Kevin Sherrington: Charlie Strong and Texas’ dubious problems on offense

Charlie Strong has made it clear once and for all even for the lawyers exactly who will be calling plays from here on out.

Now about that quarterback.

In Step 1 of Texas’ makeover after an embarrassing loss to Notre Dame, which came on top of a humiliating defeat at the hands of Arkansas in the Texas Bowl, Strong stripped play-calling duties from the team of Shawn Watson and Joe Wickline. Of course, that’s only if you believe Wickline actually had any say. Oklahoma State’s lawyers certainly didn’t think so in their attempts to collect the rest of Wickline’s contract after what they deemed a lateral move.

Judging by the results so far, Wickline should have pointed at Watson from the witness stand and said, yes, he did it.

Jay Norvell, late of Oklahoma, hasn’t called plays since his days at UCLA nearly a decade ago, but if he appreciates a spread offense, he’ll be one up on Watson.

Watson came to Texas with Strong from Louisville and instilled an offense West Coast that didn’t dovetail with the national offense of Texas high school football.

Bottom line: If everybody in the most fertile recruiting area in the nation is running the spread, maybe you should, too.

Texas supposedly changed to the spread last spring, but it was hard to tell watching the opener against Notre Dame. Frankly, I couldn’t tell you what that was.

Here’s another reason why it seemed dubious: What you heard last year and even this season was that Tyrone Swoopes remained the starting quarterback at least partly because Jerrod Heard hadn’t picked up the offense. Now I suppose that’s possible. But Heard won two state titles at Denton Guyer running the spread, and it seems to me if Texas were really running a valid form of the spread, he could pick it up. Heard is also a good athlete, charismatic, a threat when a play breaks down.

And let’s face it, with so many freshmen starting for Texas this season, the chances of a play breaking down are pretty good.

Changing quarterbacks the same week you change play-callers might seem a little much. Maybe Swoopes deserves a shot with the new guy. If he gets one against Rice, it should be with the understanding that if it doesn’t go well, Heard will take his turn. And for more than a couple of series.

Strong was right to recognize the urgency of the matter and make a move. Or moves, as we should soon learn.

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