Texas Longhorns - good results/bad results?

Question

Rate each decision from 1-10 based on how well you think each will pay off in 2008:

1. Playing backup QB John Chiles at Running Back and Wide Receiver

2. Hiring Will Muschamp to coordinate the defense.

3. Moving Lamarr Houston and Aaron Lewis to defensive tackle

4. Playing Sergio Kindle at strongside linebacker and rush end.

5. Using all top 3 tailbacks (Chris Ogbonnaya - power, blocking, and pass catching; Vondrell Mcgee - downhill power runner; Fozzy Whittaker - shifty and fast)

6. Anchoring Chris Hall at Center and playing two separate o-lines

7. Hiring Major Applewhite at running backs coach and assistant head coach.

8. Moving Duane Akina back to defensive backs coach

9. Working without a depth chart and using split practices (same workout strategy as the Holiday Bowl prep)

10. Scheduling Arkansas in the 3rd week.

Answer 1

I'm assuming 1 is c**p and 10 is awesome...

1) Similar to what the Seahawks are doing with Seneca Wallace...Gives Chiles some game time and allows the coaches to see what he's got...If Chiles goes down, and then McCoy i'd say we're screwed...overall 7

2) The man is a freckin defensive genius...and i love his intensity as opposed to Coach Brown's dour faces...i'm a big fan of Coach Muschamp...12 on a 10 point scale

3) Again Coach Muschamp is a proven winner and a guy that knows what he's doing...He says it'll give us a better pass rush...Lord knows we need a better pass rush!...overall 7

4) This totally depends on whether Sergio plays to his potential or whether he is a bust...he plays to potential --> good move; bust --> bad move

5) I think no-one has really established themselves as Jamaal Charles' heir...so it makes sense to go for a running back by committee for now...if one of these guys steps it up, we might go into a more workhorse type running attack...but for now, i'm happy with running back by committee...it leaves the D guessing too...overall 7

6) I don't think this is good idea...i don't know...maybe it will work out, but O-Line to me is where you have to be flexible...if a left tackle goes down, the right should be able to shift across to the left...and slot someone in at RT...changing the entire line seems a little extreme...and plus i'm not sure we have the O-Line depth to pull it off...overall 4

7) I like the hire...we're bringing in a young coach whose got some fire, and Major is popular and has a lot of cred in the locker room and with Horns fans...he's worked at a lot of different places including as OC and can bring that knowledge together to benefit the Horns...overall 8

8) I like it...Akina is a useless DC and wasn't aggressive enough...he wasn't a good DC, but he's coached some good DB's(Huff, Ross, etc.), so I like him being moved to DB coach...i'm going to say 8

9) A depth chart is such a standard thing...it's weird working without it...it might work...but its so unorthodox...the Holiday Bowl was against Arizona State, which is totally different from Choklahoma, Texas Tech, etc....i don't know...i'll sit on the fence and say 5...

10) Don't know much about Arkansas to be honest...Nutt's gone...D-Mac and Felix Jones is gone...i don't think they'll be as good as last season, but if we win, it gives us more cred than say beating Rice or Baylor...i'll say 5...

...Dude...what an awesome question...best I've seen for a while...good to see someone actually thinking about their question rather than shooting from the hip...*STAR

Answer 2

1. Playing backup QB John Chiles at Running Back and Wide Receiver -- 2. He needs to stay at QB to add a different element for defenses to prepare for.

2. Hiring Will Muschamp to coordinate the defense. -- 10

3. Moving Lamarr Houston and Aaron Lewis to defensive tackle -- 8

4. Playing Sergio Kindle at strongside linebacker and rush end. -- 10

5. Using all top 3 tailbacks (Chris Ogbonnaya - power, blocking, and pass catching; Vondrell Mcgee - downhill power runner; Fozzy Whittaker - shifty and fast) -- 9 Rotating these three will keep them fresh and will keep the defenses on their heels.

6. Anchoring Chris Hall at Center and playing two separate o-lines -- 1

7. Hiring Major Applewhite at running backs coach and assistant head coach. -- 9. One day he will be the head coach.

8. Moving Duane Akina back to defensive backs coach - 7

9. Working without a depth chart and using split practices (same workout strategy as the Holiday Bowl prep) -- 10

10. Scheduling Arkansas in the 3rd week. -- 8