What’d you think of the college football weekend?
Hope it was as good for you as it was for me. I’m still pretty stoked myself, with the way my Texas Longhorns played on the national stage at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Saturday morning.
I expected Texas to win but had no idea it would be in such a dominating fashion. The Horns, a 7 ½-point favorite, won by 19, 31-12.
Texas took control early of a program that won the CFP earlier this year and has the most wins (979) in all of college football.
Granted, nine players off that team, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy, were drafted into the NFL, and Jim Harbaugh left the coaching reigns of the maize and blue to Sherrone Moore for the San Diego Chargers.
Despite that, Michigan was ranked 9th in last week’s US LBM Coaches Poll and 10th by The Associated Press, but fell to 16th and 17th this week, after the beatdown.
I was sorta surprised Texas QB1 Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns handled the raucous crowd noise early as well as they did, converting third downs and moving the football with passes to NIL transfers Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden, and tight end Gunnar Helm (not a transfer) had the game of his life (seven receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown). They mixed the running game as well with Jayden Blue, Quintrevion Wisner, Jerrick Gibson and even Ewers himself, scrambling when necessary, doing work.
Ewers threw for three touchdowns and 246 yards as Texas rolled up 389 yards of total offense.
Remember, last year, Quinn and the Longhorns reached the CFP for the first time on the heels of beating Alabama, then coached by my uncle (wink, wink) Nick Saban, in Tuscaloosa of all places.
Seriously, how many quarterbacks have beaten ‘Bama and Michigan on the road in back-to-back seasons? Take your time.
It wasn’t just offense, though, the defense forced three turnovers, limiting the home team to a couple of field goals until Michigan scored with just 1:54 left to play.
The Wolverines (1-1) had three streaks snapped. Michigan had won a Big Ten-record 29 consecutive regular-season games, 23 straight home games and a national-best 16 games in a row since losing to TCU in the 2022 College Football Playoff.
Texas is still third behind Georgia and Ohio State in this week’s Coaches Poll but moved ahead of Ohio State in the AP rankings. That’s where they should be.
Success comes and goes sometimes in a week’s time. For instance, what happened to then 5th-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday. The Irish lost to Northern Illinois (16-14), the first time the Huskies had ever beaten a top 10 team.
There’s a 12-team playoff now, so there’s time for Michigan to get back to the playoffs with a chance to win it all.
I’m a Texas guy. Some describe me “as old as mud itself.” I’ve seen the good and bad through the years on the Forty Acres.
Steve Sarkisian is very good at coaching. And he’s coaching hard to build a culture toward the lofty heights of a DKR and more recently Mack Brown. He’s teaching football, especially offense and quarterbacks. And, I like that. He knows players and how to relate, as well as how to recruit.
This was a win for the SEC, by one of the new schools on the block.
No, I’m not anointing Texas for anything. I’m not even saying Texas Football is there, but at least it’s moving in the right direction … again.
And, for an old guy, like me, that’s good to see.
Follow Joe on Twitter (formerly X) @joeyballgamejh
