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Charlie Strong is out at Texas, even though the university is dragging it out in a sloppy, undignified fashion.
His gamble on talented youth, booting a huge number of existing players when he arrived, did not pay off. As SB Nation’s Richard Johnson writes, even modest expectations could not be met.
With its resources and brand equity within the state, there is no excuse for the last seven years of Longhorns football under Mack Brown and Strong. It’s not like the program has been near the top of the mountain and fallen short lately. The Horns have missed two bowl games and watched in-state foes Baylor, TCU, and Texas A&M all taste various amounts of glory while they have failed to even tread water at times since 2010.
Strong made Texas’ decision easy after losing to Kansas. It is, and should be, unacceptable to be 16-20 as the head coach of Texas, and especially to be 12-14 in the worst power conference in the country.
Texas’ defense has been atrocious. And its offense has been hit or miss. With the threat of play action, it’s fairly effective. But on third and seven-plus and fourth down, the passing game has gone 20-of-51 for 228, 1 TD, 4 INTs, and only 9 first downs. That rate ranks 123rd nationally. And when facing Big 12 defenses, that is a glaring weakness.
Recruits and current players are bummed out by the Strong news, but they cannot be surprised.
The next coach of Texas will inherit a talented roster.
Over the last four cycles, only 12 teams have signed a greater percentage of elite players than the Longhorns. Expectations will be high due to the talent he inherits.
Strong has, by all accounts, also changed the culture around Texas for the better. These are reasons why, despite mediocre results, he had a chance to keep his job had he not lost to Cal, Kansas, etc. The new coach will benefit from all that, and from the fact that Texas loses just four senior starters to graduation.
Recruiting-wise, though, Texas does not have a great class at the moment.
Strong was old school in the way his Texas teams closed on Signing Day, the antithesis of how predecessor Mack Brown locked down classes in August. And as I wrote in April, recruits were, and are playing the waiting game with the Longhorns (and Aggies) this year. That proved to be correct.
Texas has just seven commits, though five are rated four-stars. That’s a good start on a ratio basis, but it is light on quantity. While some prospects like early enrollee linebackers Baron Browning and Anthony Hines may not be giving Texas a shot, there is still talent to be had.
If the pick is Houston’s Tom Herman, I would expect Texas recruiting to actually improve on the lofty position it has had under Strong.
Herman is a dynamic recruiter, and specifically in the city of Houston, which is not necessarily traditional Longhorns’ territory, as it is just 100 miles from Texas A&M. Houston has some elite-level prospects considering Texas this year, including defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, offensive tackle Walker Little, and defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson. Texas’ only national championship since 1970 came when it was recruiting the Houston area well, most notably in signing QB Vince Young.
The new Texas coach is going to get a pretty sweet gig from a talent and recruiting standpoint. And what’s more, the new guy will be able to put that talent to use against the least talented competition of any Power 5 league. It’s likely he’ll be able to do what Charlie Strong could not: win.
Quickly
How P.J. Fleck’s actual football coaching works, by Ian Boyd.
Ed Orgeron’s pitch to remain LSU head coach includes hiring a ‘premier’ offensive coordinator, by Steven Godfrey. I guess this would make sense if LSU thinks Orgeron can be a Dabo Swinney type, as an elite recruiter surrounded by top coordinators. But two games against good defenses have produced ten total points for Orgeron’s offense.
The following teams can get bowl eligible with a win this weekend: SMU, Boston College, N.C. State, TCU, Texas, Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern, UTSA, North Texas, Southern Miss, Miami (OH), Akron, Hawaii, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and South Alabama. This list could also be a good place to start your 2017 hot seat rankings (with some trimming, obviously). Texas Tech needed to win Saturday to keep its bowl hopes alive, but lost 66-10 to Iowa State. Ouch.
Opening lines
As SB Nation’s resident gambling columnist, I try to provide the opening lines each week. It is important to note that early odds and gambling lines are inherently volatile, as casinos open up wagering options, but at very low dollar limits, in order to gauge the market’s opinion before increasing the bet limits later in the week. Visit Odds Shark for updated lines throughout each game week.
Auburn at Alabama (-18)
Michigan at Ohio State (-7)
South Carolina at Clemson (-23.5)
Minnesota at Wisconsin (-14)
Washington (-5.5) at Washington State
Michigan State at Penn State (-11.5)
Utah at Colorado (-10)
Kentucky at Louisville (-23.5)
Notre Dame at USC (-17)
Florida at Florida State (-7)
Toledo at Western Michigan (-9.5)
West Virginia (-7.5) at Iowa State
Boise State (-9.5) at Air Force
LSU (-5.5) at Texas A&M
Tennessee (-8) at Vanderbilt
Previously
The SEC’s quarterback play might be really good again, really soon
A smart college football team could use this slow coaching carousel to hire a big upgrade
Michigan still leads for star linebacker Shanon Reid, but Tennessee’s in the mix