As all of you know, the past few years for football in the state of Texas has been a far cry from what the state has become accustomed to. From the fall of a football blue blood in the University of Texas, to the terribly mediocre Texas A&M University, football has not been the same in Texas. Here is a Texan’s look at the sad state of football in Texas through the recent years.
Although I was not born here, I have spent most of my life in this great state. I have also fought hard not to adopt the sheer arrogance that most people born in this state have. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t shake it: Texas is the best damn state in the union. You want tacos? How about barbecue?Maybe burgers? Got ’em all. Maybe you’re not a food person? Beach, desert, more of a lake person? We got it. We also have something you can find in every town all around Texas: high school football. Texas has the biggest high school football following of any state and possibly the best high school football in the country. This would make you think that college football in this state would flourish, and there was a time where this was the case, but as of late, this state has been more the brunt of a joke than dominant.
The biggest joke in the state is that of the once electrifying offense that was the Baylor Bears. Those former teams were loaded with talent and coached by the now black-balled Art Briles. With all that came out on Baylor, who knows how many of those players would’ve been eligible to play if they had been following any of the NCAA’s rules. Now, Baylor hands out scholarships like candy, and it shows as the Bears are 0-8 and just awful.
Next on this list would be Texas. They’re now on their second coach since the 2014 season and they haven’t been good since a few years before Mack Brown left the program. We shouldn’t have to ask if Texas is back because they should always be in contenion.
Another is Texas A&M, who left the Big XII to go to the SEC, where just like they did in their previous conference, they live in the shadows of a better program. After this weekend when TCU was upset by Iowa State, all hope for college football in the state of Texas was lost. The best team in the state right now is North Texas, and that’s sad, but Go Mean Green! Bring us home that CUSA title!
Whats the reason for all of this lackluster football? It’s simple. Recruiting this state can’t even keep its high school stars stateside. Coaches can’t even recruit the blue chips in their own state. The kids here want to go somewhere that actually turns out talent like Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, and the list goes on. Tom Herman is doing his best to get some of this talent, but when your team is 4-4, it’s a hard sell to convince a kid who talks to Urban and Saban weekly. Right now it’s simple: win football games, get in-state talent to stay, get back where you belong. Until then, we will just be a little less boastful in the Lone Star state.