- Georgia beats TCU for the title, motivated by Kirby Smart’s fiery rhetoric that won’t work in Texas.
- Texas AD Chris Del Conte has dismissed John Calipari’s move to the Longhorns and looks to give Rodney Terry the promotion he deserves.
- Austin Country Club and PGA Tour are at odds in talks to renew their deal to host the WGC-Dell Match Play tournament.
So far I understand you, here are nine things and one crazy prediction:
1. Any questions? Wow. The breakthrough in Georgia on Monday night was so impressive and completed the national championship like never before. The 65-7 rout was just total domination. The Bulldogs gained 589 yards — a record 401 more yards than TCU — with 32 first downs, averaging 8.2 yards per game, and ended any tension in the first half. Or the first quarter. And know that no team has ever won three national championships in a row. Georgia is just rebooting. … Is there room for two dynasties or is Alabama forever surpassed? We know that the Crimson Tide will not disappear. I’ll be stunned if Georgia doesn’t become the #1 preseason team in August. … According to betonline.ag, Texas is one of seven favorites to win next season’s championship. Of course, Georgia (3/1) and Alabama (15/4) are the favorites, followed, as you might expect, by Ohio, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and then your Longhorns (18/1). The Horns and Nittany Lions have the same betting line. TCU is in ninth place with Clemson, Kansas State and Oklahoma in 13th at 40/1 and Texas A&M is in 16th at 50/1. … Did you watch Kirby Smart’s pep talk before the game? Well, not exactly a pep talk. Declaration of war. Not for the faint of heart. It was heated and full of swearing, which in Texas (yes, even with two national titles) would not be very good. UT Athletic Director Chris Del Conte wrote to Longhorn Nation in his monthly letter: “I reminded (coaches) that the Eyes of Texas are always on us – on and off the field. It is a privilege to work at UT, and because of this bright light and huge platform, our actions and behavior are closely watched.” He must have been referring to the firing of Chris Byrd after his arrest for domestic violence, as well as incidents such as Steve Sarkeesian’s angry reaction to an employee in the Alamodome Tunnel before the game and Mike White’s shooting of a bird at the Big 12 softball championship. his trainers have been warned. The tower is always watching.
Bols:Coach Gus was a winner on the field and loved by…everyone
2. Rumor season. Del Conte wanted to dismiss rumors that Kentucky’s John Calipari had been contacted on the back channels about a basketball job in Texas. It happens often. A major donor or former school coach will contact you to assess interest. Happens all the time. But Del Conte was adamant in his denial, telling me he calls it “internet fodder” and said he didn’t reach out to a single soul as a candidate. I believe him. If Calipari were to become a serious candidate at some point — and that would be a sexy hire, even though the Cats had recently disappeared — Del Conte would look foolish if he downplayed it now. I think Texas is getting younger. I hear the name Jay Wright a lot, but he’s retired, left a great job at Villanova, and as southern as cheesesteaks. Gonzaga’s Mark Few, 60, would be the perfect choice, but he’s not likely to leave the Pacific Northwest, where he was born, or his empire. Of course, all three of them would be great choices, but I don’t see it. Texas won’t want to pay a basketball coach more than Sarkeesian’s $6.2 million. … I do think Rodney Terry has a slim chance of getting the job, but it could be in the 5-10% range. His track record – not a single NCAA tournament win in his 10 years as head coach at Fresno State and UTEP – doesn’t help him. But what if he leads Texas to the title?

3. Show him. A Texas source said Terry will receive a pay raise at some point as he has gone from assistant head coach to co-head coach, as he puts it himself, and deserves a raise on his $500,000 annual salary. When I asked if he had already received a raise, he barked, “Show me the money,” and then said that he was sure he would probably get a raise, but was solely focused on winning games. On Tuesday, Terry visited the former AD DeLoss Dodds for a support visit. … Texas will play No. 17 TCU on Wednesday, and Jamie Dixon’s club hit a 3-point shot to Iowa State, not a 3-0 in the league. The Frogs have a Player of the Year nominee in 6-foot-2 defenseman Mike Miles and one of the best rebounders in 6-foot-11 Eddie Lampkin. … Texas really needed the return of big man Christian Bishop after he injured his back against Kansas State. “CB is very important to us,” said teammate Timmy Allen. “He’s our big bully down there and he fixes a lot of our mistakes. He made a big impact playing in defense and playing under the basket.
Bols: Despite all the distractions, the Texas players and staff leave without Chris Byrd.
4. So long, Austin match to play? Is this the death knell for the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at the Austin Country Club? Not so fast. The contract expires with the tournament this March, and according to related sources, the two sides are far apart. Some remain hopeful that the parties can come to a four-year commitment or longer. “I’m very hopeful,” said host chairman Greg Meserole. “I don’t know if I can rate it as a percentage, but I’m cautiously optimistic.” Meserole, former president of the ACC in 2016 (the first year of the Dell tournament), said he believes some of the opposition from the club’s members remains “static” that they don’t like the interference with infrastructure construction that the tournament has already started 20- March 26 – or weeks when they are not allowed to play on the golf course. “But some see the value in golf, the club and the city of Austin,” Meserole said. “It did a lot of good. We donate approximately $1 million a year to charities such as the pediatric ward at Dell Medical Center. It’s been eight years (including this year and the year the pandemic was lifted) and it’s been a great run.” No deadline has been set, but the annual PGA Tour schedule is usually released around May of the previous year. So the clock is definitely ticking. “In terms of the extension, Austin Country Club, Dell and PGA are at the negotiating table trying to figure it out,” said Jordan Appleger, tournament executive director and vice president. “All three are still negotiating what the future holds for them. We didn’t come to any final talks, but we did have talks with the Austin Country Club during the third and fourth quarters. We’re really focused on 2023 because this year we’re getting closer to the biggest event we’ll have in history.” The PGA Tour and players enjoyed participating in the ACC tournament for Dell, which this year will be one of 17 “boosted events” that will come with a $20 million or more purse in response to the LIV Golf. “It was a successful event on the PGA schedule,” Appleger said. “And having that status as a major event is one of the main reasons we’re trying to make it work.” He added that the PGA did not take other courses at Austin as an alternative.

5. It’s time to fix the signing day. Sonny Dykes and Smart mentioned the need to change the calendar and give coaches time to rest, prepare for bowl games and playoffs, and even see their families. Dykes said on Sunday: “Look, this week we were preparing for the national championship game and we had six transfers on campus during an official visit. And you’re like that, right? I mean, are we really doing this?” Smart echoed Dykes’ concerns, saying, “That doesn’t stop coaches at the highest level. their team and their families are important.” Most players choose an early signing period in December, which I would move to late July or early August, and move from early February to mid-January for the second. Since December, more than 2,000 players have signed up on the transfer portal. . 5, requiring coaches and support staff to go through a rushed assessment and contact process. Dykes added: “I have 14 and 11 year old daughters and a 6 year old son and I want to be able to see them and be a part of their lives and be able to spend time with them. And it’s very difficult if we don’t have some kind of legal vacation where we can go when we’re not only focused on our players and our program, but our families and doing our job as a father and as a husband in that capacity too “. Smart noted that the pressure will increase with an expanded 12-team playoff starting in 2024. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has proposed abolishing the early signing period first introduced in 2017, but I would just move it to the summer.
Gold: Former Texas star Derrick Johnson is more than worthy of a Hall of Famer.
6. SPK, SPK. Thus, the best conference in college football burned opponents in bowl games and set a record of 14-3. League Teams Beat Big 12 Title Game Runner-up, Big 12 Sugar Bowl Champion (Alabama over Kansas State), Big Ten Team Third in CFP Semifinals (Georgia over Ohio State), Big Ten Runner-up in the Citrus Bowl (LSU destroyed Purdue) and the ACC Champion in the Orange Bowl (Tennessee over Clemson). Yes, it’s dominance.
7. Acceptance of nominations. The Greater Austin Sports Foundation is nominating candidates for its 2023 Hall of Honor. The Foundation honors community members who selflessly donate their time and resources to support and grow youth sports in the Austin area. He or she doesn’t have to be well known in the community, sometimes just an unsung hero. Go to www.greateraustinsportsfoundation.org and tag this person.
8. Scattering. Wondering what happened to former UT shooting star Jim Krivach.
9. On the sofa: My wife and I are completely obsessed with the Yellowstone series, as well as 1883 and 1923. Was there a more interesting villainous character than Beth? And doesn’t every man want to be Rip? Isabelle May is about to explode after her lead role and as the narrator of 1883, in which Tim McGraw just kills her. It’s slower and less explosive than Yellowstone, but just as exciting. So the creator Taylor Sheridan has to go through the whole genealogy starting from 1492. Of course, Columbus was Dutton. … Give a series of 10 ducks.
Crazy Prediction: Sean McVeigh, Prince Harry’s NFL coach, is retiring.