, by suspension and injury, and the WRs are progressing, albelit slowly. 

This is a long-term project, not a quick fix.  The depth isn't there yet.  The talent, while showing some signs, is spotty and raw. 

 

[Sejjr]

Problem is, we just don't know enough yet about Watson's acumen as a play-caller at this point. There are so many deficiencies in this offense, with the most glaring being the O-line, followed by the QB. I think Watson has shown that he is an excellent QB coach and developer of the skill set required at this level. I also think that offensive styles are cyclical and there is a lot of copy-catting that happens at the college and pro level. The one constant is, defense wins titles. So I am comfortable with the current direction right now. The next 2 games will be extremely telling for CS and this staff. 

 

[Duke C #11]

Stanford does not have less money and resources than UT. Their entire athletic department is fully endowed, unlike UT. Being a private school, they play by different rules. 

 

[Chitownhorn]

One thing I think that is missing in this discussion, (and I really like this type of banter,) is that the staff appears to be doing as much as they can with the tools with which they have to work. 

The QB is a work in progress.  The OL is severly decimated, by suspension and injury, and the WRs are progressing, albelit slowly. 

This is a long-term project, not a quick fix.  The depth isn't there yet.  The talent, while showing some signs, is spotty and raw. 

I agree the the staff does have their hands somewhat tied due to a weak OL. It looks like they tend to run mostly 3 WR sets and keep the TE and a back in to block to help the OL.

It will be interesting to see what Watson's offense looks like once the OL progresses to a point where he can use more 4 WR sets and moving a back into the slot at times. 

 

[Davharjac]

Texas plays in the gun and in the pistol a lot, that's not really as far away from the spread concepts as one would think. What they do not do is go hurry hurry like other teams in the Big 12. I will admit they are hard to watch at this point though. 

 

[bcherry168]

With the current problems with our offense, it would be silly to go "hurry up" except in short doses. We need to keep the defense off the field as long as possible. As the offense improves and becomes more consistent, I suspect that the tempo may change a bit as well.

As for recruiting: it appears to me that Strong right now prefers an Alabama like structure of a strong defense and a consistent and varied offense. I don't see Alabama having any trouble recruiting. Saban doesn't run a hurry up spread, either.

We all just have to deal with the fact that the team is what it is right now, and it is going to take time to get to the level we want.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

The main disadvantage of not playing a spread offense is that your QB has a much more complicated job (reading the defense, making progressions, etc.) There aren't that many HS quarterbacks that are prepared for this kind of offense.

You're recruiting from a smaller pool of players and that makes a miss hurt more.

 

[echeese]

The main disadvantage of not playing a spread offense is that your QB has a much more complicated job (reading the defense, making progressions, etc.) There aren't that many HS quarterbacks that are prepared for this kind of offense.

You're recruiting from a smaller pool of players and that makes a miss hurt more.

Since you are only taking 1 QB a year, misses hurt the same.

But didn't realize that spread QBs don't read progressions or defenses . ..but this is a great reason why you red shirt QBs, to teach them.

 

[bcherry168]

The problem is that we have to recruit QBs in sufficient numbers to red shirt them. That has not been done for years. That is why we have a true freshman as our #2 QB. This has to change, because even the can't miss recruits don't pan out (Gilbert) or the good ones get hurt (Colt McCoy,Ash). There is safety in numbers. We are short at least 2 scholarship QBs right now, and will be next year as well if we don't take more than we have committed.

 

[Topstarr]

Texas problem: You have to change play calling when you try to run through the middle and get 2 yds and kick after 3 downs.  YOU just do not have to have "Book Sense" to change...this kind of football playing just makes me sick.

BOX 8

 

[JimR]

Texas problem: You have to change play calling when you try to run through the middle and get 2 yds and kick after 3 downs.  YOU just do not have to have "Book Sense" to change...this kind of football playing just makes me sick.

BOX 8

simple solution: stop watching. 

 

[echeese]

The problem is that we have to recruit QBs in sufficient numbers to red shirt them. That has not been done for years. That is why we have a true freshman as our #2 QB. This has to change, because even the can't miss recruits don't pan out (Gilbert) or the good ones get hurt (Colt McCoy,Ash). There is safety in numbers. We are short at least 2 scholarship QBs right now, and will be next year as well if we don't take more than we have committed.

Actually we recruited enough, we did not manage them well and 3 of them transferred . .. though not taking one in 08 came back to haunt us

I'll wager Mr Brewer regrets his decision as he would have started last and and this most likely. . . .