What should success look like for this Longhorns team?
Since the Sixties, success has always been defined by a combination of three things: competing for a national championship, winning the conference title, and beating Oklahoma. If the Longhorns hit all three, then things are where they should be. Accomplish two of the three and your job was still safe. If you accomplish just one, the season qualifies as a “not total failure.” If you can’t secure one, well, you’re shit out of luck.
Success needs to be redefined for this season. The problem with some supporters is that they’re among the most insulated of any college football fan. They spend so much time obsessing over every recruit and scrap of news that they forget there’s an entire world of college football being played at a high level outside Texas. It’s this type of mentality that results in a perpetual competition against their own high standards instead of a frank assessment of where the Longhorns are and what their trajectory is.
If you’re looking for a frank assessment, you can take Charlie Strong at his own word: “We will not be in the national championship game.”
The Longhorns are now three weeks into the 2014 season, and Strong is 1-0 in his predictions. Texas won’t be in the conversation for the four-team college playoff this season. They won’t even rub elbows with Oklahoma and Baylor for the Big 12 title, either. In fact, chances are they’ll be somewhere around a 20-point underdog at the Red River Shootout Oct. 11.
In terms of tangible results, UT should be able to manhandle Kansas on the road next weekend, then Iowa State and Texas Tech in the upcoming weeks. There’s no excuse for getting beaten when you’ve got better players, coaches, and facilities. They should win at least one out of three against WVU, Oklahoma State, and Texas Christian. That would seal their fate at 5-7 to close the year. If they fare any worse than that, it’s time to hit the panic button.
For now, success looks like winning all the games you’re supposed to win. Success looks like knowing that you’ll have two quarterbacks (Tyrone Swoopes and Jerrod Heard) who can push each other for a starting job next spring. It’s about identifying the guys you want to lead your team back into top 10 contention in 2015.
This article appears in September 19 • 2014.