Off my chest

[hookem8]

Just a few things to get off my chest this morning to let it out and *hopefully* be ready to move on to what’s next.

1. Thank you, Quinn.
- 3 was a big reason why we were even in the final four the last two years. He’s a big reason for the winning seasons and us being in the final four the last two seasons. Was he perfect? No. But, what QB or player, for that matter, is? I feel like some fans forget the last decade plus of football purgatory (or hell) we were in before him. Did he limit this team? Sure, maybe he did. But, he helped bring Texas back to the national stage.

2. Sark has to get better in the RZ. 
- I’ve already posted about this last night on CJ’s immediate thoughts. But, those 4 play calls were not good at the most important time in the game. Especially that toss. Doesn’t make sense to run sideline-to-sideline against a team with that much athleticism and talent. It hadn’t worked all night, why would it work now? That being said, I love Sark. I trust Sark. He has brought this program back. He has to get better.

3. This one hurt.

- I’ll admit I went into this game with low expectations. Ohio State seemed to be clicking at the right time while we were letting ASU hang around for too long and give us a scare. Then maybe 35 minutes before kickoff, I’m sitting in AT&T stadium and started thinking “I think we can do this”. Maybe it was the whiskey, maybe it was the love and loyalty I have for the Horns, maybe it was a mixture. All I know is something changed and I kept telling myself in my head throughout the game and especially during the aforementioned RZ sequence “I believe”. The game was right there to tie up. Maybe OSU drives and scores to win. But, maybe we get a big stop or turnover and go win the game ourselves. Game was closer than 14 points. It was about 7 yards close IMO. 
 

4. IT’S ARCH TIME BABY

- you’ve undoubtedly heard the following if you’ve attended any Longhorn game this year “Put Arch in, Sark!” I was not one of those, but there were many. I am excited to see what he can do. I think CJ was talking about losing leadership earlier this morning. I feel that Arch will definitely step into a vocal leadership role asap. He’s probably the most dynamic QB we’ve had since Colt. Hopefully he can lead us to the promise land. I think we will be very good with him. We have DAWGS on this roster and keep restocking with more (this 2025 class is filled with em). Very excited to see what the future has in store.

5. HOOK ‘EM FOREVER

- no matter the outcome I still love my Horns. And I’m sure y’all feel the same. This one hurt, but we aren’t done seeing Texas in positions to go and win nattys any time soon. Hook ‘Em y’all

[Gerry Hamilton]

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

[Gerry Hamilton]

Great post too though!

[thatdude2]

This one did hurt…I’m still in mourning

[Nathan Larson]

What killed the goal line stops was the lack of a nasty, vicious, I'm going to hit you like a train and violent mentality oline to tie it up. Nobody on this oline should be pushed around my their size. Therefore we should have been able to run it up the gut.

Edited January 11 by Nathan Larson

[Jay Kennedy]

I heard Joel Klatt discussing how the game plan was to get to the perimeter in short yardage situations.  That is what the tape shows since OSU (similar to us) has had many goaline or short yardage stuffs.

 

i am surprised we did not bring Arch in for some zone read / boot options.

 

edit:  Just heard Arch was not available.  He was concussed on the other run play.  True??!?!?

Edited January 11 by Jay Kennedy

[Red Five]

17 minutes ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

It was just so incredibly risky, considering we were at the one yard line. If it's not blocked well, and it wasn't, you lose six yards. 

There was speculation last night that Arch was hurt on his almost-fumble play. Did we ever get confirmation on that? 

[hookem8]

1 hour ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

EXACTLY!

[hookem8]

1 hour ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

Great post too though!

Thank you, Gerry!

[HudGar1922]

1 hour ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

defenders have been leaking into our backfield all damn year.  would love to see the data on how many rushing attempts this season the opposing defenses didn’t get penetration.  kyle flood into blame as well for the damn penetration all year.   we had to be among the top in the country in negative rush plays.  hayden conner and jake majors moved no one in their careers off the ball it seems 

[Dolphorn]

1 hour ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

Yes, bad call, but - Tough to run at goal line without a true power RB; and Arch at QB may have worked but he fumbled his last snap vs Clemson that could’ve been disastrous, and he almost fumbled again vs OSU.  I think his ball security issue may have been a factor in Sark’s personnel decision late in the game. Hard for me to throw a lot of shade on a coach that made so many great play calls in the past.

[pinkman_90]

1 hour ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

Spot on.  The answer Sark gave in the press conference is almost more worrisome than the play call itself.  Put it on the players’ execution.  I hope that was just a heat of the moment mistake and not arrogance.  

[TXFF]

37 minutes ago, pinkman_90 said:

Spot on.  The answer Sark gave in the press conference is almost more worrisome than the play call itself.  Put it on the players’ execution.  I hope that was just a heat of the moment mistake and not arrogance.  

Perhaps there were better plays to call, but the execution on that play was awful. No one got blocked well, period. Football is fundamentally about blocking and tackling. If you don't do the first, you're going to get the second.

OSU got the 75 yd TD run because they blocked that play perfectly at all levels, i.e., they executed. 

On QE3's strip/score, what was the fundamental problem resulting in the strip? Cam completely failed to block Sawyer in a routine pass blocking situation...his only job on that play. 

[Texas fan in Georgia]

Sark is overrated as a play caller. Living off what he’s done in the past IMO. he’s had questionable play calls throughout the year, but he completely shat the bed last night.

[horns96]

2 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

OSU had the best run DL in college football, it wasn't the dumbest call in Texas history, that's silly.

[pinkman_90]

21 minutes ago, TXFF said:

Perhaps there were better plays to call, but the execution on that play was awful. No one got blocked well, period. Football is fundamentally about blocking and tackling. If you don't do the first, you're going to get the second.

OSU got the 75 yd TD run because they blocked that play perfectly at all levels, i.e., they executed. 

On QE3's strip/score, what was the fundamental problem resulting in the strip? Cam completely failed to block Sawyer in a routine pass blocking situation...his only job on that play. 

Nobody blocked well because the players were put in a terrible position to be successful.  They were asked to block when the defense had them outnumbered and out leveraged to the left side.  Worst play call in Texas football history given the importance.  

[Jc Dobbs]

2 hours ago, Nathan Larson said:

What killed the goal line stops was the lack of a nasty, vicious, I'm going to hit you like a train and violent mentality oline to tie it up. Nobody on this oline should be pushed around my their size. Therefore we should have been able to run it up the gut.

Agree! I'm a Longhorns fan since 1968 and in the post-Royal years Texas has always tended to be a speed and finesse team except for the years they lacked speed! The 2005-6 team had the most physically aggressive approach and won the Natty.

Don't get me wrong... I'm happy because the decade after Mack was so painful and Sark's teams are doing better but still not dominant.

But, Sark does need to get physical on the goal line with the OL and he needs to recruit a "Hammer" RB like 6'2" and 240.

Or while he's got Arch he might adopt the Philly style QB sneak.

Thanks for a great season and a special thanks to Bobby and his OTF team.

OTF has become so good I no longer go to any other Texas sports sites.

Hook 'Em! And for the first time I have ever said this: Go Notre Dame! Wake Up The Echoes!

[VaHorn]

Yes, typically the plays that lose yardage are the dumbest. If the same play would’ve scored a touchdown then it would’ve been peachy keen. My goodness. 

[ThatHornsGuy87]

3 hours ago, Jay Kennedy said:

I heard Joel Klatt discussing how the game plan was to get to the perimeter in short yardage situations.  That is what the tape shows since OSU (similar to us) has had many goaline or short yardage stuffs.

 

i am surprised we did not bring Arch in for some zone read / boot options.

 

edit:  Just heard Arch was not available.  He was concussed on the other run play.  True??!?!?

Pretty sure he got his bell rung. When he was getting up his eyes looked like he was on set of dazed and confused with the minister of culture 

[TXFF]

1 hour ago, ThatHornsGuy87 said:

Pretty sure he got his bell rung. When he was getting up his eyes looked like he was on set of dazed and confused with the minister of culture 

That was almost targeting. He took a shoulder to the helmet with the defender's helmet narrowly missing from what I could see.

[Neil Leininger]

4 hours ago, Texas fan in Georgia said:

Sark is overrated as a play caller. Living off what he’s done in the past IMO. he’s had questionable play calls throughout the year, but he completely shat the bed last night.

When your QB can only comprehend a fraction of the playbook and has no ability to make off-schedule plays with any type of consistency, you are limited as a playcaller. As bad as 2nd and goal was, had Quinn delivered a better pass to Golden it would have been a 40 yard TD instead of a 27 yard reception.

[Orngblud05]

7 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

I saw the Kelvin Banks quote saying he expected a big hole to be behind him but 8 got there first.  If 8 didn’t get there there were  at least 4 others waiting to clean up. That play was DOA

[Alex Butler]

13 hours ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

Love it @Gerry Hamilton!! Line up again in the same package on first down and cram it down their throat. Let’s have some confidence, stress low man wins and freakin pound it in there!!! 

[Burnt Orange Horn]

On 1/11/2025 at 9:26 AM, Gerry Hamilton said:

The toss sweep on 2nd and goal from the 1 against the two best missile downhill safety defenders on the same team in CFB without any pass coverage responsibilities is quite possibly the dumbest play call in Texas history. 

It was absurd to start.

Sark in the PC saying "have to look at how it got leaky" ... please. The play call was leaky, as in explosive diarrhea in play calling terms. 

Just absurd. 

If Quinn was in he would have seen the imbalanced and called time out.  He his teammates and the Texas fans deserved better.

[Hashtag]

On 1/11/2025 at 11:01 AM, Dolphorn said:

Yes, bad call, but - Tough to run at goal line without a true power RB; and Arch at QB may have worked but he fumbled his last snap vs Clemson that could’ve been disastrous, and he almost fumbled again vs OSU.  I think his ball security issue may have been a factor in Sark’s personnel decision late in the game. Hard for me to throw a lot of shade on a coach that made so many great play calls in the past.

Arch didn't fumble that snap, Hayden Conner snapped it on the ground. 

How do we know it was tough to run there? We only tried once then went full dumb on the next playcall. 

 

You 100% throw shade on Sark for that second down playcall because of his reasoning and lack of explanation in post game. That tells you all you need to know about how bad of a play call it was.