Greg McElroy adds Texas vs. Alabama in Week 2 to ultimate 2023 college football schedule

ESPN’s Greg McElroy is putting together the ultimate 2023 college football schedule, selecting the best games of each week. There are some definite, no questions asked additions and McElroy’s Week 2 selection is one of those. Texas will head to Bryant-Denny Stadium for the first time since 1902 to face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Now, before diving into why the Alabama-Texas game was the pick, there still were other options on the table. Texas A&M at Miami, Nebraska at Colorado, and Oregon at Texas Tech will all bring interesting storylines into the sport.

However, all eyes will be in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 9. Especially after how close Texas came to upsetting Alabama last season. In what felt like a disappointing win for Nick Saban, the Longhorns felt to be trending in the right direction.

“That felt like, at least at that point, like Texas overachieved,” McElroy said. “They were clearly ahead of schedule based on how they performed in that game by itself.”

Part of the reason everyone was surprised Texas played well was due to the injury of Quinn Ewers. He went down after a hit from Dallas Turner, taking him out of the game. Hudson Card wound up finishing the game and nearly pulling off a massive upset.

Ewers will be back in the fold this go-round and with better weapons. McElroy believes Steve Sarkisian has built the best roster in the Big 12 and has the opportunity to run with Alabama.

“You look at the supporting cast, you look at the weapons surrounding what should be a more confident Quinn Ewers,” McElroy began. “Texas might be poised to make a legitimate run. Based on paper, probably the best roster in the Big 12.”

Alabama has plenty of talent of its own, as we know. The recruiting has been off the charts and contends to be the best roster in the country. But when there are quarterback problems, the playing field is potentially more level. A giant test is on the way for whoever wins the QB job out of fall camp.

“Alabama is going to be breaking in a new quarterback,” McElroy said. “Whether that’s (Tyler) Buchner, whether that’s (Ty) Simpson, whether that’s (Jalen) Milroe… Should be a really good, talented team, naturally. But hosting the Longhorns in their first big test of the season will be must-watch television.”

Plenty of narratives will be written from the game, depending on the result. The weekend will be just too good for McElroy to pass up on.