If last week’s win against Mississippi State had you wanting to get a drink after, you are part of the majority.
I sure needed one, and around the table, talking, I noticed a trend with how people were thinking. It was a two-sided debate: the “we-are-terrible” team vs. the “at-least-we-won” team.
And in this debate, somewhere in the middle of it, something clicked in my basketball-intensified mind.
We are in the middle of March Madness: Texas Football Edition.
For those who don’t know me, I grew up a big college basketball fan and a proud Duke Blue Devil, at that. I’ve been tapped into the realm of college hoops longer than I could even remember. My first book I ever picked up, believe it or not, was a bracket book of every NCAA tournament dating back to 1939.
I liked this thought. Think about it, Texas is in survive-and-advance mode. Win, and you are one step closer to the playoffs. Lose? Maybe next year, gentlemen.
It does not matter how it’s done. Back-to-back overtime wins against unranked opponents? Who cares! Texas takes this sport one week at a time, one game at a time and currently at 3 – 1 in conference play, that’s not too shabby.
But here’s the deal — Texas has arguably the hardest schedule to close out the year — it’s a hard path to the College Football Playoff.
They have to get through No. 9 Vanderbilt this week, No. 5 Georgia in Athens and No. 3 Texas A&M at home to round out the year. Lose one of those games — or god forbid to Arkansas — and this year is over. Hasta la vista. See you next season, Longhorns.
At Texas, it’s always the expectation to be invited to the dance, to compete for national championships. A playoff berth felt almost guaranteed before the season. If Texas drops one more, I fear the stadium pulse of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium will fall to the ground.
Interest will be lost, and hearts will be crushed as the minds of Texas faithful will dwindle with college football depression.
But that’s the thing about March Madness, or Texas Madness in this case — it’s not supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to make your heart rate spike to a dangerous level or make your voice start to crack.
Texas is not just playing football right now. They are surviving the madness. Every Saturday feels like a one-possession game — a last-second shot — a season on the brink.
Maybe that’s what has been making this team feel so fascinating and so conversational. They’re not perfect, but it showed against Mississippi State that this squad is finding ways to win. That’s not something we usually see down here in Austin.
The problem is, “survive-and-advance” only works if you keep advancing, keep winning and with the road ahead, survival might be tough.
So, my beloved, easygoing, stress free, totally not bat crazy Longhorn fans, buckle up! It’s tournament time, and if Texas is going to dance its way into December, they just have to keep on winning.
