<p>I think Strong is very different from Mack’s brand of football, and represents a total departure from what has been the basis of UT motto for the past two decades. Texas is rich and makes money with its football image. Mack entertained and worked the forces that kept Texas great. Strong does not have the same persona, and he does NOT fit. End of story. </p>
<p>If the Florida pipeline was that important, Gruden and especially Fisher would have made more sense, with potential transfers to boost. In addition, it is doubtful that Texas will look for talent outside its favored area with vengeance. The biggest issue is to convince the best regional talents to pick Texas.</p>
<p>Strong compiled a great record in the past few years, but there is more than Ws when looking at candidates. Texas let much better coaches leave in the past years.</p>
<p>Strong might be deserving but I do not like the anti-Mack message at all. We might have done better, including promoting from within and preserving what made us great for so long.</p>
<p>In a million years Jimbo wouldn’t have brought Jameis Winston to Texas with him. Jameis is going to jump to NFL asap…sitting out a year to play at Texas isn’t and wasn’t ever in the cards.</p>
<p>I agree that the UT job is about more than Ws and that the position is trickier than most realize, but Mack’s had some failure, too, so it’s not like he was perfect. Strong can grow and delegate. The enthusiasm Mack generated only lasted as long as he was winning.</p>
<p>xiggi I agree keeping Texas talent home is the first priority. I also found Mack to be a gentleman and a fine representative of the school. I do not think a school like Texas would hire an assistant from within though- or any assistant for that matter. They want someone with a track record.</p>
<p>I thought they were going to hire James Franklin from Vanderbilt but Strong seems like an excellent coach also. Is there baggage he has that you are concerned about?</p>
<p>I do not have concerns about baggage. The reports indicate a different personality. He seems to be an X and O guy who hates the image building part of the job. And, like it or not, the mystique and the image is what sells football at that level. And that explains why programs can afford to be mediocre and stay in the limelight. Texas, under Mack, played that game better or as well as others. People loved or hated them, but few remained indifferent. </p>
<p>As far as David Shaw, he would have to leave a job that might be even better than Texas’. He is beloved in Palo Alto and enjoys his fame and full support. He has tasted the NFL life and knows what Harbaugh goes through in San Francisco and San Jose. In addition, he is a Stanford man. His next job will be similar to Jim. Harbaugh. He has a better chance to land in Arlington than in Austin or … Tuscaloosa. But it would take a lot to make him leave the Farm.</p>
<p>PS Mack was not perfect. He did lose a few top prospects for strange reasons. Texas kept missing on tight ends, for instance. A couple of years ago, we only had an obscure TE from California by the name of Kirby. When we lost him through a vicious hit, we also missed a great chance to earn another national championship. He also made his share of emotional decisions such as hoping the McCoy-Shipley tandem could be repeated, although the younger brothers did not have the talent. But all in all, Mack was great for Texas. And would have been great for another five years.</p>
<p>If he wins enough the image building will take care of itself.</p>
<p>What type of won/lost record is acceptable for Texas year in year out? I realize Big 12 (often) and National Championship titles need to be in the picture but can a coach survive consistent 9-4 seasons?</p>
<p>Well, 8-4 definitely was not good enough. I think an occasional 9-3 would be fine as long as some BCS bowls were sprinkled in there. And, yeah, some Big 12 titles. I don’t think a coach even has to win Natl Championships as long as the team is RELEVANT in the championship talk. But, hey, I won’t turn one down and remember the last one like it was yesterday.</p>
<p>I know UT fans must sound spoiled like no other, but when you know you’re the richest program in all of college football … well, success means more than just the money.</p>
<p>The last four years for Texas were 30-21. Mack’s total was 158-48. Obviously a 128-27 record over a dozen years builds some credit. The lows have been hard to take, especially after winnin in 2005 and being the best team in 2008 and 2009 when only BCS silliness, a miracle catch at the hands of the Lubbock morons, and losing McCoy in the final game precluded Texas to earn two more rings. </p>
<p>The reality is that for Texas the success is measured by beating OU and … everyone else along the way. A one loss season is acceptable. More is devastating.</p>
<p>I hope never to see a game scheduled between Texas and those sorry, classless, envious, and obnoxious carpetbaggers. </p>
<p>The small window of fame brought by Manziel is about to close, and so are their 15 minutes of fame. Their defense is even more horrendous than the Longhorns’. </p>
<p>In a way, I am happy they bolted for the greener pastures of the Hillbilly Conference. And, it helps the family reunions as about 90 percent of my family and half my Texas friends are proud Aggies. :)</p>
<p>Do the 49ers fans think that replacing Alex Smith with Kaepernick is still a good decision? I have to admit I was surprised by how good a season Smith had this year even though he lost today.</p>
<p>Kaepernick was suppose to be the better passer with the stronger arm, but it really didn’t turn out that way. The 49ers still rely on their running game and short passes to advance the ball. Nothing has really changed since Smith was the quarterback for San Francisco.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>KC/Indy: some of the worst defense I’ve ever seen, including some of the worst safety play since Tim Tebow threw deep balls against a Steelers secondary that kept coming forward instead of covering. My favorite was when T.Y. Hilton ran deep. The safety runs forward to help cover on a short receiver … as the wideout runs past him being chased by the corner. Um, dude, your guy just ran by you. The commentators blamed the corner but it was the safety’s fault. That’s why he’s set 15 yards downfield. </p></li>
<li><p>Green Bay/SF. The game was won or rather lost by GB’s inability to keep basic contain, particularly on the side the QB is looking. On the biggest play, the one where CK got a 1st down to get them to ice the game territory, you can see the D-line move toward the middle leaving a huge hole. There’s supposed to be a guy there. He may not catch CK but he’ll slow him down enough. The TV guys also mis-described the TD to Vernon Davis: CK could see he was going to be chased by a LB at the snap so the play was a straight seam route with the safeties split and having to run to the weak spot in the middle. Not double coverage. The LB did a good job of staying close and the safety was a hair late - and should have lit Davis up. </p></li>
<li><p>NO/Eagles: Foles holds the ball a lot and took a bad sack that may have cost a field goal. I wasn’t impressed much by either team. </p></li>
<li><p>SD/Cincy: my favorite play was a 7 man rush by Cincy that sacked Rivers. Why? Because SD held in Woodhead to block and sent 4 guys out in single coverage. Was no one paying attention to the defense? There was no hot read, which should have been Woodhead. It was like they didn’t believe they’d actually blitz when Cincy was showing blitz. Rivers was looking downfield but if they’d done the play right, Woodhead would release, get a quick flip and be 20 yards gone. And all the WR’s went in normal routes. No matter the coach’s play call, Rivers should have changed the play. He can be really good but he can at times be really dumb. Andy Dalton, on the other hand, can be really dumb but he can at times be really good. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>As to this week, how the teams played makes no difference. I think SD matches up well with Denver, which is a problem for Denver. SF matches up well with Carolina - almost mirror images, a real toss up game. I have no idea how NO fares in Seattle or how Indy does in NE. I just looked at Indy’s 2013 schedule. They played 10 games inside and the farthest east they played was Cincinnati, which is also the farthest north outside. I never trust teams like that, but then I don’t know which NE team will show up.</p>