Beat ‘Bama: The theme of the offseason must not change for Texas

It’s just over a month until football season. And with all due respect to the Rice Owls, we’re about 40 days until the Texas Longhorns’ most important game against Alabama. The Longhorns need to win it.

Texas faces the Alabama Crimson Tide not long from now. The game’s importance is not about long-term implications or about announcing that Texas is back. Even if Texas made the playoff this season it would still not necessarily be “back.” This game is about making a statement that the 2023 team is different.

It’s a winnable game. If Ewers plays four quarters last year, Texas probably wins. If Alabama doesn’t enjoy late game heroics from Bryce Young, the Longhorns probably win, too. Let’s not get into the Texas points officials took off the board last year. The team didn’t win, and the result can’t be altered. It can, and should, win the rematch.

Texas is the better football team. It has more offensive playmakers, a better offensive line and, at the present time, a better quarterback than Alabama. There is no Quinn Ewers, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Xavier Worthy, AD Mitchell or Kelvin Banks suiting up for the Tide. There certainly aren’t any players like Isaiah Neyor or Jordan Whittington manning the third and fourth receiver spots.

The star power isn’t there for the Tide, but the team should face better playing conditions. The advantage for Alabama is a home field environment that will not be for the faint of heart. It still isn’t a valid excuse for the Longhorns losing the game this season.

It isn’t as if the team lacks the motivation. Aside from the prestige of its opponent and the excitement of a prime time game, there are more personal sources of motivation for Texas

Last September, Alabama edge Dallas Turner buried Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers’ shoulder into the turf. Neither Ewers nor his offensive line got the chance to fully rebut that hit. They will get that opportunity on Sept. 9. The play should bring out each Texas player’s competitive fire.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has a huge game ahead, but it’s not for the future. This game is for the players on campus. A win could springboard the team to a special season. A loss squanders a monumental opportunity.

Texas shouldn’t only spend practice hours preparing for the Tide. It should spend its waking hours finding ways to beat Alabama. If it does, the team is set up to secure its biggest win since January of 2006.