After that – no. After Texas defeated No. 5 Georgia 28-21 in the 2019 Sugar Bowl, Texas quarterback and game MVP Sam Ehlinger insisted Texas football is back. “Longhorn country, we’re back!” Ehlinger shouted after the game.
Now, five seasons and many ups and downs later, Texas is ranked No. 1 for the second consecutive week as the only undefeated team remaining in the SEC. The Longhorns are currently preparing to play No. 5 Georgia on Saturday.
This may be the highest-ranked team on Texas’ schedule, but the team is treating this like every other week and staying focused on themselves.
“We have to stay crazy about ourselves,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “What we have to do is focus on the task at hand and not get caught up in what you guys are talking about or what anyone else is saying. It depends on what we do.”
But junior defensive back Michael Taaffe, who is preparing like any other week, said these intense games are the reason he came to Texas.
“From my standpoint, how I got to the University of Texas and walked in and you turned down scholarship offers to play in these games,” Taaffe said. “Even when I was a freshman, people thought I was crazy if I said, ‘I want to go to the University of Texas and play and change the narrative.’ That was my goal. ”
While the team may not acknowledge Georgia’s superior ability compared to previous opponents, it is clear that the Bulldogs have one of the best defenses in the country. Georgia has solid third-down pressure, which could make it difficult for Texas to generate any offensive momentum. In addition, Georgia has a successful offense with redshirt senior quarterback Carson Beck, a Heisman candidate. Beck led the team to a 5-1 record, throwing for 439 passing yards in the only loss against Alabama.
But the Texas defense is excited for the challenge ahead and ready to prove they are one of the best defenses in the country.
“Our full attention is on Georgia and only Georgia,” senior defensive back Jaday Barron said. “I mean, we respect them, but at the end of the day, we’re not afraid of them. It’s going to be a hell of a game.”
