After 3 straight wins for the Texas Longhorns, Saturday at home against No. 9 Vanderbilt felt like an opportunity to make a statement.
And boy, oh boy, did Texas make a statement. After struggling to separate from Kentucky and Mississippi State, the ‘Horns faced questions. Then they opened up a 24-10 halftime lead on the Commodores and finally looked like the balanced, explosive team many thought they’d be in the preseason.
The performance was enough to convince former Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant to stake a claim on the Longhorns’ future: They’re going to the College Football Playoff, and those who jumped off the bandwagon aren’t welcome back.
“Whenever Arch and (Steve Sarkisian) take Texas to the college playoffs,” Bryant wrote on social media, “make sure all the folks who shared hate stay on that side.”
Assuming the Longhorns pull out the victory — they took a 34-10 lead into the fourth quarter — they will move to 7-2 on the season and 4-1 in league play.
The head-to-head will knock Vanderbilt out of contention for the league title game. The Longhorns will take on Georgia next week with a chance to add another bullet to their résumé. They also still have a game against unbeaten Texas A&M.
Winning their way to the SEC title game would likely guarantee them a spot in the CFP, regardless of that game’s result.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
