Texas Football, The End of the Gilbert Era?

So its 3am and I can't sleep.  Texas just won a way closer than it should have been victory over BYU 17-16.  We used 3 different quarterbacks in the game and unless things change in a hurry, I am expecting to win about 6 games this season.  Why only 6, because we won't commit on a QB.  If we would leave Gilbert in the whole season, we would probably win 8 maybe 9.  But that just isn't good enough for Texas fans.  We'd rather throw away this season, so we can be "great" next year. 

Here is a question for you.  Who is the fan favorite at quarterback?
Answer: whoever isn't in the game.

Let me say this about Garrett Gilbert, he is head and shoulders above the other 2 quarterbacks when it comes to talent on this team.  The guy can flat out sling the rock.  He also has a decent set of wheels, remember the Nebraska game last year, in Lincoln.  He is one of the greatest QB's in the history of Texas high school football.  He won 2 state titles.  The guy can play!  His lack of success on the football field at UT belongs to the coaches and the unrealistic, spoiled Texas fans.

Texas fans say they want to win BCS games and championships, well take a look at teams that do that around the country.  Very few ask their QB's to do what we ask of Gilbert.  Look in the SEC.  Bama and LSU are starting guys with half of Garrett's ability.  Instead, they use their running backs and defense to win games.  They throw the deep ball.... after setting it up with the run.... and only when they have a match-up advantage.  When we sub in Ash and McCoy 2, all we do is run, we have no passing game beyond 5 yards, yet magically, they led us on several successful drives.  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?  Oh, because we have 4 Running Backs that most teams would kill to have 1 of.  If the back-ups can hand off the ball... then so can Gilbert.  The difference being with Garrett in the game we have an actual chance of throwing down the field passes, like the two 50+ yarders to Davis LAST WEEK.  How many catches did Davis have this week? 0!  Our best receiver had 0 catches.

If Gilbert would have gone to a SEC school or a BIG 10 school he would be talked about as one of the top QB's in their conference, instead he came to Texas, where he gets boo'd when he runs on the field.  How am I the only one seeing this?  So now what Texas fans?  Ash?  McCoy2?  So you can boo them in a few weeks when OU kicks our heads in?  Having no starting QB is the worst thing you can do.  Believe me, I was there in Dallas at the Big 12 championship game when Simms was boo'd off the field and we lost to Colorado, a team we had beat earlier that year by 30.  I was there in San Diego when VY got boo'd off the field at the Holiday Bowl and we lost to Washington State.  It's like we never learn.  I heard several times tonight that Gilbert didn't show enough leadership, that's because Texas fans have ruined him.  Booing him and bad mouthing him on local radio and message boards.  The coaches have given into it and yanked him off the field several times and now his psyche is shot.  If they didn't think Gilbert was the guy, they should have never started him this year.

The kids that Texas recruits are talented and gifted players.  Most of them can go to any school they want.  If the Longhorns lose on the field it isn't due to a lack of ability.  Playing for Texas has become incredibly high pressure, it's like playing for the Yankees.  The guys that are successful aren't necessarily the most talented, but the ones that can handle the rabid and fickle mob of obsessed fanatics.  But unlike the Yankees, these aren't 30 year old men making millions, they are 18, 19, and 20 year old college kids.

Texas fans need to take a deep breath, step back, and hope Mack sticks with Gilbert.  He is our best shot at winning the Big 12 and he has earned the right to be our quarterback.  Garrett has fought through the ups and downs and we as fans need to cheer for him and not against him.

Thanks for the read... hook'em!

FOOTBALL is now!

Just finished up work and turned on NFL FOOTBALL!  That's right it's back.  So, I decided to blog during the game about fantasy football while I watch.  There will probably be breaks in between if something awesome happens live.  Like the flag the Green Bay fans made holding up colored cards, turning the whole stadium into a red, white, and blue circle of glory.

I am not a pro fantasy footballer.  This is only my 4th season, and I play in a 8 person league.  But, I really enjoy analyzing my team week to week, and I have placed 1st, 2nd, and 1st in the last 3 years, which means I have been lucky a lot.  It also means I will probably finish last this year since I maybe giving away my strategy.

First, I really like my team this year and I will underline a player if I drafted them.  Second, I have a very basic strategy: draft value, play based on match ups, don't fall in love with anybody.  I usually have 2-3 times the amount of swaps off the waivers as anyone else in my league.  So here we go... wait turn over, first one of the year, Packers should go up 14-0, just hope its a run, Tyler has A Rod and we are matched up this week.... here we go.

QB's
There are only 3 qb's that I think are great pickups:
Rodgers
Breese
Rivers
Not that Brady and P. Manning (out for the first time ever) aren't the best, but they usually have their divisions and games wrapped up, which means lots of runs and being benched late in the year when it really hurts you.  I like my qb's to play all year.  I had Vick last year, but he has injury written all over him this year.  The rest of the league is serviceable, with Matt Ryan being the best of the rest.

RB's
There are 2 backs above the rest:
Foster
Peterson
Then take the next 6 and put them in a hat and mix it up.  They are all good backs and can have huge weeks, but its more situational.  Any back that doesn't have a solid back up, and his team is good enough not to get blown out can be really good.

WR's
This year we are playing with 4 wrs, which means we will be drafting deep into the ranks and who knows  about your 3-4 wr each week.  Wow! A Rod has 3 TD passes in the 1st quarter, I may be done... anyway.  I have 4 at the top:
A. Johnson
C. Johnson
Fitzgerald
R. White
Then there are about a dozen great wide outs.  WR is a great place to pick up "cheap" points.  If you can get a Ochocinco as your 3 or 4 do it, I like "washed up" wide outs that go to teams with above average QB's.  I also like young guys in the 3-4 slots if they have a legit star to pull the best DB's off of them.  I drop and pick up WR's almost every week.  I don't keep them if they get cold, too many available, not that much difference between them.

TE's
They are all the same, all of them.  If they start they get 60 yds and a touchdown every other game.  Good luck figuring out which game.  Just pick one and move on.

DEF
Defenses that cause turn overs are more valuable than "solid" defenses that keep the score low.  You don't care if they lose by 10 if they get 3 Ints.  There are just too many points in sacks and turn overs.  Points don't matter.  A team can have a "average" D that will score you more points than a really good one.  This is really.... wow Darren Sproles, TD punt return.  Good time to mention that some leagues let you count return TD's in your total which makes a team with a great returner worth a look.  Don't draft a DEF till your last 2 picks.  I also don't usually like having a back-up D since there is always a good one in FA.

K
If your league values field goal distance, you may want to make this your third to last pic, if not, this should be your last pick.  Just get an old faithful, or someone who has home games in a dome.

Well, that's about everything, please excuse any player name mis-spells, I'm not that much of a nerd to know how to spell all their names.  I'll keep everyone posted on how I'm doing this year.  Also, heading into fall, so I may have more time to post.  Thanks for the read.