Mark Ingram compares Texas’ College Football Playoff chances to 2008 Alabama run

Mark Ingram sees similarities between this year’s Texas team and the 2009 Alabama team he helped lead to a national championship. So much so, in fact, that he believes the Longhorns have what it takes to earn a trophy of their own.

The former Crimson Tide running back noted that Alabama lost in the SEC Championship against Florida the year before in 2008. They were undefeated entering that game, but the loss knocked them out of contention to make the BCS Championship.

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Ingram credits that loss for helping to create a hunger in the Crimson Tide the following season as they went 14-0 to win the title. He sees the same thing now when he watches Texas.

“This team from offensively, defensively, coaching and just the belief they have from the year prior,” he said on The Triple Option podcast. “We talked about that they were in the semifinal last year. They were one play away from being in the national title last season. So when you have a team that feels that and tastes what it is, they’re hungry to get back there again. …This is a team who believes that they can get back to that level because they were just there a year prior with one play to get to the national title.

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“It reminded me of my Alabama team in ’08. We lost to (Florida) and we were one game away from the national championship. The next year we were motivated because we tasted what it was like to get to that moment. If we had done a little bit more, we would have attained it and got to that moment. I feel like this Texas team is kind of right in that sweet spot the same way. They have the team, they have the quarterback. They have the offense, the defense, the coaching and they believe. When you have the belief from the whole team and program, that’s special.”

Texas lost to Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinals this past season by a score of 37-31. However, it sent a message that it is looking to finish what it started this year with a 31-12 road win against Michigan, the team that beat the Huskies to claim the title.

The Wolverines lost a number of players from last year’s team, but it is still an impressive victory nonetheless. Quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in the win and currently has the best odds of any player to win the Heisman Trophy.

There’s still a lot of football left to be played, but from what he’s seen so far, Mark Ingram puts Texas right up there among the best in the country. The Longhorns will look to keep rolling when they take on UTSA at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday.