Now that Colorado State is in the rearview mirror, No. 4 Texas can turn its full attention to No. 9 Michigan and Saturday’s trip to the Big House in Ann Arbor.
The Longhorns are ready and eager to face the defending champion Wolverines on their own turf.
“Man, I’m excited just to rise to that level of competition and just get ready to play them,” linebacker David Gbenda said. “It's going to be fun. It's going to be a great atmosphere. I'm really excited.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he noticed a different tone inside the locker room after Saturday’s 52-0 win over the Rams.
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“They didn’t want anybody just walking out of that locker room,” Sarkisian said. “They want to get themselves ready to go. And they know it’s a heck of a challenge. Hey, we’re going to play the national champions on the road at their place, a team that’s been in the College Football Playoff three years in a row and finally won it last year.
“Everyone’s talking about them losing 13 players that got drafted. Well, we lost 11, OK, and we think we’re pretty good,” Sarkisian added. “Well, I think Michigan’s probably sitting up there in Ann Arbor thinking they're pretty good too. So, it's going to be a heck of a challenge for us.”
The Wolverines (1-0) lost a ton of talent and their head coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL. But Michigan cruised through its season opener and notched a 30-10 win over Fresno State.
“I mean, I’m dialed in. I’m dialed in tonight for this,” Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron said Saturday afternoon. “I’ll be watching those guys tonight and just understanding the respect level.
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“They’re the defending champ, so they’re going to come with it, and we got to make sure that we bring our best,” Barron said. “And it starts now. It doesn’t start on Monday. It starts now and what you do right now in today’s preparation, just take care of your body and hydrating and things like that to get ready for Monday.”
Strange as it sounds, Texas and Michigan have met only once in school history. It was the 2005 Rose Bowl where quarterback Vince Young led a wild comeback that ended with a 38-37 Texas victory. That win at the end of the 2004 season energized the Horns for the next 12 months, and Texas did return to Pasadena, Calif., to win the national title.
The Longhorns and Wolverines are two of the most tradition-rich programs in college football. Now, it’ll be billed as a clash of SEC and Big Ten franchises.
“They're a great outfit and a great team and returning of a lot of talent, so it’s going to be fun,” Gbenda said.
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