Longhorns Suffer Through Another Almost-Successful Season

AUSTIN - There were a couple of buzzwords spoken by the Longhorn players and coaches after their loss to the Aggies Friday night at Kyle Field.

The two most common were "inconsistency" and "disappointed."

These words certainly hold true. Texas was inconsistent in all but three of their games, against Rice, Iowa State, and Texas Tech.

And after their second consecutive loss to Texas A&M to end the regular season, disappointment is about the only emotion these coaches and players can feel right now.

But I'd like to add two more words which could accurately describe this season:

Mediocre and uninspired.

Having been embedded with these players and coaches for this season, I picked up on a few things.

The players, in general, were neither overly sad after a loss nor happy after a win, which is why I call these players uninspired.

Week-in and week-out, Texas coach Mack Brown would talk about surviving the other team's surge. But Texas never enjoyed its own surges, which come from being emotionally charged, and constantly found itself behind in the fourth quarter.

The only game in which the Longhorns looked inspired was Oklahoma, which was a nice change of pace. But good teams must have at least a small amount of emotional attachment to each game.

This team lacked that investment, which is why I call them mediocre. The Longhorns have all the talent in the world, but without a fire underneath, talent can only get a team so far.

Texas was able to come back against most teams, because of their talent. But in a rivalry game, those opportunities just won't arise.

All this being said, the Longhorns have a bright future.

They will return next year with a talented and tested receiving corps, led by Quan Cosby. Texas will also have a legitimate Heisman candidate in running back Jamaal Charles, and Colt McCoy is a solid enough at quarterback for the Longhorns to put together a BCS-type season.

But, as was apparent this season, these players need to find a little inspiration, or they’ll finish right where they are today—a middle-of-the-road team with nothing but disappointment in their locker room.