Here for the Wins

This is largely a meaningless game, but Schloss is chasing a win. There are key guys that need to build confidence- Burns, Grubbs for example. With OU looming in two days, it was a poor choice to throw them today. They both got their last out versus Auburn. Nevermind they have to be wondering what their role is. It would reasonable to expect their focus wouldn’t be at its best tonight. There was no need to insert Tinney at that point. This is a Tuesday game. It replicates nothing in the post season. Flores could have gone longer. Bing probably should have gotten second run. Pitchers do need to work through things. Particularly guys with sporadic or spot duty. We absolutely have the arms to make a postseason run. Whether it happens will have to play out. Ruger, Harrison, DV, Grubbs, Crossland, Cozart. Flores, Burns, Leffew, Walker. Now, the past 4 games, the offense had opportunities to put the opponent away and didn’t. They just need to heat up at the right time.

Walker pitched this past weekend too.

We need more points.

Indiana’s 2024 CFP team is akin to Texas Tech’s 2025 CFP team. Therefore Tech 2026 will Indiana 2025. Can I get an amen?

I gave you an opportunity to provide some depth to your point. You had no interest in doing so. It is not only what your team has that makes you a contender but those also in contention. Almost all the contenders lost more high level players than we did. We return more high level players at premium positions than anyone. Guys like Deandre Moore, Wisner, Baxter were contributors to previous contending teams. But sure all 3 are certain to be shittier next year than they have been previously. We aren’t trading for NFL first rounders and giving up JV high school players. You’ve got your opinion. I am interested in information but don’t need you to tell me anything.

So from contender to team to beat. Got it.

So you’re saying that all other teams have an Arch, a Collin Simmons, a McDonald, a Goosby? Seriously, find me 5 other teams with a core anywhere near that. The draft will tell, but there are few teams every year that produce 3 1st round picks. Then you got Wingo, January, Terry, Baker, TyAnthony Smith. Landon Jackson, Umeozulu at DE. Robertson. There’s no guarantee that a homegrown guy doesn’t take the other guard spot. Williams was solid recruit. Littleton, Black, Phillips, Roberson, Niblett as PR. I know exactly who we picked up and who we lost. Five of the top 10 teams from last year lose their QB. Miami and Tech lose much of their DLine and/or OLine. Similar for Indiana. Ohio State loses a bunch on defense. A&Ms Oline is gone. We were very competitive last year. With the most difficult schedule. With injuries. And we lost fewer high end guys than the other likely contenders. But sure, the team that’s been a top 3-5 team over the past 3 seasons would not have been a competitor.

Not near enough of this discussion.

We would have been national champ contenders without portal additions. There’s only one position group that looks to be substantially better than it would otherwise be without the impact of the portal. And that’s conceivable that the two best players are homegrown. Biles is a top addition, but it’s not as though Lefau was insignificant. Now, if you say took us to the top of the list, maybe.

And is it all they got sports-wise?

Unless the wheels come off, our biggest challenge comes in the super regional. Using these last two weeks as an example, if we close on Friday, we’ve won the series before Sunday. And another possibility is lose in 2 with us never seeing Volantis. There is a decision to make, but guys do need to be given opportunities to work thru things. Volantis needs to consistently go 7 as a starter for that to be worthwhile. The early season schedule was not ideal for building the bullpen. There weren’t many challenges and too many run rules.

Leonard Davis is the largest human I’ve been next too. Probably not a fair comparison since it was many years later, but he was larger than T Sweat. Maybe not weight-wise but just massive person.

Did his jacked up pinky scare you?

Tell me more…… At Michigan. There were two dipshit Texas fans. Probably students, weighing in at about 125 pounds each, were running their mouths talking trash. It detracted from the game. Texas-Michigan fans alike. I’m there to take in the game, the environment not some person seeking attention.

No, it’s chickenshit. What makes college sports great is playing your butt and giving all you’ve got. It’s fans celebrating their school not being mouthy to their opponents. The occasional, emotional outburst is understandable and acceptable

You being 11 explains a few things.

Volantis as a 5 inning guy is not worth the trade off from closer.

Family. You can’t live without ‘em, and they can’t pee standing up. A baseball movie reference modified for my personal enjoyment. Yes, I know it makes no sense.

Sonny Alvarado?

Unfortunately, my interest has really faded. The 80s were it though. The Never Nervous Pervis Ellison championship was pretty cool. Hated Georgetown so the Villanova win was nice. Big Syracuse fan with Stevie Thompson and Derrick Coleman. The Runnin’ Horns were fun. Certainly the NC State win over Phi Slamma Jamma was memorable. The Dean Smith over John Thompson in 1982 may have been the start. 1982-87 must have been it. Luke Jackson from Oregon may have been my last must see player.

Are the finals always in San Antonio now or will it rotate?

Gotcha. I know you’d have to report a 77 as a non-oline guy but not sure if you could plop a 34 in at guard without declaration. I’d assume do

What number did you wear? Fullback and guard don’t jive in that sense.

I think practice and hitting time constraints impact this, but I’d say the depth and quality on the defensive side has changed too. Not just players but coaches too. At the high school level it may be too easy to create mismatches so the focus is on skill guys. Defenses are quicker and faster so those targets are harder to hit. And with the portal, there is continuity being lost.

CJ made available some good data the other day regarding pressure rates. Within that data there a number of variables. Give or take some adjustments, we were pressured at the following rates: 2023 - 23.1% 2024 - 27.1% 2025 - 35.6% Now some individual QB passing grades. I’m going highest and lowest by year. 2023 - Ewers was 90.6 versus Bama with a 15% pressure rates. Lowest was Wyoming at 50.2 with a 8.7% pressure rate. 2024 - Ewers was 87.9 versus UGa in the championship with a 32.7% pressure rate. Lowest was 54.5 versus OU with a 28.1% pressure rate. Arch actually had the highest grade with 91.7 versus MSU with a 17.1% pressure rate. 2025 - Arch was 93.9 versus SHSU with a 26.1% pressure rate. 2nd Lowest was 50.1 versus UF with a 61.9% pressure rate. Lowest was UTEP at 43.9 at 22.2% pressure rate. Now Arch in 2025. He had 5 games with pressure rates in the 20% (or less) range. They resulted in his 3 highest passing grades, Michigan and UTEP. He had 6 games with a pressure rate of 40% or above. 4 of his 6 worst passing grades were found here. The anomaly was that UTEP game. OU was the outlier on the good side, but that was because his average depth of target was 50% lower than any other game resulting his 4th best passing grade at a 46.7% pressure rate. 2024 Ewers was a bit more all over the board. He had 9 games with pressure rates in 20% range or better. Three in the 30s and one in the 40s. There were 3 sub-20% with passing grades ranked 2nd, 5th and 7th. The 40% game was 10th highest grade. The 30s were 1st, 3rd, 6th and last. 2023 Ewers had 9 games in 20s or lower and 3 in 30% range. Four games were sub 20% and resulted in 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th graded passing games. The 3 in the 30s were 2nd, 3rd and 10th. Of note in the 4 starts Ewers missed in 2023 and 2024, three were sub 20% pressure rates and the other in the 20s. If you were to simply take 2023 and 2025, of the 10 highest pressure rates, the 6 worst games were from 2025 and 8 of the 10 worst. It’s a bit more balanced for 2024 and 2025, but 6 of the 7 worst were from 2025. Only 6 of the top 10 were from 2025. Now of the top 10 lowest pressure rates, there were 8 of 10 from 2024. Over the 3 years, six of the 7 worst pressure rates were from 2025 with the other being national champion OSU. Arch seems to be well correlated to pressure rates. For me, there are logical reasons for the two outliers. Ewers on the other hand seems more volatile. With Arch you could argue he’d do just with good to better than good pass protection.