We have only played two weeks of football and Texas coach Mack Brown has already made the first panic move of 2013. With the entire coaching staff feeling pressure to return the Longhorns to the national title race--Texas is 21-16 in the three seasons since their most recent national title game appearance following the 2009 season--DC Manny Diaz was demoted after the squad lost to BYU 40-21 Saturday night. Being that the Texas program is the most financially sound in the country they had the wherewithal to have former Texas and Michigan DC Gregg Robinson on hand as an analyst and he now takes over the D.
The Texas defense has underachieved but one game does not make a season. And playing BYU--who ran all over the Horns for 550y--while building a defense that needs to stop the likes of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State is a difficult task. This is generally true of the Big 12 as a whole as their defenses have to be built to play the explosive offenses found in conference which leaves them at times struggling against out of conference foes.
The main problem with the Texas program is one of perception. Fans feel that Texas is not playing to a perceived level of talent and the desire of a fan base spoiled with a 2005 national title and 2009 national runner up spot is to always win 11-13 games. The perception is that coach Mack Brown cannot keep up with newer systems. Of course not recruiting Johnny Manziel as a QB or current flavor of the month Jameis Winston of Florida State at all is putting more nails in the coffin.
The 2013 season can be saved with better play. Knock off Ole Miss Saturday and then hold serve against struggling Kansas State and Iowa State and the Longhorns will be 4-1 entering OU week. Let's see what happens.
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