Are you a glass-half full or half-empty kind of guy?
It feels like the answer to this question will likely determine the prism through which one views Texas' win over unranked Arkansas on Saturday.
The glass half-full guy will tell himself that any kind of road win in the SEC in November when all you need to do is win to get to the SEC Championship game is nothing to apologize for.
The glass half-full guy will tell himself that the defense performed at a championship standard, while the offense made plays when it needed to in the 4th quarter to warrant holding its head up high when walking out of the stadium to the bus after the game.
The glass half-empty guy is scoffing at the previous two sentences.
The glass half-empty guy will tell himself that today's performance will get the Longhorns beat in College Station if such a road performance were to repeat itself in two weeks.
The glass half-empty guy will tell himself that the quarterback was substandard and that the offense is played at such a remedial level that suggesting Texas would beat an actual good team with such a performance is misguided.
Look, I suppose I would say that all of these statements can exist in the universe together without friction.
There's no reason to apologize winning in a place that provided embarrassment three years ago. Enjoy the win, Texas fans. Yet, we can't ignore the fact that you'd like to see this Texas offense building off of the Florida performance from a week ago instead of regressing from it.
The truth of the matter is that we're not going to learn what we need to know about this team until the A&M game. Will the Longhorns be ready? Will the good version of Quinn Ewers show up? Will the Longhorns have enough offense?
Today told us nothing about what those answers might be. If it did, I'd likely suggest that the half-empty guy will probably be the one whose thoughts will matter the most when this season is ultimately defined.
(Other thoughts on the game...)
* The offense just wasn't good enough. Not the passing game. Not the running game.
* Steve Sarkisian has to own this mess. It's not completely a Quinn Ewers problem, but he's going to receive a lot of inspection. A 129.3 game rating against a defense that allowed 500 yards passing two weeks ago is not good enough.
* Ewers By quarter...
1st quarter: 6 of 9 for 48 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (148.1 rating)
2nd quarter: 9 of 14 for 52 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (95.5 rating)
3rd quarter: 1 of 4 for 30 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT (88.0 rating)
4th quarter: 4 of 5 for 46 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT (223.3 rating
* What we're seeing from Alfred Collins is a reminder of the virtue of patience. It's has taken a long time for Collins to get where he is and I'll be honest when I admit that I didn't think it was going to happen... but, here we are. He's playing at a very, very high level.
* After the Texas defense finally allowed a score in the third quarter, the Texas offense responded with a three and out. When Arkansas scored to cut the lead to 13-10, the Texas offense responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive that put the lead back to two scores. That touchdown drive was massive.
* Texas running backs hate ball security. That's a Tashard Choice issue at some point, right?
* Jahdae Barron in the first half: 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 interception.
* Anthony Hill didn't get on the stat sheet in the first half. At all. A total donut.
* Trey Moore Sack Season!!!!!
* Texas Defense in the first half: 74 yards allowed (2.8 yards per play), 4 sacks, 4 first downs allowed, 1 of 6 allowed on third downs, a turnover and 0 points allowed.
* How the hell wasn't pass interference called on the defender against Matthew Golden in the end zone right before Bert Auburn made it 10-0 in the second quarter. It wasn't even close.
* Welcome back to the sack party, Mr. Simmons.
* Michael Taaffe was very good today.
* Jaydon Blue averaged 5.9 yards per carry today. That is more like it.
* The pump fake and the play design on the first touchdown pass to Matthew Golden was a thing of beauty.
* Jahsae Barron has turned into such a fantastic player. Just give him the Thorpe Award right now.
* That should have been a touchdown to Matthew Golden on the opening drive. Ewers just doesn't make those throws well. It is what it is.
* I did not have Michael Kern punting three times in the first quarter and the Longhorns still leading at the end of the quarter on my bingo card.
* Someone buy this man a beer.
