Texas is different, if not “back” — and opposing coaches and analysts agree
The Athletic has live coverage of Oklahoma vs. Texas in Week 6 of college football action.
It’s become the overdone crack — “Texas is back again, eh?” — and the typical response is an eye-roll or a snicker. We media folk kept tripping over ourselves.
That certainly was the case when Texas beat No. 11 Notre Dame in Austin, Tex. to kick off the 2016 season. The 50-47 thrilling double-overtime win had ESPN’s Joe Tessitore declaring, “Texas is back, folks!” The Horns vaulted to No. 11 in the AP poll the next week and then went 5-7, culminating in the firing of head coach Charlie Strong. (Notre Dame, by the way, finished 4-8.)
There were some promising moments in the Tom Herman era, including a top-10 finish, but Texas fizzled out in his four seasons and he was also ousted. His successor Steve Sarkisian left Nick Saban’s Alabama staff in 2021 for the job; he has since dramatically upgraded the roster and, just as importantly, put together an elite staff. The Longhorns almost upset the Tide last year, but stumbled to an 8-5 record after a five-win first season.
This offseason, the buzz had been building inside the Texas program. The development of the roster, particularly in the trenches, had several staffers excited. This group on both sides of the ball was much different than any Texas team in a long time. Quarterback Quinn Ewers, a former No. 1 recruit, had matured and was primed to take the next big step, Texas sources also affirmed. There were, as well, legitimate difference-makers on defense now.
The hype began to build from all of that.
The Longhorns were named the preseason favorite to win the Big 12, though winning the Big 12 didn’t necessarily equate to believing this team was a potential national title one. Was Sarkisian ready to get the Longhorns there? In a decade as a head coach at some big brand programs, his teams had never finished higher than No. 20. But momentum is favoring Texas. It visited Tuscaloosa in Week 2 and absolutely mauled Alabama, winning 34-24 in a game that didn’t feel close. The Longhorns had five sacks and nine TFLs. Their O-line didn’t allow a sack and gave up just two TFLs. Texas followed that up by steamrolling its subsequent three opponents (including No. 24 Kansas) by an average score of 33-10 and rising to No. 3 in the country.
So … is Texas back? I’ll hold off on that for a little bit longer, but here’s what I am confident in saying: Texas is different.
And it’s not just me saying that. The Athletic has talked to a half-dozen coaches who have either faced Texas this year or scouted them over the last two weeks. Their reaction is unanimous: This team is absolutely good enough to be a College Football Playoff team this year.
“That is a very impressive roster,” said one longtime SEC coach. “They got linemen like Alabama used to have. Both sides of the ball. They beat the s— out of Alabama. They push everybody around. They did whatever they wanted with Baylor. They’ve got speed outside and their tight end (Ja’Tavion Sanders) is a freak.
“I think Sark has learned his lesson. He’s running the ball. He’s required toughness. He used to be ‘Next play! Next play! Next play! Hurry up!’ He’s learned what it takes. He hired great coaches. Bo Davis is a great defensive line coach. (Kyle Flood) is a great O-line coach. It shows what those guys have done there.”
Against Kansas last Saturday, Texas held the nation’s No. 1 third-down offense, which had been converting at 61 percent, to 0-for-8.
“Their defense is dominant and their D-line is one of the most impressive groups I’ve ever seen,” said a Big 12 analyst whose team faced Texas this year. No. 93 (6-foot-4, 362-pound senior T’Vondre Sweat) was incredible to watch in person.”
Byron Murphy, a 308-pound junior, was No. 18 on the Freaks List this year, and is every bit as big a problem for opponents as Sweat. Their offensive line counterparts are just as impressive.
“Their D-line is freakish,” said another Big 12 coach. “They’re getting a huge pass rush with four. Their front 7 is a lot better than last year. That freshman linebacker, No. 0 (Anthony Hill) is super fast. He’s so hard to block coming off the edge. They made Alabama look bad. People blamed that quarterback (Jalen Milroe) but they didn’t have a lot of guys open.”
This is a dramatic change from how Texas used to be. In the previous 15 years, Texas has only had two O-linemen drafted. A critical piece of the turnaround has been that Flood and Davis (not so coincidentally, both former Saban assistants, like Sarkisian and special teams coordinator Jeff Banks, who is also regarded as one of the best at his position) are working opposite of one another with their players going head up against each other. That battle every single day at practice, good on good, has raised the bar, ratcheting up their toughness and physicality.
“Their O-line is so big and physical and they move people,” said the Big 12 analyst. “Both of their tackles No. 78 (sophomore Kelvin Banks) and No. 70 (senior Christian Jones) had elite movement skills. I also thought their left guard No. 76 (Hayden Conner) was also pretty damn good with great movement skills.) … I think their O-line is the strength of their offense. Their receivers can run and are as good as advertised. Their backs break tackles and are great in space.
“Sark is the best play caller I’ve ever faced. He hardly had any tendencies going in, and if he did, he broke them during our game. He really keeps you off balance. They have a great change to make a deep run.”
The Big 12 coach added a grim warning of sorts for the rest of their conference — and perhaps for the SEC, which will be home to the Longhorns next year: “They are better live than on film.”
