This is Texas’ first ascension to the College Football Playoff. The semi-final game against Washington will be the biggest game that Texas’ players have ever played. Even Texas’ most experienced players T’Vondre Sweat, Jaylan Ford, and Jerrin Thompson on defense and Christian Jones, Jordan Whittington, and Xavier Worthy on offense have never played in a game of this magnitude. The biggest game Steve Sarkisian has ever coached was Texas’ win over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship. Chicken feed compared to the national semi-final.  When Washington and Texas kick it off Monday night there won’t be any other football games going on. The entire college football world will be focused on these two teams with an estimated television audience of more than 20 million.

Concerns

Commenting on the Baltimore Ravens recent beat down of the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Cowherd opined that when 49ers fall behind and Kyle Shanahan gets knocked off the script on his laminated play card his team is in trouble. I think at times the same has been true of Steve Sarkisian during his tenure at Texas. We saw evidence of this when Texas almost blew big leads to Kansas State and TCU this season. Ultimately big plays by individual Texas players preserved the victories. Defenders Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke made stops in overtime versus Kansas State and Quinn Ewers and Adonai Mitchell hooked up on a game-sealing 35-yard pass down the sideline versus TCU. 

Texas also blew a 21-point lead to Houston. Clinging to a 31-24 lead with under two minutes left in the game, the Horns got a huge break on a horrible spot from the officials that took away a first down from Houston inside Texas’ 10-yard line. Frequently championship seasons are saved by huge unearned breaks like this.

Malik Murphy/Arch Manning

I wasn’t impressed with Malik Murphy’s two-game relief stint versus BYU and Kansas State. He threw three touchdown passes and threw three interceptions. He looked to me to have poor pocket awareness as well game situation awareness. That being said, Texas won both games. That’s something to consider when evaluating of Murphy’s performance and I would prefer him with his experience to be the backup to Arch Manning.

While Murphy said the right things about his decision to enter the portal before Texas’ playoff run, he did exactly the wrong thing. In my opinion he should have completed the season with Horns. He might have had a chance to compete and play an instrumental part in Texas’ drive to a championship and enhance his resume. He also would have had the chance to earn a championship ring. What’s the rush to enter the portal and transfer to a Duke program that plays second fiddle to the school’s basketball team? I suppose when you see individual players celebrating after almost every play regardless of the score or game situation it gives us a clue. For many players there is no team in me.

Washington

I’m glad our Longhorns drew Washington rather than Alabama or Michigan. I know Michael Penix throwing the ball against Texas’ secondary is an issue. But if Texas can shut down the run as they have so many times this season and force Washington to rely on passing to move the ball I like our team’s chances.

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So, is Texas ready for this game? I say yes because the torch has been passed to a new generation of Longhorns born in this century, tempered by defeat, disciplined by adopting a focused culture, proud of their rich Longhorn heritage and unwilling to permit any obstacles to block them from their destiny to be champions.

Texas 34 Washington 24. Doesn’t that have a nice familiar ring?

Hook “Em,

W.E.

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