Could this be a “win now” kind of season?

[LeagueCityFrog]

What day do the Frogs start Fall Camp?

 

[JockO de Frog]

TLDR: Thank goodness we aren’t playing Ohio State this year. Not playing that game early in the season could be the difference between an 7-5 to 8-4 season vs a 10-2 season from a confidence and momentum perspective.

You seem to assume we would have lost that game. I have every reason to believe we would have won that game. I think we will see a down Ohio State team this year. Maybe we would go 11-1 with another quality win. Oh well, we'll never know.

 

[Froggish]

You seem to assume we would have lost that game. I have every reason to believe we would have won that game. I think we will see a down Ohio State team this year. Maybe we would go 11-1 with another quality win. Oh well, we'll never know.

If you were going to have Ohio St on the schedule this coming season is the year. I think they will have some early growing pains with their new QB. Word is Day has been closely getting advice from Lincoln Riley on how to utilize Fields legs and open up space

 

[asleep003]

If you were going to have Ohio St on the schedule this coming season is the year. I think they will have some early growing pains with their new QB. Word is Day has been closely getting advice from Lincoln Riley on how to utilize Fields legs and open up space

Wonder why Lincoln would assist one of OU's more probable/common competitors for a CFP birth this year.

 

[Ron Swanson]

You can’t lose 2 DEs in the first 2 rounds of the draft and go into the next season saying this will be the best defense ever fielded. Sure Mathis and Blackshear are highly touted but we aren’t exactly Clemson and Bama yet that churn out top 2 round draft picks every year on the DL

But we will be getting SO MUCH better at DT, which I think is more important than DE. And while I don’t think Blackshear and Mathis will be as good as Banogu and Collier, I think they will be more than serviceable.

 

[jake102]

But we will be getting SO MUCH better at DT, which I think is more important than DE. And while I don’t think Blackshear and Mathis will be as good as Banogu and Collier, I think they will be more than serviceable.

Our two strongest positions are the two most important positions on a GP defense, DT and CB.

 

[Purp]

Our three strongest positions are the three most important positions on a GP defense, DT and CB and S.

FIFY

The only positions on defense with question marks are DE and LB, both of which are likely to be significantly easier this year due to DT play. I'm really not worried about a single aspect of this defense at this point.

 

[jake102]

FIFY

The only positions on defense with question marks are DE and LB, both of which are likely to be significantly easier this year due to DT play. I'm really not worried about a single aspect of this defense at this point.

LB worries me. We are relying on a guy who hasn't really played that much football and is always hurt.

 

[Purp]

LB worries me. We are relying on a guy who hasn't really played that much football and is always hurt.

I stopped worrying about the LB position in this defense maybe 8 years ago. When we have the type of guys we're about to have at DT this season I really don't have any concerns. I hear you on the experience argument, but this year may be the cleanest our LBs will have ever been. It will be so much simpler for those guys I really think we're going to see those guys flying around the football making plays all game long. Doesn't matter who it is. They're all outstanding athletes with speed. That position will be fine.

 

[Mean Purple]

All boils down to QB. Have all the tools and talent to blow it up this year.

TS, While I agree on qb, I think we had some good qb options last year. One item that sticks out (really sticks out when you look at KH's first year) is rcvr play. Need all of them to step up like JR. I'm gonna guess JR will have grown to be beyond amazing this year. And that helps. Because when you have a rcvr (or hopefully more) like that, it pulls attention and you get that additional man on their defense pulled out of the box. Plus it opens up other rcvrs.

And our running backs have to secure the ball. One other thing that I hope we see is less yardage behind the line of scrimage on plays. Defenses in this league know how to defend a spread attack well. They tackle very well in open space.

 

[H0RNEDFR0G]

Talent wise, I think this is about as good as I've felt going into a season since we've been in the Big 12. As has been pointed out, maintaining the health of key players, finding a QB, and the ability of the OC to put together a cohesive, coherent offense are the question marks. The schedule on the road is difficult but overall it can be manageable if the question marks get answered and they are able to play with confidence.

It is a very tough road schedule, but we have a couple of things working in our favor:

With our QB situation, nobody really knows what our QBs can do. Nobody has film on us.

We are the definition of under the radar. There's a chance we don't play a top 25 team until week 9 - that's if Texas can manage to stay ranked. I'm not sure they get past LSU in week 2 and I think they have 0 chance of beating OU.

This team is full of fighters. Lets not forget - they were sitting at 4-6, having just been blown out by WVU in the Frogs worst beating this millennium and figured out how to bounce back and win 3 games in a row with Mule under center.

Don't get me wrong, Mule had a lot of heart; but I'd take Delton, Rogers, Collins, or Duggan over him.

Our non-conference P5 game is very winnable. If we win, we are in great shape. In the past, our team has been crushed by not winning our non-con P5 game. Losses to LSU '13, Arkansas '15, & Ohio State '18 all derailed the season. When we've won that game: Minnesota '14, Minnesota '15, & Arkansas '17 we've gone on to do very well. The game @ Purdue might be the most important game of the season from a momentum perspective. It's worth noting that it's right after a rare week 2 BYE, so there are no excuses for not giving them our best.

Lastly, turnover machine Shawn Robinson is no longer on the team. If our new QB turns the ball over < 11 times after 7 games, we're doing better at QB than we did last year.

 

[texas_sicilian]

TS, While I agree on qb, I think we had some good qb options last year. One item that sticks out (really sticks out when you look at KH's first year) is rcvr play. Need all of them to step up like JR. I'm gonna guess JR will have grown to be beyond amazing this year. And that helps. Because when you have a rcvr (or hopefully more) like that, it pulls attention and you get that additional man on their defense pulled out of the box. Plus it opens up other rcvrs.

And our running backs have to secure the ball. One other thing that I hope we see is less yardage behind the line of scrimage on plays. Defenses in this league know how to defend a spread attack well. They tackle very well in open space.

Agree, I was probably oversimplifying a bit (much like saying all we need is a good “game manager” for a QB). That drives me crazy.

We can’t be that single minded in thinking someone that simply doesn’t turn it over will cure all woes.

Fewer TO’s is clearly important, but you are going to have close games regardless of how well our defense plays, and a dynamic QB that is truly an offensive weapon is what will ultimately propel us to a CCG caliber team.

I want to get back to the days when a mistake by the QB doesn’t send us into a panic because who knows if we’ll get another chance at the end zone again.

I’d rather have a QB that may make some mistakes, but strikes fear in the defense and has the leadership and drive to “will” the team there.

Picking a QB that merely has the highest probability of not screwing up, but cannot routinely light up an opponent’s defense somewhat negates the other.

 

[Mean Purple]

Agree, I was probably oversimplifying a bit (much like saying all we need is a good “game manager” for a QB). That drives me crazy.

We can’t be that single minded in thinking someone that simply doesn’t turn it over will cure all woes.

Fewer TO’s is clearly important, but you are going to have close games regardless of how well our defense plays, and a dynamic QB that is truly an offensive weapon is what will ultimately propel us to a CCG caliber team.

I want to get back to the days when a mistake by the QB doesn’t send us into a panic because who knows if we’ll get another chance at the end zone again.

I’d rather have a QB that may make some mistakes, but strikes fear in the defense and has the leadership and drive to “will” the team there.

Picking a QB that merely has the highest probability of not screwing up, but cannot routinely light up an opponent’s defense somewhat negates the other.

It helps that qb if those running backs can pound the rock. We'll see in a few weeks, but I am hopeful.

 

[4th. down]

Texas is going to be better than most think - they beat OU and Georgia, and have the skins on the wall to prove it. We play our best game of the year at the Carter and beat Texas. Duggan get's newcomer of the year. Going down the stretch, we go with Duggan. We are going to be tough to run against which is going to be big in the Iowa St. game with Montgomery. They are going to have to pass to beat us and that's going to be difficult with our secondary.

 

[ticketfrog123]

Texas is going to be better than most think - they beat OU and Georgia, and have the skins on the wall to prove it. We play our best game of the year at the Carter and beat Texas. Duggan get's newcomer of the year. Going down the stretch, we go with Duggan. We are going to be tough to run against which is going to be big in the Iowa St. game with Montgomery. They are going to have to pass to beat us and that's going to be difficult with our secondary.

And how many of the guys that started in those wins against OU and Georgia are left?

7? With a few good WRs declaring too early for the draft

 

[LeagueCityFrog]

About Texas...I think they are going to be decent....but....before we lost last year in Austin despite leading at halftime then Shawn Robinson does the whole turnover machine impression to lose the game...Gary had won the previous 4 games with a combined score something like 155-33. That's not close and the game is at The Carter. I think this season really comes down to Sonny Cumbie's effective play calling, quarterbacks protecting the ball, and setting the tone for this team by blowing out Purdue on the road. Those three things happen, UT doesn't have a chance and neither does Iowa State or Okie State.

 

[netty2424]

As much as I hate to say it, Texas will be good, losing starters or not. They’ve recruited well for years now and will have plenty of talent to step in and fill holes. There’s only so much drop off when you have consistent top 5, top 10 recruiting classes year after year. It eventually pays off.

And they’re bringing back Ehlinger. While he’s not going to win QB of the year, he’s proven himself as a better than average producer. And when you have a known commodity at QB, you’ve got a chance to win a lot of games. Dare I mention Kenny Hill, 2017.

 

[Purp]

As much as I hate to say it, Texas will be good, losing starters or not. They’ve recruited well for years now and will have plenty of talent to step in and fill holes. There’s only so much drop off when you have consistent top 5, top 10 recruiting classes year after year. It eventually pays off.

And they’re bringing back Ehlinger. While he’s not going to win QB of the year, he’s proven himself as a better than average producer. And when you have a known commodity at QB, you’ve got a chance to win a lot of games. Dare I mention Kenny Hill, 2017.

I'm not convinced their OL will be good. If not, I'm not convinced Ehlinger plays more games than he doesn't. Without him they're going to struggle. I'm also not sure their defense will be great. Lots of inexperience there so they will need a lot of things to go right to avoid a drop off there.

 

[4th. down]

As much as I hate to say it, Texas will be good, losing starters or not. They’ve recruited well for years now and will have plenty of talent to step in and fill holes. There’s only so much drop off when you have consistent top 5, top 10 recruiting classes year after year. It eventually pays off.

And they’re bringing back Ehlinger. While he’s not going to win QB of the year, he’s proven himself as a better than average producer. And when you have a known commodity at QB, you’ve got a chance to win a lot of games. Dare I mention Kenny Hill, 2017.

Texas loses a lot on defense, 9, yes 9 starters, but as mentioned, they have talent moving into those positions that played a lot last year. Remember, the Big 12 is a QB conference, you don't have an outstanding QB in this league, you are not going very far.

Against good competition (OU & Georgia), Ehlinger completed 70% of his passes and ZERO turnovers in 2 high pressure games, so there's that. The question I have can Texas win 2 out of 3 between OU, Iowa St. and TCU? Iowa St. and TCU are on the road and it will be difficult.

Now, can we win 2 out of 3 against OU, Texas and Iowa St?

 

[ThisIsOurTime]

A couple of questions:
1. What is the status of Brandon Bowen? I would think this would be his year to make a move.
2. What is the skinny on our kicking game this year?