Movement and Clarity

Well let me say - this could be a bit premature, but I'm going ahead and bite and chew on it.

Sounds like things are solidifying on the forty acres with regards to their football coaching staff and if sources are accurate, this will be a vastly different looking Texas team. Let's take a look.

Darrell Wyatt, WR Coach - Fantastic hire. Experienced, seasoned coach who knows the state and it's roots well. He knows the Big 12 and I think he's got some NFL experience. I really think this will be a great injection of new blood and energy into this position that has floundered since the departure of McCoy. He's also a pretty good recruiter (he recruited Adrian Peterson out from under Texas' thumb). Extremely optimistic about this move.

Bo Davis, Defensive Line/Tackles Coach - He's got a consistent track record, especially recently where he had top 10 rushing defenses the past few years (top 2 once or twice in there). He's been with Saban at LSU, Miami Dolphins and at Bama so he's been around great coaching. And knowing how we recycle through Defensive Coordinators here, he could be next in line at that role within a couple of years.

Manny Diaz, Defensive Coordinator - I'll be honest, I don't know much at all about this guy, but I trust Mack's judgment and if he says this guy's name keeps coming up amongst coaches/coordinators across the country, that's probably a good thing. Young, energetic guys are good. Let's see what he can do.

UNCONFIRMED....
Offensive Coordinator - Sounds like Cryst is out (lure of Pitt head coaching job was too much...understandable) and Bryan Harsin is likely the guy. He's the OC at Boise State. Rumors also that it'll be a co-coordinator role along with Major. I wouldn't read too much into this as I'm sure Harsin is going to be calling the plays and defining schemes. My personal opinion - Mack and company were expecting Cryst to come here and leave the OC, but Pitt came in hitting hard with an offer while he was in town. I think as soon as he stepped on that plane, the Texas shipped sailed. Harsin ain't coming and not taking the job. I'll say this - I'll take this guy any day of the week. Just think about the talent he'll have access to compared to up in Boise. He may have a field day.

Offensive Line Coach - I'm assuming Bostad is out given Cryst isn't going to be here, but who knows....I'd love to have this guy coaching our O-line. Like Harsin, he could do some great stuff with the talent level he'd have access to. We'll see...

Strength and Conditioning Coach - Rumor is Mad Dog is out and being "reassigned" to another post. Here's a couple of hundred grand a year and a desk job. Thanks a lot. Sounds like Bennie Wylie is going to be the guy (same job out of Tennessee). This guy is supposedly a beast and gets in the trenches and does workouts with the players. Yet another good injection of energy and change.

So What Does It All Mean....
At this point, absolutely nothing. The proof is in the pudding. BUT, Longhorn fan should be excited about what Mack is doing. He's done two things here - two things that he's been criticized for of late...
1) you can't knock him for being too loyal and safe anymore - he's done something folks have been screaming about for a while - he booted Davis and Madden, two guys that have been with him since the North Carolina days.

2) he's hired the type/age of guys that forces him to be more hands on and not play the CEO role. He's got to be involved with this crew. They'll bring great, innovative skills and energy, but Mack still has to be the man. All in all, I'd say he's done a damn good job, assuming all of this holds firm. With that said, don't let your optimism/excitement get too carried away with your expectations. This team likely won't be going 11-1 next year or anything, but who knows. I think you'll see a much more disciplined team and a more opportunistic team.

Vince Young
I won't belabor this topic, but this was a smart move by Bud Adams. I'm surprised he made this move to be honest as he's always been a VY guy, but at the end of the day he knew he had to do this. This is an opportunity for VY to really reflect on the situation and make some fundamental changes. And look, before all of you VY apologists start throwing passer rating, record, and other stats at me, consider this - every report coming out of Nashville indicates that there was no one in the organization (coaches, front office or players) who had his back or made a case for him. That's why Adams HAD to let him go - he's consistently had a reputation for not working hard in practice/preparation.

The worst part? In his interview after it came out, he said "I've worked as hard as I possibly could and it was still my fault. I'm looking forward to taking my talents somewhere else." Really? "Taking my talents"? Did you really say that? Man, listen athletes, there's never an instance when those words should be uttered. Never.

As a player, he's got talent and he's got potential, but he's not a super bowl quarterback, plain and simple. He's done some good things, but he's been hampered by injuries and has a tendency to go into nasty slumps. With that said, this is a very good market for him. Consider this - these teams currently need a QB in a pretty bad way: Seattle, Arizona, Miami, Buffalo, San Francisco, and Oakland. These teams have aging/injury prone/inconsistent QBs where VY could backup or compete for starting spot: Dallas, Houston, Cincy, Cleveland, and Denver.

Sooo, he'll get a shot. Oh, and he's going to lose $13 mil this year. DOH!

That's what I got gang - just wanted to get that in there. Have a great weekend.

A New Year, A New Post

It's late, but I promised a post so I'm giving you a post. Got quick-hit observations in both the college and pro arena. Let's get into.

• I told you about TCU.....Real deal.
  
• So Edsall (Connecticut's coach) leaves Uconn for....Maryland? Really? Is that an upgrade? And what the hell happened to Leach to Maryland? Not sure about this move.
  
• So interesting hire by Muschamp to get Weiss to be OC. This is a big gamble disguised as a really smart move. And in a sense, it is a smart move. Weiss is an offensive genius, no denying that. But he's leaving Kansas City, after helping turn them around and take them to the playoffs, for the same role in college? Huh. It's a gamble because he's proven he's not effective at the college level. Some guys are pro guys and some guys are college guys (Nick Saban, Barry Switzer, Pete Carroll, Steve Spurrier, Bobby Petrino, etc.). You think Belicheck would do well in the college game? Not likely. Weiss is a pro guy - which is good in the Xs and Os fashion - and pro guys aren't as likely to be effective at reaching the amateur athlete. My two cents. It may work wonders, but it could implode. And really? Weiss working FOR Muschamp? Weird.
  
• Stanford is awesome - watching this game tonight, they are a damn good team. I know Harbaugh is probably gone, but he's done wonders at that place. Andrew Luck is good.
  
• Bravo Big 10. Bravo. Nice showing.
  
• From the files of "wow I was really wrong on that one" I bring you the Michigan State Spartans. I thought MSU would come and make a statement, but instead they proved folks right - they shouldn't have been in a big bowl. It's up to Ohio State to save face for the Big 10.
  
• I have to think Rich Rodriguez is gone, right? How much money is he going to take from that school? That's crazy. Sounds like the above-mentioned Harbough is the front runner for that job.
  
• For you pre-season poll lovers out there - look for OU to be at or damn near the top of next year's polls. I think they bring back like 18 starters. Alabama very well may be up there too. Ahhh college football, your mindless BS never dulls.
  
• If you want to see absolute robbery, go look at the end of the Kansas State/Syracuse game when a Kansas State player was flagged for scoring, running to the back of the zone, stopping and saluting. He then ran to his sideline. He was flagged for 15 yards. The 3-yard 2-point conversion was now an 18-yarder. They don't convert. Ball game. I watched countless examples of crap so much worse throughout the games I saw. Unbelievable. NCAA, you literally have zero credibility. I actually watched that game live and was freaking out.
  
• Can't wait for the Cotton Bowl - believe it or I'm very much looking forward to this one.
  

Quick Look at NFL Playoff Match Ups:
Saints at Seattle - It's absurd that Seattle is hosting this game. And the Saints have to be loving this, although they'd never say it. Congratulations, your first playoff game (on the road mind you) is a team that finished 7-9. Saints. Big.

Jets at Colts - This should be a good game. Honestly, I think Indy may be peeking at the right time. That sounds weird given their situation, but seriously, I think the team is just now getting comfortable with their situation (if you don't follow, they've got like 96 players on injured reserve). Peyton is getting a rhythm with these less experienced offensive players. Jets won when they needed to at the end of the year, but they've been shaky. I like Sanchez, but I'll take Peyton Manning here. Who wouldn't. Colts in tight, low-scoring game.
Ravens at Chiefs - HUGE win for the Ravens here, pulling the Chiefs. That's not to knock what Kansas City has done - and it's been a lot - but the Ravens are a seasoned, tough team with Ed Reed coming on stronger than ever (4 picks in 2 games). The Chiefs proved that Pioli knows exactly what he was doing and now everyone knows what McDaniels was trying to do in getting Cassell to Denver. Chiefs are a well-run organization now and will be solid for many years. But, this is fairly new ground for this collective group. Baltimore gets the edge here - big game by Ray Rice.

Packers at Eagles - This could get interesting depending on the health situation of some key players. If it comes down to contrition I give the edge to the Packers - they've had to win short-handed all year long. I picked them to make it to the Super Bowl from the get-go and I'm sticking with them. Vick is obviously an X-factor, but his health could be in question. Packers by 3 or less.


Non-Sports Thoughts for the Week

• I got a "Don't start with me dad" from Ella over Christmas. And here we go...
• I was in bed at 11 on New Year's Eve....and I loved it.