Former College Football Star Declares Texas Is Not Officially 'Back' Yet

The question that had been hanging over the Texas Longhorns since 2009 was as close to being answered in 2023 as it had been in any year prior.

The question, of course, being "Is Texas back?" After their title appearance in 2009, the Longhorns immediately went sub .500 the year after. On top of that, they finished a season ranked just once from 2010-17, while having more seasons under .500 than bowl wins during that same span.

After beating Georgia in 2018 in the Sugar Bowl, quarterback Sam Ehlinger declared that the Longhorns were back before the team went 15-8 in the two ensuing years. Steve Sarkisian took over the program that once ran college football that had since turned into a meme, went 5-7 in year one, 8-5 in year two and 12-2 in year three with a Big 12 title and playoff appearance.

Texas is now viewed as a lock to make the College Football Playoff again, and most fans and analysts around the country are no longer asking themselves if Texas is back. However, while making an appearance on the On Texas Football Podcast "Coffee and Football," Texas legend Roy Williams revealed he doesn't think they are back, at least not yet.

“I think Texas is BA but I ain’t got the CK yet. Show me one more time," Williams said .

A fair assessment was made by Williams, who was in Austin around the program's peak in the early 2000s and was also taken in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft.

Realistically, what Texas accomplished in 2023 is a step in the right direction, but by no means is the mission accomplished. The Longhorns have a legitimate chance to win a title in 2024, with ESPN's FPI giving them the third-best chance in college football. The Longhorns can be considered somewhat back if they are able to contend routinely, but until they win a title or at the very least play for one, it's hard to say that they are in fact "back."

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