'Stanford' Steve Coughlin previews Texas vs. Alabama, reveals why Longhorns feel different in 2023

The most anticipated nonconference game of the college football season will take place in Tuscaloosa. Texas will be making a return trip to face off against Alabama in Week 2. Plenty of storylines surround the game in what is shaping up to be a great contest on the field.

Part of the reason some expect a close game is because confidence is growing on the Texas side. ESPN’s ‘Stanford’ Steve Coughlin told On3’s Andy Staples when he met with the coaching staff down in Austin, they felt like the Longhorns have enough to compete at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Previous Texas teams would likely be facing a massive blowout before a ball is ever kicked off.

“There is a sense that they feel like they have what they need to go on the road in an SEC environment and get a win,” Stanford Steve said during Thursday’s episode of Andy Staples On3. “Which, says a lot. Teams will say they are confident in themselves. I actually feel it this year with Texas. That’s what’s different to me.”

Yes, the Alabama crowd is going to be rocking come Sept. 9. Will the Texas coaching staff be intimidated? Most likely not. Steve Sarkisian spent multiple seasons in Tuscaloosa and played in plenty of big games. Multiple other coaches on staff have worked in the SEC as well.

Point being — there is a familiarity at Texas with how Alabama operates. A sense of confidence has been there since last season’s meeting. There is a difference, though, with Sarkisian knowing his team “had to be perfect” to pull off the upset.

“So many guys on that staff have coached in the SEC,” Stanford Steve said. “They knew they had a chance last year against Bama. Knowing they were coming into their plays, maybe knowing the familiarity they had with that roster. But they had to be perfect and they weren’t. Quarterback gets hurt, so many penalties, and you have Bryce Young on the other side.”

Texas feels different due to NFL talent on roster

There is much more confidence to Texas than just the Alabama game. For the first time since 2009, the program has been picked to win the Big 12. Recent teams have been expected to compete for the conference championship but not pull ahead of the leader — mainly Oklahoma.

However, recruiting has been a bit different. For the first time in a long time, there is some serious NFL talent on the offensive line. Another area of strength Staples pointed out was the secondary. Texas has brought talent into the program but not at the right positions. Things have now different.

“They haven’t had this many NFL offensive linemen,” Staples said. “This many NFL guys in the secondary. That’s where I feel like they’re different than in past years.”

Sure, there are NFL guys in Austin. Staples still wants to pump the brakes a bit. Texas is notorious for playing up/down to its level on a weekly basis — a reason why Week 2 is going to be a ton of fun. But Sarkisian needs to prove he is able to comfortably win games against lower Big 12 opponents before getting a full vote of confidence from Staples.

“Now, I still want to see them win the winnable games in the Big 12 but I don’t have any doubt they’ll be up for Alabama which is why I think that game is going to be awesome,” Staples said.