Stories Inside the Man Cave
Stories Inside the Man Cave
Ep 405 Lets Talk About It: Texas Longhorns' Journey to the Top: From Struggles to Triumph and Heartfelt College Football Moments
Ever wondered what it takes to turn a struggling football team into a national powerhouse? Join us as we reveal the secrets behind the Texas Longhorns' meteoric rise to the top of the polls. Discover how Coach Steve Sarkeesian transformed the team from a disappointing 5-7 season to an outstanding 12-2 record and the number one spot in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls. We'll uncover the intricate details of Texas' storied history, the cautious optimism of their fans, and the formidable challenges they face with the upcoming SEC schedule. Get ready to be amazed by the Longhorns' sixth-ranked scoring defense and Coach Sarkeesian's philosophy on maintaining their early-season dominance.
But that's not all—we'll also bring you the lighter side of college football. Relive the amusing moments from the weekly press conferences at T. Boone Pickens Stadium, including a laugh-out-loud incident with a noisy drink cooler and Mike Gundy's impromptu handyman act. Take a trip down memory lane with Gundy's unique interactions, his Midwest City roots, and the excitement building around Oklahoma State's big clash with Utah. This episode is a heartfelt celebration of the camaraderie and joy that make college football so special, emphasizing the importance of community and reconnecting with old friends. Don't miss out on these unforgettable stories and insights!
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Speaker 2:Okay, for a storied and tradition-rich program like the Texas football program is. You would think that, with four observed national championships, that this team's program used to be in rank number one, well, up until right now, 2024. The last time that happened was 2008. Um, the back end of max career at texas. Um, they had a great team and, uh, the next year they played for the national championship.
Speaker 2:Some say, and it's arguable, texas was one of the top two or three teams in the country in 08. They beat Oklahoma but thanks to Michael Crabtree's catch in Lubbock, texas didn't have a chance to move up in the BCS back then, the BCS poll. Texas did beat Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl that year. But if you go back deeper and if you're watching this and I'm wrong before 2008, texas was not the number one team in the country in a poll during a season. You got to go way back to 1984. 1984. 1984. And arguably well, I think factually that that was the year Texas began to take a nose dive for quite a while, except 1990. And they went back down until 1995. So yeah, 2024, texas is number one in the country right now in season.
Speaker 2:1984 was the last time before that. Of course that's wrong because, no, that is right. 08, then 84. 83, they were number two all season. If they would have won the Cotton Bowl they would have won the national championship, but they lost by a point to Georgia Time before that, 1981. They were number one in the country during that season and I believe they did finish number two in the country. They beat Alabama in the 1982 Cotton Bowl. I believe my facts are right on that. But it's exciting for the fan base, a starred fan base. But it's exciting for the fan base, a starred fan base, a fan base which has been waiting for this. And for Sark, you know, he's gone from five and seven, eight and five to 12 and two. So in this fourth season has ascended all the way to number one ranking after three games, after three games. But Steve Sarkeesian, speaking of this, is his, what he, he is, his philosophy is on this, on how handling being ranked number one in the season so early, and we say it all the time as a team.
Speaker 1:It's not really what other people think of us. It's about what we do and we've got to perform and and we've got to. We got to prepare to perform because the way this is set up back in the day, the polls were huge because the polls dictated've got to prepare to perform because the way this is set up back in the day, the polls were huge because the polls dictated who got to play for a national championship and, ultimately, who won the national championship. Nowadays, you've got to go earn it, and so I think it's good to show that, hey, what we're capable of. But at the end of the day, we're going to have to go earn this thing, and the mission is far, far from over.
Speaker 2:And he's right. They've got nine more regular season games and they have yet to start the SEC schedule. Now, arguably the SEC is still strong, still the creme de la creme. But the SEC is a little down this year, maybe top heavy. But I think we all know that offense is crazy, ridiculous, even with Arch Manning so productive.
Speaker 2:But for Texas to have a championship team and all championship teams more often than not have great defenses this Texas defense you know you had some guys plugged in through the portal on the line but through three games this Texas defense has the sixth best scoring defense in the entire country. They only give up 6.33 points per game and they've scored two defensive touchdowns, this last one by Ethan Burke against UT, san Antonio, austin, westlake product. But this defense it gets deeper than that. It's early in the season and right now they're 16th in the country in total defense, giving up 245 yards of offense per game. That's crazy, crazy, ridiculous numbers. I venture to say you've got to go back to that 1983 season. Texas had an incredible defense, nfl caliber, future NFLers all over that roster and I went through that year and I it's amazing they only gave up nine and a half points per game. Average nine and a half in Texas. It's still early. They're going to face some good offenses and it's going to begin with the stretch Obviously this stretch with ULM, then the SEC opener at home against Mississippi state, who has been rather disappointing so far.
Speaker 2:They lost to Toledo and then it's on to Dallas. On to Dallas against OU. We'll find out a lot about OU this week facing their former national championship winning quarterback, josh Heupel, who was the head coach of the Tennessee Vols and I like what I see from the Vols and then, immediately after OU, georgia. So ULM 2-0, better team than people think. But these next four games, especially after ULM, mississippi State, ou and Georgia it's very cliche to say this we will find out a lot about this team.
Speaker 2:Longhorn fans are very knowledgeable that you have to have a deep quarterback room, offensive line and running back receivers. But they have it all as of right now. Receivers, but they have it all as of right now. Quinn Ewers an injury to his midsection abdominal, the oblique muscle. He's questionable. Sark mentioned it. Then Manning, as you got to see, played 30 game minutes. That's a lot and he produced five touchdowns, the most by a freshman since Colt McCoy did it in 06 against Baylor Pretty phenomenal. But you know, think about all the hype that Arch Manning receives all the hype because of his name, but he is a legit QB and he's waiting his turn. This is still Ewer's team whenever he's healthy, but Texas should be in good shape. But Sark was asked what do you tell Arch about this now, how the role changes this week, in particular being QB1? He just treats him like any other player on the team.
Speaker 1:Arch. He's a selfless teammate. He cares about the guys on the team. He cares about Quinn. They've got a great relationship. He cares about the guys on the team. He cares about Quinn They've got a great relationship. He works his tail off. He wants to play good football for them because he knows how hard everybody's working. So I literally don't address it with him. I don't address it with the team.
Speaker 2:He's just part of the team just part of the team, just one of the guys, one of the guys. And I like that approach because I feel like, for the first time in a long time, you don't sense there's any divisions in this locker room. Of course players are going to disagree and they're going to have little issues every now and then. It's just human nature of a locker room dynamic. But this team seems very dialed in, locked in and loaded and when I stress loaded, they're loaded at almost every position, both sides of the ball.
Speaker 2:We're going to find out a lot, because you want to see this team, because the thing that's special about all this is you're starting to feel it under the bubble of Austin Texas. This is you're starting to feel it under the bubble of Austin Texas. There's this cautious optimism that, wow, this may be the team. This team has a legit chance and it's fun to watch because the energy in this town is starting to pick up and across the SEC, I would imagine people are were taking notice, but we still know it's way too early to even think about that. Uh, before we wrap things up on this, let's talk about it. We get to see mike gundy. He uh, somewhat of a handyman. We'll find out what that's all about after we hear from our partners. Uh, at dirty martin's place, austin, austin, texas, is changing every day, but one constant is Dirty Martin's Place on Guad. Dirty's recently celebrated 98 years young and the future is soft, and this space in the back is open to host any event, personal or business related.
Speaker 1:Hey everyone, it's Daniel here at Dirty Martins. We're in the Burn Orange room. We are currently booking a lot of parties back here. If you can see, we got a capacity for about 90 people, but we are excited to host any party that you might want to bring.
Speaker 2:Give Daniel Young a call at Dirty to reserve this space for any event that you can think of. All right, let's wrap things up with a trip to our former amigos, our lifelong amigos, in the Big 12. Up in Stillwater, mike Gundy. He was once 40, and he let the whole country know about it. I was there. It was very unique, interesting, but he still. That was in 07. He is still the head coach of Oklahoma State. He's still winning, doing great things Well, and he's always in this press conference.
Speaker 2:When they have their weekly press conference, it's in a suite of the press box at T Boone Pickens Stadium, and I remember some of those conferences where the drink cooler at times made a little noise. I don't know if it's the same coolers as it was, because the last time I did a press conference there a weekly press conference was the fall of 2012. Well, every now and then you'd hear it, but it got really loud this week and Mike Gundy offered his expertise on how to fix it. And, man, he's got a career. When he retires he can. I think handyman ought to be added to his resume, I mean y'all can't.
Speaker 1:There's no way y'all can hear very good.
Speaker 2:It's not easy, it's like a broad noise in a game, there's got to be a plug right Does anybody have a tow truck.
Speaker 1:Did you get your players on an NIL deal for?
Speaker 2:Pepsi to come, there's got to be a. I miss the weekly interactions with Mike Gundy. He is different in the most positive way. His brother, cal Gundy, the former OU quarterback, is a friend of the pod here. But Mike Gundy found a way to stop the madness that was the noise in the drink cooler in the suite at T-Boom Pickens for the weekly press conference. That comes from his upbringing there in Midwest City, oklahoma. By the way, oklahoma State hosting Utah perhaps the biggest game in the country Big 12 game that's pretty big there in Stillwater and that'll be a great environment. Man, I don't know Utah's really good Utah, they've been very consistent, but so has OSU. But I won't take OSU in this upset. I think the Big 12 is much better than people give credit for I really do. Hey, man, tell me something good. All right, if you're watching an episode of Stories Inside the man Cave for the first time.
Speaker 2:We love to end things on a note of positivity, something that I've noticed that is really good. I mean really good is, and I know it has to do. I just noticed it at the last Texas game against UTSA. Man, I feel like people are so sick of the political scene and the divisions it's creating, that there are more people just realizing there's bigger things, much bigger things than arguing over these debates and whatnot. What's more important, and I've noticed, is just everybody loving on each other man and so excited being in the moment with who they're with and surroundings, and it's been a.
Speaker 2:It's a beautiful site for me personally, I have enjoyed these first three games of this football season. Being a first time season ticket holder has been fun and it's reconnected me already with people from my past some friends of mine dating back to my high school years and, man, it's awesome. It's awesome. So, wherever you may be, enjoy college football, leave the politics out of it and realize, man, there is a much greater bigger picture than what these talking heads are talking about seriously. So whenever the subject of college football and let's face it, the Texas Longhorns being ranked number one in the season, be cool about it, but it's always good to talk about it I'm out you.