Texas Longhorns, Steve Sarkisian Have Lot to Learn from Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks

If Texas would not study after being taught a really particular lesson by Alabama twice, then maybe the AAU designation that brings the college such status would not apply to its athletics division.

As an extended line of Arkansas coaches, together with your entire Razorback fan base has discovered, the Alabamas and Georgias of the world do not beat you as soon as. The fallout from going to battle with them normally results in a number of potential losses.

Competing on the prime of the SEC is a battle of attrition. Even when a workforce has the appropriate personnel and loses nobody to damage, the bodily toll such video games take have a tendency to hold over for just a few video games by way of a string of bodily match-ups.

Sadly for Texas, when it has come time to play the Crimson Tide in a sport that issues, the kind of gamers wanted to carry up have not been there. 

Quarterback Quinn Ewers, back-up quarterback Hudson Card, operating again Bijan Robinson and cornerback D’Shawn Jamison, all important to lastly digging Texas out of the dumpster, got here away injured.

Although Jeff Traylor’s UTSA workforce is a salty bunch who can reap the benefits of so many accidents, a visit by way of the Roadrunners, Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma is far completely different than following up Alabama with Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. 

Accidents can heal with the present schedule. They simply worsen or turn into structural in an SEC schedule. 

That bodily grind permits an Alabama or Georgia sport to echo all through the schedule, leading to losses which may not have occurred at full power as ache and damage turns into worse. 

There are two issues a workforce must survive a respectable sport in opposition to the elite of the SEC. 

1. Distinctive offensive linemen with a imply streak and a love of brutality.

2a. Both a quarterback like Bryce Younger who has six eyes at the back of his head and the elusiveness of a gazelle being pursued by lions,

or,

2b. A large tank able to absorbing big quantities of punishment like Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson,

or,

2c. A quarterback with a hair set off like Mississippi State’s Will Rogers who can do away with the ball so quick there isn’t any time to get to him.

Texas has by no means had one in every of these with Alabama on the docket in a significant sport, however might want to study its lesson earlier than time involves enter the SEC, or, as historical past suggests, successful will proceed to not occur in Austin.

The Longhorns misplaced Colt McCoy within the nationwide championship sport after Marcel Darius hit him with what could be a reasonably normal SEC hit and snapped McCoy like a twig.

It was instantly over. The great instances for Texas went down with their quarterback and the Longhorns have spent over a decade attempting to get better.

This previous weekend in opposition to Alabama, Ewers proved Texas nonetheless prepares for Large 12 defenses although Steve Sarkisian has SEC expertise. Sark’s employees failed Ewers by not instructing him to ensure his toes are grounded when taking successful by an SEC stage defender. 

It is reckless and may have by no means occurred, however then once more, he should not have been on the sphere in opposition to Alabama along with his talent set with out the safety of one other 8-12 kilos packed on from a stringent offseason exercise.

He isn’t fast like Younger and would not have the dimensions of Jefferson. His set off is pretty quick, so that provides him an honest comparability to Rogers.

Nevertheless, Rogers packs extra muscle on his physique to guard himself, will get the ball out twice as quick and had a greater line in entrance of him. 

Again-up Hudson Card, who’s even smaller that Ewers, performed admirably whereas taking a pounding, particularly after the Longhorn offensive line turned overwhelmed all through many of the second half.

It is a marvel Card solely got here away with an ankle damage after taking so many onerous pictures.

Longhorn followers gave the identical excuse after that nationwide championship sport they gave on Saturday.

However what if the quarterback hadn’t gotten damage? 

Or on this case, each vital participant on the workforce exterior of receivers Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington.

That is simply life within the SEC. Gamers are going to get damage, particularly once they line up in opposition to Alabama or Georgia with one thing on the road. 

Simply ask Arkansas. The Hogs have outscored Texas 71-28 the previous two instances the 2 squared off. 

Nevertheless, after actually making the Longhorns give up in 2021, when nationwide champion Georgia rolled onto the schedule the Bulldogs destroyed No. 8 Arkansas. 

Accidents and normal bodily put on and tear helped that loss spiral into three straight losses earlier than the Hogs had been capable of get better and win 5 of their final six, with their solely loss being a detailed one in Tuscaloosa.

It is par for the course within the SEC and why great high quality depth and a effectively timed off-week are essential to surviving the gauntlet. 

The individuals of Austin might flip their nostril up on the technique of transferring a weaker non-conference opponent from early within the season to a strategically deliberate week halfway by way of the convention schedule, however after just a few years of battling by way of an SEC schedule, they may acknowledge its knowledge.

However then once more, studying essential classes hasn’t actually been a factor these days at Texas.

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