Dec 16, 2010
Nov 9, 2010
Rick Barnes 2010 = Mack Brown 2011
If the heading of this post confuses, allow me to clarify: Rick Barnes faces the same challenge this season that Mack Brown will face next year. And what exactly is this challenge? It is a test of adaptability. The challenge is one of adjustment: can Rick Barnes make the personal and stylistic coaching adjustments required of him after last year's debacle? Can Mack Brown admit any failure and make real changes?
After running out to a 17-0 record and #1 ranking (UT's first ever top billing) last season, Barnes saw fit to put his uber-talented freshmen (particularly Jordan Hamilton and J'Covan Brown) through "boot camp" because he wasn't happy with their decision-making and commitment to defense. A team that thrived in the first half of the season playing loose, full-court, trapping defense suddenly was asked to become a disciplined half court team focused on few turnovers and only "good" shots. Unfortunately, Barnes completely misread his team and failed to recognize that this unit could not succeed in a slow-tempo, conservative, half-court strategy. They would have been much better in an up-tempo, carefree, positively reinforced environment, one where "bad" shots and turnovers did not result in being sent to the bench. Barnes squashed that team's identity and spirit, transforming an aggressive team into a tentative one with players afraid to make mistakes and always looking over their shoulders. The end-results were damning, to put it mildly. Now we arrive at a pivotal moment in the Rick Barnes era: did he learn from his mistakes and will he allow the enigmatic sophomores Hamilton and Brown (the keys to this team, even more so than the star freshmen recruits Tristan Thompson and Corey Joseph) to play aggressive and unafraid? After one game against seminal roundball powerhouse Navy, the early returns suggest Barnes may well have learned not to ride his talent as if he's Bobby Knight, but it's definitely too early to issue a verdict.
As for Mack Brown, the 2010 football season merits a similar critique as last year's basketball season: catastrophic collapse due to coaching. However, there are distinct differences at play. The biggest difference is that this season's football team is woefully lacking in offensive talent, whereas last year's hoops squad was stacked in offensive playmakers. Mack's crime is the four year flight from recruiting dual-threat athletic QBs, aka "the next Vince Young." The Colt era mercifully disguised the endemic problem in recruiting and offensive philosophy, and due frankly to Colt, Jamaal Charles, Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby, Texas was able to succeed in spite of their flawed approach to offensive football. Barnes' crime was destroying the existing talent by trying to force them to play 'his way" as opposed to adapting to what he had on the floor. It can be argued that Greg Davis and Mack Brown (who successfully adapted to Vince Young) have likewise chosen to do it "their way" by running away from the zone-read option spread that produced the greatest offense in UT history in 2005. After receiving what amounted to the "Colt McCoy bailout" for four years, the tab has now come due for them, and there are no more bailouts on the horizon (certainly not in the name of Garrett Gilbert, Case McCoy, Connor Wood, David Ash, etc). Texas is finally being allowed to fail in 2010, and is essentially entering its bankruptcy proceedings this offseason. How will the Horns emerge from football Chapter 11?
Mack - like Barnes hopefully has - must learn from his mistakes and recommit to recruiting the freak athletes who are dual threat run/pass and who can thrive in a zone-read option attack a la Auburn and Oregon. Texas has plenty of running backs (particularly DJ Monroe, but I'm tired of advocating for his playing time) who can thrive in a zone-read attack with a dynamic QB. This style of offense, which is predicated on putting athletes in space, both simplifies and improves the offense overnight. But you have to get the right QB. That Mack has wholesale gone away from recruiting this type of QB may be a bridge too far for him to overcome, but he has to try, otherwise he will either choose to step down or be forced out after 2011. But if he shows good faith in recommitting to this style (something that would even allow him to keep Greg Davis on, although at this point I am with the overwhelming majority who want Davis sacked), he will exhibit the type of honest reality-assessment of which so many Texas fans believe he deficient.
So 2010 Rick Barnes and 2011 Mack Brown each face a moment of truth. Can these talented recruiters, exemplary UT representatives and quality program builders prove once and for all their ability to adapt and adjust in the glaringly obvious ways necessary to regain success?
It will be interesting to follow....
Nov 3, 2010
Burnt Orange Radio website
We're still working on developing the Burnt Orange Radio website, but for now you can visit www.burntorangeradio.com and be redirected to our podcast page on Podbean.
Thanks for listening to our show and let us know what you think this UT football team should do in the near-term and long-term.
Oct 26, 2010
Rant from Iowa State weekend
Here is a rant I issued Saturday night on Orangebloods after the Horns' loss to Iowa State.
Our latest podcast is at www.burntorangeradio.podbean.com
"This is not complicated people: Davis sucks, EXCEPT when he has a mobile QB who can move the chains with his feet. Even better, an athletic QB who can run the zone-read with talented backs and is adept at hitting open receivers in space (because LBs and safeties are frozen due to being so focused on what's going on with the zone-read in the backfield) thrives under Davis (#10).
2004 (with the big exception of 12-0 loss to OU), 2005 and 2008 were Greg Davis' halcyon days. The Texas offense in those years was the undisputed BEST in the country. Not easy to do. Why were these years so good when every other year under Davis has ranged from vaguely acceptable to mediocre to abysmal? Vince Young and Colt McCoy, two QBs who could always keep drives alive with their feet amid the consistent Davis mindfart. But guess what? After each bailout by his QBs, Davis invariably called plays aggressively in those years, and our offense was nigh invincible. The distinction between Vince and Colt is that Vince was the most dangerous presence in college football history, while Colt carried a near-equal clutch gene as Vince and had the two best receivers in Mack's tenure in '08 (notice how Colt's play dropped precipitously in '09 with the absence of Quan). The Vince and Colt offenses were drastically different schematically, but each relied on the ability of the heroic, athletic leader at QB to make things happen running. Unfortunately, Colt tricked Mack and GD into thinking they were good at running the finesse dink and dunk PASSING spread, something they should have had no illusions about after the Simms era. What they failed to realize (and this will never cease to amaze me) was that their meal ticket in two of our three most successful years was a RUNNING spread offense, that oh by the way just so happened to also be lethal in the pass because D's were so scared of Vince, Jamaal, Ramonce, Selvin. The success in '08 was a passing spread with zero running game (Ogbannaya was our featured RB, god bless him), but it only worked because of Colt's guts and Ship/Quan's brilliance.
Now any high school student with any understanding of analysis would look at the three most successful sample groups and say: OK, it looks like the KEY is having an uber-athlete at QB and designing an offense around a run-dominated zone-read/spread. Not only does that give Texas the running identity their coach craves, but it also allows average-at-best receivers (Pittman, Sweed, Brian Carter, freshman Quan) to post gaudy statistics because they're consistently wide open. All you need is for the uber-athlete to be basically adept at throwing the football to wide open dudes wearing the same color jersey. In conclusion, while the '08 sample was impressive, it has to be an anomaly. Great QB with two great WRs was enough to produce prolific offense, but to be swayed into thinking Texas can run the football without the presence of an uber-athlete or that Texas can methodically and consistently march down the field throwing short and sideways would be the height of hubris.
That Mack and especially Davis haven't EVER truthfully acknowledged what made them successful and fought day and night in recruiting to stockpile potential Vince Young, Cam Newton, et. al. prospects will go down as the biggest mistake of the Mack/Davis era. Yes, even bigger than not pulling Simms from the Colorado game until he hurt his hand when he was willfully flicking lit matches all over a kerosene-doused Texas dream. What makes it even MORE frustrating for fans is that Greg Davis is SORT OF A GURU at calling that type of an offense!!!! Chip Kelly modeled (and refined, improved upon) his Oregon offense on what Texas did in 2005! Gene Chizik, our D coordinator in '05 watched Vince Young work his magic that year. Think that had something to do with their aggressive acquisition of Cam Newton? Think he's gonna allow Auburn to recruit anything BUT 6'4 220+ black athletes to play QB there as long as he's in charge? I think not.
WTF were Mack and Davis ever thinking going away from that type of player?"
2004 (with the big exception of 12-0 loss to OU), 2005 and 2008 were Greg Davis' halcyon days. The Texas offense in those years was the undisputed BEST in the country. Not easy to do. Why were these years so good when every other year under Davis has ranged from vaguely acceptable to mediocre to abysmal? Vince Young and Colt McCoy, two QBs who could always keep drives alive with their feet amid the consistent Davis mindfart. But guess what? After each bailout by his QBs, Davis invariably called plays aggressively in those years, and our offense was nigh invincible. The distinction between Vince and Colt is that Vince was the most dangerous presence in college football history, while Colt carried a near-equal clutch gene as Vince and had the two best receivers in Mack's tenure in '08 (notice how Colt's play dropped precipitously in '09 with the absence of Quan). The Vince and Colt offenses were drastically different schematically, but each relied on the ability of the heroic, athletic leader at QB to make things happen running. Unfortunately, Colt tricked Mack and GD into thinking they were good at running the finesse dink and dunk PASSING spread, something they should have had no illusions about after the Simms era. What they failed to realize (and this will never cease to amaze me) was that their meal ticket in two of our three most successful years was a RUNNING spread offense, that oh by the way just so happened to also be lethal in the pass because D's were so scared of Vince, Jamaal, Ramonce, Selvin. The success in '08 was a passing spread with zero running game (Ogbannaya was our featured RB, god bless him), but it only worked because of Colt's guts and Ship/Quan's brilliance.
Now any high school student with any understanding of analysis would look at the three most successful sample groups and say: OK, it looks like the KEY is having an uber-athlete at QB and designing an offense around a run-dominated zone-read/spread. Not only does that give Texas the running identity their coach craves, but it also allows average-at-best receivers (Pittman, Sweed, Brian Carter, freshman Quan) to post gaudy statistics because they're consistently wide open. All you need is for the uber-athlete to be basically adept at throwing the football to wide open dudes wearing the same color jersey. In conclusion, while the '08 sample was impressive, it has to be an anomaly. Great QB with two great WRs was enough to produce prolific offense, but to be swayed into thinking Texas can run the football without the presence of an uber-athlete or that Texas can methodically and consistently march down the field throwing short and sideways would be the height of hubris.
That Mack and especially Davis haven't EVER truthfully acknowledged what made them successful and fought day and night in recruiting to stockpile potential Vince Young, Cam Newton, et. al. prospects will go down as the biggest mistake of the Mack/Davis era. Yes, even bigger than not pulling Simms from the Colorado game until he hurt his hand when he was willfully flicking lit matches all over a kerosene-doused Texas dream. What makes it even MORE frustrating for fans is that Greg Davis is SORT OF A GURU at calling that type of an offense!!!! Chip Kelly modeled (and refined, improved upon) his Oregon offense on what Texas did in 2005! Gene Chizik, our D coordinator in '05 watched Vince Young work his magic that year. Think that had something to do with their aggressive acquisition of Cam Newton? Think he's gonna allow Auburn to recruit anything BUT 6'4 220+ black athletes to play QB there as long as he's in charge? I think not.
WTF were Mack and Davis ever thinking going away from that type of player?"
Oct 17, 2010
Texas Owns Nebraska
What a win! Texas bids Nebraska adieu to the Big 10 with a 9-1 record against them since the inception of the Big 12, a 4-0 record in Lincoln, 3-0 in Austin, and a clear record of ownership over the Nebraska football program.
Burnt Orange Radio previewed the game here: http://bit.ly/9WunjU
We will record our glorious recap tomorrow night, so look for that on Tuesday morning.
This blog will also publish its running diary from yesterday's game later today.
So proud of Garrett Gilbert for stepping up early in the game (and with his legs, no less!) when it was absolutely needed, and glad that Greg Davis was able to innovate with a solid gameplan. It's unfortunate that so many years Mack and Davis have needed an OU loss to "find" their offense and come up with the right scheme, but it's also a credit to them both that they always respond to adversity, and it won't be a surprise to anyone if Texas runs the table from here on out.
Burnt Orange Radio still desperately wants to see an eventual shift back to the zone-read, spread-option attack with a more mobile QB than Gilbert, but after yesterday we are much more optimistic for the future of the Gilbert era since he showed he is able and willing to use his legs (Chip Brown even tweeted that he was Garrett "Crazy Legs" Gilbert). The Davis offense is always more dangerous when the QB can run. We need to be recruiting Cam Newtons and Darron Thomases, but Gilbert is tough and solid and we can win with him if he keeps getting better.
Retroactive running diary (Simmons-style) from the game will be up here later.
Oct 8, 2010
Bye-Week Bonanza
Burnt Orange Radio's 11th episode is up over at www.burntorangeradio.podbean.com. We gloss over the malaise that surrounds Texas (it's offense, it's coaching, it's not being ranked for the first time in ten years) and then spend a lot of time on Around The Nation (where we debut a couple "Top 5's"), NFL, Science & Stuff and La Cultura Grande. We even mention the Texas Rangers, Roy Halladay, and Brett Favre's potential scandal involving pics of his naughty bits. We're all over the board this week.
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(@the_daner and @burntorangezack).
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Thanks for listening and we'll talk to you on Monday.
Sep 30, 2010
Sep 27, 2010
Sep 25, 2010
Gameday
Impressive turnout by the Bronco faithful in Boise for College Gameday. I like Boise State's program a lot and have no problem with their getting headline attention this season. They've earned it. And I do agree with Herbstreit that right now Boise is a slightly better team than TCU, as non-BCS powers go.
Interesting Gameday decision next week:
Stanford @ Oregon
Florida @ Alabama
Texas v. Oklahoma (in Dallas)
Fowler said he prefers the "scene of OU-Texas," Herbstreit voiced his preference for traveling to Autzen stadium in Oregon next week, and Corso sat there vaguely focused on not drooling on himself and wondering what day it is and where he was. It will be interesting to see where College Gameday decides to set up camp next Saturday. The bet here is they return to Dallas, tempting as the other two destinations are and good as the other two games should be... there's simply no substitute for Texas-OU at the Fair in Dallas: the scene, the fanbases, the prestige, the food... ESPN won't be able to say no to fried dough.
Listen to our UCLA preview podcast here: http://bit.ly/bhabbg
Hope to see a good performance by the Horns today. Confident that we will...
Sep 24, 2010
Sep 22, 2010
UCLA '97
My personal account of "Rout 66," posted on Shaggy Bevo:
I was a senior in high school in Los Angeles and brought one of my best friends to the game with my family. Whole family is UT alumni and I went to a handful of games in Austin and the OU game after the family moved from Houston to LA in '88. '94 OU game and '95 Virginia in Austin (the Dawson FG) were my best trips to see the Horns as a youngster, but '97 UCLA was supposed to be the best yet: my lifelong team playing one of the huge schools of the city I'd grown up in. Brought my friend who was a UCLA fan and left LA talking a bunch of smack to all the Bruin homers believing we were suddenly a juggernaut coming off our Big 12 title season.
I personally couldn't watch anymore after 31-0 and was so annoyed at my friend's awkward, faux-respectful silence through it all that I insisted we leave and go drink in the endzone club with my uncle (being able to drink uninhibited at 17 was infinitely cooler than watching Texas get boatraced in stifling heat). I went back to the seats very late in the 4th and will never forget the site of our 80% empty stadium. My diehard father never abandoned his post and greeted me with the type of serious gaze that can only be interpreted as a warning not to engage. When it all ended, I berated my friend for the umpteenth time for giggling at the astonishing score and followed my father down the empty bleachers, expecting to enter the tunnel and exit the crime scene. However, Dad took a strange route along the railing at field level around the south endzone to the area where Texas was slowly trudging off the field, and I suddenly understood by his steely resolve that Dad was not going to leave without saying his piece. With Mackovic in sight and about 30 yards away Dad screamed: "Mackovic!" John heard him and looked. "PLEASE QUIT!!!!!!" And Johnny Mack actually held my father's gaze for about two seconds, almost as if he was struck by the realization that this season was going to be horrific, and undoubtedly his last.
So yes, I am just a little excited for this game Saturday. I want to win by five touchdowns but I'll take a more realistic 27-6 beating.
I personally couldn't watch anymore after 31-0 and was so annoyed at my friend's awkward, faux-respectful silence through it all that I insisted we leave and go drink in the endzone club with my uncle (being able to drink uninhibited at 17 was infinitely cooler than watching Texas get boatraced in stifling heat). I went back to the seats very late in the 4th and will never forget the site of our 80% empty stadium. My diehard father never abandoned his post and greeted me with the type of serious gaze that can only be interpreted as a warning not to engage. When it all ended, I berated my friend for the umpteenth time for giggling at the astonishing score and followed my father down the empty bleachers, expecting to enter the tunnel and exit the crime scene. However, Dad took a strange route along the railing at field level around the south endzone to the area where Texas was slowly trudging off the field, and I suddenly understood by his steely resolve that Dad was not going to leave without saying his piece. With Mackovic in sight and about 30 yards away Dad screamed: "Mackovic!" John heard him and looked. "PLEASE QUIT!!!!!!" And Johnny Mack actually held my father's gaze for about two seconds, almost as if he was struck by the realization that this season was going to be horrific, and undoubtedly his last.
So yes, I am just a little excited for this game Saturday. I want to win by five touchdowns but I'll take a more realistic 27-6 beating.
Sep 21, 2010
Does DJ Monroe Enhance our Offensive Identity?
Word around the 40 Acres today is that DJ Monroe is going to play a larger role in the Texas offense. B.O.R. is skeptical of just how "large" this role will prove to be, but we're excited about this development and welcome the news. DJ possesses game-breaking speed and the threat of his speed will do wonders for both our running and passing games, if he is deployed properly and frequently.
Any back who poses a "home run" threat to a defense inherently causes that defense to play just slightly less aggressive and on their heels, as linebackers and safeties must always be aware of where this dangerous weapon is on the field. A defense's first task is to prevent the big play, and when a D identifies a Monroe on the field (much as D's did when Jamaal or Ramonce, not to mention Vince, played here), its going to inevitably worry about his speed and thus will not be as effective stopping the interior run, nor will it be as effective in coverage since many defenses will play more zone so as to avoid turning their backs on the speedster. Having Monroe on the field more often will allow for slightly more space between the tackles for Fozzy, Tre, and Cody, and it will also allow our receivers more freedom to run into space left vacant by LB's and S's terrified of what DJ is doing.
We really hope that Monroe is deployed effectively (sending him in motion and snapping the ball as he moves past the tackle in the shallow backfield is a great way to a) get DJ going on a quick reverse, b) open up misdirection opportunities for our RB's and c) give Gilbert more opportunity to succeed in play-action down the field) and frequently. How many touches Monroe actually gets is less important than how many reps he gets. Just having him on the field will open up this offense immensely, and Saturday against UCLA is the perfect time to unveil and unleash this criminally underutilized talent....it gives the Sooners and Huskers an extra element to think about also.
What's everyone think about DJ Monroe being more involved in the offense? Leave your comments below and we'll reference you in our next spine-tingling podcast. The guess is here is that most of you agree with us.
Burnt Orange Radio Ep. 6
Episode 6. Duck or the rapid barrage of podcasts will hit you in the grill!!!
Sep 19, 2010
Tech postgame podcast
Our immediate thoughts on the Tech game: ecstatic about the Defense, confidence in Gilbert, frustration at Greg Davis' inability to learn lessons (3rd down passing in FG range resulting in three INTs)
Please leave your comments on the game below. We'll have a full recap of the weekend up Tuesday morning. Thanks for staying tuned to Burnt Orange Radio.
Sep 17, 2010
We are the trendy "Upset Special"
Stewart Mandel and Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated both forecast a Tech win Saturday night, as does Bruce Feldman of ESPN, and so it seems the trendy upset pick among the national media is that Texas is ripe for an upset in Lubbock.
Not that the team needed any extra motivation, but these little nuggets of disrespect will surely provide extra motivation for the Horns, particularly the defense, and our extra dose of Bill in Sinton style "focusness" is the reason I predicted on our podcast that we hold the Red Raiders to 10 points. 21-10 Texas. Zack is going with a more typical UT-Tech scoreline in his 30-20 UT win prognostication. What does everyone think? Post your score in the comments section and we'll give an on-air shout-out (or props, if you prefer) in our Saturday night postgame podcast to the closest guess. Winner wins nothing.
Finally, I'm sure the Horns are shivering in their cleats at the prospect of the "Silent Scare" the Tech fans are evidently concocting. This sounds like possibly the dumbest idea of all time, or at least a close second behind the tradition of throwing tortillas on the field after a score (congratulations Tech, you're running first and second in the dumbest ideas of all time rankings). But seriously, is that high school stadium going to attempt to use silence as a psyche-out ploy? Is Gilbert supposed to get rattled when he gets under center and hears only swirling funnels of distant sandstorms? I just don't get the "Silent Scare," but I really hope they go through with it because it would be awesome to hear only the Longhorn band and a chorus of Texas Fight from our road fans.
Sep 15, 2010
Should Vince Young receive the 2005 Heisman Trophy?
What was only an issue to UT fans five years ago has today become a national debate, only for a different reason (Reggie's forfeiture of the trophy due to being declared ineligible by the NCAA): should Vince Young be awarded the 2005 Heisman trophy? To
That Vince was indeed the best player of 2005 (and, many would argue, ever) and should have been the rightful recipient of the award originally has, unfortunately, not been stated enough (or at all) since the Reggie story has surfaced in the past week. That changed last night though, when on the late evening SportsCenter Herbstreit offered a slight modification to his prior stance that the award should be left vacated in light of a Bush confiscation/forfeiture. He now says that he "would have no issue" with the Heisman Trust giving the trophy to Young, because "we all saw what happened on the field" when Vince and Reggie played against one another, and beyond that because many believed that Young's regular season was every bit as dominant (if not more) than Bush's that year. So now we have a preeminent influence in college football media essentially endorsing the award being given to Vince, and though this is a transparent effort by Herbstreit to atone for his hysterical hype in 2005, the effort is commendable and welcome here at Burnt Orange Radio. The Herbstreit endorsement alone is why sports talk radio and television is making the debate a central theme of their programming today. I believe had Herbstreit not offered his (admittedly passive) opinion that the story would have less legs today than it otherwise would have.
But there are many who disagree. Jim Rome, Scott van Pelt, and Stewart Mandel have all categorically stated that Vince should not receive the Heisman. Mandel particularly is an influential print voice who I personally trust a great deal and seldom find myself at odds with. On the other hand, talking heads Skip Bayless and Trevor Matich have both signed off on the idea of retroactively crowning Vince the Heisman winner. There are sure to be many more public opinions forthcoming and I would love it if some of our readers could enlighten us as to what they read and hear in the comments section below.
While I am somewhere between tentative and sturdy in my conviction that Vince (and, just as importantly, the University of Texas) should get the Heisman, I am steadfast in my quarrel with the dissenters, whose primary justification for keeping the award vacant concerns the “rewriting of history.” The claim that a Vince Heisman would create a slippery slope whereby
We would really like to get interactive on this one, so please let us know what you think in the comments section below. Zack and I are doing a lengthy segment on this during tomorrow's broadcast and want to read your comments on the air. So help us improve our show by chiming in on this. Needless to say, this story is large nationally, but huge here in
Let us know what you think.
Burnt Orange Radio Ep. 3
Burnt Orange Radio Ep. 3
Episode 3!!! Bigger, better, badder!!! Hook Em'!!
follow @the_daner and @burntorangezack on twitter and "LIKE" Burnt Orange Radio on Facebook. Also email in questions, comments, ideas, or concerns to burntorangeradio@hotmail.com and we will air them out on the show. Thanks for the support folks we have had over 40 hits on each of the first two shows. Enjoy and Go Longhorns!!!
Zack
Burnt Orange Radio
Episode 3!!! Bigger, better, badder!!! Hook Em'!!
follow @the_daner and @burntorangezack on twitter and "LIKE" Burnt Orange Radio on Facebook. Also email in questions, comments, ideas, or concerns to burntorangeradio@hotmail.com and we will air them out on the show. Thanks for the support folks we have had over 40 hits on each of the first two shows. Enjoy and Go Longhorns!!!
Zack
Burnt Orange Radio
Episode 3
Episode 3 arrives (on Podbean and iTunes) with Zack and I covering the Wyoming game, a decent amount of Titans, Texans, and Cowboys, and even a little US Open tennis and FIBA World Championship basketball. As always, we offer some funky and delve into a little cosmic pondering in Science and Stuff.
With each episode our sound quality improves incrementally, and Zack is fast becoming an accomplished engineer/producer, seemingly discovering a new way to tinker with our mic levels at each recording. We're confident we will be sounding like a well-oiled, professional broadcast after a couple more episodes (and a few last sound-proofing additions to the studio).
Please let us know what you think of the show, and give us some feedback via any of the fancy new media: email, twitter, facebook, blog comment, etc. We are also open to music and soundbyte suggestions. This week B.O.R. experienced a British invasion of sorts as songs from Doves and The XX bookended the episode. Zack is back at the music helm Thursday and we hope our audience will appreciate our eclectic song
variety.
B.O.R facebook page: http://bit.ly/dbF1Ck
www.burntorangeradio.podbean.com
twitter.com/the_daner
twitter.com/burntorangezack
B.O.R. email: burntorangeradio@hotmail.com
We'll be back in the studio Thursday night for a monster preview of the Tech game, other big college football action and some NFL thoughts. Episode 4 should be up by Friday.
Stay tuned for that and in the meantime download and subscribe to Burnt Orange Radio on iTunes.
Thanks for listening!
Sep 10, 2010
Burnt Orange Radio Ep. 2
Burnt Orange Radio Ep. 2
Better Audio, better delivery, better show. I also switched to a less squeaky chair halfway through this episode so that's fixed. I may have missed a couple curse words so I apologize. Parental Advisory. I list the show as Explicit anyway. Hook Em' !!
Also please "LIKE" us and "FAN" us on Facebook.com, and if you have the time please "Suggest To Friends". This will help the show grow in an organic way from person to person based on word of mouth support. That is how we do things here at Burnt Orange Radio. Thanks for the support and enjoy episode 2. It will only get better and better.
Zack
Burnt Orange Radio
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Garrett Gilbert Is Cool Under Pressure.
You know how I know that Garrett Gilbert has the right stuff? It's not his amazing high school career. It's not his heroic performance stepping in for Colt McCoy in the Rose Bowl. It's not even the huge balls that it takes to admit you like Taylor Swift with a strait face, on camera.
No, it is none of these things.
The reason I am sure - no, convinced - that Garrett Gilbert has what it takes to make it as the quarterback of the Texas Longhorns is simple: - he was not at all nervous during his face to face interview with Erin Andrews. He was funny, confident, as if he had a real chance with her. He made her laugh, kept her interested, and most of all, stayed calm under pressure.
This type of poise will pay dividends when deep in the pocket, it will be with Garrett in the 4th quarter when coming from behind, and it will show it's value when running the 2 minute drill and trying to score. Wait, are we talking about football or Erin? Either way, take it to the house Garrett!!!
I know you can handle the pressure.
Hook Em'
Zack
Sep 8, 2010
Positives Outweigh Negatives
The general consensus among local and national media is that Texas earned a mixed review Saturday against Rice. While we agree with the consensus, B.O.R. says that the positives outweighed the negatives yesterday and urges Horn fans to maintain their sanity and trust that all is well.
Every big time program knows there is room for improvement after its opener, and Texas is no exception. The downhill running game will be a work in progress for a few weeks most likely, and the guess here is that Tre Newton will be the starting tailback by the Tech game in two weeks. Cody Johnson can still be a great bruising change of pace and we're confident he'll still have a good year.
The defense had a mixed first half, looking sluggish for at least two drives and needing two great momentum plays by Keenan Robinson that allowed them to breathe easier and play loose by mid-2nd quarter. Kenny Vaccaro was all over the field, making plays and just being an-out ball hawk. The secondary looks great with Curtis Brown, Aaron Williams, Christian Scott and Blake Gideon, but we would rather see Vaccaro on the field in place of Chykie Brown, with Williams taking Chykie's spot at corner and Kenny taking Aaron's place as nickel back. I think Muschamp will do this.
The downhill running game (if we can call it that), would benefit from a two-back set, either I-formation or pro-set split backs. The lone back running into ostensible "holes" created by our O-line just doesn't look like it's going to work, and we've seen Davis use two backs effectively back in the day.
Gilbert looked comfortable out of play-action, but straight drops with a TE and RB contributing to "max protect" pass plays will yield the greatest results. Garrett doesn't need four or five targets but should be able to deploy the ball downfield with only three receivers. Think of the USC passing offense under Palmer, Leinart, Sanchez.
The Wyoming game Saturday will be tinged with further emotion (there was already a 9/11 tribute planned), as a Wyoming linebacker was killed in an auto accident last weekend when he fell asleep at the wheel. Mack will likely call the Wyoming coach and offer condolences and advice on how to cope with this kind of tragedy. Remember, Mack dealt with a similar situation with Cole Pittman middle of last decade.
We should have a preview podcast (episode 2) up tomorrow or Friday, so stay tuned. Also let us know your thoughts about episode 1 by leaving comments here or on our facebook page.
Texas v. Wyoming
There is, perhaps, more than expected when breaking down this weeks game with Wyoming. First of all Wyoming looked good in their opener against Southern Utah. They were able to throw the ball effectively and score often, while limiting Southern Utah from scoring in the red zone. Also there is the tragic death of Linebacker Ruben Narcisse which will serve as a distraction as well as motivation.
For the most part Wyoming looked good against the Thunderbirds, throwing for 319 yards on the day and scoring at will. Quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels was 26-32 and scored on td passes of 36 and 69 in what was an easy day for the sophomore from San Jose, CA. His favorite target was senior Zach Bulger who grabbed 5 balls for 134 yards including the 69 yarder.
On defense the Cowboys had a little more trouble. Southern Utah was able to gain 384 total yards with 191 coming on the ground. They also held the football for 34:43 in regulation but were only able to capitalize one time in the red zone in the first quarter. They also won the turnover battle 2-0 adding another element of "strange" to this game.
Looking ahead I feel as though Texas should have their way with Wyoming's rushing defense. 191 yards given up against Southern Utah does not get it done in big boy football. This is a great opportunity for Tre, Cody, and Fozzy, to unleash their off season workouts on a lesser opponent. Not to mention our O-Line!! I really hope we go to work and march on our first few drives. If we are forced to throw than this new running attack is likely to be more hype than reality. This is the perfect game to build confidence both within the team as well as the fan-base and national media. There has been talk of more throwing this week which is okay if done by design, but ultimately this game might be better served working on the rushing attack.
As for our defense, they certainly have a "formidable opponent," no it is not Stephen Colbert. Austyn (with a Y) Carta-Samuels looked great and will surely try to establish himself. Maybe the D can spark this win as they did last season with "pick 6" to the house early on. But certainly the D can expect to be active against an offense that throws the ball 30+ times a game. They also score from distance and keep coming providing another good test for the D. If this Defense is going to stop more high powered offenses later this year we need to prove we can stop a competent offense in week 2. I see heavy pressure, confusing schemes, and great DB's causing havoc for young Austyn, and hopefully forcing him into some bad decisions. Look for a lot of hard "vertical claps" over downed receivers.
Finally it should be said that 19 year old Linebacker Ruben Narcisse lost his life in a 1 car crash after the Cowboys win last week to start the season. CB Trey Fox, the driver as well as two other players, Christian Morgan and J.J. Quinlan were also in the car and were hospitalized with much less serious injuries. There will be a tribute before the game for Narcisse and Wyoming will certainly play inspired. I hope we pay a fitting tribute to the young man by honoring him before the game and then proceeding to play hard and with good spirits. These types of tragedies can inspire a lesser team, a la Texas A&M following the bond fire tragedy, and we must not let that affect our game plan. Than we must pray for that team's players and that boys family. But football is football.
Hook em'!! Lets get a big win, stay healthy, and look sharp on Offense and Defense!!
Zack
Burnt Orange Radio
Sep 4, 2010
Gameday
Erin Andrews begins her stint as early host on ESPN U, and looked great doing it as always. Just wanted to put that out there. (She also does fine work and is good at her job). Interview with Gilbert didn't include anything we hadn't already heard before, and it will be nice to begin the season just so we can graduate from ugly highlights from the Alabama game (the next time I see Marcel Darius' pick-six will be too soon).
Corso managed to get through the two hours without saying anything cringe-worthy or offensive, though he did say that as a former coach at Indiana he would "pick Iraq before he picks Purdue." So Corso likes Notre Dame today.
Herbstreit was right on the money with his assessment of Texas: first time without an ultra-mobile QB and use of a primarily spread offense since 2003. Can Texas
I say it often, but it bears repeating: Chris Fowler has the dream job. Host of college football's marquee show, host of all four tennis majors for ESPN, and got to host the World Cup this summer in South Africa. This week is a busy one for Fowler, who is in the middle of hosting ESPN's US Open coverage but still found time to make it to Atlanta to host Gameday. Now he is asking Big Boi of Outkast for the day's picks. Erin got to talk to him as well.
Washington State has FOUR flags in the crowd today. The gimmick has never bothered me, and it is in fact quite impressive that they've been able to consistently get some shleb to show up and wave the flag of an irrelevant college football program. But four flags is ridiculous. Know your place Wazzu!
Be back later today with thoughts on the Texas opener vs. Rice. Then in the studio tonight to record the first official recap podcast. We will post the link to the podcast here and on facebook and twitter when its ready. Off to watch the 11am kickoffs of the first Saturday of the 2010 season!
Sep 1, 2010
I Am Not A Writer In The Traditional Sense
So the podcast is off and running. Shane Ingraham my co-host and older brother finally made it in studio for a recap of the Texas roster, the dying off of Vince Young haters, and more, in the first Burnt Orange Radio podcast. The big trip to Guitar Center is tomorrow, the equipment will be figured out( let us pray) in due time, leading us to the official launch on Sept 6th. Look for recap and analysis on the Rice game, Boise State v Va. Tech, as well the anticipated OU early season choke job. Wait, who do they play?
So I will keep it brief this evening as most of my insights are now available at www.burntorangeradio.podbean.com. The itunes account is in review, I feel as though I have a grasp on the new software and by some miracle I have figured out the infrastructure from recording to mixing, than uploading, posting RSS feeds and hopefully into your ipod. I am tired.
So now all that is left to do is make it through tonight knowing that football, real football that counts, will be in each and every monday, thursday, saturday and sunday of my life from tomorrow night until the BCS trophy is hoisted. I am excited and ready to go. I am also to proud to hopefully play some role in the Longhorn Nation providing what I hope to be a great show. Hook Em'.
Zack
Burnt Orange Radio
Facebook page is up
Burnt Orange Radio's facebook page is up and running, though it is pretty bare-bones at the moment. It should quickly evolve into a lavish and snazzy site, so get excited.
Follow us on facebook and comment on our page and offer suggestions for our podcasts.
BOR News
Zack and Shane, purveyors of podcast, recorded the brothers' first collaboration last night, and for 48 minutes we discussed the UT depth chart, the schedule, and the first game this coming Saturday vs. Rice at Reliant Stadium. It was a good first dual effort and, despite not yet having all the equipment we need (condenser mics, sound board/amp, cables and cords, etc) we were happy with the sound, our natural vocal interplay, and especially with Zack's steadily improving production abilities. Last night's podcast, while not intended for wide public consumption, may be released later in a kind of exclusive engagement, as our initial production loops with both music bumps and curse-word sound effect "bleeps" should serve as an amusing relic once we really get the production thing down.
We anticipate to be fully up and running and recording our first official podcast to be made available to the public next Monday (Labor Day), Sept. 6. Until then, continue coming to this blog for news and opinion on all things UT and college football. We will also be announcing a Burnt Orange Radio facebook fan page as well as a Podbean site, two additional venues where our podcasts and musings can be found.
The college football season officially kicks off tomorrow night!
Hook 'em.
Aug 31, 2010
UT Depth Chart released
QB - Garrett Gilbert
Case McCoy
Connor Wood
RB - Cody Johnson
Tre Newton
Fozzy Whitaker
Vondrell McGee
Chris Whaley
WR - Marquise Goodwin
James Kirkendoll
John Chiles
Malcolm Williams
Mike Davis
DJ Monroe
Darius White
DeSean Hales
Greg Timmons
TE - Barrett Matthews
Greg Smith
Blaine Irby
OL - Michael Huey
Mason Walters
David Snow
Kyle Hix
Britt Mitchell
DE - Sam Acho
Eddie Jones
Jackson Jeffcoat
Dravannti Johnson
DT - Kheeston Randall
Alex Okafor
Tyler Higgins
Ashton Dorsey
De'Aires Cotton
LB - Emmanuel Acho
Dravannti Johnson
Dustin Earnest
Jared Norton
Jordan Hicks
CB - Curtis Brown
Aaron Williams
Chykie Brown
Carrington Byndon
AJ White
S - Christian Scott
Blake Gideon
Aaron Williams
Nolan Brewster
Demarco Cobbs
Kenny Vaccaro
Ben Wells
P - John Gold
K - Justin Tucker
Aug 30, 2010
Game Week
College football officially gets under way this week, and for the first time since 1995 (@ Hawaii) Texas opens on the road, although Texas vs. Rice at Reliant Stadium in Houston will be a de facto home game for the Horns. BurntOrangeRadio is excited to watch the offense and see just how much of a makeover it has gotten, and to focus on Garret Gilbert's poise and command.
We *might* debut BOR's first podcast next week to recap the opener, but for now we are sticking with a 9/13 debut date, when we will inaugurate the podcast season with a mega-recap of the first two UT games.
Stay tuned, and Hook 'em Horns!
(and for no other reason than we love the guy, here are some Jamaal Charles UT highlights)
Aug 26, 2010
Welcome one and all!!
So first of all, welcome Longhorn fan and foe, we gather here again on the cusp of fall for another glorious football season, the true religion of America. Let us rejoice!! I am very optimistic this year for the Longhorns chances but am attempting to keep those emotions bottled up until I see Garrett Gilbert and the new look Texas Offense in action. Lets call it a "wait and See" approach, like watching Tiger in a major, post debacle. Damn, I thought I could make it a little longer before my first cliche sports reference. Well at least I didn't mention Favre. Wait a minute. Damn!!
But yes football again. Texas!!!! Fight!!!! at the stadium, Bevo doped up in the corner of the end zone, and hopefully, Texas back in the BCS and repeating as BIG XII Champs!
I think with a great defense like the one Texas has as our identity and backbone, we can overcome the woes of a first year QB. Additionally I think Gilbert might just be "the truth" (a little street term often used to describe someone who just ain't scared easily). His eyes don't blow up like dinner plates, his breath stays even like a metronome, he wins and remains hungry. I believe this to be the ultimate intangible quality that defines leadership and whether or not the masses will follow. Texas, finally, might be one of the only schools with a guy like that. Ohio State has one, Kellen Moore at Boise State is a gamer but "Double G" will prove to be right there with em'.
So ultimately I am still old school. I look to the leadership and the defense of a football team to determine the value when I can't yet go on wins and losses. Texas is on the short list of teams with both great leadership in Garrett Gilbert and Mack Brown, as well as great defense in Will Muschamp and his system.
I am happy to be excited but with uncharacteristically low expectations. Usually I am "Title Or Bust" but I can appreciate the cycles of college football, and the constant building and re-building of a program. Right now from the outside looking in we are re-building and I am aware of that. But if this crop of kids is special (and they might be), then this year could build up just fine. Cant wait to see it all!! Go Texas!! Hook 'Em!!!
Either way be sure to check in with myself, Zack, and my brother Shane at Burnt Orange Radio for the podcasts and blogs related to Texas, College Football, the NFL and much more...
Texas will be better in 2010
Mel Kiper, like most media, thinks Texas will take a step back this season, citing the loss of McCoy and Shipley. This is the default position on the Horns going into this season, as the loss of a prolific QB-WR duo presents challenges to any team, particularly when said duo was the most productive in program history.
However, we believe the Texas offense will slowly grow into a more balanced and yes, more productive (or at least more efficient) unit this season. Gilbert will need a few weeks to find his rhythm, but he has the luxury of time since the nation's best defense will keep the pressure off. By October 2, Gilbert will have become comfortable in this offense and confident in his ample weapons at WR and RB, having cut his teeth in games against both Tech and UCLA.
By eliminating the high-risk/low-reward short passes of the shotgun-spread offense employed under Colt, Gilbert will be throwing fewer balls into dangerous windows and instead will rely on more hand-offs and playaction passes downfield. Effectively, this will be a lower-risk/higher reward offense, perfect for a first-year starter who can be patient knowing he has a stellar defense to support his learning curve.
In the end, the 2010 Texas offense will prove more productive in both scoring and efficiency, which will lead to Texas being better overall in 2010 due to the improved defense. However, the schedule is much more difficult this season than last, so an improved overall team from the '09 runners-up does not necessarily mean Texas will win the '10 national title. Texas indeed can win the championship this year, but it is going to need a few breaks as well as use its best performances against its toughest opponents (OU and Nebraska), something it did not do last season.
Aug 24, 2010
Malcolm Brown
Is this the future? We've been suckered into believing the insane hype of UT running back recruits many times over, however, we're inclined to believe that the Cibolo Steele product is indeed the truth. As the Garrett Gibert bids adieu to the successful Greg Davis shotgun spread as its core attack and moves to a more traditional and pro-style balanced attack, a player like Malcolm Brown may be just the kind of back who can exploit a larger commitment to downhill running.
Coming this Fall...
Shane and Zack, also known as "los hermanos guapos" and "les brahs," will be recording weekend podcast recaps of UT football games (with some noteworthy NFL commentary), as well as mid-week UT and college football preview discussions.
Stay tuned to this blog for links to our UT podcasts.
There will also be links to occasional miscellaneous and off-topic cultural observation podcasts, though at this time we have little idea as to what shape these will take.
In the meantime, follow us on twitter:
www.twitter.com/the_daner
www.twitter.com/burntorangezack
And this video is in honor of my signing up for twitter (finally):
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