Texas not back yet, but perception of Longhorns and Bulldogs beginning to align

“Texas is back, folks!”

Joe Tessitore, meme extraordinaire.

That one phrase, which the ESPN commentator delivered live back in 2016 happened as then-Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes dove into the end zone at Darren K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium for a game-winning touchdown over Notre Dame. The Longhorns were 1-0, third-year coach Charlie Strong had the offense scoring again, and Texas was back to beating big-name opponents.

Only, the Longhorns were very much not back. And Tessitore’s passionate exclamation sparked hundreds of parody videos years later.

The Notre Dame win jumped them to No. 11 in the polls. But, as it turned out, the Fighting Irish would finish 4-8 that season. The Longhorns would go 4-7 over their next games, and Strong’s third consecutive losing season in Austin ended with the current-USF coach being fired.

The Longhorns still aren’t “back” yet, per say. But their new guy has them well on their way.

“If you’re measuring the trajectory of our program … (the Sugar Bowl) is another very important step,” said Longhorns coach Tom Herman. “Winning it would certainly be even bigger.”

Herman knows what it takes to win the big ones. Hired by Texas in 2017, Herman previously held the head coaching job at Houston and offensive-coordinator duties at Ohio State. At Houston, he took the Cougars to the 2015 Peach Bowl and convincingly beat a Jimbo Fisher-coached Florida State team. The next season, his Cougars trounced Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and Louisville.

At Texas, meanwhile, Herman went 7-6 in his first season. The Longhorns sit at 9-4 in his second season, about to play for a New Year’s Six bowl.

Sound familiar?

Kirby Smart’s first season in Athens ended with an appearance in the Liberty Bowl, and the Bulldogs finished 8-5 in 2016. One year later, it was a Rose Bowl tilt with Oklahoma (and a national championship appearance) on the schedule.

Now, the Sugar Bowl is not a playoff matchup this year, as it was a season ago. But the trend is noticeable, and Texas is, certainly, on the road to “being back” with Herman at the helm. And that has not gone unnoticed, especially on the recruiting trail.

“I think the national brand of Texas has stepped up with some of the bigger games they’ve been able to play in,” Smart said, in his final press conference before the teams play on New Year’s Day (8:45 p.m., ESPN). “I know from a recruiting standpoint we’ve gone head to head because he’s come to Georgia and recruited nationally. He’s come to Florida and recruited nationally. And we’ve gone to Texas.”

Indeed, the Bulldogs have gone to Texas — Smart’s staff pulled four-star safety Lewis Cine from Trinity Christian School (Cedar Hill, Texas) — and Herman pulled four-star Derrian Brown from Buford this past recruiting cycle.

The perception of Texas, as a program, never changes: It’s still Texas. The program’s history (the Longhorns certainly boast plenty) is not going anywhere. Now, newly-rejuvenated with a promising head coach in the age of social media, the Longhorns are making their presence felt. Even as far east as Athens.

Which brings its own set of challenges for Smart, who made a clear effort to stretch the Bulldogs’ recruiting wingspan across various states this past cycle.

“You’re talking about both schools with the ability because of the tradition, because of the history, I think because of the academics, because of the location of both schools and the attractiveness of both cities I think allow us to go anywhere to recruit,” Herman said. “But (Smart) is going to try to keep the best players in the state of Georgia in the state. And we’re going to do our best in the state of Texas as well.”

Texas may not be “back” yet, but it is sure on its way. And its impact on the team in Athens could be lasting.

“It’s culture and there are going to be going against each other Tuesday,” Texas wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey said. “Whose culture is going to override the other? It’s doing the little things that can set us apart.”

Added Smart: “I’ve had immense respect for (Herman) for a long time. He is turning Texas around.”