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Texas, this is your chance to impress the SEC. Don’t blow it against Michigan
By David Wasson
Published:
You always remember your first time.
First time behind the steering wheel? First date with your future spouse? First steps by your newborn child?
You remember these moments in your life, your first – and best – chance to make a great impression. They are fleeting moments that are forever remembered.
The Texas Longhorns have that opportunity Saturday at high noon to make the ultimate first impression on their new pals in the Southeastern Conference: Beat Michigan and represent the greatest conference on Saban’s green Earth.
Yes, we know Texas played last week in its season-opener. But really, beating Colorado State only counts as a meaningful W when your program rhymes with Bolorado Cuffaloes. The 52-0 thumping of the Rams was preseason in every sense of the word, a JV game compared to the varsity match Saturday in Ann Arbor.
Taking down the defending national champions, on their home plastic, would be a huge early pelt for the SEC. And for Texas, of course, as the No. 3-ranked Longhorns look to apply some Gorilla Glue to its spot near the tippy top of the rankings.
But here at SDS, we are all about conference unity. That’s why mighty Vanderbilt knocking off an ACC contender like Virginia Tech was a big deal – just as much as Florida losing a super-close game to Miami that surely was affected by some shady refs or the ol’ Pell Grant handshakes made famous in Coral Gables. Allegedly.
This will not be an easy task, of course.
Texas is a 7.5-point favorite, via DraftKings Sportsbook, but the No. 10-ranked Wolverines are stout despite having to reload many components of their title team from a year ago. Pay little bother to Michigan edging out Fresno State 30-10 last week – as it was a banner day to raise a banner at the Big House. Teams are bound to be distracted a little bit by all that hullabaloo, and just like Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, Wolverines boss Sherrone Moore wasn’t about to put anything meaningful on tape for the Longhorns to practice against.
No such restraint will be in place Saturday in front of the 107,601 in maize and blue. Michigan still leads the nation in chips-per-shoulder ratio, and the Wolverines also want an early signature win to differentiate 2024 from 2023. (Plus, would anybody be surprised if there is a Connor Stalions 2.0 lurking somewhere in Austin this week trying to hack into Sark’s coach-to-player communications system?)
But Texas isn’t repping just Texas this weekend. Oh, no. The Longhorns now have that SEC logo on their fresh Nike duds, and that means a commitment to excellence that would make Al Davis shake his fist in glee. Being a part of the premier college football conference in all the land means making an example of the Michigans of the world when the lights are on bright (yes, we know the lights won’t be a factor at noon … it is a metaphor).
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Texas A&M understood the assignment when we finally let the Aggies join the big time. All they did that year was knock off No. 1 Alabama 29-24 behind some kid rubbing his fingers together in the international sign for money. A&M went 11-2 in that debut SEC season, Johnny Manziel won himself a Heisman Trophy, and the Aggies were off to the races.
In contrast, Missouri also joined the SEC in 2012. While the Tigers earned a 62-10 blowout W against Southeastern Louisiana in their technical conference debut, they eventually went 5-7. And we have subtly mocked them ever since (admittedly, it was a tad tougher to do when they won the East in 2013 and 2014).
Back to 2024. As we mentioned last week, this is the season that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers will make a major Heisman run – and what better way to do so than on the national stage with Gus Johnson yelling your name at 110 decibels on Fox? Ewers began said stiff-arm crusade last weekend with a 260-yard, 3-TD effort against Colorado State, and a huge performance against the Wolverines surely would draw attention from the approximately 15,000 Heisman voters.
And Sark? We have also opined that his trajectory is Saturn V-like, so what better way to tell the world that you’re ready to step out of Saban’s Death Star-driving shadow and cast one of your own?
Texas has a huge chance to make the ultimate first impression Saturday: Take down Michigan for not just Longhorn Nation, but for the entire Southeastern By God Conference.
Ask not what the SEC can do for you, ask what you can do for the SEC. Don’t fail us!
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
