Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pleasure to be joined by the voice man that you
hear on your radio whenever the Longhorns are on in
Houston during the football season. He is Craig Way, and
Craig appreciate the time you got myself, you got Sean
Salisbury back in studio. But I gotta ask you, I mean,
second year heading into the SEC. You were around mid
(00:20):
two thousands when Mac Brown had that thing going, Vince Young,
everybody of the sort more hype than when Texas was
going through those seasons. Or do you feel like that
magic is back and maybe even amplified now with being
in the SEC.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
That's a great question, man, great to be on with
you and Sean, And I think it was different, different
sets of circumstances. If you were talking about, say twenty
years ago, the two thousand and five season, there was
a great deal of excitement in hype surrounding Texas and
Vince Seon coming off the Rose Bowl performance against Michigan,
(00:55):
and but usc was the Young question number one. So
for Texas that trip to Columbus twenty years ago was
a watershed moment.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
They had to get through that, which they did.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
And then they were kind of as they like to
say in NASCAR, running in clean air out in front
of Penn State and the other would be contenders to
play in that Rose Bowl, in that BCS National Championship
game against USC. So they were still something to prove.
This Texas program does still have things to prove. Clearly,
it did not reach the national Championship, did not win
(01:32):
the SEC title game, but they did show en up
on the national stage I think in their games and
reach the semifinal round. And then you add to that
having not only start having the program on a roll,
but with all of the excitement, the expectation and the
hype and everything surrounding arch Manning, it does have a
(01:54):
familiar kind of feel like it did with Mac and
Vy twenty years ago.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Yeah, Craig, thanks a lot for bumming my high this
morning talking about the Trojans getting beat by Vince Young
on the greatest, one of the great performances I've ever seen,
and it was phenomenal to watch. It's good to be
with you, my friend.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
And let me ask you.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
We talk about Vince Young, and you've been around for
a lot of great expectations of coaches players coming through
the program. Is there anything like the expectations for arch Manning.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
No, I think that's I think it's a fair question
and statement, Sean. And I think when I will tell
you and you'll remember this, I mean going back to
when Chris Sims arrived on campus and there was all
the excitement, but then of course there was the conflict
and controversy and everything with him in Major Apple White.
As as the quarterbacks, then Vince came in and he
(02:47):
was looked at being as as being the savior so
to speak, of the program, and what he did was
something that few other quarterbacks had ever been able to
accomplish at Texas. There was a great deal of hype
surrounding Vents going into five, but even from the outset,
like I said, with the team, it was like that
(03:08):
for v Y with Reggie Bush he was and you
had Matt Liiner, a returning Heisman winner, So there was
always that kind of yeah, v why is great? But
but here's usc they're number one, and they're defending national champs,
and they've got the defending Eisman Trophy winner and they
got the guy who's probably gonna win it this year.
So there was always that kind of shadow cast over it,
(03:28):
so to speak. And I might add, John, I think
it fueled the team clearly, and it also fueled vents
as well, especially when you know when the Heisman balloting
went as lopsided as it did for Reggie, I think
he just kind of locked in his focus to get
ready for that, for that Bowl game. Uh So it
(03:49):
was a different kind of hype than what this is.
This is a kind of hype for a young man
who clearly is talented, who has shown some things in
limited opportunit tunities, but for whom much greatness has been forecast.
And and then I think also not only because he
carries the family name with him, there's a calmness, there's
(04:12):
a steadiness, there's a sense of purpose within that family
that kind of has permeated down to Arch himself to
where to this point, And that's the key point here, Sean.
He's handled everything with a with a great deal of
plumb and business.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
Yeah, no surprise with that family, they seem to handle
everything well and well he's seen a lot of examples.
I had to handle stuff from his grandpa right on
down to his uncles and to his pops. Craig with
Sark what we know all about the brilliant offense stuff.
And I've known him forever and I love him, But
what's his what's his best trait that maybe we don't
know about, that we don't see from afar.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah, it's a great question, and I think the answer
is his relatability to his players, UH, to the program, UH,
to the athletic Hartman, to the athletic director, to the
fans as we all like to call the dmds, the
big money donors, all that sort of thing. He handles
(05:11):
all of that in a way that I've not seen
since Mac Brown. Mac Brown was the greatest I ever
saw at being able to marshal all of those forces
and for whatever reasons, and most of them had to
do with winning and losing, it just it wasn't like
that under Charlie Strong.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
It wasn't like that under Tom Herman. There were moments,
but it was.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Never on the consistent level of what we see from
Sark and it does evoke memories of how Mac did it.
So I think it's the relatability factor as much as
the x's and o's and the scheming and the planning
and being the CEO and GM of the program overall.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Again, Craig Way, the voice Texas Longhorns. You hear him
here during the football and basketball season on Sports SOX
seven to ninety US here at SEC media days, And
I mean along with that hype too. I mean, you know,
Texas is one of those programs coming into the season
when the preseason polls come out, they might be number one,
but then you got to go on the road that
very first game against a team that ended their season
(06:14):
last year. And oh, by the way, then the SEC
starts at the Swamp going to Georgia. I mean, just
all of those challenges that are in front of this
team this year.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Yeah, and you know, losing thirteen guys into the NFL
doesn't help either, obviously. But I think the mission that
Sarcani his staff embarked upon when they came in was
they had to do two or three things really well.
First of all, they had to get depth in the program,
(06:44):
quality depth, not just numbers overall. And we became familiar
with the phrase big humans with Kyle Flood on his
staff and what they did with the offensive line and
with the defensive line as well. I would submit to
you this that in this day and age of nil,
I would say probably last year, more money might have
(07:09):
been locked in through nil into the program for the
offensive line than the defensive line. Interesting, and obviously it
showed with the offensive productivity. And these are challenges that
mac Brown or other coaches did not deal with twenty
years ago. They had the challenge of Ohio State twenty
years ago, and now they have it again, except this time.
(07:30):
I think Ohio State was number two in the country
at the time when Texas went into Columbus and won
in the Horseshoe, and it was a great performance by
Vince in that game. But you know, it's a different
kind of challenge now you're facing a defending national champion
on their field. It is a little bit different that
it'll be eleven o'clock in the morning Central Time, Texas
(07:51):
time instead of a night time primetime game. But I
do think that it's that the challenge is simil enough.
They're playing a quality football team with a chance to
stake their claim to be in the number one spot.
So your point, Dan, if they if they're not number
one in the AP poll when the season starts, and
that's entirely possible, who State could be number one. I
(08:13):
think we're seeing the number one versus number two matchup
regardless of who's one.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
And who's two.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
But if they win that game in Columbus, there's no doubt.
I think Sean, they're going to be number one.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Yeah, no doubt about that. Craig, You've been in that
chair a long time and seeing a lot of changes
on the you know, the landscape of college football, which
is you know, the pro part of all this stuff
with nil and transfer portal from your vantage point just
as a pres a fan, even forget the broadcasting part.
Do you like all these changes and what do you
think needs changed back or needs to be done to
(08:44):
either fix this or enhance it?
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Well, I have become quite fond of the term Sean guardrails.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Right if there were.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
A way to be able to do and maybe the
twenty point five million, you know, maybe the total moatality
of that salary cap. But there are questions is it
a hard cap, is it a softcap? How is this
thing going to be managed? Is it going to be
like an NBA style cap or is going to be
like an MLB type of thing. So it's early days
(09:17):
and there's a lot we have to see with regard
to and I know it scares a lot of people.
When you see whatever an offensive lineman go for five
billion dollars in a package over to taxis tech. I
do think it's safe to say that what Sark and
his group, his program GM and the athletic director and
everybody else. I think what they're doing is making sure
(09:40):
that they are spending money wisely in terms of retention
of some of the key players and not throwing all
cautions to the win and let's go out and get
a five star offense. I was sure they've got some
five stars coming in, but I think they want to
manage all of that.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
And so that's the unknown part about it. I think,
Sean no doubt about it. I mean, you heard Kenny
Dillingham say it last week. I'm in the recruiting business,
or I'm in the retention business. I'm not in the
recruiting business. Yeah, it makes sense. And what a fine
job he's done there. Obviously we saw firsthand right here
in this town in the peach Bowl, tremendous what he's
(10:16):
done in Arizona State. And it's about keeping what you
got and then supplementing it. Adding to that, whereas we've
always talked about recruiting, meeting the lifeblood of a program
and it still is, but recruiting now kind of branches
out and it takes on different for him.
Speaker 4 (10:33):
Yeah, Craig Dah. We never used to think and coaches that, hey,
I recruited a guy. Now he's here, unless he's getting
beat out in his third year, he's not going to transfer.
He's going to compete. Now it's well, you got to
recruit them. Then while they're there, you got to keep
recruiting them, and then you got to recruit them when
you get another recruit so they don't leave thinking that
they got to change the comp I mean, it is crazy.
So their job, Craig, with the money in Nil, their
(10:54):
job got tougher. I don't think it got easier. I
think it gets tougher because you're focusing on the guys there.
You got to make sure they don't leave, and then
you get lost in the recruiting of somebody else steels
a guy that you had because you didn't get on
the recruiting paths because you're trying to, you know, massage
the guy that's already there. These coaches have a tougher
task now, I think.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, And I think sar kekoed almost those exact words
when he was asked about it back in the spring
about is it tough for being a college football coach
now than it was earlier? And he said there are
elements to it that are more difficult, and he was
referring to the totality of the program, I think, and
what you just laid out there, Sean, in terms of
being you know, twenty years ago, we didn't have what
(11:34):
was known now as a general manager right a college
football program.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
We didn't have that.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
If you don't have that, you have issues with your
program there because you've got to have somebody there who's
keeping an eye on the money coming in and the
money going out in conjunction with the business office and
also with the athletic director and the athletic department overall.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
You have to do that.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
But it's got to be somebody who has that what's
the phrase we like to that that's ascribed to the
NBA capologists.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Yeah, you kind of have to have.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
That now with your program GM in college football. And
who would have expected that even a few years ago.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
Weird times for sure. Again.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Craig Way, the Voice of the Longhorns, joined us here
on the Seawan Salisbury show. Craig, it's always great see
you and have a great season and looking forward talking
with you again.
Speaker 5 (12:22):
Craig, thank you.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
So much showing my pleasure. Great to visit with you.
Speaker 5 (12:26):
You too, buddy. There you go, There you go. We'll
continue here, Hey, Dan, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
The voice and when it comes to it's just oh, okay,
I'm home.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
It's just so.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
His voice is just so if if there's a play
by play voice, it just kicks in. It's like, okay,
turn it over to Craig and let's go listen to
a ball game. Right it was, He's got that in
great insights on this ni L and the Texas Longhorn season.
They got to be awfully excited.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Well, I mean he's he's still around so he can
hear me say this. All I can hear by looking
at him right now is all the hopes, all the dreams.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
Fourth and five. That's I mean, memories for you.
Speaker 4 (13:01):
Thanks again, And what are you guys doubling down on
me today?
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Man? What the hell's going on here?
Speaker 1 (13:05):
There?
Speaker 5 (13:05):
You beat up on the Trojans day?
Speaker 1 (13:07):
I mean, hey, you know what, look, we gotta we
gotta build you know, break you down to build you back.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Up.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
I mean, you know, we built you up earlier of
thinking about the possibilities of maybe Nick Saban in southern
California one day.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
You know, there you go, there you go.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Well, anyway, we'll continue it on here on the Shawn
Salisbury Show normally this time every Tuesday and Thursday, courtesy
at Carbak Brewing.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
It's Chris Gordy.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Well, Craig sat down with us, so Gordy will hop
on with us here for a few minutes next as
we continue here in Atlanta SEC Media days, it is
the Shawn Salisbury Show, Sports Talk seven ninety