It was a warm night in Tuscaloosa in mid-September. Fans of SEC programs across the country were eager to watch Nick Saban’s Alabama squad humble Texas and prove the Longhorns an inferior Big 12 squad.
One dose of humbling was prepared for the game that night, but it wasn’t for Texas. The Longhorns bullied the Tide running away with the game with a dominant 21-point fourth quarter.
We knew Texas would have its hands full in its new conference, but this game was a warning shot at what the SEC would be up against.
The win was so decisive Alabama head coach Nick Saban began reflecting on what a great program his team had built. It was the kind of postgame press conference that had us thinking Saban would retire. And then he did.
Fans of the SEC are still dealing with Texas’ convincing defeat of Alabama in their own way. Most comically, media members who cover the conference are predicting a significant fall off for the ‘Horns.
Predictions of drop off are rolling in despite Texas having the third easiest SEC schedule. The Longhorns do, however, face a Michigan team that replaces 16 starters including eight of its nine starting linemen departing across both lines of scrimmage.
SEC Unfiltered contributor Lucas Hill writes that Texas is in for a “rude awakening.” Let’s break down a few of his claims.