IS MACK'S MOUTH WRITING CHECKS HIS ASH CAN'T CASH?

 

                                                                          

 TEXAS LONHORNS

2013 Predicted Conference Finish: 4th

LONGHORNS @ A GLANCE:
Head Coach: Mack Brown
Stadium:  Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium (101,851) / Austin, TX
2012 Record  9-4 (5-4)
   Home 4-2
   Away 4-1
   Neutral / Bowl 1-1
Bowl Game; Yes, defeated Oregon State 31-27 in Alamo Bowl
Returning Starters 19
   Offense 10
   Defense 9
Longhorn Laundry List: Install new hurry up offense, address LB position and pray that kicking game doesn't lose a game or two
Key Game K-State @ home 9/21
2013 vs. OU: October 12th @ Cotton Bowl / Dallas

DID YOU KNOW?
Texas has been the nation's third most successful team since Mack Brown took over in 1998, having won 150 games over those 15 seasons.  Boise State (162) and Oklahoma (150) are the only two with more wins over that same span.

"Our team is at a different point now, we're an older football team, we get it"
     "This will be the best team we have had in three years."
          "2013 is the season we have been pointing too, this is our year."
               "Now we got to shut up and do it"
                    -Texas Head Coach Mack Brown

For the Texas Longhorns, the time is now...right now...this year...this season.  There are no more excuses to fall back on; mediocrity can no longer be justified.  Changed have been made, cohesiveness has been found and all things adrift have been righted. The young have aged, experience has been gathered and an identity has been found. Yes, Mack, now comes the hard part...you have to shut up and do it.
While it may look like Mack didn't do himself any favors by verbally painting himself into a corner with his 'win in 2013 or bust attitude,' the fact of the matter is, the expectations of Longhorn fans already had him placed there.

Longhorn fans are not just tired of being patient; they are also tired of being embarrassed.  Since the Longhorns loss to Alabama in the 2009 title game, the Horns have gone a very pedestrian like 22-16.  Included in that 3 season stretch was:

- The 5-7 meltdown of 2010. After starting out 3-0, the Longhorns would lose 7 of their next 9, resulting in their first losing season since 1997.  Five of those losses were at home, including an embarrassing 28-21 loss to Iowa State, their first ever to the Cyclones.
-The demise and transfer of Garrett Gilbert. Gilbert, from nearby Austin Westlake, was the 2008 USA Today POY, and top ranked QB in the class of 2009.  He was expected to the franchise QB after Colt McCoy left, but never came close to meeting those expectations and subsequently transferred to SMU.
-Three straight losses to Oklahoma, the last two by a combined score of 118-38.

There are those in the national media that agree that this is the year that Brown and the Longhorns return to national prominence...and I will admit that there are quite a few reasons to agree...things like:

1. 19 returning starters
2. What could be the best stable of RB's in the country
3. Their entire offensive line returns
4. What should be one of the best secondary's in the country
5. A defensive line that might be the Big 12's best

No team, outside of Tuscaloosa at least, is without its weaknesses, the Longhorns included.  They have two good, possibly great receivers, but I question whether they have the depth at the position that they are going to need in order to run the hurry-up offense Applewhite wants to employ this year.  The LB position was a big problem last year, and while they get their best LB Jordan Hicks back from injury, I am skeptical that they are much improved in that area.  The Texas kicking game is dreadful; Texas fans can only hope that the kicking game doesn't cost them a game...or more.

But the reason given by most as to why the Horns are the favorites in the Big 12 and should be included in the national title conversation...is the very reason I think they shouldn't.  That reason is their quarterback, David Ash.

Why is everyone so excited about David Ash?  I realize I am an obsessed Sooner fan, but I really tried to take a step back and be objective about this...here is what I came up with:

What is being said:  Texas & TCU have an advantage over the rest of the Big 12 because they are the only two teams with returning QB that have extensive experience.
What The OAS says: I will agree that having a returning starting QB has some advantage to it, but unless that QB is great, the advantage is minimal. In my opinion, David Ash was the 10th best QB in the Big 12 last year.  That's right, 10th. WVA, OU, Baylor, KSU, Texas Tech and TCU (Pachall) all had better QB's than Ash last year....and Oklahoma State had three that I would have taken over Ash. I'm not saying Ash completely sucks, but if 9 other QB's in the conference hadn't run out of electives to enroll in, David Ash is not a why, he is a why not.

What is being said:  David Ash is more mature, is showing signs of being a leader and is poised to take the next step.
What The OAS says: OK, maybe so.  But while I guess it is a better sign to see your QB be more of a leader during the offseason than if he wasn't, the measure of a QB will come only when the season starts. For a QB to be an effective leader, he has to not only be good, but he has to be good in the big ball games.
It is a statistical fact that QB's make their biggest improvement between year one and year two of being a starter.  David Ash's big improvement last year from 2011 shows he is no exception.  If that theory hold true, then it is not unrealistic to believe that the David Ash of last 2012, is pretty much the David Ash you should expect to see in 2013.  That has to be a little unnerving for Texas fans, because this is the "much improved" David Ash of last year:

-An 8-5 record as a starter. (12-6 career)
-In the 5 losses Ash had 1 touchdown pass vs 7 interceptions
-The 8 wins came against teams with a combined record of 46-56...with none of the teams Texas beat winning more than 8 games (Alamo opponent Oregon State won 9).
-He lost to OU by 42.  Actually when Ash came out of the game, the Longhorns had score 8 points...NONE of which were scored by Ash and the offense. It was Case McCoy who came in and engineered two trash touchdown drives to make the score a more 'respectable' 63-21.  Speaking of McCoy...
-Ash played so poorly against 1-11 Kansas that he was benched. If not for Chase McCoy leading the Longhorns back with 14 late 4th quarter points, the Horns would have suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in school history.

So while it is true that Ash's stats were much better in 2012 than in 2011, his stats against the better teams in the conference still sucked.

I guess what bothers me, is that everyone seems to be basing their Ash exuberance on the fact that he is a year older and for the way he rallied Texas to victory over the Oregon State Beavers in the Alamo Bowl.  Hell, if growing older and 'licking Beavers,' is all it takes to get people excited in Austin, then why don't they just name Matthew McConaughey as the Longhorn QB.  (With any luck, my mother won't get that joke.)

I would also argue that some of Ash's experience will be offset by the new hurry up offense that Applewhite and the Horns are implementing this year.  That change seems strange to me, since the strength of the Texas offense would seem to be their rushing attack.  While there is no law that says you can't run the ball out of the hurry up, usually the way that offense is most effective, is to tire out the opposing defense by throwing the football.  Teams can struggle with the transition to a hurry up offense...so a lot is riding on Ash being much improved this year...if not, the new offense might just be playing into the opposing teams hands, and I mean that literally.

 

With 19 returning starters, Texas should be good this year.  But I don't see them being great unless David Ash's performance improves dramatically against the top opponents on the Longhorn schedule.  I guess I am skeptical of that improvement being enough to get the Horns over the top.

 

Mack Brown says this is David Ash's team.  With no excuses to fall back on, Mack better hope Ash is the 'real McCoy' this season, because if he isn't, David Ash's team might have a new head coach next year. 

 

Just the opinion of one mildly interested guy

 

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

 

Buddy Putty

BAYLOR BEAR-ING FRUIT OF BRILES LABOR

BAYLOR BEARS

2013 Projected Conference Finish: 5th

 

 

BEARS @ A GLANCE:

 

HEAD COACH:  Art Briles (entering 6th season 33-30)

STADIUM: Floyd Casey Stadium 50,000 / Waco, TX

2012 RECORD  8-4 (4-5)

   HOME                                  5-1

   AWAY                                  1-4

   COWBOYS STADIUM/BOWL    2-0

BOWL GAME: Yes, beat #17 UCLA in the Holiday Bowl

RETURNING STARTERS:  13

   OFFENSE   6

   DEFENSE   7

BEAR ESSENTIALS:  Must improve the defense. In the games against Texas & West Virginia, the Baylor offense scored 113 total points (avg 56.5 ppg) and lost

KEY GAME @ K-State Oct 12th. The Wildcats want revenge for last year's loss in Waco that possibly cost KSU a berth in the BCS Championship game.  The winner of this early game helps themselves big-time in the Big 12 race.

 

2013 vs OU: November 7th - Waco.  The Sooners last trip to Floyd-Casey

 

DID YOU KNOW?

That this is the last season for the Bears at Floyd-Casey Stadium their home since 1950?  After this season, Baylor will move into their new $250 million home on the Brazos.  The new facility will hold 45,000, with 39 suites, 74 semi-private boxes, 1200 outdoor club seats and a designated student section that holds 6700 Baylor undergrads.

 

 

 







 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEAR-LY RECOGNIZABLE

 

I'm not going to lie to you, I don't care for Waco, Texas...and I feel pretty certain that the feeling is mutual.  I mean let's face it, any place that strongly frowns on drinking and dancing, probably won't be thrilled with too many of the other traits that come standard with Buddy Putty.  With all of that in mind, I decided a long time ago to do us both a favor and spend as little time in Waco as possible.  Hey, The OAS is nothing, if not reasonable, right?  But if having fun is hard to do in Waco, then winning football games there would have to rate as...

 

In my opinion, anyone who took the Baylor head football coaching job was basically committing career suicide.  Baylor is a small private school...a little orphan Andy compared to the big, rich and powerful Daddy Warbucks' like A&M and Texas.  Waco would be a tough sell if it was in Malibu, but being stuck half-way between Dallas and Austin, and little more than an hour from College Station, was like being in the Bermuda Triangle of recruiting.  If for some reason a top recruit passes on the two state heavy-weights, there are still 6 other Division I schools just in Texas that Baylor has to compete with to sign a top talent.  Throw in perennial poachers of Texas talent like OU, OSU and LSU and you could see where Baylor might be a tough place to build a program.  In fact, if you ask the four guys who tried to do it following Grant Teaff's retirement in 1992 they might call the task...impossible.

 

(Queue the music please)...But then Baylor hired Art Briles.  The turnaround that Briles has orchestrated in Waco is very Bill Snyderesque. While most would agree that Baylor hadn't become quite the joke that the KSU program Snyder took over was, the Bears were certainly 'knock-knocking' on the door of it.

 

What kind of turnaround job has Art Briles done at Baylor?

These were the facts before Briles arrived- from 1996-2007 (12 seasons):*usa today college football report

1.  Baylor won only 35 games total
2.  Won only 11 conference games
3.  Played in zero Bowl Games
4.  Produced only 3 All-Americans
5.  Had only 3 players taken in the NFL draft. Not first round, the entire draft!

 

These are the facts since Briles took over in 2008 (5 seasons)

1. Baylor has won 33 games
2. Has won 17 conference games
3. Has won 2 bowl games
4. Has produced 13 All-Americans, including a Heisman Trophy winner
5. Has had 14 players taken in the NFL draft.

Art Briles is building the Baylor program for the long haul.  His background as a Texas high school football coach has served him well in the state's recruiting circles.  He has an offensive system in place that hardly lost a beat after RG3 graduated.  Most importantly, he has the backing of the big donors and the powers that be in Waco...to build the facilities necessary for him to compete with the big schools. 

Under Briles guidence, Baylor is no longer the football doormat of the Big 12 Conference; or a team that conference powers can annually chalk up as a W...just ask OU in 2011 and #1 ranked K-State last year.  But before Baylor can talk championship, conference or otherwise, they will need to play some better defense. 

 

2013 Baylor Bears

Downside...the defense doesn't improve and Bryce Petty doesn't turn out to be the projected star QB that everyone thinks he is...Baylor falls to 6-6 and the second division of the Big 12.
Upside: Defense causes turnovers, and the Baylor offense rolls behind the legs of Heisman RB candidate Lache Seastruck and the arm of QB Petty to a 10-2 / 11-1 season...
Reality: I think 8-4 and 5th in conference is the call for the 2013 Bears. 

There is no doubt about the fact that things in Waco are good these days when it comes to Baylor football.  There is a new stadium on the Brazos, a Heisman in the trophy case, and a spirit of hope and anticipation about Baylor Bear football not seen in some time, if ever.  Art Briles has changed the culture and attitude of those in the Baylor program which has resulted in the program being viewed differently by those outside of it. Yes, Art Briles has made it fun to be a Baylor Bears fan....now if he could only do something about Waco.

Just the opinion of one mildly interested fan

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Buddy Putty

BACK TO THE FUTURE

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS

Predicted 2013 Conference Finish 6th

 

 

WILDCATS @ A GLANCE:

 

HEAD COACH: Bill Snyder (Entering 22nd Seasons / 178-85-1)

STADIUM: Bill Snyder Family Stadium (50,000) / Manhattan, KS

2012 RECORD  11-2 (8-1)

   HOME  7-0

   AWAY  4-1
BOWL GAME: Yes, BCS Fiesta Bowl / Lost to Oregon 35-17

RETURNING STARTERS 10

   OFFENSE    8

   DEFENSE    2
WILDCAT WANTS: Settle of new QB, replace most of defense
KEY GAMES: Everyone will find out about the Wildcats early as they start conference with games: @ Texas, @ OSU and home against Baylor.
2013 vs. OU: The Sooners travel to Manhattan to play KSU on Saturday, November 23rd.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

That K-State is 316-530-1 without Bill Snyder...170-85-1 with the purple windbreaker on the sideline.

Kansas State Head Football Coach and
Miracle Worker - Bill Snyder
The real Wizard of Oz?

WHY 6TH PLACE?

Good question. Picked to finish no better than 6th in most 2012 pre-season polls, the Kansas State Wildcats went on to finished 8-1 last year and capture the Big 12 title and a Fiesta Bowl berth...
But I look for the Wildcats to be more in the middle of the pack this year with a new QB and having to replace 9 of 11 starters on defense.  They have solid o-line and RB's, so QB won't be asked to be hero, but I see a step back this year.  That being said, with no team in the conference having a returning star QB, makes this years Big 12 race a wide open one that anyone, including K-State could win.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

No, I can assure you that Bill Clinton isn't still in the Oval Office, doing whatever he claims he didn't.  The movie Titanic isn't up for best picture last year, which is fitting, since this story involves a ship that has been righted, not one that sinks.  You might still be using Windows 98, but it is hardly brand new to the market place. I can also promise you that sadly, Frank Sinatra and Roy Rogers are still gone and that unfortunately, Sonny Bono isn't out of the woods.  But if watching the Kansas State Wildcats last season took you on a journey back in time to say 1998, well, that is certainly understandable; because just like back in 1998 the 2012 Wildcats were certainly...'Gettin' Jiggy with it."  Damn, that white haired old man in the purple jacket can coach....still.

BILLVILLE

It is not by coincidence, that in order to get to Manhattan, Kansas you have to turn off I-70 and take the Bill Snyder highway into the city limits.  The only reason that the football stadium at Kansas State says Bill Snyder Family Stadium is that it's namesake insisted on adding Family to the name.  There is also a Bill Snyder Street, a Bill Snyder Center and even future plans to rename Manhattan: Snyder, Kansas. OK, OK, I was making that last part up, but I don't think many people in Manhattan would mind if they did.  Yes, K-State head football coach Bill Snyder is that popular...but then, miracle workers usually are.

In his first stint as the head football coach at Kansas State University, (1988-2005) Bill Snyder did the impossible...he turned K-State into a winner. What Snyder accomplished was the equivalent of transforming Rosie O'Donnell into a super-model...like making Warren Beatty humble or Salt Lake City a party town.  How bad was it before he got there you didn't ask?

B.S. (before Snyder) the Wildcats went 137-445-18 (.301 winning percentage) from 1935-1988, with only 5 winning seasons during that 54 years span...which is to say they won about as often as I eat tofu.  Want some real perspective on how bad the program was? The five winning seasons they had over that 54 year span was three less than the eight winless seasons they had over the same.  Wow. 

Enter Bill Snyder. Snyder found a way to recruit good athletes to a school that was literally out in the middle of nowhere...the closest major airport a 130 miles away.  He also sold kids on coming to a school that had no tradition at all, unless you count being the worst college football program in the nation as a tradition. But the key thing Snyder did was bring in the kids that nobody else was recruiting and coach them up.  A look at the Bill Snyder coaching tree shows that his philosophy must have had some merit: 8 former assistant coaches have gone on to coach at major universities, including both Stoops brothers, Mark Mangino (KU), Jim Leavitt (South Florida),  Dana Dimell @ Wyoming and Bret Bielema who was at Wisconsin and now @ Arkansas.

Snyder stepped down in 2005, following two seasons in which the Wildcats had gone 9-15.  The resignation was thought to be the best thing for all parties involves, with many questioning Snyder's ability to coach at a high level anymore.

The school hired Ron Prince.  It is said you never want to follow a coaching legend, a credo that OU's Gary Gibbs might agree with...but Ron now has the dubious distinction of both following and preceding a legend...amazingly, the same legend.  After 3 controversial years and a declining win-loss record under Prince, K-State made a change. Bill Snyder, the same man many in Manhattan had decided couldn't coach anymore, was hired to clean up the mess that was K-State football....again. 

As the title of Shania Twain's 1998 hit single would suggest...Bill Snyder is "Still The One" in Manhattan, KS.  From the looks of it, they better start building something else they can name after him, because it doesn't look like Bill Snyder has run out of miracles just quiet yet.

Just the opinion of one mildly interested guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Buddy Putty







DEFENSE IS OFFENSIVE IN MORGANTOWN

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

2013 Predicted Conference Finish: 7th

 

 



MOUNTAINEERS @ A GLANCE:

Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen (entering 4th season / 17-9)
Stadium: Milar Puskar Stadium (60,000) / Morgantown, WVA
2012 Record:    7-6 (4-5)
   2012 Home            5-3
   2012 Away              2-2
Bowl Game: Got taken to the cleaners by Syracuse 38-14 in the Pinstripe Bowl
Returning Starters:   11
   Offense:     4
   Defense:     7
Mountaineer Musts: Settle on a QB / reload at WR and lure their defense out of the witness protection program

2013 vs. OU: The Mountaineers come to Norman on Sept. 7th (Game 2)

Key Swing Game: Texas Tech October 19th - Morgantown.  Winner of this game improves chances at snagging a second-tier bowl game.

DID YOU KNOW?...

That these are actual laws in the state of West Viginia?

1.  It is legal for a male to have sex with an animal as long as it weighs less than 40 lbs.
2. It is legal to beat your wife as long as it is done on the courthouse steps, in public and on Sunday.
3. No children may attend school with the smell of 'wild' onion on their breath.

2012 WVA 5.0

 

For Dana Holgorsen and the West Virginia Mountaineers, year one as a member of the Big 12 Conference was quiet a rollercoaster ride.  A tale of two seasons that was a lot of things, but boring certainly wasn't one of them.

The Mountaineers came out of the gate like Kasey Kahne in his #5 Quaker State Chevrolet.  After five games, the Mountaineers, led by QB and Heisman candidate Geno Smith, seemed to be hitting on all five cylinders.  They were 5-0 for the first time in five seasons, ranked #5 in the AP Poll and coming off a victory over Texas in Austin that undoubtedly had WVU fans high-fivin' on 6th Street.  But the fast start was a mirage and the house of cards that was the 2012 Mountaineer season would soon tumble...leaving those high-fivin' fans in need of a fifth of whiskey.

Defense takes the fifth...

 

There is an old adage in baseball that states: good pitching beats good hitting, which is why some of the best hitters in baseball still fail nearly 70% of the time. 
 
In hockey, it is possible for an 8th seed to ride a hot goalie to a Stanley Cup, as evidenced by the 2011-2012 LA Kings.  During their run to the cup they beat the 1st, 2nd and third seeds behind the incredible net-minding of Jonathan Quick.

In the NBA, most of the past championships were won with a big man like Russell, Jabbar, Malone, Parrish, Olajuwon, Shaq or Duncan playing defense in the middle.  Recently, teams have proven you don't have to have the dominant man in the middle to win a title...but what do Michael, Kobe and LaBron all have in common besides multiple rings and a recognizable first name moniker?  All three have been named to the NBA's First-Team All -Defensive team. 

Then there is football, where the saying goes: offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.   The WVU offense had been rolling, but the early success that resulted in a 5-0 record, was over-shadowing the fact that the WVU defense was taking it in the proverbial five-hole....giving up almost 500 yards a game.  All I can say is, I hope that ticket sales were good.

West Virginia will have to replace
record setting QB Geno Smith

2012 WVU -5.0

 

The Mountaineer offense was one of the best in the nation last season, especially throwing the football. The problem was the only team better at moving the ball thru the air is whoever the Mountaineers were playing each week.

Starting with Texas Tech on October 13th, the Mountaineers woul* lose five in a row, and six of their next 8.  *uring that WVU five game losing streak the Mountaineer *efense gave up an average of 553 yar*s and 49.5 points a game.  WVU gave up 662 yar*s and 50 points at home to the Sooners, a game they lost *espite scoring 49 points and having 336 yar*s rushing from Tavon Austin.  Sorry about the missing D's.  I just figured if WVU wasn't going to play any D, then why should I?

You have heard of a hurry-up offense, but in 2012, WVU had a hurry-up defense.  They let the other team score so fast that the WVU offense got tired of being on the field.  The Mountaineer defense was OK on third-downs, because rarely did the other team face one.  When I was in Morgantown last year, one WVU fan told me..."I think we play a lot of nickel defense, because that is about all we are worth."  Ouch.

From 5-0 to 5-5 and now needing to win out to even be bowl eligible...the Mountaineers rallied to beat Iowa State and Kansas to receive a birth to the Pinstripe Bowl.

For 2013, I could have easily had WVU ranked lower than this, but ultimately settled for 7th.  The defense almost has to be better, doesn't it? But better in this case isn't saying much.  To not finish in the bottom third of the Big 12, they will need to be a whole lot better.  Offensively, they have to replace their QB and almost all of the production that came from the WR position is gone....but I don't worry about that as much with Dana Holgorsen at the helm.  WVA will move the ball and score some points...but will it be another season of playing make-it-take-it, or will the Mountaineers play some defense this year?  Mountaineer fans, keep that fifth of whiskey within reach...

Just one mildly interested guy's opinion

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Buddy Putty

 

RED RAIDERS COME HOME AGAIN

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

Projected 2013 Conference Finish: 8th

RED RAIDERS @ A GLANCE:

Head Coach: Kliff Kingsbury (1st Year)
Stadium: Jones AT&T Stadium (60,862)/ Lubbock, TX
2012 Record: 8-5 (4-5)
   2012 Home 4-2
   2012 Away 4-3* (lost to Baylor in Dallas)
2012 Bowl Game: Meineke Car Care Bowl / Beat Minnesota 34-31
Returning Starters 15
   Offense 6
   Defense 9
Players to watch: Coach Kliff Kingsbury not a player
Key Games: October 19th @ WVA…winner of this game probably makes a bowl game and climbs out of bottom third of Big 12
2013 vs. OU: October 26th in Norman

Did You Know?

Both my parents and my Aunt Kay and Uncle Clark went to school @ Texas Tech. My dad played football there for two seasons and my uncle was on the swim team. I attended Texas Tech football camp in 1977 after my 6th grade season. Head Coach Rex Dockery was evidently not impressed since I left without a scholarship offer. Any wonder he was fired soon after?


My dad @ Texas Tech.
Looks like he might have a
mouth full of Lubbock water! 

THERE OUGHT TO BE A SIDESHOW ACT

FOR FREAKS LIKE ME

I will say this about the athletic department at Texas Tech University…they aren’t scared to take a chance on hiring somebody. It’s almost like they put a cardboard sign in the bottom corner of a window at the athletic offices that says: The eccentric, controversial, inheriting, out of favored and unwanted need apply.

Over the last few years the athletic department has hired a want to be pirate (Leach), a tyrant (Gillispie), a dictator (Knight), a descendant (Pat Knight) and a slapper (Tuberville). Hell, I say why stop there? Just hire grumpy (Bill Parcells) and sleazy (Lane Kiffin) and give Betty White a call and they would have the antithesis of an iconic fairytale. They could call it ‘Betty White and the Seven Remorse’s.’

But that didn’t happen. Instead of a sideshow act they went for character…instead of an exotic gamble they invested in a solid foundation. Less short term fixes, more long term solution. Instead of losing their minds, they finally used their heads. Kirby Hocutt decided enough is enough and decided to cut his losses. Goodbye Billy Gillispie, good-bye drama. Damn, would have been fun.

Kirby Hocutt was named Athletic Director at Texas Tech in 2011. The sign on his door and title on his business cards will confirm that to be his position, but only because it would take a highway billboard to define his real job description. To be successful, Hocutt is going to have to be a Mediator, a Therapist, a Good Will Ambassador, a Fundraiser and a Hand-Holder. Hocutt’s job is to not only restore order to the Tech Athletic Department, but also to reunite a Tech fan base that has been fractured since the firing of Mike Leach.

After a slow start…it looks like Hocutt might be getting it right.

NOTHING SAYS HOME LIKE ONE OF YOUR OWN

Hocutt’s first hire as new AD was basketball coach Billy Gillispie. Gillispie had been out of coaching two years after Kentucky fired him in 2009. Hocutt said he saw an opportunity for Tech to have the kind of success Gillispie brought to UTEP and Texas A&M. “But you know what? It didn’t. It didn’t work out and what you do is you stand back and you reassess the situation and you learn from it and you move forward,” Hocutt said

Whatever lesson Hocutt learned must have hit home…literally. Hocutt has hired four other head coaches since the ill-fated BG fiasco. Three of the four hires had one major thing in common…they were former Red Raiders coming home. Baseball coach Tim Tadlock, who played for the Red Raiders in 1990 and 1991, was hired in June 2012, and Candi Whitaker, who played under former Lady Raiders coach Marsha Sharp in 2001 and 2002, was hired last month. The only non-former RR was basketball coach Tubby Smith, a man whose integrity and character is tough to challenge. But no hire has been more therapeutic to the Red Raider Nation than bringing back former QB Kliff Kingsbury.

Texas Tech is a place and culture that is different from others. Tech will never have the money or resources to compete with fellow in state schools like Texas & Texas A&M. Unless you are from west Texas, Tech can seem isolated and distant. Nor would I imagine Lubbock, TX as being a dream destination for most recruits…unless of course they like water that taste like shit and a climate that might include wind, heat, cold and sand all in the same day. That being said, I have never met a single person who went to school there that didn’t love it and make it sound like the greatest place ever. Hmmm, The OAS is kind of slow sometimes, but I am starting to understand….maybe it takes one to know one…

The hiring of Kingsbury has been applauded by both those he has worked under and nationally; but more importantly it has been well received by the Red Raider Nation. It has brought back a level of trust among those that became disillusioned with things when Mike Leach, Tech’s all-time winningest coach, was fired in 2009. To Tech fans it doesn’t matter that he is only 34 or that he has never been a head coach before. It doesn’t matter if he hasn't thrown a chair across a court or wears an iconic sweater. They could care less about whether he like pirates or whether he is the son of a Hall Of Famer…all they know is he is one of them…their son…a Red Raider. Welcome Home Kliff, just remember… don’t drink the water.

Just the opinion of one mildly interested guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner (The OAS)

Buddy Putty

CYCLONE CLONE OR RHOADS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?

IOWA STATE CYCLONES

Projected 2013 Conference Finish: 9th

 

CYCLONES @ A GLANCE:
Head Coach: Paul Rhodes (5th Year/ Overall record 24-27)
                  Stadium: Jack Trice Stadium (50,071) / Ames, IA


2012 Record:     6-7 (middle of the pack)
   2012 Home     3-4
   2012 Away      3-3
   vs. conference 3-6
2012 Bowl Game: Yes / Lost 31-17 to Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl
Returning Starters    9
   Offense    5
   Defense    4
Players to watch: QB Sam Richardson / DB Deon Broomfield
Key Road Games: @ OU / @ K-State
2013 vs. OU: Saturday, November 16th (Norman, OK)

Did You Know?

That an estimated 30,000 Cyclone fans traveled to Memphis to watch ISU play Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl? Kudos to the Clones fans, willing to make the 518 mile trip to represent!

Predicting Kansas to finish dead last in the conference was a no-brainer for me…but prophesying Iowa State to finish 9th was not a slam dunk. I’m not saying I couldn’t sleep over it, but the fact is, I could have just as easily picked them fourth or fifth as I did ninth. If I am major wrong about a team, this will probably be the one.

Cyclone Clone? Or Rhoads to Recognition

We may not know if a tree makes a sound when it falls in the forest if nobody is there to listen…but we now have documented proof that a college football program can make big improvements, even if nobody outside of their own circle has a clue. The fact is folks, Iowa State Cyclone football is on the rise…and the fact that you don’t know or care is probably more than fine with them. The more the Cyclones can stay off the national or even conference ‘radar’ the more likely it is that someone slips up and takes them for granted…say…like OSU did two years ago. The Cyclones have a nice template for success in place…so humor me and pretend to care for a few minutes while I pretend to know what the hell I’m talking about.

The first step too turning around a program is getting the right head coach in place, which is exactly what ISU has done in my opinion. Paul Rhoads is a very good football coach. Now that Gary Patterson is getting the national recognition he deserves at TCU, I have At Briles at Baylor as number one on my non-existent list of most underrated coaches. Not too far behind him would be Iowa State Head Coach Paul Rhoads. I’m willing to bet that seven out of ten college football fans not living in Iowa or with Big 10 connections wouldn’t know his name even if I told them his first name was Paul and his last name was similar to something you drive on. Hell, I knew his name but was still misspelling it up until about 5 minutes before I hit send.

Next, the new coach needs to change the losing culture and generate excitement and fan support…aka…win some games. ISU has done that under Rhoads. The Cyclones have been in post season bowl games three of the last four years and have won at least six games in each of the last two seasons. As evidenced by the new attendance record set in 2012, the fan base is buying into the hard-nosed, over achieving style that Rhoads and ISU bring to the field. Just the fact that 30,000 ‘children of the corn’ stalked the Cyclones to Graceland to see them play Tulsa (again) in the Liberty Bowl is still pretty a-maize-ing to me
.
The next step can be tricky one…and that is the task of keeping your head coach. Ever known a member of the opposite sex who you didn’t even notice or find attractive, until they started dating someone else? Florida didn’t know or want Urban Meyer until he started winning at Bowling Green and then Utah. Some schools like the University of Tulsa, always seem to get the right guy, but can’t find a way (or won’t) to keep them. TCU was fortunate to have Patterson fall into their lap, but he seems a lifer there and they are benefiting from that. Continuity, starting at the top is essential. Yes, my book on building a successful coaching tree will be at a bookstore near you soon.

The next step and probably the most difficult, is taking the next step up the food chain. Much like kissing The OAS, success is a double edged sword. You know you got to have it, but the taste of getting it now has you wanting more and more. There comes a time (soon if not now) when you have to break out of the melting pot of mediocrity or accept the fact that the ‘melting pot’ is your ceiling. The difference between the two is easy to discern…acceptance is accompanied by the screeching sound of bandwagon breaks.

Not that I am an expert on Iowa State football, but I feel like I have seen the likes of Paul Rhoads before in Ames…he was just named Dan McCarney. After a slow start at ISU, McCarney and the Cyclones had a stretch where they won at least 7 games and played in bowl games 5 out of six seasons. With expectations high, the Clones couldn’t take the next step and the momentum that had been generated over time, quickly came to a halt. McCarney stepped down and the process for ISU started all over again.

My opinion is that ISU has the right guy, but short of .com stocks, nothing goes straight up…and we all know how that story ends. I think that this year will be a small step back for an ISU program that is otherwise on a 'Rhoads in the right' direction. For you ISU fans out there who think my prediction is off base, well, it’s happened before…I didn’t think Starbucks was a very good idea either.


Just the opinion of one mildly interested guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner (The OAS)

Buddy Putty

BIG 12 PREVIEW - #10 KANSAS JAYHAWKS

 

KANSAS JAYHAWKS

Projected 2013 Conference Finish: 10^th

KANSAS JAYHAWKS @ A GLANCE:

Head Coach:    Charlie Weiss (2^nd Year/ Overall record 1-11)

Stadium:         Memorial Stadium (50,071) / Lawrence, KS

2012 Record:  1-11 (10^th place in conference)

     2012 Home           1-5

     2012 Away            0-6

     vs. conference       0-9

Returning Starters 9

    Offense                         3

    Defense                         6

Players to watch:    Unless John Riggins, John Hadl or Gale Sayers has some eligibility left….then you would be better served waiting till freshman Andrew Wiggins hits the hardwood.

 

2013 vs. OU:   Saturday, October 18^th (Lawrence, KS)

Did You Know?  That the Kansas/Missouri game, known as the ‘Border War’, was first played in 1891 and is the second oldest rivalry in major college football? Please stop yawning

Have you looked at that pile of crap out there? So if you don’t think you can play here, where do you think you can play?"  -Charlie Weiss, Kansas Head Football Coach to a prospective recruit
  

Remember when the Jayhawks went 12-1 in 2007 and beat Virginia Tech in the BCS Fed Ex Orange Bowl?  Yeah, me neither.  For Kansas Jayhawk fans, that Orange Bowl season must seem like it was 4 or 5…hundred pounds ago.  Yes pounds, as in former KU head coach Mark Mangino.  The porcine Mangino may have been a biscuit shy of 500 and tough to look at on the sidelines, but he could coach.  Prior to his hiring in 2002, Kansas had just completed its six straight losing season and hadn’t been to a bowl game since Forrest Gump was #1 at the box office. I guess you could say that life for the Kansas football program at that time wasn’t exactly a box of chocolates…but Mangino took the job anyway.

Fortunes changed pretty quickly for the Jayhawks after the big guy took over. During Mark Mangino’s 9 year run in Lawrence, the Jayhawks were a very respectable 50-48, including a 3-1 record in bowl games. The 2003 Tangerine Bowl appearance by KU not only ended an 8 year bowl drought for the program…but it was also instrumental as to why for the first time, the words Mark Mangino and any reference of fruit, were uttered together in the same sentence.

Former KU Head Coach Mark Mangino

KU Head Coach Charlie Weiss

 

But winning isn’t everything, even at a perennial football doormat like Kansas.  The accusations of chronic and abusive treatment of students and players by Mangino became difficult to digest for all involved. Amidst growing public pressure, university officials finally became fed-up with the situation, agreeing to a settlement in exchange for the big man’s resignation following the 2009 season.  Just goes to show you that… you can be fat, or you can be a jerk…but you can’t be a fat jerk.

Since Mangino’s ‘resignation’…three donut shops, an IHOP, a Men’s Big and Tall store and Turner Gil’s career as head football coach have all gone ‘belly’ up in Lawrence.  Last year, the first of the Charlie Weiss era, was especially tough to ‘stomach.’

The Jayhawks finished the 2012 season with a 1-11 record, with their lone victory coming over Division I South Dakota State.  While I am sure that kicking the Jackrabbits ass was rewarding, the Jayhawks might want to occasionally mix in a victory over someone who doesn’t have Bugs Bunny as their mascot. 

How bad were the 2012 Jayhawks you didn’t ask?  Five of the six schools that Kansas played on the road last season, made KU their homecoming game.  Ouch. 

Usually with a new season comes some level of renewed hope or optimism, even if only until the first whistle blows…but frankly, I’m not even sure that Zig Ziglar could find something encouraging about what lays ahead.  Judging from the quote above, Charlie Weiss certainly couldn’t….and maybe here is why:

●KU enters into the 2013 season having lost 21 straight games to FBS opponents (FBS = teams you have actually heard of). 

●You would have to go all the way back to November of 2010, when KU beat Colorado, to find the last time Kansas won a Big 12 Conference game… also a streak of 21 straight. To be honest, I’m not sure that even counts anymore since Colorado isn’t even in the Big 12 anymore

●With road games in Austin, Fort Worth and Stillwater on the schedule for the Jayhawks this season…it is hard to project anything more than another one or two win season. In fact…two might be more optimistic than realistic.  

Hang in there KU faithful…there is one thing to be excited about with the start of the football season…Midnight Madness is only a 48 days away!

Just the opinion of one mildly interested guy

The Overweight Armchair Sooner (The OAS)

Buddy Putty