(But why they're going to struggle for a bit after hiring him)
Apparently, the Mike Leach/Maryland courtship is progressing well. This is good news if you're a Terp fan. Because Maryland and Texas Tech have a lot in common.
1. Prior to Leach, both teams played somewhere around .500 ball. Ralph Freigan was a successful (and popular) coach, as was Spike Dykes.
2. Both teams, recently (prior to Leach) found themselves in conferences where they have trouble competing against the big dogs. For Tech it was aTm, OU and UT-Austin, for Maryland it's VaTech, Miami and Fl State.
3. Both teams can get second tear athletes, but have difficulty consistently getting top tier athletes. Leach has shown the ability to excel with the 2nd tier, and he can coach them up (on offense) to the 1st tier.
4. The ACC can be had right now. As could the Big XII as they weakened over time.
All that said, expect Maryland to suffer for a couple of years. Why?
The curse of firing a coach on the heels of an 8-win season.
Don't worry though Terps fans. Fear the turtle will be very real in about three years. It will just be lean for the next two.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
A Texans Postmortem
After today's game (at the end of the 3rd Quarter, the Texans are down 31-10 to the troubled Tennessee Titans*) there won't even be a mathematical hope for Texans players to hand their post-game interview hats on. A season that started with high-hopes (by some) and expectations of making the play-offs (by some) will have figuratively ended with a resounding thud at the home of the team that used to hold a place in Houston's heart.**
The sad thing is, what will follow will be platitudes and sound-bytes from a clueless coach, players who don't know how to win and an owner who only pays lip-service to winning but seems content just keep running up season ticket sales while sticking with mediocrity (or worse) on the field. "It's better than when we had no team!" Texans supporters will say, a feeling to which I respond "No, it's really not."
At least when there wasn't an NFL team in Houston television options included the best league match-ups of the day***. Today, for example, Houston fans could have watched the Saints vs. Ravens, or Jacksonville vs. Indy. Both games are matches where each team has very real playoff hopes. Instead, in Houston, we're stuck with watching a team come out flat in the first half with a defense that's incapable of stopping a hard-charging Jr. High marching band. It's bad football, Kubiak football, Denver Broncos football.
It should be obvious to Texans fans that the team has selected the incorrect model. After the retirement of John Elway (one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game) Shanahan's NFL recipe has been mediocre, at best. Who does that remind you of?
That's right, Gary Kubiak.
Of course, there's little hope that McNair is going to blow this mess up and start over next year. As he said in last week's interview, he feels the team is "on the right path" and "on the cusp" of being a playoff contender. What this means is that Houston football fans have another average team to look forward to next year (when, and if, the year finally starts) with no significant changes to a roster that only has two or three NFL quality players on the 2-deep. In a football mad city like Houston (In a football mad state like Texas) that shouldn't fly.
As it stands now I'm already picking the 2011 Texans to finish somewhere around 8-8. I don't see Kubiak getting let go so I don't see much improvement. The schedule will depend on whether I pick them to go 6-10 or 8-8 but it won't be any higher. This is the most irrelevant team in the NFL right now, unless the ownership catches a clue this won't change any time soon.
*If the Texans were really serious about winning, Kubiak and staff would be summarily dismissed after this stinker of a performance. Look at Dallas, they fell out of the playoff race, got humiliated on TV and their coach was gone. Say what you want about Jerry Jones at least the guy tries to win.
**In many cases, they still do. The biggest reason I'm not a Texans fan is because they're not the Oilers.
***Well, OK, and the Dallas Cowboys.
The sad thing is, what will follow will be platitudes and sound-bytes from a clueless coach, players who don't know how to win and an owner who only pays lip-service to winning but seems content just keep running up season ticket sales while sticking with mediocrity (or worse) on the field. "It's better than when we had no team!" Texans supporters will say, a feeling to which I respond "No, it's really not."
At least when there wasn't an NFL team in Houston television options included the best league match-ups of the day***. Today, for example, Houston fans could have watched the Saints vs. Ravens, or Jacksonville vs. Indy. Both games are matches where each team has very real playoff hopes. Instead, in Houston, we're stuck with watching a team come out flat in the first half with a defense that's incapable of stopping a hard-charging Jr. High marching band. It's bad football, Kubiak football, Denver Broncos football.
It should be obvious to Texans fans that the team has selected the incorrect model. After the retirement of John Elway (one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game) Shanahan's NFL recipe has been mediocre, at best. Who does that remind you of?
That's right, Gary Kubiak.
Of course, there's little hope that McNair is going to blow this mess up and start over next year. As he said in last week's interview, he feels the team is "on the right path" and "on the cusp" of being a playoff contender. What this means is that Houston football fans have another average team to look forward to next year (when, and if, the year finally starts) with no significant changes to a roster that only has two or three NFL quality players on the 2-deep. In a football mad city like Houston (In a football mad state like Texas) that shouldn't fly.
As it stands now I'm already picking the 2011 Texans to finish somewhere around 8-8. I don't see Kubiak getting let go so I don't see much improvement. The schedule will depend on whether I pick them to go 6-10 or 8-8 but it won't be any higher. This is the most irrelevant team in the NFL right now, unless the ownership catches a clue this won't change any time soon.
*If the Texans were really serious about winning, Kubiak and staff would be summarily dismissed after this stinker of a performance. Look at Dallas, they fell out of the playoff race, got humiliated on TV and their coach was gone. Say what you want about Jerry Jones at least the guy tries to win.
**In many cases, they still do. The biggest reason I'm not a Texans fan is because they're not the Oilers.
***Well, OK, and the Dallas Cowboys.
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Goodbye Sumlin. (UPDATED)
There's nothing official yet but given the number of college football coaching vacancies (or soon to be vacancies) there's little chance Kevin Sumlin will be the head ball coach for Houston next year.
Last year I suggested that the University get their succession plans in order, keep a coach in the system in the manner of Boise St. after Dan Hawkins or TCU after Francione. It doesn't appear that they did this.
The problem now is that it appears that Holgerson is going to get a much better offer than UH can provide. Thus endeth the run?
Boy was I wrong.
When Florida hired former Texas D-coordinator Will Muschamp it became pretty clear that the coaching dominoes were not going to fall as I initially thought. Now Miami has selected Al Golden, and it appears that Gus Malzahn is heading to Vandy and I don't see either Temple or the O-coordinator position at Auburn being of interest to Sumlin so.......
He's going to get a chance to fix this mess it appears.
Last year I suggested that the University get their succession plans in order, keep a coach in the system in the manner of Boise St. after Dan Hawkins or TCU after Francione. It doesn't appear that they did this.
The problem now is that it appears that Holgerson is going to get a much better offer than UH can provide. Thus endeth the run?
Boy was I wrong.
When Florida hired former Texas D-coordinator Will Muschamp it became pretty clear that the coaching dominoes were not going to fall as I initially thought. Now Miami has selected Al Golden, and it appears that Gus Malzahn is heading to Vandy and I don't see either Temple or the O-coordinator position at Auburn being of interest to Sumlin so.......
He's going to get a chance to fix this mess it appears.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Houston Texans: We know this
On the heels of their 20-0 shellacking of the Titan's B team.
The Texans can beat the bad teams, but lose to the good teams. Pretty much the epitome of average....
Andre Johnson vs. Courtland Finnegan would end via KO in the first round, Johnson over Finnegan.
The Texans can beat the bad teams, but lose to the good teams. Pretty much the epitome of average....
Andre Johnson vs. Courtland Finnegan would end via KO in the first round, Johnson over Finnegan.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Think about this.....
LSU is closer to TCU than TCU is to Oregon in the latest round of B(C)S standings.
My prediction: If LSU wins out they'll jump over both an undefeated TCU and Boise St. to play an undefeated Oregon in the Championship Game.
My prediction: If LSU wins out they'll jump over both an undefeated TCU and Boise St. to play an undefeated Oregon in the Championship Game.
7-9 could be optimistic.
At the beginning of the Football season my official pick for the Texans was 8-8. This was after several weeks of hovering around 7-9.
After today's debacle 8-8 is unlikely, and 7-9 appears to be iffy as well....
Let's look at the remaining schedule:
Week 11: @ NY Jets - L. The Jets have one of the best teams in the NFL, the Texans are mediocre. You do the math. 4-6
Week 12: Tennessee Titans - L. The Titans could have the best team in the division this year. Vince Young will start, he'll beat the team in the 4th QTR. And I haven't even mentioned Randy Moss yet, who could have 300 yards receiving against this pathetic D backfield. 4-7
Week 13: @Philadelphia Eagles - L. Mike Vick is playing lights out right now, and that defense is pretty good. Add to that a short week and a Texans team coming off what is always a hard-hitting division game and you have six losses in a row. 4-8
Week 14: Baltimore Ravens - L. Yes, the Texans have a long week to prepare, but the Ravens will be in desperation mode while the Texans will have already passed the breaking point. Amazingly, the media will still be saying there's a chance. 4-9
Week 15: @ Tennessee Titans - L. See above. 4-10
Week 16: @ Denver Broncos - W. Since nothing will be on the line I fully expect many Texans (Amobi Okoye, Mario Williams, Jacoby Jones) to play their best games of the season. As such, with nothing to play for they'll win. As usual. 5-10
Week 17: Jacksonville Jaguars - W. I have no reason for calling this a win other than that (as we saw today) the two teams are pretty even, and I think the Texans should beat them at home. 6-10
That's right: 6-10. That's the most probable finish for this team right now. Yes they could do better, but the could do worse as well. Most pundits, coming into this game, saw the two against the Jaguars as wins and the two against the Titans to be a home/home split. Of course, those picks were made with the assumption the Texans are on par with the Colts and Titans. We know now this isn't true, they're on par with the Jaguars, at the bottom of the Division.
One final thought: The "most unlucky team in the world" meme being pushed by Richard Justice, Jerome Solomon and John McClain of ChronBlog is just bad analysis. If you don't believe me, consider this paragraph from McClain's news piece on the loss:
The Texans suck. It really is that simple.
After today's debacle 8-8 is unlikely, and 7-9 appears to be iffy as well....
Let's look at the remaining schedule:
Week 11: @ NY Jets - L. The Jets have one of the best teams in the NFL, the Texans are mediocre. You do the math. 4-6
Week 12: Tennessee Titans - L. The Titans could have the best team in the division this year. Vince Young will start, he'll beat the team in the 4th QTR. And I haven't even mentioned Randy Moss yet, who could have 300 yards receiving against this pathetic D backfield. 4-7
Week 13: @Philadelphia Eagles - L. Mike Vick is playing lights out right now, and that defense is pretty good. Add to that a short week and a Texans team coming off what is always a hard-hitting division game and you have six losses in a row. 4-8
Week 14: Baltimore Ravens - L. Yes, the Texans have a long week to prepare, but the Ravens will be in desperation mode while the Texans will have already passed the breaking point. Amazingly, the media will still be saying there's a chance. 4-9
Week 15: @ Tennessee Titans - L. See above. 4-10
Week 16: @ Denver Broncos - W. Since nothing will be on the line I fully expect many Texans (Amobi Okoye, Mario Williams, Jacoby Jones) to play their best games of the season. As such, with nothing to play for they'll win. As usual. 5-10
Week 17: Jacksonville Jaguars - W. I have no reason for calling this a win other than that (as we saw today) the two teams are pretty even, and I think the Texans should beat them at home. 6-10
That's right: 6-10. That's the most probable finish for this team right now. Yes they could do better, but the could do worse as well. Most pundits, coming into this game, saw the two against the Jaguars as wins and the two against the Titans to be a home/home split. Of course, those picks were made with the assumption the Texans are on par with the Colts and Titans. We know now this isn't true, they're on par with the Jaguars, at the bottom of the Division.
One final thought: The "most unlucky team in the world" meme being pushed by Richard Justice, Jerome Solomon and John McClain of ChronBlog is just bad analysis. If you don't believe me, consider this paragraph from McClain's news piece on the loss:
Counting the Hail Mary, the Jaguars bombarded the NFL’s worst defense for 491 yards, including 342 passing by Garrard. Jones-Drew generated 100 of the 165 yards rushing.The Texans defense is historically bad, the offense plays in fits and starts, often going off-script on play-calling (supposedly Kubiak's specialty) their special teams are dodgy at best, sub-standard if you're being honest, and they're poorly coached to boot. The team has spent Millions of dollars on defensive linemen and they have one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL. They've drafted defensive backs, and they have one of the worst passing defenses in history. It's not luck, it's suck.
The Texans suck. It really is that simple.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Dear Boise St.
Enjoy the number one B(C)S ranking you'll get tomorrow, make sure you keep it warm for either Oregon or Oklahoma before they pass you and your sub-par schedule.
Thanks,
PAC-X (+II), Big XII (-II)
Thanks,
PAC-X (+II), Big XII (-II)
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