There is nothing like a good overreaction following the Bowl season. ESPN made the proclamation that “Texas is Back”. However, ESPN writer David Hale weighs in on how they aren’t going to be exactly back.
Nobody owns an offseason like Texas, and December set the stage for a glorious 2020 for the Longhorns — at least until games start getting played again. Start with a dominant win over Utah in the Valero Alamo Bowl, just the type of upset victory that gets pundits lathered up for a good offseason narrative. Then quarterback Sam Ehlinger announced a return for 2020. Then rival Oklahoma was utterly embarrassed in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
All the pieces were in place. The Big 12 belonged to Texas in 2020, right? Well, small problems: Texas finished 97th in pass defense, couldn’t run the ball consistently and lost at least four games for the 10th straight year. Number of four-loss seasons for Oklahoma in that stretch? One.
While is it true that Texas does own an offseason, but to say that the bowl game won’t have any bearing on the upcoming season seems a bit off. Yes, Texas has lost four games for the 10th straight season but they seem to be building momentum. The team made changes on offense with a new play caller, basically a new staff on the defensive side of the ball.
With another top ten recruiting class, the Longhorns are poised for “Texas to be back” but lets pump the brakes on using that term. However, the arrow is on an upward trajectory.