Just wow. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is a huge lover of the Longhorns, but his prediction for UT’s college football game versus Alabama this September is a bit out there.
We know it’s March and that Madness is about to consume us all. But in the Lone Star State, we also know that when the bluebonnets start blooming that it’s spring football season. And that’s a big deal. Football is a 24/7/365 sport in these parts. That’s why the Texas governor, who was speaking at a business luncheon, talked Longhorn football, specifically a road game against the Crimson Tide.
He thinks Texas will win Sept. 9 at Bryant Denny Stadium. The Texas governor bases his prediction on how well UT did against the Tide last September at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin.
“Texas was ahead until like the last 15 seconds of the game,” Abbott told the audience. “And Texas would have won had it not been for what was then the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young being able to evade a tackle. (It) would have led to a sack that would have prevented Alabama from getting within field goal range to win the game. That’s how close the game was.”
And here are his thoughts about the next game.
“Now some more analysis,” Abbott said. “Texas has more returning starters than Alabama does. The quarterback that was literally running all over Alabama, Quinn Ewers, was injured early in the game. And he’ll be starting again, doing a great job. If he gets hurt he’s got a pretty good backup in (Arch) Manning. I have seen what appears to be Alabama’s starting quarterback. And he’s no Bryce Young. So I’m gonna say it’s gonna be 27-21 Texas Longhorns.”
Playing at home is usually worth three to seven points, depending on the oddsmaker’s preferences. So Gov. Abbott really believes in his analysis.
The Longhorns currently are going through spring workouts. Coach Steve Sarkisian has said that Quinn Ewers will be competing with Arch Manning for the starting job. Ewers, a five-star prospect out of high school, started as a redshirt freshman. He hurt his shoulder against Alabama and missed a month of action. Manning, another five-star prospect, is a true freshman. But he graduated a semester early from high school so he could enroll at UT for the spring.
Meanwhile, over in Tuscaloosa, coach Nick Saban must find a replacement for Bryce Young, who left school early to turn pro. So far, Young made a wise decision. Although he didn’t work out last weekend at the NFL Combine, he’s expected to be the No. 1 player selected in next month’s draft.
The leading contenders for the Alabama QB job are Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Plus, Saban signed two quarterbacks — Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan. Holstein already is on campus.
No doubt, the Texas governor won’t be the only one saying the Tide’s new quarterback is “no Bryce Young” between now and the start of football season.