OC As Whipping Boy...

[LongJim]

Thought this might be of interest...another coach's perspective...

*************************************

From Mack Brown's weekly press conference: (bold points are mine)

Q: You talked about the beating that Greg Davis has taken after the OU games in recent years. Do you think that he's found his comfort zone as a playcaller in this offense? When it's all said and done, is this the scheme that he was meant to coach?

A: Offensive coordinators get abused all over the country if they don't move it one week. That's the nature of the game. (My wife) started getting on the fan boards that you guys get on all the time at the other schools and every time they would lose, everyone of them wants to fire the offensive coordinator. I mean every one of them. It's 100 percent. It's not even close. They hate him. He's too conservative. He's trying to keep from losing the game. He's not trying to win it.

It's the most predictable thing that's in college football and it takes them about three years to want to get rid of the defensive guy because they don't know his name when he starts. When they finally learn his name and if they aren't stopping anybody, they get on poor tackling, mugging, not blitzing enough and being too conservative.

Those are the things that come up with them, but offense goes faster. In 22 years it (hasn't) changed. You used to get letters and now you get e-mails. Sally gets it off the Internet for me, so now it just changed.

I think the thing that our staff has done the best of offensively is play into the strengths of our talent. It was different with Major (Applewhite) and it was different for Chris (Simms). This has been a huge swing because of Vince. You are not going to find another Vince, so when Vince leaves, we'll have to go back and find the next niche of the next quarterback because it starts with him. We should always have good receivers, good offensive linemen and tailbacks, but your quarterback is what you have to play to. I think that's what the offensive staff has developed is great schemes for Vince. It was heavy for him being a runner until he became such a good passer and now they have expanded the package. I think that's where they have done such a great job.

[meangreendork]

I'd really like to see Meager do the same thing. I love how mobile he is, but I wish he was better at passing. I swear- if he can get his passing attack down, he'll be the subject of fear for defenses all over the SBC.

[SilverEagle]

His wife gets on the fan boards?

Yeah, when V. Young moves on Mac is going to be in trouble (again). Anyone who favored Chris Simms over a winner like Major Applewhite is not a good judge of QB's in my book.

[j0nat8an]

His wife gets on the fan boards?

Yeah, when V. Young moves on Mac is going to be in trouble (again). Anyone who favored Chris Simms over a winner like Major Applewhite is not a good judge of QB's in my book.

←

i bet mack told simms when recruiting him that he'd get the playing time. he was keeping his word.

[LongJim]

Anyone who favored Chris Simms over a winner like Major Applewhite is not a good judge of QB's in my book.

←

Well, my original point was that OC's take a lot of heat from all of us fans.

Having said that...I love MA as much as the next guy, and he holds ~40 UT records, but his record as a starting QB was 22-8. Simms' was 26-6, and 15-0 at home. Point is that Simms won a lot of games, too.

Regarding Mack's judgement of MA: He hired Major as a graduate assistant right away, and Major coached the scout team for UT last year. When Greg Robinson (UT Co-DC) left last year for Syracuse, he took Major with him as QB coach.

Major has had both Mack and Simms on his radio show, and is a god in Austin, so I think everyone concerned made out ok.

[El Paso Eagle]

It might be easy for a coach's wife to go on boards when her husband wins 10 games a year

[FirefightnRick]

LongJim,

What exactly is Mack's philosophy?

I think the thing that our staff has done the best of offensively is play into the strengths of our talent.

This is a common sense approach to what he feels they should do offensively. He understands as most do, that your going to lose talent every year. So of course your going to adjust to your talent. But what is his philosophy? I would wager that it's not:

"Play for field position, put it in the hands of the defense to hold and even gain that field position, and keep the score managable into the 4th quarter so that they will be in position to make plays to win the game"

Rick

[Got5onIt]

IMO, the talent on the field Saturday was obviously in favor of Texas. It didn't take a genius to see Texas was superior at all positions. With that said, that's the only way Mack Brown can beat OU. He has to have bigger guns at all positions to beat Stoops. Texas was more talented(not by much) the last three Red River games and each time Mack Brown was given an a$$ whoopin'.

[LongJim]

LongJim,

What exactly is Mack's philosophy?  I would wager that it's not:

"Play for field position, put it in the hands of the defense to hold and even gain that field position, and keep the score managable into the 4th quarter so that they will be in position to make plays to win the game"

Rick

←

LOL! Nope. I would wager that you are correct on that count. I do appreciate your viewpoint regarding UNT's offense Rick. You make some good points, and want to see the MG win.

[LongJim]

IMO, the talent on the field Saturday was obviously in favor of Texas. It didn't take a genius to see Texas was superior at all positions. With that said, that's the only way Mack Brown can beat OU. He has to have bigger guns at all positions to beat Stoops. Texas was more talented(not by much) the last three Red River games and each time Mack Brown was given an a$$ whoopin'.

←

So what? I'll take it anyway.

Edited October 12, 2005 by LongJim

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

I bet mack told simms when recruiting him that he'd get the playing time.  he was keeping his word.

←

----This is a very common opinion....... Mack was keeping his word to start him his Jr year... Without that promise to Papa Simms, Chris Simms (perhaps fortunately) would have gone elsewhere. By looks Simms was the better choice, taller and physically more impressive.... Applewhite was a lot shorter but smarter and more determined and the better leader it seems.

[VideoEagle]

... on the fan boards that you guys get on all the time at the other schools and every time they would lose, everyone of them wants to fire the offensive coordinator. I mean every one of them. It's 100 percent. It's not even close. They hate him. He's too conservative. He's trying to keep from losing the game. He's not trying to win it.

←

This thread seem to be straying from the main point: panicked fans seem always blaim the OC and accuse him of being "too conservative," "trying to keep from losing the game" and "not trying to win it." An interesting observation from a head coach who's been in the Top 10 quite often.

[tonyhuntoon]

We REALLY are talking UT football on OUR BOARD????? We let this guy post on our board? Why should WE CARE???? INCREDIBLE! COME ON GUYS! THIS GUY SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE BUM'S RUSH!!!!