So, uh, Chad Morris? Better accelerate that plan to win some games at SMU and then use it as a springboard to take a big job in Texas. Because at this rate, a big job in Austin is going to be opening up sooner than a lot of people thought.
Charlie Strong is putting on a clinic on how not to rebuild a program. Upon arrival he thumbed his nose at the high school coaching fraternity in Texas, and that's something you just do not do. And after one game, he's made a switch at offensive coordinator -- something he probably should've done, you know, like during the offsesaon???
Here's the story from the AP.
Searching for a spark on offense, Texas coach Charlie Strong is shaking up his staff by handing play-calling duties to wide receivers coach Jay Norvell.
Strong announced the change Tuesday night after Texas’ 38-3 loss at No. 9 Notre Dame, the Longhorns’ third consecutive blowout loss dating to last season. Texas (0-1) ranks last in the nation in total offense and is tied for last in scoring.
Strong is taking lead play-calling away from his longtime assistant and quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson, who came to Texas with Strong from Louisville. Watson, who is also assistant head coach, will continue working with quarterbacks Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard.
“It’s always tough. You have to set aside your friendship. You have to do what’s right for your program,” Strong said.
The move also strips any play-calling duties from offensive line coach Joe Wickline, who had been charged with calling some run plays. All of it will now run through Norvell.
Norvell is in his first season at Texas. He spent the previous seven at Oklahoma, including four as co-offensive coordinator.
Wow.
A few Wednesday links:
-- Apparently the reporter who asked Nick Saban about being a heavy favorite and getting guys ready during a presumed blowout victory has not been covering Nick Saban for very long.
This response from Saban is great:
It sounds a lot like his response to a similar question in 2008 immediately after his team took a chainsaw to Clemson in Atlanta.
-- At Virginia Tech, Michael Brewer's loss (and Brenden Motley's struggles replacing him) have produced the feeling that it's the end of the world. But as David Teel writes, there's a guy named Dwayne Lawson who has created a load of excitement about the long-term future.
Lawson is the most intriguing quarterback on Tech's roster. A 6-6, 222-pound Tampa, Fla. product, he was considered by most recruiting analysts one of the nation's top 30 quarterback prospects in the class of 2015.
Despite Lawson's inexperience, Beamer indicated Tuesday that Tech's coaching staff thinks he has something to offer the offense this season. He was considered for playing time with an abbreviated package of plays in the Ohio State game.
Beamer already puts Lawson in elite company with a trio of Peninsula native quarterbacks who have played at Tech in the last 16 seasons.
"We were just concerned that it might be a little too much too soon," said Beamer of the prospects of playing Lawson against Ohio State. "I think the other side of it is, there's guys that have it, and I think he has it. You can't put them on a big enough stage. No stage is too big. Michael Vick was that way and Tyrod Taylor was that way and Bryan Randall was that way, and I can go on and on. We'll see.
"It'll be an interesting week to see how he handles things, but the other two…(Motley and Durkin are) in a different situation this week than they've ever been in. Now, someone has a chance to be the guy."
-- Non sports, but too good to pass up. Iron Maiden's singer wishes he slugged Axl Rose when he had the opportunity.
-- Urban Meyer explains why he went away from giving it to Ezekiel Elliott.
-- In Oklahoma, Eric Striker sounds off on the SEC's supposed dominance.
The question was innocent enough.
Surrounded by reporters after Tuesday's football practice, Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker was asked, “Do you get jacked up for the SEC? You guys beat them two straight years.”
“I don't know why people blow gas up their ass all the time,” Striker responded. “I don't understand why.”
And just like that, the Oklahoma vs. SEC firestorm was reignited, with the OU senior and team captain right at the center of it.
-- It's only one game, but Holly Anderson of Grantland said it feels right to swoon over Ohio State.
Before we all get to feeling either preemptively smug or prematurely bored with the 2015 playoff picture, let’s take a minute to review what, exactly, it is we know. Take some centering breaths, maybe watch that Vine of Cardale Jones twirling blissfully down the Buckeyes sideline in Blacksburg, and shake off any lingering vestige of certainty related to Ohio State’s chances at a repeat title run. Remember last winter, when then–no. 4 OSU was the last team into the bracket? Remember last fall, when a home loss to Virginia Tech torpedoed their ranking? Remember last week, and being convinced that Urban Meyer’s season debut would hinge around him trotting out J.T. Barrett and Ezekiel Elliott on the regular? Right.
And yet: Just because this 42-24 Buckeyes victory is the smallest possible sample size from which to project a season doesn’t mean those projections won’t be right. It might be too easy to get bowled over by the potential looming mayhem of Ohio State’s offensive shape-shifting capabilities. But that doesn’t mean swooning isn’t the correct reaction.
-- Finally, about ready to punch myself in the face for not stumbling onto this guy sooner.
Leon Bridges.
Wow.
LW
