Texas Football: Is offseason adversity a teaching opportunity?
One offseason ago, Texas brought in transfer wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Much of the attention for the move went to what Texas gained and not what the team he transferred from lost.
The team he transferred from was Michigan, who had just come off a 2-4 “Covid Season” in 2020. The loss of Worthy only added to the angst in Ann Arbor, as the Wolverines started unranked in the preseason AP poll.
Michigan overcame adversity and made their first ever College Football Playoff.
I am not suggesting Texas is about to make a playoff run, but the precedent for a bounce back season after comparable disappointment is there.
Presently, Texas sits outside the preseason Top 25. For the first time since immediately after the Maryland loss in 2018, there is a case that Texas is being underestimated nationally. It’s an opportunity for the Longhorns to work outside the spotlight, without the hype.
Injuries to Isaiah Neyor and Junior Angilau have potential to unite the team around winning for their injured teammates.
Texas already had adversity built into their early schedule. The Alabama game looms large for Texas with a national audience figuring to watch. We will see if Texas uses that adversity to build resilience this season.
