Sitting in the Horseshoe’s press box in Columbus, Ohio, over 100,000 people swayed, cheered and clamored below my feet. It was rhythmic, almost like a beating pulse, as the scarlet shirts bounced in unison.
For me, it was more than just another Saturday — my first taste of covering Texas football for the Daily Texan. For head coach Steve Sarkisian, it was simply chapter one.
Every season begins with a blank page — a story waiting to be written. I found myself doing the same. Computer screen in front of me, fingers shaking as they hover over my dusty keyboard, typing away with what felt like my own journey starting with The Daily Texan.
I mean what? Did I fly all this way to watch the Longhorns lose? No way. Sarkisian was confident, sophomore quarterback Arch Manning looked ready, nothing could possibly go wrong. I thought this was it. Texas is fully back. Here. We. Go.
I was wrong.
My opening line wasn’t poetic at all. It was blunt. “No. 1 Texas fell short to No. 3 Ohio State 14-7 in its season opener.” Not exactly the fairytale beginning you want to see in chapter one.
Plenty of great stories start this way, especially in the game of football. The 2001 New England Patriots lost their opener before ending the year with their first Super Bowl. The 2007 New York Giants started 0-1, too, before shocking the world and taking down a once seemingly unstoppable New England team by season’s end.
So call me crazy, or overly-optimistic, or even cocky for that matter. But losing in the first chapter does not define a season. It dares you to write how the story ends.
“Let’s finish the book before we judge it, right?” Sarkisian said. “This is one chapter. We got a long season to go play.”
Maybe Sarkisian’s right. Maybe this really is just chapter one. And maybe, just maybe, the first chapter doesn’t have to read like a masterpiece for the ending to be forgettable.
Manning was pretty bad on Saturday and I think if you asked him how he played, he would agree. When asked what he liked while going over the tape, Manning was candid with us.
“There wasn’t much to like … I got to play better for us to win.”
The Longhorns are moving forward, as many memorable books act. It’s one step in front of the other, one page at a time.
“Let’s read the whole book before we make assessment and judgment on this passing game,” Sarkisian said. “What this team can be.”
As for me, I’m excited for week two and for the rest of the month before conference play starts to move forward. I get to keep typing, you, a Longhorn fan, get to keep watching, and the men in the burnt orange get to keep playing football.
There wasn’t much to like last week, but it’s just the beginning. Dare I call it a prologue?
The Longhorns’ season is in its infant stages and we all get the pleasure to follow along on this journey.
“The sun comes up and it’s time to attack San José State,” Manning said.
