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ESPN is announcing that when Texas & OU join the SEC, the 6 conference foes per year model is gaining favor with 3 permanent opponents. If so, who would our permanent opponents be? I think they would most definitely be OU and A&M. Now for the third? I would prefer LSU for recruiting reasons, but would we be stuck with Arkansas? Your thoughts?

My thoughts. 1. I have no idea if Sark will make it and get us where we want to go. 2. I think he does need at least 3-4 years more to attempt to get it fixed. Why you ask.. I have never started a thread like this and I really do not care who believes it etc. But here it goes. I am lucky enough to be good friend with several big time recruits parents right now. Here is a little feedback from them about the Texas program. Here are their thoughts 1. They think Sark is a good coach and can win here.. (they really like Sark) 2. Sark walked into a mess 3. Concerned fans and boosters will not give him time to fix it. Another coaching change scares them 4. The think the roster and culture is rotten. Bad players, bad mindset etc etc ( They think a ton of players need to leave) 5. Immediate playing time is important. 6. SEC move is good. Hook'em

Texas 2018 Schedule and Way Too Early Predictions 1. @ Maryland Terrapins (4-8 in 2017) – After the debacle in 2017, you'd think Tom Herman and the Horns will have this one penciled on the calendar already. Its the first game of a new season and its on the road. Plenty to worry about for Herman and staff. That said, we're not the same team we were last year. We no longer start a freshman QB and now have an OL worthy of game planning for. Orlando's defense should get a test here with some new faces in the secondary and in the interior. Texas 42 Maryland 21 2. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-8 in 2017) – Tulsa will hope to rebound from a dismal season last year. But even last year, they had the potential to do great things as evidenced by their convincing win over Houston. So Texas can't dismiss this as a gimmie game. The Horns will have to work for it. Its the home opener. Texas 56 Tulsa 17 3. USC Trojans (11-3 in 2017) – Texas will be looking for payback after the heartbreaker last year in LA. And I think they'll get it. USC is no doubt a talented team every year. But they will be looking to replace an AA at QB, AA at TB and many other notable departures. Texas will have home field advantage, as well. Everything spells a Texas win here as USC appears to be rebuilding at the skill positions. This will be USC's second road game in a row, following their conference opener at Stanford. Texas 34 USC 14 4. TCU Horned Frogs (11-3 in 2017) – What a way to start conference play. Gone is TCU QB Hill and now we have Shawn Robinson. He's athletic and dangerous both in the air and with his feet. This might be our toughest conference game. Its at home though and TCU plays Ohio State the week before. Texas 17 TCU 14 5. @ Kansas State Wildcats (8-5 in 2017) – KSU is one of the few teams in the Big 12 not breaking in a new QB. They have Ernst back and plenty of weapons around him. Defense appears to be the same Snyder tough standard they usually have. I believe this is Snyder's last season at KSU and I even think he announces prior to the Texas game at some point. Its tough to beat KSU, even tougher to do that in Manhattan. Kansas St 27 Texas 24 6. Oklahoma Sooners (12-2 in 2017) @ Dallas – Gone is the Heisman winner. Gone is his AA left tackle Orlando Brown, and a host of other big players on both sides of the ball. Texas matched up well with OU last year despite being very young. The tables are much more even if not tilted in Texas' direction this time. By the way, don't be surprised if OU comes into this game with a loss in their opener against FAU. Texas 36 OU 14 7. Baylor Bears (1-11 in 2017) – The only way Texas loses this game is if we come into it sleepwalking and looking ahead. I don't think that happens. Texas 54 Baylor 25 8. @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-3 in 2017) – Stillwater is never an easy place to play, especially at night. But gone are a number of their primary weapons, including their AA QB. Nevertheless, the Mullet seems to have established a plug and play system that works for them. OSU will be down, but should not be taken lightly. Texas 24 OSU 21 9. West Virginia Mountaineers (7-5 in 2017) – Returning arguably the best QB in the Big 12 and possibly a Heisman candidate, the Mountaineers are going to contend for the title in 2018. Their weakness is their depth. If they stay healthy, Texas will have their hands full. West Virginia 32 Texas 30 10. @ Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-7 in 2017) – I expect Tech to struggle, even offensively, in 2018. Another new QB must emerge and at other key positions. While Kingsbury has a knack for finding QBs, he's not in a position to not have success. I expect this will be his last season in the panhandle if the season heads south for them, again. Texas won't save him this time. Texas 45 Texas Tech 16 11. Iowa State Cyclones (8-5 in 2017) – The Cyclones always play Texas tough. Any time they win, its a signature win for their program. They established some momentum last year that I expect to carry over, despite their losses to graduation. Still, this one's at home and we're finding ourselves by this time in the season. Texas 47 Iowa State 18 12. @ Kansas Jayhawks (1-11 in 2017) – Texas will not overlook KU this time, especially with a possible date in the conference championship on the line. Herman convinces his team KU is primed to upset us and his team will believe him. Texas 57 Kansas 10 Obviously, my predictions reflect a belief in resolving many of the issues we had last year. In 2018, we'll have depth and options along the OL. We'll have depth at QB and WR. We'll have two TEs who are going to be VERY good. Brewer is already showing glimpses of David Thomas. At TB, I think Ingram starts soon after the season begins. He's that good. He just needs to stay healthy. Hopefully, Johnson can return and log some time without injury. What say you?

For 2018, the NCAA has changed how they'll do the seeding for the CWS Tournament. See the article below from Kendall Rogers at www.D1Baseball.com ************************************************************************** Top Seeding Changes Coming To Tourney News Kendall Rogers - October 6, 2017 For years, college baseball coaches and fans alike have asked the same question about how the NCAA tournament field is assembled. “If softball can seed the top teams in the tournament 1-16, why can’t baseball?”. That’s the question that has been on everyone’s mind for at least the past decade. It was guaranteed to come up at every State of Baseball press conference in Omaha, and it has always been a topic of discussion at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention as well. That question no longer needs to be asked, as the NCAA baseball postseason format will include seeding the Top 16 teams and regional hosts in the field of 64 as opposed to just the Top 8 teams that we’re accustomed to, a measure that was approved this past week by the Division I Baseball Committee and subsequently by the NCAA Competition Oversight Committee. “This is a big deal for our sport. We have to continue making the tournament better and by going 1-16 with the top seeds, it makes our tournament more equal to all areas,” Sidwell said. “The committee felt strongly that this was something we should do. There were times when there were particular restrictions on travel, mileage and things like that, but we wanted to grow the game and make the tourney better. “So, now we’re at 1-16, and I think we get more of a true field,” he continued. “We will have true matchups in super regionals for the teams in the Top 16. My biggest thing is looking at our great sport and find ways that we can grow the game and make everything better, whether it’s pace of play or simply tweaking some things in regards to the postseason.” The best news? It’ll start in 2018 and the format will call for 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, and so on in the super regional round. Should one of those seeds get upset in the regional round, the winner of the regional would replace them as that seed and there would not be a reseeding process, a potential future change that many coaches are still in favor of. “This is a great step forward for our sport and long overdue,” TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “College baseball has grown to the point that regionalization of the NCAA tournament should be an afterthought to putting the best possible tournament structure together."Committee chairman Scott Sidwell has been a strong proponent of seeding 1-16. For the most part, the feeling from the NCAA had always been that it wants to help grow and promote the sport in different parts of the country, while also hoping to present supers that will be buzzy for television ratings and attractive matchups. Therefore, we have consistently ended up with outstanding super regionals such as Florida-Florida State, Florida-Miami, of course TCU-Texas A&M, and out on the West Coast, it was a virtual guarantee that some of those teams would be paired in the supers round. While exciting, it left a salty taste in the mouths of several coaches over the years. “I just think it’s going to be a different angle on the postseason. Instead of making it more regionalized like the past, it’s going to be much more national in scope,” Cal State Fullerton coach Rick Vanderhook said. “This was a good day for the California schools, and frankly, other teams like Florida, Florida State and Miami, along with TCU and Texas A&M. Now, you’ll have multiple teams from multiple areas paired up in supers, which is good for the game. It makes this a national thing.” But the idea of shifting away from ranking the traditional 1-8 national seeds and moving to a 1-16 seeding format began to gain more traction this past summer in Omaha, thanks to NCAA Division I Committee chairman Scott Sidwell, the athletic director at the University of San Francisco, and others. Sidwell never budged when asked about the possibility of seeding 1-16. He would always say “absolutely”, and by the end of his trip to Omaha, he made it clear it was his mission to make sure that change occurred before his tenure was up. He and other members of the committee didn’t waste any time and college baseball will now see a much-needed change take place With the premier teams and regional hosts being seeded 1-16, the next question from many around the sport will be about potentially seeding 1-64. Though you can’t say never after today’s news, the likelihood of that occurring in the near future is small. There are some serious obstacles against seeding all 64 teams in the postseason. Unlike basketball, which has almost every game televised on some sort of platform, there are still some conferences where viewing games is a challenge. Of course, there are regional advisory committees, but I doubt the committee will want to rely solely on that and metrics to make those tough decisions in the 50-64 range. “Going to 64 at some point would be challenging because there are so many championships and the way we do our championship would in theory affect other championships,” Sidwell said. “There are some financial concerns with going to a 1-64 seeding, and some other items that we’d need to look at.” For now, consider it a win for Sidwell and the sport. We finally got 1-16.

The Longhorns are set to host Bill Snyder and the Kansas State Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. central this Saturday in Austin. The Longhorns are currently 4-point favorites, but are 3-7 against Bill Snyder’s Wildcats in their last 10 meetings. Here what our staff has to say: Daniel Seahorn I never feel comfortable when it comes to Texas playing the Purple Wizard and his Wildcats. Never. Offensively they don’t have Collin Klien, Jordy Nelson, or a Tyler Lockett out there. They are going to pound the rock and utilize the QB run game. They want to have long, methodical drives on offense while having a solid defense that plays disciplined football and doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. This has been the recipe for some time. With the way the Texas defense has played since week one I think they will be up to the task of corralling Jesse Ertz and the Wildcat offense if things continue to carry over to this week. The Wildcats wanting to run the ball plays a bit into Texas’ hand as they’ve shown they can take the run game away. The offense on the other hand has me worried. They struggled mightily against ISU and the offensive line is starting a pair of tackles that in an ideal situation probably wouldn’t be out there right now for Texas. I expect K-State to dial up the edge pressures early and often. I truly don’t know what to expect from the offense at this point and that’s the primary thing giving me pause for my prediction. I think this ends up being a low scoring contest. I hope I end up being wrong on the outcome. KSU 24 – Texas 17 Jameson McCausland I was thinking this week about past games against Kansas State, and it just amazes me how poorly Texas seems to play against the Wildcats. Aside from a pair of wins at DKR in 2013 and 2015, the Longhorns have been handled by Kansas State easily. What I think changes this year is the defense for Texas. For years, I feel like poor fundamentals and coaching on the defensive side of the ball have plagued the Longhorns against the Wildcats, but Texas won’t have that problem this year. The offense will do just enough to get the job done and I think both Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger will see playing time. Tom Herman has said continuously that Texas needs to learn how to win, and I think the team is going to learn how to do just that with a tough fought victory on Saturday night. Texas 21 – KSU 17 Ross Labenske As always, the Kansas State-Texas game should prove to be a good one. The Wildcats are fresh off a near scare versus winless Baylor, and they will look to carry that momentum through Austin, Texas. Fortunately for the Longhorns, they have fared better at home against the Wildcats than in the Little Apple, winning 3 of the 6 games played in Austin since these two teams joined the Big-XII. If either team has any hope of competing for the Big-XII crown, especially the Longhorns, they need to win this one if they want to even be in the conversation. Shane Buechele practiced this past Tuesday with a taped ankle, so it might be a game-time decision if he starts. Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Longhorns will be stacked up against a solid defensive unit coached by Bill Snyder, which is in the Top-15 in the NCAA in scoring defense, averaging 15 points a game thus far, and #33 in the nation in rushing defense as well. It all comes down to the offensive line play for the Longhorns though, and if they can block for whoever is throwing the football and give way to a run game that gives plenty of carries to Chris Warren III, Toneil Carter and company. It’s gonna be a good one, but as to who’ll win it? Comes down to whoever makes the least mistakes. And for Texas, that margin for error is becoming smaller and smaller. Texas 21 – KSU 17 Aaron Carrara After playing the last two games on the road and splitting wins/losses, the Longhorns host a home matchup against a team that usually gets the better of them. The Wildcats will test a Texas defense that is peaking in just about every area, fully expecting senior quarterback Jesse Ertz to beat the Longhorns with a heavy dose of zone read and a sprinkle of passes. The Kansas State defense has done a fantastic job on the season, holding opponents to 21 points or less in each of their first four games. They lead the Big 12 in total defense, and hold teams to an average of 120 yard rushing per game. It’s no secret that the Longhorns have struggled in the run department which means Tim Beck will need to utilize his playmakers and find creative ways to gain positive yards on the ground. The defense has found a way to win the Longhorns games and this Saturday will be no different. Texas will score a defensive touchdown and pressure Ertz most of the game to help assist a Texas offense that struggles to find a run game. Texas 34 – KSU 31

New foods were released today. What are your thoughts? The Funnel Cake Bacon Queso Cheeseburger looks niiiiiccccety! https://bigtex.com/food/newfoods/

The Texas Longhorns (1-1, 0-0) will face the USC Trojans (2-0, 0-0), the sixth meeting between the two teams, at the Los Angeles Coliseum today at 7:30 pm. Texas looks to carry their momentum from the 56-0 win over San Jose State last weekend and win its second straight game, in the team’s first road contest of the season. USC, ranked #4 in the country, holds a 2-0 record after defeating Western Michigan in the season opener, and dismantling #14 Stanford at the Coliseum last weekend. The two teams last met in the 2005 BCS National Championship Game in which the Longhorns prevailed 41-38. Texas coach Tom Herman boasts impressive career numbers against ranked opponents as a head coach, with a perfect 6-0 record against ranked opponents, including a 3-0 record against Top-10 opponents. Texas Longhorns vs. USC Trojans Date: Saturday, September 16th, 2017 Time: 7:30 PM CST Television: FOX Venue: Los Angeles Coliseum Location: Los Angeles, CA Relevant Articles and Information: Staff Predictions – Texas vs. San Jose State The Line: Trojans favored by more than two touchdowns over Longhorns Get to know USC: Offense Texas – USC: Can the Longhorns pull off the upset? Get to know USC: Defense/Special Teams

The end of an era, and the birth of a new one. The writing has been on the wall for some time now and today it was finally made official by university officials. The Charlie Strong Texas Football era is over and it looks like his successor has all but officially been decided. Tom Herman you now have the floor in Austin. I last wrote about shoveling the dirt on Strong’s tenure as the head coach at Texas, so I won’t be spending time on the past. It is time to focus on the present and the future and with Strong being out of a job that means all eyes are now squarely on Herman. By this time most are probably pretty familiar with Herman’s resume. National championship as the offensive at coordinator and won it with his third string quarterback, instant success at Houston in 2015 with a 13-1 record that included a Peach Bowl win over Florida State, and followed that up with a 9-3 season that included wins over Oklahoma in the opener then a beat down of Lamar Jackson and Louisville last week. This is where everyone screams and hollers about Houston losing to Navy, SMU, and Memphis this year. This is where I say Navy may very well win the conference this year and win 10 games, Memphis was a ranked team just last year and won 8 games, and the SMU game… well yeah that was a bit of a WTF moment, but Houston was really banged up in the middle of the year. Even if that is your sticking point, the man just went 22-4 in two seasons in a place that isn’t used to winning as much as they were. They surely aren’t used to boat racing the likes of Oklahoma, Florida State, and Louisville in a two year span. They surely are not used to landing five star studs like Ed Oliver, and they are not used to almost stringing together consecutive 10 win seasons (never has happened in their history). Here’s another question for those that are in doubt, who would you hire given the state of the market right now? Chris Petersen was and is probably never is leaving the Pacific Northwest, Les Miles was a non-starter, and the Sabans, Meyers, and Dabos of the world are not leaving their current gigs. Any and all realistic options for the position came with flaws. Texas was going to have to gamble a bit, but they are gambling on the most attractive and most sought after name on the coaching carousel. Go up the road and ask the folks at LSU if they would take Tom Herman as their head coach right now. Anyone in that building who says Ed Orgeron was their guy from the start is flat out lying, and I love Coach O a ton. The LSU brass wanted Tom Herman and now they are having the roll the dice a bit themselves on a guy who had a less than stellar first stint as a head coach at Ole Miss. So I ask you, would you trade places with LSU right now and be comfortable making a similar hire? With Tom Herman you get a coach and staff with established Texas roots who could potentially rescue you from the recruiting purgatory you are currently stuck in due to the fact that the previous coach couldn’t show progress on the field this year. I’m not saying Texas is going to get ERRYBODY with the pending hire of Herman, but he no doubt gives you a shot in the arm down the home stretch and he is a very good recruiter who will now have the Texas brand behind him. I am particularly intrigued by the kind of staff Herman will put around himself with that increase in budget and resources, as he was already doing an outstanding job down in 3rd Ward with a much tighter budget. It’s been common knowledge for some time that Texas was his dream job, so I can’t imagine him being unprepared for making this leap to the big show after putting himself in the best position possible to reap the rewards if the job came open eventually. In this business you are not always going to be able to find the perfect candidate for the job. There is going to be some risk involved on the behalf of the university no doubt about, but what is a sure fire alternative at this point? One thing I can say for sure is that Herman will be inheriting a better situation than his predecessor a few years ago and there will be much higher expectations to win quicker due to the fact that the roster has much more talent on it and an established starter at quarterback. If Texas wins 10 games in the 2017, the new coaching staff better make sure they send some thank you cards to Charlie Strong, because he was able to put more talent on the depth chart during his stint in Austin. I know there many out there who have their doubts and I know there are plenty of people who still wanted Strong to stay all things considered, but Texas is where they are for reason. With a changing of the guard now isn’t the time to divide. Now more than ever everyone needs to come together and support the new coach, his staff, and the players. I know that will fall on deaf ears for some, but at this point the only direction to go is forward, and I think Texas fans in time will get excited to the brand of football coming to Austin.

Texas (5-5, 3-4) vs. Kansas (1-9, 0-7) Date: Saturday, November 19, 2017 Time: 2:30 PM CST Venue: Memorial Stadium Location: Lawrence, KS TV: ABC/ESPN2 All-time series record: Texas is 13-2 all-time against the Jayhwaks The Longhorns have won 13 consecutive in the series) Last meeting: Texas defeated Kansas 59-20 in Austin (November 7, 2015) The Longhorns look to become bowl eligible with a win over the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas. Texas lost a close one to West Virginia in Austin last weekend 20-24, while the Jayhawks lost to Iowa State in Lawrence 24-31 (their 9th straight loss). Relevant articles: Quick Takes: Kansas The Film Room: Breaking down Texas vs. West Virginia The stats behind Texas running back D'Onta Foreman's charge for 2,000 yards The Great Debate: Should Charlie Strong be afforded another year at Texas?

http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/contests/nissan/heisman/2016/#!/ You can vote everyday

Everyone knows by now, Horns @ Jayhawks kicks off at 2:30 p.m. I'll be in Lawrence by 9:30 a.m., parked in lot 54 with beer in hand by no later than 10 a.m. Who else will be making the trip? I know I had another topic started months ago about this and some of you commented/confirmed you'll be there. Since it's game week, I figure I'll ignite that convo again. Who is gonna be in Lawrence to watch Texas become bowl eligible?

"Hey, man! This Shane Buechele kid is somethin' special! And I tell ya what, man - this talent on this Texas team?! Hook 'Em Horns, man!" I don't know why, but anyone and everyone who doesn't follow this program thinks this is a realistic replacement candidate. Reasons: A.) Gruden still wants to coach, but on his terms. Meaning, it has to basically be a hand picked situation, not just any job. -Ok. I believe that theory. Most successful coaches at his age, with his resume, etc. Have that luxury. It's not a crazy concept. B.) Gruden has wanted to coach college ball, burnt out on the NFL. Runs his camp for young players -- namely QBs -- and enjoys developing guys. Tired of the NFL regiment, personable and feels like he could really recruit young kids, go into living rooms. Almost sort of has a Dabo/Jimbo feel to him. -Ok. Yeah, I suppose. C.) ESPN doesn't have the money it did when it signed him onto Monday Night Football, plus Torico is gone. -Ok. Not sure that really matters, unless the competing potential job is head coach at Texas, where he would probably make 3-to-5 times what he brings in now. However, such is the standard when he will work with 20-to-30 times the pressure and stress. So, I don't know if standing in a booth for four hours every Monday night after a week of hanging around teams really seems like something he would want to leave for everything the Texas job is. Which, while I don't agree about it being a cesspool, or any other hard reference Herbstreit gave it, I do believe there is a lot more BS that coaches have to deal with here. But it's not unwarranted. You don't want BS, it's simple: win. So, I don't know if ESPN NOT being able to pay him as much as what he makes right now when it's time for a new contract is reason enough to completely pivot and go the complete opposite direction and coach college football at Texas, where the look on his face the day he's introduced would be broken down and analyzed to predict how many wins he will have in his first season. D.) These folks who say this name think it's Texas, Alabama or USC that will pull Gruden to the college ranks. -Yeah. Water is also wet. Duh. E.) And when the name has been brought up on any platform, such as radio spots, both national or local, there's a genuine belief he wants to get back to coaching, period, that it may just be a void he wants to fill, so perhaps he isn't THAT picky about where he lands if he leaves ESPN. -Nah. No way. Not at this point in his life. And that's where I'm at. As obvious as the statement "well, it would have to be USC, or Alabama, or Texas" is, I just don't see this guy diving back into everything that coaching is, in what is quite honestly the more demanding of level of coaching: college football. So, I open this thread with these talking points I have heard, or engaged in, and I ask you all: Does the name Jon Gruden make your ears perk up? Or do you find yourself walking to the liquor cabinet in sadness, preparing to pour a strong scotch as you watch the program take 10 steps backwards? #HookEm

The early spread is Notre Dame -4.5. Buying or selling? I think it's going to be a close game. Up here in Indiana, every Irish fan talks a lot about last year's 38-3 nightmare. In fact, it's all they'll talk about. I don't know if they're just not paying attention to the current rosters, trending topics coming out of each camp, or what, but they don't see to care about anything other than last year's result, ignoring the ESPN FPI almost putting this game at a 50/50 toss up. Add that to the fact Notre Dame lost huge playmakers from last season on both sides of the ball while Texas has had an entire off-season to develop and improve its young talent. I know the Irish has two proven quarterbacks, but I don't look at their roster the same way I did last year. Anyway, what say you? I think the early spread is fair, and I bet it will stay put before dropping to Notre Dame -3 by game day.

https://twitter.com/TrentDomingue/status/757249202342678532 Domingue finished 13-of-17 on field goals and was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award during his junior season in 2015\. He chose to transfer from LSU after his scholarship was not renewed for his senior year.

Sorry for the least exciting thread on this board in quite some time, but I am on the search for two tickets to the game on Sept. 4. My wife and I will be arriving in Austin from Indianapolis on Friday, Sept. 2. Meeting somewhere in Austin to make the transaction can be the first priority when we get into town. I'm not trying to string anyone out until game day. I know these are hard tickets to come by. And I don't want to pay an arm and a leg. I may be one of many, many people making the trip down from Indiana, but I'm wearing the right colors. So, please, while I understand a slight cost above face is a worthy expectation for a game like this, don't come at me with "$300" or "$450" A PIECE for upper level, etc. I am happy to pay anywhere from $125- to $250 a piece depending where your tickets are -- as this can be negotiated. If you have an extra pair, or know someone who is selling, let them know I bleed orange and I am a serious buyer -- I won't back out if we can agree on something. I'm coming from Indiana for crying out loud. You can reach me at 317-938-7919. Just shoot me a text. Or follow me on Twitter @CoreyElliot I'm hoping to solidify this by the time the weekend comes, though, I know based on last year's experience in South Bend, hours before game time it looked like people couldn't hardly find someone to give their extra tickets away to, so it's not a drastic situation just yet. Hook 'Em! and thanks for anything any of y'all can do.

Article via Taylor Smith, HornSports Contributor The Texas women’s basketball team ended its 2015-16 campaign a week ago Monday in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament. The Longhorns lost to the University of Connecticut, 65-86, holding the Huskies to their lowest offensive scoring night in the tournament through their first four games. Before the game, UCONN scored an average of 98.7 points a contest. It was unfortunate that Texas drew a No. 2 seed in UCONN’s region as the Huskies are aiming for their fourth consecutive national title, but the Longhorns never gave up. “I think everyone could see that our team was exhausting themselves trying to compete,” Texas head coach Karen Aston said in the postgame conference. Freshman guard Lashann Higgs and sophomore guard Ariel Atkins each scored 19 points, tying for the team high in points. Higgs came off the bench and utilized her 19 minutes wisely; the 19 points she scored created a new career high for her. Atkins played nearly the entire game, totaling 33 minutes of work. She hit three-of-four from 3-point range and swiped three steals. Higgs and Atkins both earned Bridgeport All-Regional Team honors, giving Texas its first spots on an NCAA All-Regional team since 2003. They accompanied three other UCONN players on the list. Atkins averaged 18 points and 2.8 steals a game through four tournament games, leading the Longhorns in both categories. Higgs recorded double figures in scoring for three games, giving herself an average of 11.5 points a game for the tournament. The 2015-16 season for the Longhorns ended up being one of their best seasons in recent years. Texas finished with 31 overall wins, marking a first in program history since the 1987-88 season. The Longhorns started the season undefeated, winning their first 16 games before losing to Baylor and finished with a 15-3 conference record. The team won its way to the Big 12 Championship game for the second consecutive year but came up short to Baylor. The No. 2 seed the Longhorns earned for the NCAA tournament marked their best seeding since 2004 when the team received a No. 1 seed. “I think we are a phenomenal basketball team,” said Aston. “I didn’t say that last year. We weren’t. But I think we are a really good. And very easily could have been in the Final Four had we gone in a different region.” The 2016-17 Texas women’s basketball team will have some big shoes to fill. Seniors Imani Boyette, Brady Sanders, Celina Rodrigo and Empress Davenport are all graduating and leaving the forty acres. Boyette ended her career as the only Longhorn to record more than 1,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 200 career blocks. Rodrigo leaves the program as the active leader in career assists. She recorded 140 assists this past season, which was 51 more than second place. Davenport played in every Longhorn matchup this season, starting in 34 of the 36 games. Sanders, recovering from her offseason surgery, struggled to see much of the court this past season, but she entered her last year co-leading the team in career games played. Sanders played in 29 of the games this past season. Texas’ underclassmen have already been stepping up as seen through Higgs and Atkins performances during the NCAA tournament. Coming into the tournament, Atkins averaged 10 points a game. The 15 points she scored against Alabama State during the first round marked her lowest offensive showing during the tournament – She scored 22 against Missouri, 16 against UCLA and 19 against UCONN. During Big 12 conference play, Higgs only recorded minutes in 16 of the 18 games, averaging 4.1 points. Higgs ended the Longhorns’ NCAA tournament run with the third highest average in points on the team – Atkins and sophomore guard Brooke McCarty were the two teammates ahead of her. Texas had a good run this season, finishing with more than 30 wins, but Aston is ready for a championship, and reaching the Elite Eight this season should encourage the team to push for more next season, according to Aston. “As much as 31-5 sounds unbelievable, and I do think that we were an unbelievable team and had an unbelievable year, we still don’t have a ring,” said Aston. “We are still chasing championships. So, we should be highly motivated.”

Here is the press release: Anthony Johnson, a former member of the Longhorns football team (2001-05) and staff, and a 10-year coaching veteran who was recently named co-offensive coordinator at Toledo, has been named running backs coach at Texas, head coach Charlie Strong announced Saturday. "There's no way I could put into words how excited I am about the opportunity to come back to Texas and be the running backs coach," Johnson said. "I grew up a Longhorn fan, played at Texas and bleed orange through and through. This is just an awesome day for me and my family!" "Our entire staff thought that Anthony was a perfect fit to coach our running backs," Strong said. "He's a tremendous young coach with great energy and enthusiasm. Anthony played high school ball in Texas, played and coached at Texas and really knows the pride and tradition of our place and our state well. He's a guy that has played running back at a high level, who also has gained a great deal of experience coaching the position and just has so much passion for the game and drive as a coach. You could really see that during our visits, and I know Sterlin (Gilbert) and the offensive staff really hit it off with him, too. He'll be a super addition to our staff, and we're looking forward to getting him here." Johnson spent the last two seasons as running backs coach at Toledo where he helped guide an offense that led the Mid-American Conference in rushing both seasons, ranking 12th in the nation in 2014 (256.4 ypg), and 27th in 2015 (207.9 ypg). The Rockets were a combined 19-6 in that time with two bowl wins. "I've obviously been watching the program from afar for years, and I have great admiration for Coach Strong," Johnson said. "After spending some time in Austin with him and his staff recently, you can really feel the energy of what's going on at Texas. Coach Strong is a great football coach and a man of integrity who has so much passion for the kids and the program. There's just a special feeling around him and the program right now. I know there are big things in the future for Texas football, and I can't wait to get down there and be a part of it. "I spent a lot of time with Sterlin, Matt (Mattox) and Jeff (Traylor), and I feel like I really connected with them. They're all tremendous football coaches with a great vision for what they want to accomplish. I love what they're bringing offensively, and I've been fortunate enough to coach in a very similar style of offense for years. I'm really looking forward to getting in that room with all of the talented running backs at Texas and playing my role to help get the offense going." Last year, the Rockets ranked 30th nationally in total offense (460.9 ypg) and 31st in scoring offense (35.0 ppg). They finished with a 10-2 record, including regular season wins at Arkansas and against Iowa State, and capped the season by defeating Temple in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. The rushing attack featured a pair of second-team All-MAC selections in Kareem Hunt and Terry Swanson, who both surpassed 900 rushing yards and averaged over 80 yards per game. Despite playing in only nine contests, Hunt led the team with 973 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 178 carries (5.47 ypc) for an average of 108.1 ypg, leading the MAC and ranking 23rd in the nation. Swanson was just behind with 923 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 143 carries for an average of 6.45 yards per carry, which ranked 17th in the nation. Damion Jones-Moore added 410 rushing yards and five touchdowns. "I've always known I wanted to be a coach, going back to when I was drawing up plays for my pee-wee football coach," Johnson said. "I've been so fortunate to have great mentors that have helped me grow as a coach and a person over the years. I can't thank Coach (Mack) Brown enough for everything he's done for me, and the coaches I worked with in the running back room at Texas, Ken Rucker and Mike Haywood. When I think about the great players I was able to play with or work with as a student and grad assistant at Texas – Cedric Benson, Selvin Young, Chris Ogbonnaya, Jamaal Charles and Fozzy Whittaker – it reminds me of the people that I watched and learned so much from. I really appreciate Coach Willie Fritz giving me my first chance to be a full-time assistant at Sam Houston State. We were able to win a lot of games there and I learned a lot. I've just been so fortunate in my career and am really looking forward to this great opportunity." In 2014, besides ranking 12th in rushing, the Toledo offense was 15th nationally in total offense (490.5 ypg) and 19th in scoring (36.6 ppg). Hunt ranked third in the nation in rushing yards per game (163.1 ypg), 10th in rushing yards (1,631), 14th in rushing touchdowns (16) and second in yards per carry (7.96). Despite playing in only 10 games, his 1,631 rushing yards was the second-highest single-season mark in Toledo history. He earned first-team All-MAC honors and was the MVP of the GoDaddy Bowl, rushing for 271 yards in the victory. Hunt missed three games and parts of two others due to injuries. During his absence, Swanson and Jones-Moore stepped in, and Toledo won four of those five games, averaging more than 284 yards rushing. Swanson finished the season with 732 yards rushing, while Jones-Moore added 460. Toledo finished the season with a 9-4 record and a win over Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl. Prior to his arrival at Toledo, Johnson served as running backs coach at Sam Houston State from 2010-13, playing a key role in the Bearkats' 40-15 record in those four seasons and their back-to-back appearances in the FCS national championship game. Sam Houston State's running backs led an offense that produced 38 school records during Johnson's tenure. In the four years Johnson was with RB Timothy Flanders, he helped him become a three-time All-American, three-time Walter Payton Award finalist, two-time Southland Conference Player of the Year, and four-time all-conference selection who more than doubled the school's career rushing yards and rushing touchdown records with 5,664 yards and 66 touchdowns. Flanders went on to sign as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns. Johnson also tutored Keshawn Hill who finished fourth on the SHSU's all-time rushing list (2,546 yards/34 TDs). In 2013, SHSU ranked fourth in the nation in scoring offense (41.1 ppg/No. 1 Southland), sixth in rushing offense (265.0 ypg/No. 1 Southland), and fifth in rushing touchdowns (40). Flanders earned second-team All-America honors while amassing a conference-best 1,430 rushing yards to rank 12th in the nation, along with 14 rushing touchdowns on 241 attempts (5.9 ypc). He registered three games of 170 or more yards, including one against Texas A&M, with a high of 280 yards against Eastern Washington. Two other backs cleared the 400-yard mark for the season with Hill being tabbed honorable mention All-Southland (536 yards/eight TDs). Sam Houston State finished the year 9-5 and advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs before falling by one point to Southeastern Louisiana. The 2012 Bearkats ranked second in the nation in scoring (40.0 ppg) and seventh in rushing yards (268.3 ypg), setting the school record for single-season rushing yards (4,025). The team scored 600 points, a mark only two other teams in FCS had reached at the time. Flanders picked up third-team All-America honors and was named the Southland Conference Player of the Year after rushing for 1,642 yards and 17 touchdowns on 288 carries (5.7 ypc), including 231 yards against Eastern Washington. Hill also garnered all-conference honors as a third-team selection, finishing with 530 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Sam Houston State posted an 11-4 record, tied for the conference championship, and advanced all the way to the national championship game. The 2011 season was one of the best in school history for Sam Houston State as the team put together 14 consecutive victories, including the school's first 11-0 regular season, was the top seed in the FCS playoffs and played in its first national championship game. The rushing attack was the strength of the offense, leading the Southland and ranking sixth in the nation with 255.9 yards per game. It also helped the offense lead the Southland and rank fourth in the nation in scoring offense (36.9 ppg). Flanders was an AFCA first-team All-American and the Southland Player of the Year, ranking fourth in the nation in scoring (9.6 ppg) and 16th in rushing (109.6 ypg), He set 14 school records, including single-season rushing yards (1,644), rushing touchdowns (22), total touchdowns (24) and all-purpose yards (2,058), and single-game rushing yards (287 vs. Montana), while also leading the team with 34 receptions for 414 yards. The rushing yards and total touchdowns were also Southland Conference records. Two other running backs exceeded 300 yards in Hill (330/1 TD) and Ryan Wilson (371/5 TDs). In Johnson's first season at SHSU, he helped guide the nation's 26th-ranked rushing offense (186.5 ypg). Flanders was the Southland Conference Co-Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-league selection, leading the Southland in rushing yards (978) and rushing touchdowns (13). He ranked second in the conference and 19th in the nation in scoring with 7.8 points per game. Prior to his time at Sam Houston, Johnson served on the quality control staff at Texas for three seasons (2007-09). He worked as an assistant to the running backs coach, helping analyze video and breaking down opposing defensive reports. In that time, Texas compiled a 35-5 record, won Fiesta Bowl and Holiday Bowl titles and played in the National Championship Game following the 2009 season. In 2009, the running backs corps rushed for 1,665 yards and 24 TDs. Tre' Newton emerged to lead the team in rushing, helping fill the void of Chris Ogbonnaya, who was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round. The running backs combined to rush for 1,371 yards and 20 TDs in 2008. The group only lost one fumble during the season and showed versatility by combining for 65 receptions for 640 yards and three TDs, led by Ogbonnaya, who set the UT single-season record for receptions by a running back with 46. Jamaal Charles earned unanimous first-team All-Big 12 honors and a selection as a Doak Walker Award semifinalist in 2007. Charles rushed for 1,619 yards (No. 5 on UT's single-season list) and 18 TDs (No. 8 NCAA/T-No. 5 on UT's single-season list) and went on to be a third-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. Johnson was an assistant coach at Jefferson High School in Jefferson, Texas, in 2006, coaching two all-district running backs. The team went 10-2, winning the bidistrict championship. From 2001-05, Johnson was a member of the Longhorns football team as a running back and later as a student assistant with the running backs due to injury. He participated in teams that won the 2005 National Championship, the Rose Bowl following the 2004 season, the Cotton Bowl following the 2002 season, and the 2001 Holiday Bowl. He received a degree from Texas in applied learning and development in 2005. Johnson and his wife, Erica, are the parents of a daughter, London, and a son, Walker.

The Longhorns cracked the Top 25 in both polls (#24 - Associate Press, #25 - USA Today Coaches Poll) and will face #3 Oklahoma tonight in Norman at 8:00 PM. The game will be televised on ESPN. Texas has won four in a row and look to notch another big road win tonight against the Sooners.

Longhorn Nation: Here at the University of Texas at Austin, a group of highly motivated, proud Longhorns are seeking to start an official University of Texas Longhorn Olympic Weightlifting Team that will compete for championships, nationally, internationally, and at the Olympics. UT has produced Olympians in Track and Field, Swimming and Diving, and has sent an astonishing number of first-class Longhorns into professional sports competition, world-wide. There is simply no earthly reason that the University of Texas at Austin should not DOMINATE Olympic Weightlifting. A donation would be greatly appreciated as it would help provide UT with the requisite resources to fund and support a Longhorn Olympic Weightlifting Team that would be sure to obliterate competition, across the United States of America. Support your 'Horns. Hook 'EM! ALL Donations Fund: -Coaching -Equipment -Travel Expenses -Competition Entry Fees -International Weightlifting Federation Membership -USA Weightlifting Membership -National Weightlifting Domination

On Saturday, October 9, 2015, Texas wins, defeating the top ten ranked Sooners. I am there in the Cotton Bowl watching my Longhorns defeat the dreaded Hoard from the North. The Texas crowd stays and cheers the team as the crowd from across the Red files out of the Cotton Bowl, home to one of CFB's greatest rivalry games. The TV announcers are speechless. The Sooner side is strangely subdued. No longer do we hear grumbles and mumbles from a few old codgers in Burnt Orange. The codgers are standing with their Horns Up, professing to have known all along that Charlie was Their Guy. You betcha'. I just smile and wave. Everyone know they really are just full of it. Full of what you ask? If you have to ask, you aren't from Texas anyway. We have the rest of the season to play, but I'm going to enjoy this. We may get whipped again, or, it may just be paying dividends-having played our talented freshmen. I will be there. Hook 'em, Horns!

#6 Texas opens the 2015 season with a 4-game series against the #13 Rice Owls today (Friday, February 13th) at Rice. Venue: Reckling Park Location: Houston, TX All-time Series: Texas leads Rice, 223-54-2 Projected starting pitchers: FRIDAY (6:00 pm start time) (Texas) Parker French vs. (Rice) Kevin McCanna Related articles: Season Preview Part I - Returning Standouts (team defense and starters) - http://t.co/GEhtLihyZu Season Preview Part II - Plate Production (a look at the Texas offense) - http://t.co/lgHsafBCr2 Season Preview Part III - Armed and Ready (pitching) - http://t.co/pADkgXJw2i

A very early look at the Field of 64... http://www.d1baseball.com/projections/2015ncaaprojection/