Arian Foster Is Actually Staying in School?

Junior running back Arian Foster, declared today that he would return to the University of Tennessee for his senior season. What? Really? Didn't he know that all the cool running backs are declaring for the NFL draft?

Foster obviously was the first running back in the long list of underclassmen to look at all the names already in the NFL draft, then look at who would be the top eligible backs for 2009, and make the brilliant decision to return to school.

While looking at the senior running backs available for the 2008 NFL draft, it isn't the strongest list in the world. With Mike Hart (Michigan), Chauncey Washington (USC), Tashard Choice (Georgia Tech), Yvenson Bernard (Oregon St.), Justin Forsett (Cal), Matt Forte (Tulane), and Tony Temple (Missouri) headlining the '08 running back class, I can't imagine too many teams licking their chops for a shot at any of them. Which would explain why the following running backs declared for the NFL draft:

Darren McFadden (Arkansas)
Felix Jones (Arkansas)
Jonathan Stewart (Oregon)
Rashad Mendenhall (Illinois)
Steve Slaton (West Virginia)
Jaamal Charles (Texas)
James Davis (Clemson)
Kevin Smith (UCF)
Ray Rice (Rutgers)

All of a sudden, the 2008 running back draft class is loaded. Which doesn't really make any sense why some of the guys would leave their name in the draft. With only 3 or 4 of those guys at the most being first round picks, why wouldn't you come back to school for your senior year? Guys like Charles, Davis, Smith, and Rice are going to have their work cut out at the combine in order to turn themselves from 4th rounders to 2nd rounders. I just don't see it happening. One or two might surprise some people, but every junior running back on that list has a phenominal body of work from college and probably has the talent to make it at the next level.

Why would you want to leave now for 2nd to 5th round money, if you could come back to school and compete against what will be a heavily depleted running back class in 2009. Headlining the running back class in 2009 outside of Foster, will be Brandon Ore (Virginia Tech), Marlon Lucky (Nebraska), Ian Johnson (Boise State), Javon Ringer (Michigan State), and Brandon McAnderson (Kansas). Also, Chris Wells (Ohio State), PJ Hill (Wisconsin), CJ Spiller (Clemson), Javaris James (Miami), and Keiland Williams (LSU) will be draft eligible juniors. Wells, Hill, and Spiller have a chance to be top picks, and possibly Ore, but I think any of those juniors have a chance to be one of the most coveted backs if they came back for their senior season.

I know all of these guys are going to college to prepare for the NFL and want to start making money as soon as possible, but it seems like the decision to not wait another year and cash in is like hiring Master P to be your agent. Several of the junior running backs are going to slide in the draft because of the depth at the position and several will find themselves wondering on draft day why they declared for the NFL draft to become at 5th round draft pick.

Around the 40 Acres Update

Jamaal Charles and Larry MacDuff.... Gone. Texas running back Jamaal Charles has officially declared for the 2008 NFL Draft. This seems like a pretty poor decision for Charles, who looked to have a break out senior season and set himself up for a decent draft spot in 2009. Assistant Defensive Coordinator, Larry MacDuff, is leaving after just one season of disappointing defense. No one was too impressed with the Texas defense and likely no one will miss MacDuff's absence.

Gary Johnson In, Justin Mason Out. Texas will finally have their top recruit, Gary Johnson, on the floor. He has been cleared to play after sitting the first half of the season with a heart abnormality. As soon as Gary was cleared, Justin Mason saw the bench. Mason has preformed very poorly thus far this year. He added to that, going 0-7 from the field against Wisconsin.

Texas Women Open Season 11-2. The Texas Women's team won the Maggie Dixon Surf 'N Turf Classic after beating San Diego in the finals. Texas needed a last second bucket to top Torreros. Texas moved up to #16 in the AP poll.

Texas Wins Holiday. After a season of disappointment, the Longhorns showed they had the potential to be a force on offense and defense, beating the Sun Devils 52-34. It will remain to be seen if Duane Akina was able to save his job as the Offensive Coordinator. But Colt McCoy and the offense ran and threw all over the out matched Arizona State defense.

"Cool. See Ya Next Year! Stay Sweet!"

From the files of: "Oh, ok. Hadn't crossed my mind. But I am glad you are gonna still be here anyways." Jamaal Charles has announced that he will return for his senior season at Texas. I mean Charles has been amazing of late and he has all kinds of talent, but he is not one that most would have worried that he was going to the NFL early. But hey, having Jamaal, Vondrell and Ogbonnaya in the backfield for another season will be fun.

Charles staying put

In other news, I am announcing that I will be staying for dinner tonight. I will not leave early to get a jump start on breakfast for tomorrow. I talked it over with my parents and my nutritionist and we all feel that it is my best interest to not forgo my final meal of the day. While I know breakfast will always be there, there is always a risk of eating too much at dinner and not making as big an impact in breakfast as I would have. But I know I will have a successful breakfast no matter what, so one more meal will only help me in the long run.

Clutch or Holding on for Dear Life?

For the second straight week, the Longhorns made a furious fourth quarter comeback to win by 3 against an inferior opponent. At least this week, it was on the road against a formidable Oklahoma State team that has played well since switching to Zac Robinson at quarterback. While it wasn't as bad as pulling out a home win against a Nebraska opponent that win on to lose 76-39 to Kansas, it was still very bad.

Perhaps the only area that Texas didn't struggle was in the kicking game, as Ryan Bailey continued his exceptional season, kicking a game winner as time expired earning himself the Big XII Special Teams player of the week award for the second consecutive week. Justin Moore had a solid game punting the ball as well. You know it's never a good sign when you have to start your recap of the game off talking about the kicker and punter.

Oklahoma State should get as much credit for this victory as Texas should. Through three quarters, Oklahoma State marched up and down the field on Texas, getting whatever they wanted offensively. The secondary had no answer for Adarius Bowman and Brandon Pettigrew, but even more alarming was the way they were able to shred the defensive line, picking up yards on the ground. Texas was especially poor on first down, consistently giving up 4 or 5 yards, making it easy for the Cowboys to march down the field. I think we've hammered home how terrible the linebackers are, and the absence of Sergio Kindle was evident as Scott Derry and Robert Killebrew got unhealthy amounts of playing time. I think the only amazing thing is that I would take Scott Derry over another player, that's how bad Killebrew is. However, once the 4th quarter rolled around, aggressive coach Mike Gundy called the dogs off and went into a milk the clock conservative offense. This strategy allowed Texas to load the box, make the necessary stops and put the ball back in the offense's hands. Oklahoma State continued to stay in this mode until Texas tied the score at 35. Then the Cowboys marched back down the field like they had in the first 3 quarters, until they missed the 32 yard field goal. It is unbelievable that Gundy went into an offensive shell, and if he hadn't, this game would've ended 56-28 OSU.

Offensively, Colt McCoy continues to struggle. He is getting to the point where he is due for a few bad decisions or bad throws per game. It doesn't help that his receivers are playing inconsistently and dropping balls, like the sure touchdown pass to Cosby and the interception that Nate Jones should have held on to. Part of the problem is Texas' decision to establish the pass before the run. In the 1st quarter Texas had 3 carries by running backs, and had 2 carries by running backs in the 3rd quarter. It's not surprising that Texas didn't score in either of those quarters. Texas is coming back to their most effective part of the team too late in games. The line is improving each and every game, and Jamaal Charles is playing the best football of his career, and Vondrell McGee has taken the short yardage and goal line pressure of Charles. Together, Texas has formed a powerful running attack that has been showcased in the 4th quarter of their last two games.

The other reason Texas needs to utilize the running game more is the disarray of the passing game. Texas is sorely missing Limas Sweed's deep threat as Billy Pittman has been non-existent this season, and Jordan Shipley is not the imposing physical receiver that Texas has relied on over the past several years. Texas has also hasn't exploited Jermichael Finley deep down the middle of the field as he was able to do against Oklahoma. He is definitely involved in the offense now, but he still hasn't been able to break off the large chunks of yardage like he did on his touchdown reception in the first half. Without Limas Sweed drawing safety help, Finley is being covered in the middle of the field. But most importantly Colt McCoy is still trying to do too much and making too many mistakes.

Last season he played within himself and used the weapons that were around him. Texas ran the football and let Colt distribute the ball to his weapons. This season, the plan to make Colt the focal point has backfired as Colt has been inconsistent, gotten hit too many times, and is trying to make up the difference in the weaknesses in his receiving corps. The last two weeks Texas has won football games because they pounded the ball with Jamaal Charles late in games. Facing weak defenses with high powered offense, Texas needs to be pounding the ball throughout the game to keep the defense fresh, and better yet, off the field.

The past two weeks Texas has resembled a team playing on borrowed time. The human polls have recognized that this is not a very good football team despite the 8-2 record, by dropping Texas in both the Coaches and Harris polls. You could make the case that Texas should not have beaten Nebraska, but they definitely should not have beaten the Pokes. Texas needs to improve to be able to win against Texas Tech and the season finale at College Station. The only problem is, I don't think the improvement is there. I think this is our team, and we're going to have to squeak out a way to win the rest of the season.

A Few Thoughts on the Baylor Game

Texas' 31-10 win at Baylor was less than impressive, as Texas went through the motions and the game was much closer than the final score appeared. A few thoughts on the game and where the Horns go from here.

Jamaal Charles Splitting Time
- Jamaal Charles could be, and should be seeing a reduced role in the offense after this weekend's game. Vondrell McGee played well against the Bears, and he should replace Charles for a number of reasons. First off, despite a fumble against Baylor, McGee is more secure with the football, he's stronger and doesn't put the ball on the ground nearly as often. You just don't seem to find yourself screaming, "Don't fumble, don't fumble, don't fumble!" when McGee carries the ball in the red zone. Second, McGee runs North to South. He picks up what is there, and hits the holes hard. Charles consistently bounces the ball outside and looks to use his speed to get wide. But it seemed like every time he ran in the Baylor game, they just kept pushing him further towards the sidelines until he ran out of room and was stopped for a two yard gain. Last, McGee just runs harder, and is bigger and stronger than Charles. McGee will begin to see many more carries as the season goes on, and Charles probably will not see many more red zone carries this season. Charles shouldn't be eliminated from the offense as his speed is an asset and he is solid out of the backfield as a receiver. But watching him play he just looks like a 3rd down back, and we should use him as one.

Colt McCoy's Happy Feet
- I don't know when this started to become a problem. It probably has to do with the concussions and the number of shots Colt has taken this season. Either way, over the last few weeks Colt has lost his comfort in the pocket. (This is based on the last few games, minus Iowa State, my grandmother could have shredded Iowa State that day) It seems that Colt has a four second clock in his head, and as soon as that clock goes off he is either scrambling to make a pass or taking off running. Early in the season, the offensive line was so bad he only had 4 seconds to throw, but now he has more time, and he's not using it. It's hurting his accuracy, it's hurting his decision making, and it's hurting the Texas downfield passing game. He is bailing on plays before they develop and trying to create too much. If he doesn't relax and stay in the pocket more, he will continue to throw one to three interceptions a game. And Texas won't beat good teams doing that.

Running out of Shotgun
- I've wondered this about Texas for the entire Greg Davis era, minus the Vince Young era. Why do we run an offense that is geared specifically for Vince Young or a quarterback with a similar skill set. Chris Simms floundered in this offense, and while Colt McCoy is mobile enough to manage playing in the offense, it isn't ideal for him, and it certainly isn't good for the Texas offense. The Zone read is effective when your quarterback is a legitimate threat. Colt McCoy isn't a legitimate threat to run. He is not a good enough runner that you need to focus on him, and he's not big enough to be exposed to that many hits during a game. The other problem with it, is that it starts your running backs 5 yards behind the line of scrimmage from a standing position. It asks an offensive line that isn't anything more than average, to hold blocks for 3 seconds longer than they would normally need to. It gives defenses all the time to react and charge the line, and it's the biggest reason the Texas running game is struggling. McGee ran well out of the I-back and single back sets, and it is a wonder why Texas doesn't use it more. I understand Colt is more effective passing out of Shotgun, but is he incapable of making a 5 step drop? The offense would benefit from a change in philosophy, or perhaps a new offensive coordinator. But as history shows, we won't be seeing either any time soon.

John Chiles role
- While College Football has embraced the role of a sparingly used running quarterback, or using a position player at quarterback to add creativity to the offense, Texas needs to figure out John Chiles role. In the Iowa State game, Colt was perfect on the first two drives and shredding the Iowa State defense for two touchdowns, only to be taken out for a 3 and out led by Chiles. I am for getting him experience and adding a wrinkle, but you don't need creativity or a wrinkle if you are doing well. Also, they need to let Chiles throw the football some. He has only attempted 9 passes on the season, four of which were the last four of the Kansas State loss. They need to give him some simple throws to get his confidence up, but also to keep defenses honest to his running. He is seeing 8 or 9 guys in the box anytime he is in the game, because they know Texas would only throw with Chiles if it is 3rd and 15.

Texas Linebackers
- Another game, more proof that the trio of Muckelroy, Norton, and Kindle are better than Bobino, Derry, and Killebrew. Each game it seems like the younger trio is getting on the field more and more, but can't we just stop the charade? It's like ESPN saying they don't favor the Yankees and Red Sox over every other Major League team. Just bench Bobino, Derry, and Killebrew. Tell them, guys this is major college football, so we can't play just because you are seniors. Tell them it's unfortunate, but we have to go with the more athletic, talented, instinctive and aggressive linebackers. Killebrew would celebrate and have aggression, you know, if he ever could run to a play. Bobino is athletic and talented, but he just is out there running around. If the play goes near him then he'll make the tackle, but that's a big if. And I just don't know how Derry gets on the field. It's just another frustrating instance of Mack Brown's take the good with the bad. He's loyal to a fault. I suppose we'll just have to hope that Bobino gets lost on the way to the stadium, Killebrew doesn't get there in time, and Derry just doesn't get there.

Texas Outlook
-Texas is a good football team, but their are a few things that are keeping them from being a great football team. On offense, there is no big play. If Texas scores, it is because they are picking up 3rd down after 3rd down. They don't rip off 25 yards or 50 yards, and eventually when you are forced to make a 15 play drive to score, you will falter. Also, Texas is abysmal in their execution, efficiency, and play calling in the red zone. They need to figure out what they are going to do in the red zone, and then execute it. Texas makes more mistakes in the red zone then they do anywhere else. On defense, Texas needs to improve against the mid-range play. Texas is consistently susceptible in the middle for 6 to 10 yards. If it is 3rd and 5 or less, it might as well be a first down. Improving the middle of the defense will get the defense off the field more often, and make them more effective throughout the game. Texas is a good football team, but these problems give opponents like Kansas State, Central Florida, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M a chance to beat us. And it will cause us to fall short against teams like Oklahoma.

19 Days, 19 Questions: #19

With 19 days left until KICKOFF, 'The Forty' is back in business and going to run down the top 19 questions for the upcoming year.

19: Will Jamaal Charles Step Up, Come Back and Have a Big Year?


Well, the answer is, it depends. We all know Charles CAN have a breakout year and live up to his potential, but it is going to take a little help from his friends. By that, I mean his new offensive line (will be discussed in the near future). A revamped O-line may be the main question headed into this year, and JC will be directly affected by its consequences.

One thing that will definitely help Charles is going to be the highly effective passing game. Every defense will be shaking thinking about facing Colt and his receiving corps. Jamaal may just parlay that extra attention into some big runs (the ones that were missing last year). Jamaal was the leading rusher for the Horns last year, but only racked up only 831 yards. This marked the first time since the Ricky Williams' Sophomore year (1996) that Texas has not had a 1,000 yard rusher.

One thing that is for sure is that Charles has put in his time preparing for the football season. He opted to not participate in track activities to focus solely on football. He is bigger and more ready for the football season. While Jamaal will no longer have to split time with Selvin Young, Texas does have Chris Ogbonnaya and redshirt freshman Vondrell McGee looking to get some carries behind JC. However, despite the lingering worries, I look for Charles to rush for 1,200 yards, 10 TDs and raise his yards per carry to around 6.5 (5.3 in 2006).