Why The Texas Longhorns Can Bounce Back in 2013

Dec 29, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive end Alex Okafor (80) reacts against the Oregon State Beavers during the second half of the Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome. Texas beat Oregon State 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas Longhorns haven’t been the Longhorns we’ve been accustomed to seeing since 2009, which was Colt McCoy’s last year in Austin. Losing the QB with the most wins in your school’s history would be a blow for any program but it has made UT a shell of its former self. The next year the Longhorns went 5-7 and gradually got better. But an 8-5 season and a 9-4 season is not something the Longhorns and Coach Mack Brown should be proud of given their past success. But there is hope and this year’s team could be the team to bring them back to prominence.

Texas ended last year 9-4 but had a good win in the Valero Alamo Bowl to finish the season. They did lose some key members of that team. The defense lost a lot of talent to the NFL like safety Kenny Vaccaro and defensive end Alex Okafor. The defense wasn’t great even with them playing but they also suffered a litany of injuries especially to the linebackers. They gave up a lot of yards and missed a lot of tackles. With a healthier defense and the return of probable first round draft pick Jackson Jeffcoat from injury this defense can make some noise. The offense on the other hand has the potential to be explosive as they showed in spurts last year. They return QB David Ash with another year under his belt and a host of weapons. They bring back slot guy Jaxson Shipley, speedster Mike Davis and utility man DJ Monroe. We can’t forget about a stable of talented running backs including former top recruit Johnathan Gray. The offense was already good but with a more experienced quarterback and improved play along the offensive line, this offense could be elite.

What most people will remember about last season is the 62-21 beating they received at the hands of rival Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Over the last three years this team has been very inconsistent. But there are two constants on this team: talent and Mack Brown. With another good recruiting class coming in and the returning upperclassmen this team can easily compete for the title in a weakened Big 12 due to departures and possibly a BCS bowl game.