TexasLonghorns

Arch is fine. The OL and coaching, not so much.

I agree with most of your post, but not that part. Sure, we’ve missed on some OL prospects in past cycles and relied on players down the list, no doubt. But the two you mentioned (Mills and Fasusi) are true freshmen, so they don’t really support the “too much hope in youth” argument for this team. The guys we’re actually playing are older than both. Only one is a second-year player, the rest are third and fourth year guys. This isn’t a young group, they’ve had plenty of time in the program. Also, Neto’s been here four years now, he just hasn’t developed for whatever reason. That’s not a youth problem, it’s a recruiting, evaluation, and development problem, compounded by coaching and scheme issues.

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Good catch, won’t let me edit.

That whole “we’re young” narrative only popped up after the results didn’t meet preseason expectations. Nobody was calling this offense young in August, if someone had suggested we’d struggle because of youth, they’d have been laughed off the board. In fact, we were going to be better offensively because the players being inserted brought more physicality up front from G,C,G, Arch was more dynamic than Ewers, Wingo was the best freshman WR in the country just didn’t get much opportunity and Endries was a plug and play vet that would have a huge impact, etc. Offensive starters: QB – 3rd yr RBs – Baxter (3rd), Wisner (3rd), Clark (2nd) WRs – Moore (3rd), Wingo (2nd), Livingstone (2nd) OL – LT (2nd), LG (3rd), C (4th), RG (4th), RT (2nd) TEs – Endries (3rd), Washington (2nd) That’s 2 fourth-years, 5 third-years, and 4 second year players. Far from young.

That’s fair, haha.

If you worked for Harbaugh for that long as an OL coach, I’d wager he’s good. Didn’t make much difference last week though, granted no idea how much of a voice he has or how much he can change in a few weeks. Can’t hurt having someone on staff with his experience.

I absolutely agree. I’ve defended Flood for years, but at this point I’m questioning everything. The warning signs were there before, I just thought he could reel in more Kelvin Banks type players. Turns out Banks was an outlier. Even with guys like Banks showing individual promise, run blocking in short yardage situations has been a glaring weakness under Flood from day one. Five years in, it’s still a weakness. The OL looks unhealthy, unphysical, and underdeveloped/poor evals and that’s a reflection of both recruiting and coaching. It’s extremely concerning, and honestly, there’s no defending it anymore. Especially considering it’s going to get Manning injured. I’d imagine the Manning family isn’t happy with the protection he has up front. Honestly, no QB would look good behind this OL and it’s hindering Arch’s development in a large way.

I’m not saying Kyle Flood has done enough to keep his job, he hasn’t. Recruiting hasn’t met expectations, and development clearly hasn’t either. Something needs to change, no question about it. But let’s be real, swapping OL coaches won’t fix the core problem. Sark is just as responsible for what we’re seeing. The long developing routes, predictable play calls, blocking schemes, and lack of execution and discipline up front those all trace back to the head coach/OC just as much as it does Flood. Sark and Flood both personally evaluated that OL room and decided Texas didn’t need anyone from the portal. Sark even bragged about it at SEC Media Days. That’s not on Flood alone that’s on Sark’s judgment and his system. Until that changes, the results won’t either IMO.

I’m not sure firing Flood will remedy the issues. Just my opinion though.

This isn’t just a bad week, it’s a measure of consistency. A program that consistently attracts top talent should be performing at a high level. Year 5 should reflect growth and dominance, not unpreparedness and losses against Power 5 competition.

Let’s be honest, making the playoff last year doesn’t excuse disappearing against top-tier programs in Year 5. Down 14-0 with 4 minutes left vs Ohio State, and Texas only scores because the opponent goes into prevent? That’s not competitive, that’s failing when it matters. Yes, the OL and DL have issues, and Arch is a third year QB, not “young” at all. With NIL advantages, portal access, and top ranked recruiting classes, there are no excuses for rolling food out on the offensive line or racking up penalties. “Playing in the Horseshoe and the Swamp” doesn’t justify looking unprepared and undisciplined. This isn’t about throwing in the towel, it’s about holding the program accountable. Right now, Sark’s program is trending in the wrong direction, and the responsibility falls squarely on the head coach. The only two Power 5 opponents Texas has played this year? Totally unprepared, manhandled, and one of those was a 1-3 Florida team coached by Billy Napier with a QB on one leg. That’s on Sark.

Sark’s offense completely disappears against good Power 5 competition. Down 14-0 with 4 minutes left vs Ohio State, and Texas only scores because the opponent goes into prevent. Sark is 0-4 in his last four SEC/Big Ten games.

Exactly. He’s trying to be the head coach, OC, QB coach, and culture cop all at once. When you do everything, you end up doing nothing great. He makes $10M+ a year, the job is to lead and delegate, not micromanage every detail. Great coaches empower their staff.