Gilbert Named Starting QB

In today's press conference, Mack Brown announced that Garrett Gilbert is the #1 QB. While carefully stating that the starter could still change by Saturday's opener against Rice, this all but seals the deal for Gilbert to lead our team out on the field in their first game.

While this move is certain to upset many of the orange-blooded faithful, lets not forget one important thing: the coaches chose the player that they felt would give us the best chance to win. This move makes it clear that, despite Gilbert's struggles last season, our coaching staff currently feel that Gilbert offers a better chance for winning than sophomore Case McCoy or freshman David Ash. I am personally anxious to see Gilbert come out and have the opportunity to help redeem himself from the 2010 debacles. I always felt that Gilbert's struggles last season could equally be attributed to the team's struggles. But if new co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin can bring some of the fire he showed at Boise State, and can re-establish our running game, I think the pressure will ease on Gilbert and his performance will certainly surpass last season. But, only time will truly tell... The first true test of the season will come in Week 2 against BYU, where we may get a better idea how much, if at all, Gilbert has improved in the last year.

Case McCoy was named the #2 QB. True freshman David Ash, who looked strong in recent practices and entered the debate as the possible starter, will likely be the #3 QB on the depth chart. It is already rumored that redshirt freshman Connor Wood is exploring a possible transfer to another school, which was to be expected. Connor Wood showed a lot of talent in high school and could develop into a strong starting QB, but the competition at Texas and emergence of freshman David Ash would likely keep Wood from playing much, if at all, during his four years of eligibility.

Where's my Longhorn Network?

That's the question many of the orange-blooded faithful have been wondering for some time. The Longhorn Network will begin programming tomorrow, Friday the 26th of August, at 5 PM CST, beginning with a special preview of the 2011 Texas Longhorns season with the ESPN College GameDay crew. Unfortunately, it looks like next to nobody will see it happen.

Verizon has become the first national provider to announce it will carry the Longhorn Network, announcing earlier today that it will begin showing Longhorn Network programming to its Verizon FiOS subscribers on September 1st. While Verizon FiOS subscribers will miss tomorrow's College GameDay special, they will at least have the network in time for the opening game against Rice on September 3rd, aired exclusively on the Longhorn Network.

Plenty of rumors surround many other major providers, but nothing has been officially announced. Time Warner Cable and Comcast are reportedly working out the negotiations and may be close to a deal. There has been limited information regarding any negotiations with Dish Network or DirecTV.

Who's our Quarterback?

Well, we are now just over 13 days to kickoff. While I am sure everyone is as excited as I am, the coaches still have a lot of work to do to finalize the two-deep roster before the Rice game. And the most important decision they still face is choosing who will lead Texas onto the field as the starting QB on September 3rd.

I have always felt highly confident that Garrett Gilbert would be our starter this year, under the assumption that he will have a short leash and little margin for error. Then came the spring game, when Case McCoy came out and put up quality numbers, while Gilbert continued his struggles from last season.

And then came the reported news from fall camp, and the first scrimmage, that true freshman David Ash has been stepping up. Fozzy Whittaker and Emmanuel Acho have been giving him praise over the last week. Straight from Fozzy's mouth: "I think he's stepping into a leadership role and I feel like, as time goes on, he'll be a predominant leader for this team." He's reportedly been vocal in huddles, and not afraid to stand up to other players if he feels they made a mistake.

That seems to be reassuring news for those of us wondering about Texas' future. But we're more interested in who's going to lead the team in less than two weeks on the gridiron.

Texas' most recent scrimmage was Friday night, August 19th. The rumors surrounding the scrimmage are that Gilbert performed much better than previously, and that he was given a majority of the snaps - an indication that he may be getting more reps in preparation for Rice. Most people seem to be torn, with many wishing someone new would step in and replace Gilbert and take this team back to the promised land. But it's still hard to say how good or bad Gilbert is after last season - a season in which our entire offense fell flat on its face and the defense, well, just got tired of the offense falling flat.

Mack has said in interviews that the bottom line in the QB decision is that they will start the player they feel gives them the best chance to win. Given the difficulty the coaches have had in identifying a true leader out of the pack, and with less than two weeks to kickoff, there's a good chance they will side with Gilbert due to his game experience. But if Gilbert starts showing struggling signs similar to 2010, don't be surprised to see David Ash come out on the field and take over the offense.

Longhorns in the NFL - Fantasy Football Considerations

With fantasy football around the corner, many readers are probably suffering sleep apnea, night terrors, or just plain 'ol insomnia while tormenting with who to pick in your upcoming fantasy football draft.

The Longhorns have over 50+ players currently active in the NFL. While I'd love to talk about each and every one of them, this article will just mention a few that you may want to keep your eyes on during the 2011 season if you're looking to infuse your fantasy football roster with some orange-blooded alumni.

1. Jamaal Charles, RB (Kansas City)
If you are somehow lucky enough to get your hands on Charles in your fantasy draft, consider yourself lucky. While C.J. and Peterson are nice, solid picks at RB, I would probably consider Jamaal the next best bet, right up there with Arian Foster. I was privileged to be graced by Jamaal's fantasy presence in my 2010 league, and it paid dividends. Charles probably had some of the quietest 1450 yards you'd ever see, just because Foster happened to have his breakout season at the same time. But Charles managed 1467 yards on just 230 carries - an astounding 6.4 yards/carry average. His 1467 yards was just second in the league behind Arian Foster. However, Foster had the luxury of carrying the ball 327 times - 97 more than Charles. If Jamaal had the same number of carries and kept up his 6.4 yards/carry average, he would have totaled 2,090 yards. 2,090!!! Yes, I know, his average may have gone down, but to think he would have had a shot at 2,000 is amazing nonetheless. But, I digress..

Jamaal had fewer carries because he split time with Kansas City RB Thomas Jones. In fact, Jones received more carries on the year than Jamaal, despite only averaging 3.7 yards/carry. While splitting carries probably helped Jamaal Charles retain his health and speed late in games, it is still obvious that he should become the primary back and receive the heavy load in the backfield. Here's to assuming head coach Todd Haley now realizes the weapon he has in Charles, and starts feeding the beast.

2. Jermichael Finley, TE (Green Bay Packers)
Finley looks like a nice pick at TE, particularly if the likes of Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, or Dallas Clark are unavailable. Finley suffered a knee injury early in the 2010 season, and consequently only played in the first five games of the season. He averaged 60 yards/game and pulled in one score before the injury. With his knee healed, Finley now looks poised for a strong season if he remains healthy. And you can always count on Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers to spread the ball around and get everyone involved. With the strong passing attack coming from the Packers, Finley can be expected to contribute on a regular basis.

3. Cedric Benson, RB (Cincinnati Bengals)
In 2010, Benson tallied up 1111 yards and 7 rushing TDs on 321 carries, averaging just 3.5 yards/carry. This was down from 4.2 yards/carry in 2009. Cedric looks to improve in 2011, and Cincinnati will need it. With a new QB taking snaps behind Center, the Bengals will be looking to the run game early and often in hopes of easing the pressure on Andy Dalton, the rookie QB from TCU. I'd look for Cedric as a solid #2 RB, or perhaps #1 in deep leagues.

4. Jordan Shipley, WR (Cincinnati Bengals)
By no means should Shipley be considered a #1 WR on your fantasy board, but in 3 WR formats with 10-team-deep leagues, Shipley should be considered a solid #3 depending on other receivers available. He has more added value in PPR leagues, because he benefits from the potential for more receptions when he lines up in his usual slot position. He had a solid season in his 2010 rookie debut, pulling in 52 receptions totaling 600 yards and 3 scores. And without Ochicinco (and perhaps T.O.), the Bengals may be looking for Shipley to contribute more this season.

Notable others:

- Roy Williams (WR, Chicago Bears): It will be interesting to see if Williams can make an impact with the Chicago Bears. While mostly unused and seemingly unappreciated in Dallas, he will be trying to re-ignite his once-promising career in Chicago.

- Colt McCoy (QB, Cleveland Browns): I think we were all cheering hard for Colt during his rookie season last year, and overall, I think he performed as well as one can expect. Lets hope he has a strong season this year and can help bring the Browns back to prominence.

Predicting the Longhorns' 2011 Season

Attempting to guess the Texas Longhorns' record for 2011 may seem a bit like trying to guess how many more times Lindsay Lohan will be arrested this decade. But I am prepared to perform the impossible. Being a 100% orange-blooded Longhorn alumnus, I'd love nothing more than to guarantee we'll go 13-0 with a national title (Oh, and that little game on Oct. 8th would be a crimson-colored bloodbath). But, unfortunately, I'm here to be rational.

We all know that the Texas Longhorns' 2011 season ultimately depends heavily on two factors: How the eventual QB (and who is that?) will perform, and how the running game develops. The Longhorn Faithful know that Texas' defense is generally outstanding every year. Despite the departure of defensive coordinator demigod Will Muschamp, the Longhorns return many key defenders in the backfield, including senior safety Blake Gideon, veteran Keenan Robinson at linebacker, and defensive end terror Alex Okafor, just to name a few. Others, like DE Jackson Jeffcoat, have a lot of promise if they are able to stay healthy and continue improving over last year.

One of the obvious questions comes down to QB play. We are all still unsure whether our starter will be Gilbert, McCoy, Ash, or Wood. Rumors are that Gilbert has still been struggling, particularly in Saturday's first team scrimmage, while true freshman David Ash has shown strong leadership and improvement in August. All of this mixes in with Case McCoy's strong showing in the spring game. Regardless, whoever starts will have to demonstrate poise, athleticism, and leadership to help re-kindle the fire that the Longhorns usually possess every year, and erase the anomaly of 2010 from our minds.

The other big question comes with the running game, where Longhorn fans have patiently waited for someone to take the reigns at the RB slot ever since the 2007 departure of Jamaal Charles. Senior Fozzy Whittaker always seems promising at the beginning of each season, but will have to stay healthy to finally make a big impact. D.J. Monroe always seems to show explosiveness every time he touches the ball, and could be another big contributor. But every person that bleeds orange is really just waiting for the opportunity to see true freshman Malcolm Brown. If he is as talented as the hype suggests, and if the Bryan Harsin/Major Applewhite (Harpple?) offense is able to develop some more friendly schemes for RBs, Texas could finish with a great 2011 season, even with mediocre play at QB.

Anyway, enough backdrop and fiddling around, and onto business. With all the previous said, I'm anticipating some combination of factors will emerge early this season: Texas will find its established QB, develop a fairly improved running game with the help of co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin and freshman RB Malcolm Brown, and perhaps win a game or two that most do not expect. Here's the prediction:

Sept. 3rd vs Rice: Win
Sept. 10th vs BYU: Loss (close game)
Sept. 17th vs UCLA: Win
Oct. 1 vs Iowa St: Win
Oct. 8 vs Oklahoma: Loss (close game)
Oct. 15 vs Oklahoma State: Win (close game)
Oct. 29 vs. Kansas: Win
Nov. 5 vs. Texas Tech: Win
Nov. 12 vs. Missouri: Win
Nov. 19 vs. Kansas State: Win
Nov. 24 vs. Texas A&M: Loss (close game)
Dec. 3 vs. Baylor: Win

Final Record: 9-3

If the Longhorns finish the 2011 season 9-3, everyone should view this as a major success. We just want to get back to our winning ways after last season. But I not only think the Longhorns will get back to a winning record, but that a 9-3 season is entirely feasible. I think the Longhorns will lose one game they maybe shouldn't (BYU, but watch out for UCLA). But I equally believe they will win one game they maybe shouldn't, which I take as Oklahoma State at home on Oct 15th. And even if OU enters Oct. 8th as the undisputed #1 in the polls, I wouldn't write off the possibility of an upset.

Oh, and that game against the Aggies could go either way. Lets hope the Longhorns will send them packing like we did with the Cornhuskers. But even if our 'Horns fall short, at least we'll know Texas is still up 75-38-5 all-time as the Aggies likely scamper off to become an afternoon snack in the SEC.

Benefits of the Longhorn Network

We are now less than two weeks from the much anticipated premiere of the Longhorn Network. Scheduled to begin programming on August 26th, the Longhorn Network will have Longhorns fans new and old glued to their couches.

The Longhorn Network, a partnership between the University of Texas and ESPN, has recently announced that it will air some of the following programming (with much more to come):
   - Longhorn Extra: Nightly sports news at 10 PM
   - Texas GameDay: Two hours of coverage before every Longhorns football game
   - Rewind with Mack Brown: Re-cap of previous game on Mondays at 7 PM
   - Game Plan with Mack Brown: Preparation for upcoming game on Thursdays at 7 PM

This is not to mention that the station will air over 200 live sports events annually. Only one of these events will be football in 2011 - the opener against Rice on September 3rd. But at last, Longhorns fans will have a much greater access to the other great athletic programs, such as baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, and swimming.

Many schools have come to suggest that the Longhorn Network gives the Texas Longhorns an unfair advantage in recruiting. This applies to all sports, although football is always the hot topic because of the insane amount of money the sport generates. It is rumored that some Big 12 schools such as Texas A&M are considering leaving the Big 12, perhaps in part to this "unfair advantage" given to Texas. But one must question, wouldn't Texas A&M have done the same thing in creating their own network if they had the same opportunity?

Most readers are probably aware that the NCAA recently ruled that the Longhorn Network is not to air any high school games in 2011. This is to help calm fears regarding any recruitment advantages the Longhorns would gain from televising potential high school recruits on their own network. However, it would be naive to think that the advantages stop there.

As a loyal Longhorn alumnus and orange-blooded fan, I'll be the first to admit having our own network is a great asset that will only help solidify our stature as a top 10 athletics school for years to come. This is not to say the Longhorns will not have their ups and downs in sports; we all quickly learned last year watching Texas football that we can not take anything for granted. But in the long run, the network will help Texas maintain its dominant presence in high school football recruiting. The benefits to having our own network reach beyond monetary values. High school recruits on the fringe about committing to Texas may be swayed by their parents when they learn their son can be seen on the Longhorn Network, which will now air one or two games a year that may normally not be seen on nationwide television. And as Longhorn students, players may be seen on some of the behind the scenes programming on the Longhorn Network, giving them more visibility to show their mental and physical talents to potential NFL scouts.

The network opens the doors to so many possibilities, and of course not just football, but for all sports. Swimming, softball, volleyball, baseball, basketball - all of these sports will experience greater coverage than they have ever received before, which should pay dividends in the recruitment realm. The exact benefits to the Longhorn Network are incalculable; the effects will not be fully known until the next few years play out. But one thing is for certain - any other team given the opportunity to form their own network with ESPN for $300 million over 20 years would have accepted it in a heartbeat. In an era where NCAA Division 1-A football has now become a cash-generating machine, teams are now playing 'musical conferences' on a regular basis in search of the most profitable situation for them. For the Longhorns, the decision was simple. And every other team must have muttered quietly to themselves that they would have done the same thing.

Is a quarterback controversy a bad thing?

In recent weeks, Texas coach Mack Brown has maintained his stance that a starting quarterback will not be decided until shortly before the Rice game on September 3rd. This has led many people to question Brown's decision, and leaves some believing this is a signal that the Longhorns still have no clear leader going into this season.

It is fair to assume that having a strong leader at the QB slot is a strong benefit during the offseason. A player like Oklahoma Sooners' Landry Jones is the unquestioned leader of his team, and does not need to senselessly worry about the safety of his starting position going into the 2011 season.

On the other hand, Texas has four QB candidates who are all vying for the starting spot. Despite his rocky season last year, Garrett Gilbert might be the assumed front-runner this season. However, Case McCoy - Colt McCoy's younger brother - only made the decision tougher when he displayed poise and athleticism in his appearance in the spring game. While one of Gilbert's first passes in the spring game was an interception (with an all-too-familiar moan from the students in attendance), McCoy finished 9-for-11 through the air with 124 yards and a score, putting up numbers that would even look admirable to his older brother.

This is all without mentioning freshmen David Ash and Connor Wood, both highly recruited quarterbacks that could likely start at 90% of Division 1-A schools. It would not be surprising for at least one of these men to transfer schools if Texas commits to Garrett Gilbert as the starter for 2011. But alas, this brings us back to the original question. Is a quarterback controversy really that detrimental to the Longhorns? The answer is no. This is certainly not to say there are not benefits to knowing who your quarterback will be going into the offseason each year. Landry Jones can walk with confidence knowing his job in Oklahoma is not in jeopardy. He does not have to worry about splitting reps in practice with three other guys fighting for his position, and he can spend more time focusing on improving his game and mastering new offensive schemes.

However, there are also some benefits to the competition in Austin. Texas has four quarterbacks fighting for equal time in practice. Gilbert, McCoy, Ash, and Wood will each be expected to prove to Mack Brown and new co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin that they deserve one of the most coveted positions in all of college football. They will have to fully master the offense, demonstrate great athleticism and exhibit strong leadership to their fellow teammates. The competition will make each of them work tirelessly to make this happen.

As a result of this competition for the starting spot, the Longhorns will have four QBs with a strong grasp on the offense. This will strengthen the player that lands the back-up role for Texas. Think back to the BCS National Championship Game of 2009, when Texas fell short against Alabama after Colt McCoy was injured and taken out in the first offensive drive. Everyone must congratulate Garrett Gilbert for his valiant effort. While he made some blunders in the first half and finished the game with four picks, he calmed his nerves after half-time and put the Horns back in contention. But one must wonder, if he had been more prepared, could he have saved the game? Will this 4-man quarterback competition truly create better-prepared backup QBs that can enter a game with more poise when called upon?

And even if Brown and Harsin are already leaning toward Gilbert starting this year, the competition at quarterback leaves Gilbert understanding that he can not take anything for granted. If he faulters, or makes many of the same mistakes from last season, the Texas coaches won't hesitate; their QB bench will be locked and loaded.