Tag: Big 12 Football

How Short Should Shaka Smart’s Leash Be?

The Texas Longhorns’ basketball has been a disappointment the last couple of seasons, should Shaka Smart be worried about his job status?

For the Texas Longhorns basketball team, they have been looking for that breakout season that would lead you to believe they are on the right track. While the team has made it to the big dance under Smart, there hasn’t been any sustained success that Smart had for Virginia Commonwealth University.

During his six seasons with the VCU Rams, Smart led the team to a 163-56 record (.744 winning percentage) in those six years. His second season saw VCU make it all the way to the Final Four before getting bounced from the tournament. He wouldn’t get higher than the second round in the final four years before departing for Texas.

Smart has been in charge of the Texas Longhorns basketball program for just over four seasons now. He has a 81-70 record (.540 winning percentage), that doesn’t exactly breed confidence to fans or boosters for that matter. In two of his first four seasons saw Smart lead Texas to the NCAA Tournament only to get ousted in the first round. Last season the Longhorns took home the NIT Tournament Championship.

Texas finally got their first win of the Big 12 season when they defeated Kansas State  at home in Austin. They now look to take down Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Wednesday. The Longhorns are searching for a second-straight conference victory and the first on the road. Given how the rest of the conference is shaping up, can Texas allow Smart to remain in the driver’s seat?

Smart’s predecessor, Rick Barnes led the Longhorns to the Final Four in his fifth season as their head coach. Each year was a progression for Barnes from just making the tournament to the sweet 16 and then the final four. That would be his best season with Texas but unfortunately the Longhorns paid a lot of money to Smart and aren’t seeing a return on their investment.

The question remains, not that should Shaka Smart be on a short leash but just how short is it?

Texas Longhorns Officially Announce Coleman Hutzler Joining Staff

The Texas Longhorns officially welcomed Coleman Hutzler to the staff. He will be the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator.

Late on Monday evening the rumor mill starting catching wind of the Texas Longhorns adding a new staff member to take over as the linebackers assistant coach opening. As first reported by Anwar Richardson, Coleman Hutzler was the front runner to take that spot. On Tuesday afternoon, the Longhorns made it official that Hutzler would take over linebackers coach and was named co-defensive coordinator.

Hutzler was most recently with the South Carolina Gamecocks serving under former Longhorns’ defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. In 2017, Hutzler was nominated for the Broyles Award that goes to the nation’s best assistant coach.

“Coleman is a coach who came highly recommended by several people I have a great deal of respect for in our business,” Herman said. “When we had a chance to sit down and talk with him, he certainly lived up to everything we had heard. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, is high energy and has accomplished a great deal while spending much of his career coaching in big-time environments in the SEC. He’ll do a terrific job developing our linebackers and helping us grow on defense. We’re excited to get him on board and to get him around our team and out on the road recruiting for us.” –Tom Herman to TexasSports.com

 

 

2020 Heisman Trophy Odds: Texas QB Ehlinger No. 6

Early 2020 Heisman Trophy odds list Texas Quarterback Sam Ehlinger among the nation’s best.

Although the NCAA college football season ended just hours ago, it’s never too early to take a glance at 2020 projections.

Brett McMurphy, a college football insider from Stadium network, listed the Heisman Trophy Odds from BetOnline.AG via Twitter moments ago.

Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger is currently tied alongside four other players with 10/1 odds of winning the Heisman Trophy in 2020.

If quarterback Trevor Lawrence leads Clemson to their third-consecutive National Championship appearance, he would clearly be the favorite to take home this prestigious honor.

Texas’ dual-threat quarterback already has the impressive statistics, although lacking significant wins against top programs and a college playoff presence. Ehlinger has steadily progressed each season as a starter. If 2020 were to fall along the same path of development, these early Heisman odds are spot on.

Expectations could not be higher in Austin as Ehlinger enters his senior season.

 

 

Vegas Odds: Texas second favorite to win the Big 12

Odds to win the Big 12 have been released by Sports Betting Dime. As usual, Oklahoma are favorites at 9/5 and is followed by Texas at 5/1.

The Big 12 ended the 2019 season in miserable fashion, with Texas being the only team in the conference to win their bowl game. Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State all lost their bowl games, making the Big 12’s overall record 1-5 during bowl season.

Moving on to 2020 and odds to win the conference have been released by Sports Betting Dime. As usual, the Sooners are favorites to win it at 9/5 and is followed by Texas at 5/1 and Iowa State at 6/1. The list rounds out with Kansas and Texas Tech at 90/1, with West Virginia firmly ahead of them at 25/1.

Here are the full odds:

The Longhorns get to face the toughest opponents of the year at home this season, playing host to Baylor in October and Iowa State in November. As usual, the Texas-Oklahoma game will be held in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl. The schedule is favorable for Texas, getting their tough games in Austin this year.

With Texas having the second-best odds, they are expected to make the Big 12 Championship game. Facing Oklahoma, it would be the second time in three years the two teams meet up twice in one season, making each matchup more important than the last.

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USA Today’s Early Top 25 has Texas at No. 14

In the way too early top 25 for the upcoming season, Texas is ranked at No. 14. The Longhorns will once again begin the season with hype.

One day after the national championship is the perfect time to start wondering about the 2020 season. In the way too early top 25 for the upcoming season, USA TODAY’s Paul Myerberg has Texas ranked at No. 14. Finishing unranked in the final Amway Coaches Poll, the Longhorns would once again begin the season with some hype.

Other Big 12 teams include No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 21 Iowa State and No. 22 Baylor. Oklahoma State fell under “just missed the cut” section, but should be a threat next season.

Here is the full way too early top 25 for the 2020 college football season:

  1. Clemson
  2. Alabama
  3. Ohio State
  4. LSU
  5. Oklahoma
  6. Oregon
  7. Penn State
  8. Florida
  9. Notre Dame
  10. Iowa
  11. Georgia
  12. Michigan
  13. Auburn
  14. Texas
  15. Memphis
  16. Cincinnati
  17. Southern California
  18. Wisconsin
  19. Texas A&M
  20. Boise State
  21. Iowa State
  22. Baylor
  23. California
  24. Washington
  25. North Carolina

Just missed the cut: Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Utah, Arizona State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Kansas State, Louisville, Central Florida.

The SEC has the most teams in the poll, with six teams. Alabama and LSU once again lead the way for the conference, while Florida, Georgia, and Auburn also have spots in the 15.

Much like the SEC, the Big 12 has a lot of names, with Ohio State, Penn State, and Iowa in the top 10. Michigan and Wisconsin coming in at No. 12 and No. 18, making it one of the toughest conferences in the country.

With kickoff about seven months away, it will be a long, grueling wait for the 2020 college football season. Texas will have its season opener on Saturday, Sept. 5 against USF.

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Amway Coaches Poll: Did Texas Make It In?

Texas got 42 votes in the poll, missing out of the Amway Coaches Poll top 25 by five votes. Here is the full Amway Coaches Poll top 25:

The 2019 College Football season ended last night with LSU defeating Clemson in the National Championship, 42-25. Finishing the season ranked No. 1 in the Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports, the Tigers are the third different team to win a championship in the College Football Playoff era.

As for the Big 12, two teams made it in after a horrible bowl season. Oklahoma finishes the season outside of the top five, ranked No. 6 while Baylor is No. 12. Texas got 42 votes, misses out of the top 25 by five votes.

Here is the full Amway Coaches Poll top 25:

1) Louisiana State

2) Clemson

3) Ohio State

4) Georgia

5) Oregon

6) Oklahoma

7) Florida

8) Alabama

9) Penn State

10) Minnesota

11) Notre Dame

12) Baylor

13) Wisconsin

14) Auburn

15) Iowa

16) Utah

17) Memphis

18) Appalachian State

19) Michigan

20) Navy

21) Cincinnati

22) Boise State

23) Air Force

24) Central Florida

25) Virginia

Schools dropped out:

No. 23 Southern California

Others receiving votes:

Texas 42; Florida Atlantic 32; Washington 29; UL Lafayette 26; Texas A&M 26; Southern California 23; San Diego State 20; Southern Methodist 14; Louisiana Tech 9; Tennessee 8; Kentucky 5; California 4; Louisville 3; Kansas State 3; Hawaii 3; Oklahoma State 1.

Texas lands in final AP Top 25 poll

After an underwhelming 2019 season, the Texas Longhorns still landed in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

After an underwhelming 2019 season with five losses, the Texas Longhorns still managed to secure a spot in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Although Texas was the third-best team in the Big 12, their performance against No. 11 Utah in the Alamo Bowl was enough to re-enter into the final standings at No. 25 overall.

Only two other Big 12 teams were listed, Oklahoma at No. 7 while Baylor grabbed the No. 13 spot. Former rival Texas A&M just missed the final rankings, falling below the Longhorns in what would be the No. 26 spot.

Texas was the only five-loss team in the season-ending poll.

How to watch, listen, and stream Texas Basketball vs. Oklahoma State

Both Texas and Oklahoma State need to pick up a win to keep their seasons alive. Here is how you can watch, listen, and stream the game.

Securing their first victory in Big 12 play over the weekend against Kansas State, Texas men’s basketball is looking to get on a win streak rolling against Oklahoma State. With a record of 1-2, getting back to .500 would be huge for the Longhorns with the slate of games upcoming.

As for the Cowboys, they have lost all three of their Big 12 games to date. Facing Texas Tech, West Virginia, and TCU, the competition has not been easy for Oklahoma State. Both of these teams need to pick up a win to keep their seasons alive.

Here is how you can watch, listen, and stream Texas basketball square off against Oklahoma State:

Game information:

Date: 1/15/2020

Time: 7:00 p.m. CST

Location: Gallagher-Iba Arena Stillwater, Oklahoma

Watch: Big 12 Now/ESPN+

Listen: TexasSports.com/audio —Austin 104.9FM, 99.3FM, 98.5FM, 1260AM; Dallas 1080AM; El Paso 600AM; Houston 790AM; San Antonio 1200AM — Spanish: Austin 105.3FM; Dallas 990AM, 99.9FM

Stream: ESPN+

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Ehlinger tops Burrow in PFF’s QB passing grades when blitzed in 2019

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger is listed No. 2 on PFF’s passing grades when blitzed this season.

Sam Ehlinger is already mentioned as one of the top quarterbacks to play at the University of Texas, but it’s becoming more clear that his numbers are among the nations best.

Although PFF is primarily proprietary and does not divulge specifics into how the grades are calculated, it is a highly regarded resource for premium statistics and analysis at both the college and professional levels.

A lead college football analyst for PFF, Cam Mellor, listed the top five quarterbacks in terms of passing grades when blitzed this season.

Listed just below Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but notably above Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow, Ehlinger has been impressive at Texas in terms of individual statistics.

Could he gain more hype if he were at one of the more successful programs in the country? Definitely. Does the quality of the opposing defenses impact these grades? Sure.

His 2019 season still shouldn’t be overlooked. Ehlinger finished with 3,663 passing yards and 32 total touchdowns including the Longhorns impressive victory over No. 11 Utah in the Alamo Bowl. Against LSU, who is now competing in the National Championship, Ehlinger threw for 401 yards and four touchdowns.

The calm, confident, and edgy Texas quarterback was at his best when opposing defenses tried to blitz him. Receiver Devin Duvernay was likely Ehlinger’s favorite go-to target.

Ehlinger surpassed former quarterback Vince Young in single season passing yards, total yards of offense, and total touchdowns in 2019.

In terms of cementing his name alongside the nation’s best college quarterbacks, Ehlinger will need to lead this Texas team to a National Championship in 2020.

2020 Texas Longhorns: Keaontay Ingram Profile

The Texas Longhorns head into 2020 with a running back question, can Keaontay Ingram be the answer?

The Texas Longhorns run game in 2020 could be help carry the team. The backfield seems to be crowded going into the spring. Top rated recruit Bijan Robinson is set to join the team in the fall. The Longhorns needed to convert quarterback Roschon Johnson to running back but with a crowded group, could he go back to quarterback? Right now the leader of the group is Keaontay Ingram.

During his high school career at Carthage, Ingram was a one-man show on the ground. He rushed for over 2,000 yards and 32 touchdowns or more in his final two years. His ability is one that you can lean on. Running the ball has never been an issue for Ingram, This year he improved to 5.9 yards per carry on the same amount of carries.

While Ingram has shown that he can be very productive, he hasn’t been the feature back during his first two seasons as a Longhorn. Going into his junior year, Ingram should get the opportunity to be more a feature back in the offense even given who Texas has coming in behind him.

As a receiver, Ingram gives you the flexibility to move him around. While the numbers are minimal, Ingram can be a factor as a receiver. Lining up Ingram out wide can be a way that new play caller Mike Yurcich can use him to create matchups with linebackers. After seeing how Ingram found success in the Alamo Bowl game against Utah, that just might be the way they use him to attack defenses in 2020.