Tearz49ers Presents: This Is Texas (NCAA Football '14)

[dfsJunkie]

Quarterback drama is always the most fun to watch, but probably the least fun for everyone else in the program. Very interesting storyline, I'm excited to see what happens.

[SilverBullet19]

I was a big fan of Ehlinger in the 2017 season, but I also liked Buecehle the year before...so even as a dude who isn't a Longhorn fan, I'm torn lol.

20/28 for 164 in the spring game, it seems like Buecehle is keen on taking the short stuff that the defense gives him. There's obviously nothing wrong with that, but as that's only 8.2 yards per completion, it leaves me wondering how he does with downfield passing.

On another note, I have less typos when writing "Ehlinger" than when writing "Buecehle," so...you know...that's one reason to start Ehlinger

[Tearz49ers]

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After three straight losing season's under Charlie Strong, Texas has turned to former Houston head coach Tom Herman in the hope that the 42 year old can turn this Longhorns football program around

Herman was 22-4 in two seasons at Houston, he won one American championship and had a 1-1 record in bowl games. Herman will inherit plenty of talent from the Strong era in Austin. However, there is also plenty of work to be done on both the offense and defense but more so on the defensive side of the ball. The Longhorns gave up close to 32 points and 450-yards per game last season under Strong and whilst Herman isn't exactly starting fresh down in Austin he must prove that he can get the most out of his veteran roster in Year 1 to make Texas a legitimate Big XII threat once again.

Previewing the Texas Offense in 2017:

The Longhorns will begin the 2017 collegiate season with its sixth offensive coordinator in as many years, and if you have to question why the Longhorns have been largely irrelevant in college football since 2009 then just let that sink in for one minute.

Tim Beck may be running the Texas offense this season but do not for one second think this isn't Tom Herman's show. And if Herman’s success as coordinator at Ohio State (a national title in 2014 with a third-string QB) and head coach at Houston (22–4 while averaging 38.2 points per game the past two seasons) is any indication, this could be a big year offensively for Texas.

The Longhorns have proven playing experience in plenty of areas along the offense and an All-American talent in Connor Williams at left tackle.

Shane Buechele hasn't had a plain sailing spring but the sophomore has managed to win the starting role (at least for the Maryland game) and in the end clearly outpaced the Longhorns only other scholarship quarterback, freshman Sam Ehlinger.

The major concern for this offense will be whether or not it can stay healthy, its painfully thin at quarterback, tight end and some spots along the offensive line and should these positions start to see players fall like flies then Tom Herman will have some major issues in his first season in Austin.


Previewing the Texas Defense in 2017:

The Longhorns are coming of two dismal season's of defensive football, in fact it was the worst defensive football the school has ever seen under Charlie Strong ("a defense minded coach"). Texas gave up 30.3 points per game in 2015 and 31.5 in 2016. So, in a lot of ways, the 3-4 defense of UT’s first $1 million D-coordinator Todd Orlando has nowhere to go but up.

Orlando is confident in his defensive line that features rising-star defensive end Malcolm Roach, strong-as-a-fire-hydrant nose tackle Poona Ford and gritty defensive end Chris Nelson.

DeShon Elliot has already become one of Orlando's favourite players on this Texas defense, the hard-hitting junior safety will play a big role in many more roles than just safety on this defense. Then there is blazing sophomore free safety Brandon Jones as well as junior, do-it-all nickel back P.J. Locke and physical junior cornerback Kris Boyd. The other cornerback spot features a battle of 6'3" juniors — Davante Davis and Holton Hill — who emerged as stars as freshmen, only to suffer sophomore slumps.

The biggest question for this Longhorns defense comes at linebacker, where Orlando has on paper a lot of talent to work with but we all know football isn't played on paper and the new Longhorns coordinator will need the likes of Anthony Wheeler and Malik Jefferson to step up big time should there be a massive improvement in 2017 from this new looking Texas defense.



Previewing the Texas Specialists in 2017:

Texas certianly have a punter they can rely on in Ray Guy Award finalist Michael Dickson who returned for the 2017 season, and junior college transfer Joshua Rowland will handle the placekicking chores. The Longhorns struggled with both field goals and extra points last season. Receivers Foreman and Heard are leading candidates to return punts and kicks, respectively. The Longhorns have ranked ninth in the Big XII in kickoff returns in each of the last four seasons and have not returned a kick for a touchdown since 2013.

Final Analysis

Herman is 22-4 as a head coach and is 6-0 against teams ranked in the top 25. In his first season in Houston he took over a veteran team and went 13-1, could this timing have come any better for the fans down in Austin, lets just wait and see.

Now, Herman takes over a Texas roster returning 37 of the 44 in the two-deep from last season, stocked with back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes under former coach Charlie Strong. On his way out, Strong said whoever was coaching the Longhorns in 2017 would win 10 games.

Herman must get this team to perform because I don't think the Texas fans can take much more of this "sucky" football. Things are set up down in Austin for someone to succeed and lets just hope it is Tom Herman and his coaching staff than can bring back the glory days of Texas football.


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[Tearz49ers]

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*= Redshirt
C= Captian

[Tearz49ers]

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[Tearz49ers]

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Positions of Need: CB, OLB, MLB, FS
Target # of Recruits: 23



OT Darrell Douglas [OT #1]: 6'5", 285lbs | Waipio, HI
OLB Zeph Cook [OLB #1]: 6'2", 218lbs | Thomson, GA
WR James Robinson [WR #1]: 6'1", 200lbs | Kingwood, TX
ATH Chris Harrison [ATH #10]: 6'5", 259lbs | Diamond Bar, CA
ATH Mike Jacobs [ATH #8]: 6'1", 208lbs | Sidney, NE



CB Justin Williams [CB #10]: 6'1", 174lbs | Cleveland, OH
CB Brian Williamson [CB #9]: 6'2", 181lbs | Muskogee, OK
DE Lawrence Franklin [DE #3]: 6'7", 246lbs | Stillwater, OK
OLB Duane Griffith [OLB #2]: 6'2", 209lbs | Reserve, LA
CB Anthony Maxwell [CB #3]: 5'10", 164lbs | Vidor, TX
OT Chase Hamilton [OT #14]: 6'3", 302lbs | Brownsville, TX
WR Marcus Mullins [WR #12]: 6'0", 207lbs | Baytown, TX
DE Jonathan Brown [DE #4]: 6'0", 246lbs | Ceder Hill, TX
DE Kevin Love [DE #6]: 6'2", 242lbs | Thibodaux, LA
OLB Tim Hill [OLB #7]: 6'1", 217lbs | Kahuku, HI
ATH B.J. Joseph [ATH #16]: 6'0", 178lbs | Woodbridge, NJ
WR Justin McCarthy [WR #17]: 6'1", 208lbs | Grosse Pt. Farms, MI



OT Randy Rutledge [OT #57]: 6'6", 336lbs | Muncie, IN
MLB William Thomas [MLB #22]: 5'11", 234lbs | Fallon, NV
FS Mike Davis [FS #18]: 6'2", 185lbs | North Miami Beach, FL
FS Mike Jackson [FS #22]: 6'1", 173lbs | Seguin, TX
K B.J. Holmes [K #10]: 5'10", 222lbs | Zapata, TX

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[Tearz49ers]

[Cheese2121]

As always my friend, your graphics and presentation are top notch. I am looking forward to the start of the season!