Good walkthrough today. Closing off the last game, as mentioned good win and hard fought game. Commend A&M for playing hard and coming back in the game. Gigantic challenge in front of us with the No. 1 team at night at their place. Last time anyone beat them there was 5 years ago before COVID. Last head coach that beat them is now on their staff so not like I can call and ask. Not a lot of answers out there on how to beat these guys at home. A lot of people have tried. We have to have a good week of practice and a very challenging combination of elite players and coaches and on the road. The trifecta of the hardest thing to pull off.
I tried to get the group chat going on Sunday and this morning but he hasn't responded. He hasn't responded. I added Drinkwitz on there but Kirby hasn't responded. Maybe he has a rule on game week. They've done a phenomenal job and the week after week. It's like the USC run when I was there. To be so close to a 3 feat is phenomenal any time but especially now. They are elite with coaches and players.
They have great players and Beck is smart and makes good throws with a great arm. They added guys to the receiver room. And when they really need to rise up they do -- like at Auburn or the build up like against UK. A lot like this and they took care of business against ranked teams. It's not their first rodeo. They are used to big games.
USC and Bama are two examples. USC won 34 straight before we couldn't tackle Vince Young. Bama won 26 when I left there. You have to have a great head coach who can manage the down games when you don't play the best but you find ways to win. That's what being a super elite team is about.
We try to do things to counter the great athletes on a team like this. We run a unique offense and when it's going it can neutralize elite talent but when it doesn't work it won't be pretty at all. We did that on purpose here. And you better be very creative in general and inside each week. Talent wins a lot of games. You have to neutralize that.
I don't remember being around a team that has so many games down to the wire or come back from behind in the fourth quarter. Says a lot about them. It's a really cool group to coach. You know I'm honest. Not every team is like that. They overcome things and put selfish things behind them. That's not always the case in the portal era especially.
We turn the holding calls in. I don't know why because I get more upset when they come back and agree with me. They are going to make mistakes and that happens both ways, but the protection of the QB is a different one. That should be the highest concern always. He's vulnerable. That should be like the NFL and be very protected because of the way they throw from that position. And when a QB gets hurt you can have everything in place and it changes everything. I don't know how the hit on Daniels wasn't targeting. If it's not, it's a problem. Defensive coaches think they can just take the QB out and stay in the game.
This game feels different than other big games. It's playing with house money. We're double digit underdogs. Other places it's been games like this where the teams are close on paper. Let's just go in there and see what happens.
We don't talk about the playoff because it's out of our control. People lobby about that and then lose. I told the guys this time why we don't talk about it. "People vote on that. We just need to win. That takes care of goals.
You never know for sure with the portal. It's like the Draft. When Tre Harris came on the visit, he was such a culture kid and wants to get better. Film, pushes through injuries. Plays when he shouldn't have against Alabama. That turns him from good player to elite player.
This team has really bonded and done a great job with that. You put so many kids together from different places, and this seems like an outlier. They haven't been together and star players haven't been together long.
If you can find a way to steal a touchdown like the Watkins play, that's huge against teams like that. To be creative and out-scheme something. To have a chance against them.
Nothing to learn from last year going into Alabama at 8-1. We had a chance to win and didn't finish it. It would be a better question for next week if it doesn't go our way. We prepared well for Alabama last year.
I tried to get the group chat going on Sunday and this morning but he hasn't responded. He hasn't responded. I added Drinkwitz on there but Kirby hasn't responded. Maybe he has a rule on game week. They've done a phenomenal job and the week after week. It's like the USC run when I was there. To be so close to a 3 feat is phenomenal any time but especially now. They are elite with coaches and players.
They have great players and Beck is smart and makes good throws with a great arm. They added guys to the receiver room. And when they really need to rise up they do -- like at Auburn or the build up like against UK. A lot like this and they took care of business against ranked teams. It's not their first rodeo. They are used to big games.
USC and Bama are two examples. USC won 34 straight before we couldn't tackle Vince Young. Bama won 26 when I left there. You have to have a great head coach who can manage the down games when you don't play the best but you find ways to win. That's what being a super elite team is about.
We try to do things to counter the great athletes on a team like this. We run a unique offense and when it's going it can neutralize elite talent but when it doesn't work it won't be pretty at all. We did that on purpose here. And you better be very creative in general and inside each week. Talent wins a lot of games. You have to neutralize that.
I don't remember being around a team that has so many games down to the wire or come back from behind in the fourth quarter. Says a lot about them. It's a really cool group to coach. You know I'm honest. Not every team is like that. They overcome things and put selfish things behind them. That's not always the case in the portal era especially.
We turn the holding calls in. I don't know why because I get more upset when they come back and agree with me. They are going to make mistakes and that happens both ways, but the protection of the QB is a different one. That should be the highest concern always. He's vulnerable. That should be like the NFL and be very protected because of the way they throw from that position. And when a QB gets hurt you can have everything in place and it changes everything. I don't know how the hit on Daniels wasn't targeting. If it's not, it's a problem. Defensive coaches think they can just take the QB out and stay in the game.
This game feels different than other big games. It's playing with house money. We're double digit underdogs. Other places it's been games like this where the teams are close on paper. Let's just go in there and see what happens.
We don't talk about the playoff because it's out of our control. People lobby about that and then lose. I told the guys this time why we don't talk about it. "People vote on that. We just need to win. That takes care of goals.
You never know for sure with the portal. It's like the Draft. When Tre Harris came on the visit, he was such a culture kid and wants to get better. Film, pushes through injuries. Plays when he shouldn't have against Alabama. That turns him from good player to elite player.
This team has really bonded and done a great job with that. You put so many kids together from different places, and this seems like an outlier. They haven't been together and star players haven't been together long.
If you can find a way to steal a touchdown like the Watkins play, that's huge against teams like that. To be creative and out-scheme something. To have a chance against them.
Nothing to learn from last year going into Alabama at 8-1. We had a chance to win and didn't finish it. It would be a better question for next week if it doesn't go our way. We prepared well for Alabama last year.
