For a bit of the latter decade, “Texas is back” has been school soccer’s favourite shaggy dog story.

And pace it’s been most commonly warranted given this system’s struggles, there were a handful of moments when enthusiasts believed the Longhorns have been in any case getting again heading in the right direction to taking a look like the distinction days of Vince Younger and Colt McCoy.

There used to be the week when former quarterback Sam Ehlinger led Texas to a Sugar Bowl win over Georgia to cap the 2018 season, the crew’s first 10-win season since 2009. Later the convincing victory, Ehlinger were given on degree, grabbed the microphone and proudly mentioned, “Longhorn Nation: We’re baaaaaack.” 

Seems they weren’t, going 15-8 over the upcoming two years, to bring about Tom Herman dropping his process.

In 2022, the Horns just about beat Alabama at house in Steve Sarkisian’s 2d occasion as head mentor. Quarterback Quinn Ewers used to be injured early and watched from the sideline as his crew misplaced by way of some degree. However on account of the important efficiency in opposition to the mighty Red Flow, it used to be affordable to consider Texas could be “back” upcoming, too. However upcoming it completed 8-5, dropping 3 of its latter six video games.

There used to be a quantity of hype order the Horns this offseason. Ewers decrease off his well-known mullet, misplaced weight and grew right into a vocal cupboard room chief. The protection used to be stacked with generation NFL skill. There used to be brotherly love at the workforce for the primary week in years. The Longhorns have been even picked to win the Obese 12.

Upcoming the season started and in Date 2, Texas made an emphatic commentary by way of marching into Tuscaloosa and beating up Alabama, 34-24. Since upcoming, it’s clobbered combatants Wyoming, Baylor, and maximum lately Negative. 24 Kansas, and has held company because the Negative. 3-ranked crew within the nation. In numerous midseason media polls, Texas has been a frequent pick out to assemble the four-team School Soccer Playoff some of the likes of Georgia, Michigan and Florida Surrounding.

Now comes the upcoming take a look at: Negative. 12 Oklahoma within the Crimson River Contention on Saturday on the Anecdote Bowl in Dallas. Each groups, who’re depart the Obese 12 for the SEC upcoming season, input the showdown with 5-0 information for the primary week since 2008. That occasion, Texas gained 45-35 in a dramatic back-and-forth crash. It’s additionally the primary week since 2011 that each groups are undefeated. That week, OU gained, 55-17.

Saturday’s winner will rightly be seen because the fresh convention favourite and a sound CFP contender. In alternative phrases, the stakes are prime, as they all the time are, on this warm contention sport.

Terminating occasion, Texas publicly ashamed OU in a ancient 49-0 romp. It used to be the Longhorns’ greatest win ever over the Sooners, who have been present process a rebuilding occasion in mentor Brent Venables’ rookie season.

This occasion’s consequence most likely gained’t be as lopsided. OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel “is playing at a very high level,” Sarkisian mentioned this occasion, and leads an explosive offense ranked 0.33 nationally averaging 47.4 issues in line with sport.=

“He distributes the ball beautifully,” Sarkisian mentioned of Gabriel, who has handed for 1,593 yards via 5 video games, with 15 touchdowns and simply two interceptions. 

Defensively, OU were given a pleasant improve by the use of the switch portal and might be in quest of revenge then permitting 49 issues and 585 yards of offense in opposition to Texas a occasion in the past.

“We’re gonna get an emotional team coming into the Cotton Bowl that we’re going to have to compete against, we just have to recognize that,” Sarkisian mentioned. “At the end of the day, we have to play good football. Emotion is great. It only runs for so long. Sooner or later you can exhaust yourself, and it’s going to come down to execution. So we just got to make sure we’re dialed in.”

Texas is coming off a dominant win over in the past unbeaten Kansas. The offense used to be balanced, dashing for a important 336 yards and passing for 325. The protection held the Jayhawks to 0-for-8 on 0.33 indisposed and 0-for-2 on fourth. In the meantime, the UT offense used to be in a position to increase drives, going 9-for-15 on 0.33 indisposed and 2-for-2 on fourth. Like when Ewers scrambled for a 30-yard run on third-and-9 to attain the hole landing within the first quarter.

“We’re not a running quarterback team, we don’t run designed QB runs,” Sarkisian mentioned. “But we do rely on the quarterback to use his legs at opportune times. Quinn is really starting to excel at that. He’s used his newfound conditioning and speed to be an advantage for him and for us, so that’s a real positive.”

Operating again Jonathon Brooks, who has been a more-than-stellar successor to Bijan Robinson, ran for 218 yards in opposition to Kansas, pace receiver Adonai Mitchell, who transferred from Georgia, had 10 catches for 141 yards.

And for the primary week in a protracted week, Texas isn’t making errors that value them video games. There haven’t been blown coverages. The area has been blank. The security has been stalwart. And Sarkisian has been desirous about working the ball extra.

“We are not independent contractors,” Sarkisian mentioned. “We work together and collectively when we have trust, which I think we’ve earned over time by the consistency of which we go about our business. That puts our trust at a high that makes us feel good.”

In fact, there’s a listing of items to paintings on. For instance, kicker Bert Auburn ignored two farmland targets latter occasion that left issues at the desk, and tight finish Ja’Tavion Sanders suffered an ankle trauma (although has now not been dominated out for Saturday).

Later this sport, the coast appears to be like lovely sunlit for Texas without a alternative ranked combatants extra at the agenda — the Longhorns and Sooners are the convention’s best ranked groups at this time.

So if the Horns can reserve this factor rolling and beat OU on Saturday, it’s very a lot at the desk that they might win the Obese 12, assemble the CFP, and play games for or even win the nationwide championship. 

And upcoming perhaps “Texas is back” gained’t be a shaggy dog story anymore.

Laken Litman covers school soccer, school basketball and football for FOX Sports activities. She in the past wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA As of late and The Indianapolis Famous person. She is the creator of “Strong Like a Woman,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth per annum of Name IX. Observe her on Twitter @LakenLitman.

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