Tag: Texas

Forbes: Texas football one of 2019’s biggest disappointments

Forbes named the Texas Longhorns football team as one of 2019’s biggest disappointment

Forbes writer Tom Layberger has identified the Texas Longhorns as one of college football’s most disappointing teams of 2019 after a 7-5 season.

On Texas, Layberger wrote:

Texas had designs on winning a Big 12 title and at least being a part of the national title conversation in coach Tom Herman’s third year in Austin. The Longhorns not only are absent from the conference championship game, but they needed to defeat Texas Tech on Black Friday to clinch a winning season.

A few other notable teams included were TCU, Missouri, Washington and Michigan State.

Texas opened the year with high expectations and sat at No. 10 in the preseason polls. Much of the hype surrounding Texas had a lot to do with its blowout victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and the return of Sam Ehilnger and other key upperclassmen.

Texas opened the season with a win but then fell to LSU 45-38 in week 2. Despite the loss, the media still had high hopes for the Longhorns seeing as how it was a close game against an eventual No. 1 overall LSU.

Texas reeled off three wins in a row before then losing a close game to a highly ranked Oklahoma team.

That loss for Texas, which now had two strikes in the L column, kicked off a 3-4 ending to the regular season.

Injuries were a factor in the Longhorns disappointing season, however, there were plenty of issues that stemmed from poor play calling from Tom Herman’s coordinators.

Texas closed out the season with a 7-5 record and I would not expect to hear many inquiries as to whether or not “Texas is back” this offseason.

Five star OT and top-three overall prospect Tommy Brockermeyer releases his top-5 schools – is Texas included?

The Texas Longhorns are in the running to secure the talents of a top-three overall player in the 2021 class

Texas has enjoyed good to great offensive line play in recent years. Center Zach Shackelford has been a stalwart presence in the middle of the line throughout his time as a Longhorn and was named first-team All-Big 12. Tackle Samuel Cosmi earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as well as a nomination for Banner Society’s Piesman award (say it out loud, it will make sense). Could Tommy Brockermeyer be the next elite lineman to come through Texas?

The five-star OT Brockermeyer is one of the highest-ranked players in the 2021 class. 247Sports has him ranked as the top overall player in Texas, the top offensive tackle in the country, and the third overall player in the nation. This resume has garnered interest from all the top programs in college football, but Brockermeyer has narrowed it down to only five: Texas, LSU, Clemson, Alabama, and Auburn.

What sets Texas apart from the other schools Brockermeyer’s connections to the Longhorns. If you thought the name sounded familiar, you were spot on. Tommy’s older brother Luke is a linebacker currently playing for Texas, and his dad, Blake Brockermeyer, was an elite tackle at Texas and had a successful career in the NFL.

Though Brockermeyer has narrowed his choices down to five schools, his Longhorn roots should have Texas fans feeling good. Brockermeyer is a top-end talent that Texas can build around, and we all hope to see him sporting the burnt orange on Saturdays.

Notre Dame Football: Ranking Potential Bowl Game Opponents

Finally the biggest draw in the Big XII comes up on our breakdown.  Is Texas back?

In one of the worst kept secrets in college football at this point, we sit and wait to act surprised when on Sunday we will all officially find out that No. 15 Notre Dame will be headed to play a Big XII opponent in the 2019 Camping World Bowl.

That means a trip to Orlando but who the Irish play in the game is still very much up in the air for multiple different reasons.

For one – Oklahoma and Baylor both right now sit at six and seven in the College Football Playoff rankings respectively, with both still being very much alive for a potential New Year’s Six Bowl game berth if they are to fall in Saturday’s conference championship.

That’s important because it would change the Alamo automatically getting whoever loses and instead, give the bowl the chance to pick which of the 5-4 Big XII teams it would like, as Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Texas all finished in a tie for third place after all going 5-4 in conference play.

It got me wondering though – who should Notre Dame fans be rooting for to play?

I get that some Irish fans will have a family or friend that is connected to one of the schools that will make that their obvious choice, but for everyone who doesn’t, what are you rooting for to happen?

A quick look at the potential match-ups, one at a time.

Kansas State

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Texas basketball beats UAB 67-57: on to the Aggies

Texas Longhorns basketball beats UAB 67-57: on to the Aggies

On Tuesday night, the Texas Longhorns basketball team improved its’ record to 7-1 with a 10-point win over the UAB Blazers. Texas shot the ball well, rebounding from a disappointing shooting performance against McNeese State over the weekend. Texas barely escaped that game with a 73-71 win and shot only 29% from three and 50% from the free-throw line.

Against the UAB Blazers, the Longhorns corrected that as they went 44% from three and 72.7% from the line. Andrew Jones was the star for Texas, going for 20 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 27 minutes. He set his career-high as he hit 6 three-pointers and provided a surge to the Longhorns’ offense.

Up next for Texas is Texas A&M on Sunday. The Aggies are 3-4 coming off a loss against the 2-6 Fairfield Stags. On that topic, if it seems the Longhorns’ schedule is a little softer this year, it’s because it is. Texas currently has two ranked teams on the schedule – No. 2 Kansas and No. 18 Baylor. The out of conference schedule is riddled with teams that don’t project to make the tournament like McNeese State, Central Michigan, and Prairie View.

For Texas to secure a top-6 seed in the tournament, they need to minimize losses to teams like that and come out with at least one upset over Baylor or Kansas.

Nine Longhorns make the official All-Big 12 team

Nine Texas Longhorns earned spots on the All-Big 12 team for their performance on the field

The official All-Big 12 team was released today on Big12sports.com, and nine different Texas Longhorns made the cut. Here is the full list of Longhorns on the team, and where they were listed:

  • WR Devin Duvernay (first team)
  • C Zach Shackelford (first team)
  • OT Samuel Cosmi (second team)
  • DB Brandon Jones (second team)
  • K Cameron Dicker (honorable mention)
  • QB Sam Ehlinger (honorable mention)
  • LB Joseph Ossai (honorable mention)
  • DE Malcolm Roach (honorable mention)

In addition, Duvernay was a runner up for Offensive Player of the Year, Parker Braun for Offensive Newcomer of the Year, and Samuel Cosmi for Offensive Lineman of the Year. The two first-teamers were more than deserving, as they were both key pieces in keeping the Longhorns’ offense running when not much else was working.

Duvernay was electric this year, catching 103 passes for 1294 yards and 8 touchdowns – all career highs for the senior. He lost out to Oklahoma State’s running back Chuba Hubbard, who had an outstanding year on the ground. Shackelford led a Longhorns’ run game that was able to keep churning even after losing three of the top four running backs on the roster.

Duvernay and Shackelford’s will be big shoes to fill next year, as both players are turning their sights to the NFL Draft.

Watch: Andrew Jones splashes home the three to increase Texas’ lead over UAB

Andrew Jones hits another three to give the Texas Longhorns a 15-point lead over UAB Blazers

It seems like Andrew Jones’ shot is falling tonight, and his game-leading 11 points has the Texas Longhorns up in the second half over the UAB Blazers. The senior off the bench has 11 points and has hit 3 of his 4 threes. Watch him splash this one home to give the Longhorns a 15-point lead

Texas is up in the second half over the UAB Blazers, and is looking for its seventh win on the season. The Longhorns are rebounding after a tough shooting game against McNeese State, as they’re shooting 41.2% from three and 83.3% from the line. Catch the rest of the game on Longhorn Network.

Four Texas Longhorns named to first-team All-Big 12 by PFF

Four Texas Longhorns were named to PFF’s All-Big 12 first team

With the 2019 regular season just wrapping up, Pro Football Focus has released its All-Big 12 Team. The list names four players at each position on offense and defense plus a flex defense, kicker, punter, kick returner, and punt returner. Four Texas Longhorns were named to the first team, and eight more joined them on the second team, third team, or as an honorable mention.

Here is the full list of Longhorns that made the team:

  • WR Devin Duvernay (first team)
  • OT Samuel Cosmi (first team)
  • DE Malcolm Roach (first team)
  • K Cameron Dicker (first team)
  • QB Sam Ehlinger (honorable mention)
  • RB Keaontay Ingram (honorable mention)
  • OT Derek Kerstetter (third team)
  • OG Parker Braun (second team)
  • DE Ta’Quon Graham (honorable mention)
  • DT Moro Ojomo (honorable mention)
  • LB Joseph Ossai (second team)
  • CB D’Shawn Jamison (honorable mention)

Devin Duvernay was PFF’s highest-graded Big 12 receiver this year, while Samuel Cosmi was its’ highest-graded Big 12 tackle. Malcolm Roach’s play against the run earned him the highest run-defense grade of all Big 12 edge defenders. Cameron Dicker “the kicker” has hit multiple clutch kicks this year, including this game-winner in the nailbiter against Kansas:

This group of deserving Longhorns have left their mark on the game this season and earned the right to be recognized as the best in the conference. There is still unfinished business, as the underclassmen turn their sights to the 2020 season while seniors like Duvernay start preparing for the NFL draft.

WATCH: Former Longhorn Quandre Diggs delivers a huge hit

Former Longhorn Quandre Diggs delivered a huge hit to Irv Smith last night. The hit was so big, you could hear the two players colliding.

The Seattle Seahawks played host to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football last night. In the middle of the second quarter, the two teams were tied at seven. Quarterback Kirk Cousins found former Alabama tight end on an out route near the line of scrimmage. Former Texas cornerback Quandre Diggs quickly sniffed it out and delivered a monster hit.

Smith only gained three yards on the play. Once Diggs hit him, he immediately went down. The hit was so big, you could hear the two players colliding.

You can watch the hit here:

Diggs is having a great season for Seattle after being traded from Detroit. In the three games, he has forced two turnovers, an interception and a fumble. His interception came in a win against the San Fransico 49ers. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, he forced and recovered a fumble.

Diggs and the Seahawks beat Minnesota last night, moving into first place in the NFC West. Their final four games will come against the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, and San Fransico 49ers.

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Texas wins second Big 12 title 14 years ago today

On Dec. 3, 2005, Texas faced off against Colorado in the Big 12 championship game. They blew them out, 70-3, the largest win in history.

On Dec. 3, 2005, Texas faced off against Colorado in the Big 12 championship game. The two teams had already met earlier that season in Austin, with the Longhorns winning 42-17. With a national championship birth on the line, Texas blew out the Buffaloes, 70-3.

For the Longhorns, they pounded the ball on the ground, having 57 attempts for 268 yards. Six out of the nine touchdowns for Texas came on the ground. No one player, in particular, had a ridiculous amount of yards, as Jamaal Charles led the way with 62 yards. Romance Taylor, Henry Melton, Vince Young, and Selvin Young all had over 30 yards. Charles and Melton both had two touchdowns, while Vince and Selvin Young each had one.

Jamaal Charles of the Texas Longhorns scores a first-quarter touchdown versus the Colorado Buffalos in the Big 12 Championship Game at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on December 3, 2005. Texas won 70-3. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)

In the air that day, Vince Young had his second-most efficient day of the year. In the regular-season matchup against Colorado, he completed 86% of this throws. In the Big 12 championship, he completed 82%, going 14-17. He added 193 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception.

Colorado struggled all day, only having 191 total yards. The Buffaloes fumbled four different times, losing it three times. Quarterback Joel Klatt had an interception, making it four turnovers for Colorado. When they were not turning it over, they were punting. The Longhorn defense forced seven punts, not letting the Buffaloes get any offensive rhythm.

The scoreboard during the Texas Longhorns against the Colorado Buffalos in the Big 12 Championship at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas on December 3, 2005. Texas won 70-0. (Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images)

The 70-3 win is still the biggest win in the history of the Big 12 championship. Vince Young was named MVP of the game, having 250 total yards and four touchdowns. Texas improved to 13-0, setting themselves up for a matchup in the BCS Championship game against USC.

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Notre Dame Bowl Game – My Best Guess

Love them or hate them, where both those teams go ratings follow.

With no conference championship to get ready for and the weekend’s coming conference championships having no baring on Notre Dame’s postseason destination, it’s easy to see why Fighting Irish fans are so quick to look ahead to whatever bowl game the Irish end up in the Camping World Bowl and Notre Dame’s date with the Big XII.

But who they play remains to be seen.

Yesterday I went over all the latest projections from various outlets I could find and although the majority had Oklahoma State being the opposition, Kansas State and Texas each both showed up as well.

While Baylor and Oklahoma battle this week for conference supremacy and a potential shot at the College Football Playoff, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State and Texas all finished with identical 5-4 marks in conference play.

What that means is that there is no obligation to have to pick a set team who finished third, instead the Camping World Bowl and potentially the Alamo Bowl (more on that later) have their pick of those squads potentially to invite to their bowl.

It all depends on what happens Saturday in the Big XII Championship and other conference title games.

If Oklahoma wins but doesn’t make the College Football Playoff, they’ll be headed to the Sugar Bowl.  It’ll then be up in the air whether or not a two-loss Baylor team gets into a New Year’s Six Bowl as an at-large, but I’d bet against it considering they’ve been shown no love from the playoff committee do date despite having only one loss.

That would mean that Baylor would automatically go to the Alamo Bowl because they’re the highest non-NY6 team in the Big XII and that’s the rules the conference has agreed to.

The Camping World Bowl would then have it’s pick of any of Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas since they all tied for third place in the Big XII.

It doesn’t take a brain-surgeon to figure out that there is one team on that list that bowl games love because of their insane following and one team on that list that would bring a massive following even if they were a big-time underachiever in 2019:

Texas.

Here’s the thing.  The same can be said for the Alamo Bowl who the same rules would apply to if Baylor and Oklahoma were both to make NY6 Bowl games.  This is entirely reliant on Baylor losing Saturday and then not being invited to the New Year’s Six, but again, I have a strong belief that will be the case.

If they both manage to get into those contests, Alamo Bowl gets the first pick of the 5-4 Big XII’s in a game that would be against Oregon or USC.

They’d be all over Texas too, at least given the chance to be.

As much as I’m a fan of Matt Rhule and what he’s been able to do first at Temple before turning around Baylor, my bet is that Oklahoma wins the conference title again on Saturday and that Baylor is left out of the New Year’s Six.

That would automatically send them to the Alamo Bowl while the Camping World Bowl gets their pick of the 5-4’s like we discussed and can anyone see them not taking a Notre Dame vs. Texas match-up?

Love them or hate them, where both those teams go ratings follow.

And think about it – are there two bigger possible fan-bases ESPN could wish for to start their December 28 game coverage with than Notre Dame and Texas?

Notre Dame’s only appearance in the game (2011, then the Champs Sports Bowl) resulted in the game’s only ever sellout.  Sure, in-state Florida State wouldn’t be the opposition but you’re a fool if you don’t think Texas travels as well as anyone.

It’s dependent on Baylor losing and not being invited to the New Year’s Six, but I find that likely and can’t wrap my head around the idea of a bowl game passing on a Notre Dame/Texas match-up.

Ok, cool. Hook ’em.