Horns Up! Rising From the Abyss of Mediocrity

The aftermath of the Texas loss in South Bend redirected discussion of losing to a ranked team on the road to a more profound one: the current state of the University of Texas football program.

While fan and alumni reaction ranges from sensible to the delusional, let’s take a look at reality.

The Longhorns started five true freshmen in the season opener, which hasn’t happened in quite some time.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg

Fifteen players that signed National Letters of Intent in February saw playing time in South Bend.

The ‘Horns are a young football program right now and they have a lot of work to do to get back to elite status.

Without sugar-coating it, they are a mediocre football team at this point in history.

A lot of programs, even the premier ones, deep-six and recover if the right steps are taken.

The recovery from mediocrity starts by running the program like it’s a mediocre program.

Here’s how.

Schedule Cupcakes

It’s tough to accept, I know, but the “We’re Texas” bravado that was a point of pride for the Longhorns is not a valid maxim right now. So while Texas is still Texas, it needs to schedule soft non-conference opponents; much like Baylor, Kansas State and Missouri all do.

Texas should cancel the USC and LSU series or at least move them into the 2020s. Then schedule four home games against weak opponents, including FCS opponents. It will hurt revenue, but Texas doesn’t need the money. It’s a swallowing of pride, I know. But it’s better than getting humiliated on national television and falling out of favor with the fans, alumni and blue chip recruits.

Texas should schedule like they are competing to get into the Top 25, not the College Football Playoffs.

Find Athletes That Fit Your Mold

I believe Charlie Strong has done that. Texas has great true freshmen that are talented, but very raw. They need time to develop. Charlie’s mentality seems to be finding diamonds in the rough that he can mold into a Strong-type of player.

That means finding players who may not be the fastest or strongest, but ones that aren’t going to beat themselves. That’s how Kansas State and Michigan State do it. It’s important to follow that model.

Patience with the process

I’m speaking as a Missouri alumnus here, but Gary Pinkel didn’t get the Missouri program to a semi-elite level until 2007. That was Pinkel’s seventh season as head coach of the Tigers. Mizzou played in seven straight bowl games from 2005-2011 and won their last two bowl games. They won the SEC East twice in their short time in the conference. Yes, it’s frustrating to get blown out by Alabama and Georgia but it’s better than not going a bowl or conference championship games.

This isn’t about Missouri though.

Charlie Strong can build the program but he needs time and help from the Belmont admins to get it done. That might mean taking one on the chin and doing things you wouldn’t traditionally think about doing as a program. All of this with the intention of building towards something that will pay dividends in the future. It means taking a hard look at the program and turning any assumptions you had about it upside down.

Talk is cheap, from both the sunshine pumpers and the critics. Every week is a new season. Texas’s most important game right now is Rice.

It has been six seasons since 2009, when the Horns were last on top, or at least close to it. It’s time to let go of the idea that Texas is elite.

It’s time to be like those successful programs that fight and scrap week in and week out, with little resources and no ego.

Texas will come out of the slump, but how long will it take?