In the annual Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, the Texas Longhorns upset their biggest rival in the Oklahoma Sooners. The Longhorns came in as a 16 and a half point underdog with a 1-4 record. That 1-4 record is deceiving though, because if not for a couple of special teams miscues, they could be 3-2.
Longhorns coach Charlie Strong had been receiving heavy criticism. That criticism is unfair, as people don’t realize Texas is only on its way up. They’ve played very well against two undefeated teams this year in California and Oklahoma State. They’re a very young team, led by a freshman sensation quarterback Jerrod Heard. Last year’s team had none of Strong’s recruits, and this year is the first time some of his recruits are showing up. He needs time to shift the team to truly being his, and today’s win was a huge step.
Reports of the team not getting along, not respecting the coach, and even a re-tweet during last week’s game by a player saying he should transfer to Texas A&M sparked controversy. The scene after the victory today had Longhorn players giving Strong a Gatorade shower and even lifting him up as a team. There was an incredible amount of energy from Texas today, resulting in what to the fans, players, and coach is the biggest win of the year. A 24-17 victory against Oklahoma and taking back the Golden Hat to Austin.
There’s still along way to go for Charlie Strong to lead the Texas Longhorns to where he wants them to be, but today was a signature moment for the whole program. With time and patience, Strong will have the Longhorns back to where they belong; competing for national championships.
“We needed this,” says Strong. “When they took the field, that was the University of Texas. Today was our day.”