Much has been made in the last year about whether Texas is back. But based on the pregame actions of coach Tom Herman today, the Longhorns’ coach is taking motivation right to the head.

Texas is playing Baylor on the road on Saturday, and if that head-butting did anything, if may have only been for the defense as the Longhorns were scoreless after the first quarter. The defense picked up a fumble.

It’s been such a disappointing season for the Longhorns, sitting at 6-4, that some have openly questioned whether Baylor made the better hire in Matt Rhule. Texas is in the middle of the Big 12 and has lost three of the last five games.

Perhaps most alarming for Texas fans is this kind of quote from Herman, courtesy of Jim Vertuno: “Their season has been eerily similar to ours, other than they’ve been able to win those close ones.”

We’ll see if things change the rest of the game, and if Herman has any aspirin at halftime.