RIP Houston and Tom Herman’s Cougar career
Houston was hyped as the valorous knight, approaching the monster that was the Power Five conference riding a steed of hype atop a saddle weaved with underdog optimism. Instead, the horse and the rider got incinerated by a torrent gun on a naval ship, exploding against Navy 46-40 behind quarterback Greg Ward Jr. three interceptions. So what happened exactly? Pretty much what happens to every starter eventually — Ward Jr. lost his first game starting. Last year, Houston lost to an inferior UConn team without their starting quarterback, finishing the year with one loss and completely ignored by a CFP committee with a love affair for Power Five conferences. This year, the Cougars weren’t expected to be challenged until a Week 11 showdown with Louisville; the excitement for this match dissipated after the Cardinals were knocked off by Clemson last week. Most expected Houston would become the first non — Power Five team to claim a CFP berth. That’s not happening now, thanks to Navy’s first top-10 victory since 1984. Coach Herman will receive his bonus check for a Bowl game and a likely victory, before bidding H-Town “Adieu” for the allure of higher stature at UT, LSU, or Notre Dame.
Side-note: The game also produced these two hilarious reactions between winners and losers of the game:
Navy storms the field as a Houston player is caught in the celebration —
.@NavyFB SHOCKS No. 6 Houston. TIME TO STORM THE FIELD! https://t.co/Y896d9aq57
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) October 8, 2016
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo loses his gosh darn marbles —
Doing a celebratory #RunningMan Upset of the year! Navy over No.6 Houston @NavyFB https://t.co/2KQo8qPOFj
— Coach (@BeSQUADsport) October 8, 2016
A swan song for Coach Strong
The end is near for the Longhorns third-year coach. Bevo sacrificed 672 yards of total offense against Oklahoma — second most to the Sooners and fifth most overall in school history. By demoting coach Vance Bedford from defensive coordinator to instructing the secondary, Coach Strong took a losing gamble on himself, positioning all of his chips on the wrong number or color. Texas has allowed 144 points in three losses and averages 41 points per game — third highest all-time — but sacrifices 39.6 — the lowest in Texas history. Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for a Red River Rivalry record 390 passing yards. Coach Strong now sits at a lackluster 13-17 in his third season; a loss against Iowa State — whom blanked UT 24-0 last season — would probably be the trapdoor giving way beneath the dangling feet of Strong’s reign at Texas.
Also, College Gameday co-host Kirk Herbstreit hates the Longhorns, and likely has a Aggie tramp-stamp:
TCU’s offense can only get better
The Horned Frogs offense is a bright spot this season, albeit an inconsistent presence come game-time. Coach Patterson’s roster has been riddled with injuries throughout the season; currently, five starters on the offensive side of the ball are out indefinitely, including star receiver KaVontae Turpin. The depth of 2017 will get deeper with the acquisition of four-star recruits quarterback Shawn Robinson (DeSoto) and guard Wes Harris (Aledo). There may be a potential superstar receiver on the horizon. Oklahoma commit Charleston Rambo (Cedar Hill) recently posted TCU’s offering him a scholarship, which was immediately reposted by Robinson. Could we see a potential Horned Frogs acquisition?
https://twitter.com/Ballout_charlie/status/782664405024518144
Texas defense in general sucked in Week 6
In an era where the spread offense infects the NCAA like an aggressive disease, consistent defense usually gives any program an immediate cure for the Air Raid. This week, the Lonestar state’s defensive schemes were non-existent. FBS Texas schools allowed an average 496.8 yards of total offense and 36.7 points. Seven teams sacrificed over 470 yards to opposing teams; Baylor and Rice were on bye.
