Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy is drinking the burnt orange kool-aid in 2023. He’s making bold proclamations about what the Longhorns will be in the upcoming season.
McElroy said the following about Texas leading up to a pivotal year on the gridiron.
“A big boost is coming for the Longhorns this year. I am very optimistic about it. I think they’re a Top-10 football team coming into the season. A lot of it has to do with the progress made offensively, progress made on the front seven defensively. But, given the strides made from ’21 to ’22, I think they’re going to continue to ramp it up. I’m taking the over on 9.5.”
There has been marked improvement for Texas since the dud of a first season for the current staff in 2021. Longhorns assistants, offensive line coach Kyle Flood in particular, took the time to develop players and reteach the fundamentals better than the last coaching staff. It resulted in fundamentally sound football in 2022.
McElroy continued his Texas hype.
“Texas? I’m taking the over. I really think this team is a 10-win football team. That’s the floor. Maybe I’m drinking the Kool-Aid. I might very well be. Texas has let me down in the past. They might very well do so again in the future. But I will take that risk.”
Setting a 10-win floor seems a little optimistic given the Longhorns’ recent struggles with putting away Big 12 squads. Nevertheless, it’s where Texas needs to finish to consider the year a successful season. Texas will look to prove McElroy right beginning with its game with Rice on Sept. 2.