Alabama Football: What we are hearing from Austin
By Ronald Evans
This post reviews the latest Texas Longhorns’ football chatter coming out of Austin, TX. If the discussion was solely what is being heard about Alabama Football, two words would suffice – as in, not much.
There is and will be plenty of sizzle in Austin, including a scorching Saturday for the game. Enthusiasm about the coming Texas football season is abundant. It does not, however, include much optimism about upsetting the Alabama Crimson Tide.
A scroll through recent Texas Football tweets uncovered only one mention of Alabama Football. It credited a new season ticket sales record to interest in seeing the Longhorns take on the Crimson Tide.
Getting past a loss to Alabama Football
Otherwise, the Alabama game appears to be a contest most Texas fans want to get past and move on.
Texas is expected to have a much-improved team. The recent preseason Coaches Poll has the Horns as college football’s No. 18 team, including a stunningly misguided first-place vote.
Texas fans are still celebrating Steve Sarkisian’s coup in gaining a verbal commitment from Arch Manning. The wait for Manning is filled with anticipation for Sark’s current quarterbacks. Battling for the Longhorns’ starting QB are Hudson Card and Quinn Ewers. Most Texas fans expect Ewers to win out, though Sark claims he currently has no leader and that both have performed well in early practices.
Some of the grand, Horns’ Twitter enthusiasm is a claim Ewers will win the Heisman Trophy – this season. Behind the returning Texas offensive line, such success for Ewers is impossible. The Texas big uglies were awful last season. Sark brought in seven new offensive linemen. According to our friends at Hook’Em Headlines, freshman Kelvin Banks is likely the best of the tackles. The former 5-Star could and probably will start at right tackle later in the season. But, he has only been in Austin since June, and putting him up against the Alabama football defense would be sacrificial.
Quinn Ewers may become a superstar. Hudson Card may also be a winner for Sark. Neither can be ready for what Nick Saban and Pete Golding will throw at them.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Texas defensive line was weak rushing the passer last season. Texas has some good linebackers and the pressure on opposing passers may improve this season. Can it improve soon enough to slow Bryce Young? The answer is not positive for the Longhorns.
Next. What teams did the Coaches Poll get wrong?. dark
There is a reason Texas fans are not chirping much about the Crimson Tide. They know what is coming.