Finally, football is here and Texas' first game will reveal plenty about the 2023 Longhorns
What are we going to see today?
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As I sat there with Rod Babers yesterday afternoon at the Co-Op and pondered that question, we both sort of realized that many facets of the query verged on the unanswerable. Yes, we have an idea, but we can’t answer it in a definitive way.
Why? Because we don’t know exactly what we will see. The proof will always be in the pudding.
Or as some people say, that’s why they play the game.
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Here are things I know will be apparent from the very start:
– We will see perhaps the most talented Texas team we’ve seen in a decade-plus. Period. There’s no doubt in my mind that astute Longhorn fans will be aware of that relatively quickly. It may or may not show on the scoreboard, but you’ll look across the field and think, “ok, this group looks a little different”.
– Specifically, we will see a Texas QB and receiver group that is as good or talented as any I’ve seen in my years doing this.
– Texas will have a deep group of players along the defensive line and a deep, experienced secondary.
Beyond that, the rest of the game – and really the rest of the season – comes down to execution.
And execution is a mix of talent, experience, chemistry, coaching, how a team overcomes adversity, and finally playmaking.
So the questions are plenty:
– Does Quinn Ewers hit the deep ball? Does he check down more and move the team more consistently? Is Ewers simply more consistent overall?
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– How different is the run game without Bijan and Roschon?
– Does the offense bog down too often?
– Can the offensive line create running lanes and protect the passer?
– Who makes the big plays when all the chips are on the table?
And the questions above are just for the offense!
The defense has its own set of items they must prove.
– Is this year’s defense as good as or better than last year’s?
– Can they get off the field on third down? And how will they change the coverage to make that happen?
– Can they get after the passer even better than a year ago?
– Can they create turnovers?
– We’ve heard all fall about the emergence of Alfred Collins, Jaray Bledsoe, Ethan Burke and Anthony Hill? Are they all really good, or was there some wish-casting going on behind the scenes?
– Is the addition of Jalen Catalon a possible game changer?
As someone who has seen bits and pieces of practice and who talks with numerous folks behind the scenes, I think I know some of these answers. But until any of us see it with our own eyes, we just don’t really know.
Thankfully, in about six hours time, we all get to go from prognostication to realization. We will see what is real and what is not.
That’s why they play the game.
