Texas thoroughly demolished a team that, as my emails during the game can attest, worried me as a real thorn in the run to the Roses. The defensive performance was one of the best I have seen out of a Texas squad, and, for me, solidifies Muschamp as a certified coaching stud. All that had been lacking on that side of the ball was the ability to make game changing turnovers, and that notion was thrown out the window with a vengeance last night.
So I wake up this morning, sit down at the computer, and the pregnant Mrs. Neurotic Fan asks if I am going to pen a masterpiece for SLAE. To that, I respond that I don't feel inspired. And that says something, I think, about this victory and this team. A thorough working over of Okie Lite would normally inspire all sorts of hyperbole in this Texas observer. But this particular Cowboy pounding (and boy does that sound wrong) was like something delivered by a $3 hooker working above the local saloon. Efficient, straightforward, direct and without airs. The proper end was achieved, but in no way does it feel as though work is done.
I tend to believe that the attitude of the fanbase is generally a good reflection of the attitude of the Horns. One of Mack's shortcomings (or perhaps it is an unintended consequence of his style) is a decision to acknowledge and address the perceptions and expectations that surround this program. Whether consciously or unconsciouslly, Mack's attempts to identify and diffuse the pressures of being Texas football can have effect of infusing Texas teams with the general tenor of the fans (and vice versa).
If I'm correct, I think this year's Horns are in a good position. I know I come out of this game unsatisfied. Not with the performance, which was excellent in many respects, but with the state of the season. There is very little about this year that leaves me with a sense of complacency, and that is essential in a game in which every week can make or break the season. In 2005, complacency set in after the OU game. That team was so good offensively that there was a sense we were playing at 75% for most of the season and were still able to win. However, the 75% almost bit that team in the ass in College Station that year, and only VY's dominance and the Greatest Moment Ever allowed the team to reach their ultimate goal.
This year, there doesn't seem room for slacking. Yes, the defense has been dominant; but that has been a by-product of intense effort on a weekly basis, and lots of work by Muschamp -- not sheer dominance by athletic gods. The offense's shortcomings have been well-documented, and will require weekly preparation, adjustment, focus, and, in some cases, muddling-through. Together, the need for constant work from this team on a week to week basis will make them better and should help us avoid the potential pratfalls that remain on our schedule.
This is a strange position for Texas and a strange position for me. Is this what optimism feels like???
