Practice production "at an all-time high," but will it show up vs. Baylor?
1) Do you believe Tom Herman?
If Tom Herman, now 27-17 at Texas, is making some type of last stand, he raised the bar for Saturday’s home game against Baylor.
“Guys are as dialed in as ever,” he said during Monday’s press conference.
Okay, then.
Herman also praised the work done in a short amount of time on the practice field with production being “at an all-time high,” reiterated guys aren’t “fractured,” gave the run game and run defense a big vote of confidence after the bye week, and overall, the defense’s issues stem from minor assignment issues.
Basically, the Longhorns, coming off an important bye week to rest their bodies and minds after three-straight grueling games, are going to come out and smack the Bears by double-digits. After all, Baylor just recently resumed practice, has played just two games, and its season start has been derailed by COVID-19. Who knows what Baylor’s personnel will look like Saturday? Texas is currently an 8.5-point favorite at home. The train just needed a pitstop at the station to get back on track.
I know. I know. What else should a coach say? Herman is almost in a no-win situation on Zoom, the new podium of 2020. A sucker for good movie quotes, Herman can’t do his best Rob Schneider from Waterboy to describe the Longhorns the way many fans currently do.
But Monday’s press conference did include some acting. Herman is projecting what he wants this team to be; what he hopes came out of the bye week and happens moving forward. Maybe he’s right. Allow me to pause to duck… Hey, it’s possible. But who believes it? I’m not betting on it.
The greater issue is the mounting evidence of greatness in practice coming up short on Saturday. What people are seeing isn’t what Herman is describing or projecting. They’re seeing the same results they’ve seen, generally speaking, for three-plus seasons, and they’re seeing it happen again when the schedule has never been more inviting.
Since the beginning of the 2017 season, Texas has played 24 games decided by a touchdown or less. To put it another way: 54.5% of the games Herman has coached at Texas have been decided by eight points or fewer.
Against Big 12 competition, Texas has beaten an opponent by 20 or more points just twice – Baylor in 2017 and Texas Tech last season. The Longhorns have only seven Big 12 wins by 10 or more points. That includes just one against Kansas, otherwise known as the Big 12’s football pinata and automatic win unless you’re Charlie Strong.
If Herman’s projection is right, he’ll show a dramatically improved product that wins comfortably at home with more critical eyes intently watching everything – and I mean everything – than ever before during his time in Austin. If he’s wrong, well, would anyone be surprised? Therein lies the problem.
2) The word I think of when I think about the Longhorns right now...
Disconnect...
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