Longhorns a strong darkhorse, seek revenge in grieving Maryland
AUSTIN, Texas – When it comes to hiring football coaches, the Texas Longhorns think big. They might have had Jim Harbaugh if his alma mater of Michigan had not intercepted their pass. And folks here claim Nick Saban would be theirs if his wife had found a house to buy in Austin that was nicer than what she had in charming Tuscaloosa.
That was four years ago, when Longhorn U had to settle for Charlie Strong, who became the first coach on the Forty Acres to threepeat with losing seasons and the first in 88 years to lose to Kansas. So don’t say he didn’t get a fair chance.
No problem. Everything was going to blossom last year under Tom Herman. His 22-4 at unglamorous U of Houston seemed to portend instant gratification at the most advantageous college coaching post in America. He built a national champion offense at Ohio State, won the Broyles Award as the country’s top assistant coach, at 37.
Alas, Herman started his tenure at Texas on the wrong foot, stumbling with a clumsy attempt at subterfuge. Two hours before his Cougars faced Memphis in the final scheduled game of 2016, he told his players and then national television that he would not transfer to Baton Rouge or Austin or anywhere. All he was thinking about was beating Memphis.
So, within a space of 12 hours he got whipped by Memphis, 48-44, met with UT president Greg Fenzes and signed a contract to coach the ‘Horns for five years.
To explain, Herman offered spin from the Baghdad Bob playbook. This coach was ahead of his time in asserting that truth-is-not-the-truth. He said way back then: “There are a lot of things that happened that have been reported and that did and didn’t happen.”
Thanks for the clarification, Coach.
But what bothers Longhorn Nation more than his duplicity is what didn’t happen in the 2017 football season. As debuts go, it was not Titanic, but 7-6 was a letdown. Didn’t Herman have better players than those that thrived with him in inner-city Houston?
Well, perhaps not. He did not have a quarterback who could carry Greg Ward Jr.’s chin strap. And he still doesn’t.
Even so, the Longhorns could be better this season than they were supposed to be in the last one. According to college football’s most successful forecaster – as he will be the first to tell you – Phil Steele: “Texas was three plays away from being 10-3 last year. This is a Texas team that I believe will surprise a lot of folks.”
The Horns have been under-the-radar so far, fourth in the Big 12 media days poll. The Texas quarterbacks, Pat Ehlinger backed by Shane Buechele, are very average college QBs, but I have to think Herman will craft an offense that makes them effective. That’s what he does, right?
The overall talent truly is better than he had in Houston. His veteran lineups (14 returning starters) are underpinned by a freshman class that’s No. 3 in the country – best since Mack Brown’s recruits of 2012 were ranked second.
Herman, who is not without swagger, is marketing this as the #RevolUTion18 class. It‘s led by Caden Sterns and B.J. Foster, who rank 1 and 3 in their national recruiting class at safety.
Sterns has been named a starter in Saturday’s season opener (11 a.m. ESPN) at Maryland, where the visitors try to avenge last year’s 10-point loss when they were favored by 19.
Sterns is among several freshmen who will have impact for an aggressive defense that’s confidently schemed by coordinator Todd Orlando. The DC is assuring reporters that his freshmen “are as advertised.”
This opening game has a touch of awkward about it, given that the Terrapins have been in turmoil ever since one of their players, Jordan McNair, died of heatstroke in June, following a grueling football practice. The head coach, DJ Durkin, and three assistants were booted to administrative leave until an investigation is completed.
Some of their players are saying they’re OK with their teammates vomiting when Durkin’s staff forces them to gorge on candy bars in a counterintuitive diet plan. As a Texas alumnus, I will admit to burnt-orange bias. But come on, in this matchup, whose side can you be on?
