Schindler86

I was a little frustrated that on a critical third down Jeremiah Smith shoved Muhammad to get space and nothing was called. That no call and the penalty on Collin Simmons (hands to the face) that gave Ohio State a first down instead of a turnover on downs made a huge difference. Without them Ohio State may not have scored at all. The team is still young and that showed with some inconsistency. Arch, Collin Simmons, Anthony Hill, Ryan Wingo and Brandon Baker all had forgettable games. Lets hope they can keep their chins up and continue to improve.

Collin Simmons takes himself out of the play too often and was a liability when they ran toward him.

If Arch hits Wingo on that drag route just once then that changes the game. Even though Arch had a tough day, he did not give up. He kept punching and made some great throws toward the end. Bad throws, penalties and uninspired red zone play were killer. The defense is great. The offensive line has room to improve but overall played well. Graceson Littleton was awesome. Ced Baxter looked good. Endries played well.

I think Trey Moore, Brad Spence, Anthony Hill will move freely in between on ball linebacker to off ball linebacker to confuse offenses. Michael Taaffe, Jelani McDonald, Derek Williams and Jaylon Guilbeau will be equally versatile in the secondary. I think having so many experienced guys cross trained is going to make the Texas defense far more unpredictable than in years past.

I feel optimistic that the secondary will not take a step back from last year, and I actually think the front seven will be better and deeper. Jahdae Barron and Andrew Mukuba were great, heady players, but physically they each had their issues. Mukuba was a bit undersized, and Barron, despite his combine time, is limited in straight-line speed and could be beaten deep. Derek Williams, Jelani McDonald, and Kobe Black are bigger, more physical, and tough to move. The heart and head of the secondary is Taaffe — as long as he’s on the field, Texas will be in position to make plays.

The reason Texas’ defense could tilt the odds in their favor is Sark’s staff and their ability to develop talent. Look at the track record: T’Vondre Sweat, Alfred Collins, and Vernon Broughton were afterthoughts when Sark arrived. Byron Murphy was a 3-star recruit. That group produced an Outland Trophy winner, two first-team All-Americans, a second-team All-American, and four players drafted in the first four rounds. Barryn Sorrell, a 3-star LSU pass-over, became a 4th-round pick. Michael Taafe went from walk-on to All-American. Gunnar Helm, a 3-star from the last Herman class, had arguably the best season ever by a Longhorn tight end and is now making plays with the Titans. Christian Jones, once “damaged goods,” turned into an NFL player. David Gbenda also reached the NFL as an undrafted free agent. Torre Becton, the strength coach, deserves credit too. He’s building these players into physically dominant athletes, maximizing size, speed, and power — especially in the front seven, where length and strength are already elite. Sark isn’t just developing 3-star holdovers. He’s now working with top-tier recruits from four consecutive top-5 classes. Texas and Ohio State are essentially equal on paper, and I expect the same rapid jumps from these players that we’ve seen in the past. These guys are focused, hungry, and eager to prove something. With this staff’s development edge, the sky is the limit for Texas’ defense.

Most of the national chatter and Ohio State talk is about Arch Manning and the Texas offense. But Buckeye fans should really be paying attention to the Texas defense. The interior defensive line was the big question heading into spring, and early signs are very encouraging. Texas now has six defensive tackles who can make an impact and play big snaps. Last year they had four. This group may not include a 2nd- or 4th-round pick next year, but it has multiple future NFL players. What’s really impressive is the size — most of Texas’ front seven are 6’3” or taller, with several defensive linemen standing 6’5” or 6’6”. That length can create serious problems for both the run and the passing game, affecting blocking angles and giving the linebackers more room to make plays. The secondary is also strong. Texas returns four players who logged starter reps in the playoffs — Taafe, McDonald, Muhammad, and Guilbeau — along with Derek Williams, who was having an All-American type season before an ACL injury against Oklahoma. This unit is physical, experienced, and cohesive, and they’ve already been tested in big games. The pass rush is another major factor. Collin Simmons is just one piece. Trey Moore moves to off-ball linebacker after recording six sacks last year and 14 at UTSA the year before. Ethan Burke is a proven playmaker. Colton Vasek, now fully healthy, is as talented as anyone in the room. Brad Spence had 4.5 sacks at Arkansas. And Anthony Hill may be the best pass-rushing linebacker in the country — eight sacks last season, 5–6 the year before. Texas is deep, talented, and versatile on defense. Young players like Kobe Black, Tyanthony Smith, Graceson Littleton, Justus Terry, Lance Jackson, Josiah Sharma, and Elijah Barnes are already showing early-round NFL potential in reserve roles. Bottom line: this Texas defense is poised to exceed last year’s performance. The length, depth, and talent up front, combined with a physical secondary, could create real matchup problems. If Texas wins a national championship, the defense will be the foundation.

I really think the taller defensive lineman will impact the game. Sayin is 6’1. Burke is 6’6 and plays with a lot of intelligence. Travis Shaw is 6’5. Alex January is 6’5. Hero Kanu is 6’5. Lance Jackson is 6’5. Justus Terry is 6’5. If they get their hands up and bat those balls I think it impacts the game and flusters Sayin. Let’s not over pursue and allow for quick scramble yards or leave ourselves open to the screen. Bat it up. Get in his head. Then bring the house.

They are now recommending people begin getting colonoscopies at age 40. My friends Mom was one who had her first colonoscopy at 50 and was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer from the very first one. In the last 20 years more and more middle aged folks like Sergio are getting diagnosed. If you have a family history of it then it may make sense to start even before that.