What did you hear from the Big 12 (Horns Down) and what are you telling your players?
They just told us we can't do it. We could be subject to a flag. They said they're not gonna overdo it. They're not gonna be looking for it and looking to call it, but for us, we're not gonna do it.
Is the idea of a 'complete team' out of the window these days?
I don't think so. It's hard to do. But I think it's always been hard. To be elite on all three sides of the ball, it don't happen very often. So yeah, I think you don't have to be that to win championships or to end up where you want to be as a team but I guess that's always the goal. No, I certainly don't think it's impossible. I think we've seen some teams over the last few years that have been able to do that. No, maybe the definition's of it, have that changed maybe a little bit? Yeah, maybe. Fifteen years ago, averaging 450 yards a game, or maybe even 400, was pretty darn good. Today, that'll probably get you fired. That's different. The game has certainly changed some, but I think you certainly can be elite as a team and elite on all sides of the ball, but it's surely not easy.
Do conference championships get overlooked or taken for granted?
In college football, I don't think so. Here? (Long pause) Maybe. Maybe. You walk in that indoor and there's a list of all of them and it takes three banners and they have to make the print really small just to fit it on three banners for every single year that's done it. They're really hard. I can remember walking in here and thinking, man, how hard it 's gonna be just to win one, three or four years ago, and it was. That even seemed, not out there, I knew it was possible, but I mean, that was just such a big goal to start with. To think that we've got a chance to win four in a row now, looking back then, I believed that we'd be good. But if you'd asked me to bet on that I don't know that I would've. They're really hard. I think within these walls, they're appreciated, because the guys in here know that it takes everything you've got to even have a chance to win one. Some things have to go your way, too. But no doubt. It needs to be appreciated, because it's very, very difficult, especially the way our league is right now.
Learning new things in your second year of doing this?
Yeah, yeah. We definitely learned some last year as far as playing a team twice, going through all this playoff talk a little bit leading into a conference championship game. It was a little bit different. Last year, the conference championship kinda brought a different kind of attention to it. I think that helps. Maybe more than anything, I think it gives players confidence in the plan we have going in. It's been successful. It also gives me reason to believe that us eliminating those distractions, us staying focused on trying to beat a really good Texas team, we know that's worked in the past. We know that singular focus has been there. We've gotta be able to do that again.
Your players are getting asked about the playoff?
Yea, no, we talk about it. If I just pretend like, alright, we're not gonna talk about it, these guys are on their phones all the time, just like everybody else is. They hear all the talk, so we address the talk. We get it out in the open. Here's what's gonna be discussed. If you wanna do these things, here's what you have to do, which is lock in on this one.
Why haven't you guys played your A-game in the last four Texas games?
Yea, I don't know. Two years, we played one of the best games offensively that we've played here. I thought they were really good on defense. I think we've had stretches where we've played really well in all of the games. Yeah I don't know. You're playing your rival. Those rivalry games tend to have a little bit of that in them. You're playing a team that, regardless of what their record's been over the years, I know it's good right now, has always had elite talent. The talent there to me looks no different this year than it did two, three years ago, then it did 10 years ago, playing them when they were competing for national championships under Mack. They're always elite talented. `They always look great coming out of the locker room. So I don't know. I think we've had stretches where we played good. We've had stretches where we haven't. I don't know. I think you're normally playing a really good team and both teams are as jacked up as they're gonna be all year. There's a little bit of that to it, but do we wanna play better? Certainly. Yeah.
Kyler’s had biggest moments at AT&T or does that matter?
Yea, I’m good with it. I’d rather have it that way than not. Especially one like this where it can be … this venue is a little different. This is not your everyday even NFL or college stadium. This one has a few more bells and whistles to it. It’s one of the most unique stadiums in the world. He’s going to a place where he’s had some good memories and where we’ve all had some pretty good memories is a good thing.
Kyler's sense of humor?
Oh yea. He’s funny. Kind of in a very-to-the-point kind of way. He’s funny. He’s got a good sense of humor. He says what’s on his mind and he has zero issue doing it. Sometimes people like that, it can be pretty funny what they blurt out. He absolutely falls in that category. It always makes him a lot easier to coach. There’s never any doubt in my mind what he’s thinking or where he’s at with something, which I love. I’ve had two quarterbacks like that.
They just told us we can't do it. We could be subject to a flag. They said they're not gonna overdo it. They're not gonna be looking for it and looking to call it, but for us, we're not gonna do it.
Is the idea of a 'complete team' out of the window these days?
I don't think so. It's hard to do. But I think it's always been hard. To be elite on all three sides of the ball, it don't happen very often. So yeah, I think you don't have to be that to win championships or to end up where you want to be as a team but I guess that's always the goal. No, I certainly don't think it's impossible. I think we've seen some teams over the last few years that have been able to do that. No, maybe the definition's of it, have that changed maybe a little bit? Yeah, maybe. Fifteen years ago, averaging 450 yards a game, or maybe even 400, was pretty darn good. Today, that'll probably get you fired. That's different. The game has certainly changed some, but I think you certainly can be elite as a team and elite on all sides of the ball, but it's surely not easy.
Do conference championships get overlooked or taken for granted?
In college football, I don't think so. Here? (Long pause) Maybe. Maybe. You walk in that indoor and there's a list of all of them and it takes three banners and they have to make the print really small just to fit it on three banners for every single year that's done it. They're really hard. I can remember walking in here and thinking, man, how hard it 's gonna be just to win one, three or four years ago, and it was. That even seemed, not out there, I knew it was possible, but I mean, that was just such a big goal to start with. To think that we've got a chance to win four in a row now, looking back then, I believed that we'd be good. But if you'd asked me to bet on that I don't know that I would've. They're really hard. I think within these walls, they're appreciated, because the guys in here know that it takes everything you've got to even have a chance to win one. Some things have to go your way, too. But no doubt. It needs to be appreciated, because it's very, very difficult, especially the way our league is right now.
Learning new things in your second year of doing this?
Yeah, yeah. We definitely learned some last year as far as playing a team twice, going through all this playoff talk a little bit leading into a conference championship game. It was a little bit different. Last year, the conference championship kinda brought a different kind of attention to it. I think that helps. Maybe more than anything, I think it gives players confidence in the plan we have going in. It's been successful. It also gives me reason to believe that us eliminating those distractions, us staying focused on trying to beat a really good Texas team, we know that's worked in the past. We know that singular focus has been there. We've gotta be able to do that again.
Your players are getting asked about the playoff?
Yea, no, we talk about it. If I just pretend like, alright, we're not gonna talk about it, these guys are on their phones all the time, just like everybody else is. They hear all the talk, so we address the talk. We get it out in the open. Here's what's gonna be discussed. If you wanna do these things, here's what you have to do, which is lock in on this one.
Why haven't you guys played your A-game in the last four Texas games?
Yea, I don't know. Two years, we played one of the best games offensively that we've played here. I thought they were really good on defense. I think we've had stretches where we've played really well in all of the games. Yeah I don't know. You're playing your rival. Those rivalry games tend to have a little bit of that in them. You're playing a team that, regardless of what their record's been over the years, I know it's good right now, has always had elite talent. The talent there to me looks no different this year than it did two, three years ago, then it did 10 years ago, playing them when they were competing for national championships under Mack. They're always elite talented. `They always look great coming out of the locker room. So I don't know. I think we've had stretches where we played good. We've had stretches where we haven't. I don't know. I think you're normally playing a really good team and both teams are as jacked up as they're gonna be all year. There's a little bit of that to it, but do we wanna play better? Certainly. Yeah.
Kyler’s had biggest moments at AT&T or does that matter?
Yea, I’m good with it. I’d rather have it that way than not. Especially one like this where it can be … this venue is a little different. This is not your everyday even NFL or college stadium. This one has a few more bells and whistles to it. It’s one of the most unique stadiums in the world. He’s going to a place where he’s had some good memories and where we’ve all had some pretty good memories is a good thing.
Kyler's sense of humor?
Oh yea. He’s funny. Kind of in a very-to-the-point kind of way. He’s funny. He’s got a good sense of humor. He says what’s on his mind and he has zero issue doing it. Sometimes people like that, it can be pretty funny what they blurt out. He absolutely falls in that category. It always makes him a lot easier to coach. There’s never any doubt in my mind what he’s thinking or where he’s at with something, which I love. I’ve had two quarterbacks like that.
