Texas Football Q&A with Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman

Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Cedric Golden, senior sportswriter for the Austin American Statesman.

Mr. Golden covers both the Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys for the newspaper and is a highly regarded writer in the Austin community.

I highly encourage everyone to go read Mr. Golden's work, either in the Statesman or on the Statesman's website.

I thank Mr. Golden for taking time out of his busy work schedule to communicate with me. 

The questions I asked were regarding the Longhorns. These were his answers:

Dino: What has impressed you most about this year's Longhorn squad?

Golden: I've been impressed with this team's resiliency. They were behind, 14-3, to Oklahoma, the nation's top-ranked ranked team at the time, and rallied back when Texas teams in other seasons would have folded up against the Sooners. The players believe in one another and they're not getting too caught up in the No. 1 hype.

D: What adjustments need to be made in order to ensure a trip to Miami?

G: They must continue to get a good pass-rush against the great offenses they will play. And the youngsters in the secondary must continue to develop, particularly the freshman safeties, Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon.

D: Could this be the greatest Longhorn team of all-time if they do indeed run the table and win another national title?

G: If they run the table and win the national title, it would not make them the greatest Texas team of all time, but it would be one heck of an accomplishment considering the youth on this team. I wasn't around for the nation title teams of 1963, 1969, and 1970, but that 2005 team was special with Vince Young at quarterback. Look at that roster and you will see a lot of guys who are playing on Sundays now.

D: How much of a difference do you believe Will Muschamp has made for the defense and the overall mentality of the team as a whole?

G: Muschamp's presence has been huge. He has brought intensity, toughness, and a sense of accountability to the defense. Mack Brown did a great job of hiring him and Major Applewhite because their addition has brought some young energy, not only to the team, but to the coaching staff.

D: Finally, who do you think deserves the No. 2 spot in the country?

G: I know Penn State and Alabama are both unbeaten, but I believe Florida and Texas are the two best teams in the country. I think Florida will win the SEC and hopefully Penn State will lose so the Gators and Longhorns can meet for the national title, assuming Texas runs the table in the Big 12.