Hey, Longhorn Nation. Want to feel better after that OU loss? We've got positives for you | Bohls

AUSTIN – Longhorn Nation, I’m here for you today.

I know you’re hurting. I feel your pain.

I’m sure you left the State Fair of Texas on Saturday and probably felt like you had a migraine from the near-90-degrees temperature and Oklahoma abuse and had an angry belly stuffed with a dozen corny dogs and three funnel cakes and maybe even a turkey leg, to boot.

So I’m here for you.

Somebody probably needs a pep talk.

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And I’m going to offer a thing or two that are positive for the Texas football team.

Like Arch Manning’s three picture-perfect touchdown passes. Those were things of beauty.

Like Derrek Cooper’s bullish runs. Yeah, would have been nice to see about 12 more carries out of the young freshman but what are you going to do?

Like Cam Coleman’s receptions. He finally showed up.

Like a killer defense. Heck, Will Muschamp‘s been so good, I think I’m going to write his name in for governor of Texas. He’ll stop higher gas prices.

Like …. OK, that’s all I’ve got. But it’s something. Feel better?

For the 92,100 on hand at the Cotton Bowl, Texas clearly did more to lose that game than win it.

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Above all, the Longhorn offense had to shoot themselves in the foot, leg, arm, chest and face to inexplicably fall to a bad Oklahoma team. Any one of the following things that goes differently probably results in a win instead of a 27-24 loss to the unranked, unappreciated and uninspiring Sooners on a muggy Saturday afternoon.

It took a blocked punt by an unblocked OU rusher and a ball that somehow stays in the end zone long enough to be recovered.

It took two of the worst interceptions a Texas quarterback has ever thrown.

It took total timidity by Steve Sarkisian on a fourth-and-2.

It took a highly questionable pass interference call in the end zone against Kade Phillips to give the Sooners the ball on the 2 for a short touchdown.

It took brainlock by Sarkisian not to give Cooper the ball more than two touches in the second half after he bowled over the OU defense for 41 yards in the first half.

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It took a bizarre, roughing-the-passer call against a Sooners wide receiver, of all people, on a trick play that was diagnosed and completely covered from the outset.

It took not just an interception but a careening runback and a 42-yard pick six, the first of Manning’s career.

It took eight penalties for 61 yards. Stop me if you’ve heard that one before.

It took two spectacular sideline catches by Isaiah Sategna III, one of the best receivers in the SEC.

It took two field goals of 53 and 47 yards by the other kicker.

And that doesn’t even mention the opening kickoff that goes out of bounds, the wasted timeout when OU briefly showed a fake punt, the lack of any significant punt return (16 total yards), the wide field-goal try, the lack of double coverage on Sategna, etc., etc.

If maybe one of those plays or decisions went Texas’ way, the Longhorns would be unbeaten at 5-0 today and possibly still ranked No. 1 or no lower than No. 2 in the country.

Now don’t you feel better?

Yeah, didn’t think so. But a ton had to go wrong for the Sooners to even have a chance to win. So maybe the difference between winning and losing was razor-thin.

That loss to an OU team embarrassed by Georgia won’t sit well forever because Texas has the better team. I’m convinced of that. I think Texas would win eight of 10 games if they played that many. Maybe nine.

The Longhorns outgained OU by 144 yards, outrushed OU by 39 yards, outpassed OU by 105 yards, but none of that mattered. Texas led at halftime by 10. Texas led after three quarters. Texas had more sacks and more tackles for a loss, but more mistakes, more lapses in judgment, more reason for angst on a Monday.

But the feeling inside the Cotton Bowl was that the Sooners had more momentum in the second half and even in the fourth quarter in spite of trailing. Their energy sustained them and propelled them to victory.

“It sucks losing to them, for sure,” Texas All-American offensive tackle Trevor Goosby said. “Props to them. They played a hell of a game. You know, they played like they wanted it more. And ultimately we just got to look at ourselves in the mirror and realize what we did wrong.”

I read an ESPN story that reported, with the stats favoring Texas, the Longhorns should have won 93% of the time.

As always, Sarkisian was philosophical in defeat. He said the team can’t let this defeat linger into the week before hosting Florida on Saturday, but showed no anger and wasn’t exactly apologetic.

When I asked what was missing and where was the disconnect with the coaching staff and a payroll that approaches $50 million, Sarkisian waxed poetic.

“I think you can go through ebbs and flows of rhythm and scheme and tying it all together and the personnel and all those things,” the sixth-year Longhorn head coach said. “And so clearly we’ve been just a little bit off. I think we’re close. And that’s the encouraging part, and I think we can get there. And so that’s the challenge.”

A little bit off?

Uh, try a lot off.

Texas ranks in the bottom half of the SEC in total offense (12th out of 16 teams), rushing offense (12th) and scoring (11th). Its running game stands 88th in the nation. The Longhorns have had, what, one dynamic offensive quarter all season. That’s a national championship contender?

Not likely.

Manning admitted to frustration Monday after his roller coaster of a game that included three beautiful touchdown passes and two of the ugliest interceptions he’s ever thrown.

Asked if he beats himself up, the senior quarterback said, “Obviously, a little frustrated or a lot frustrated after a loss like that. It’s tough. It was a long Sunday, but it’s about how you bounce back.”

Until this offensive quandary gets fixed, Sarkisian will have to continue to address the issue of whether he should go the Ryan Day, Kalen DeBoer and Kirby Smart route and hire a play-caller to improve that part of the game.

When I asked him about that Monday, Sarkisian said, “I think, like anything, when you think about a play-caller, you think about a great player, you think about a great offense, we always think about the best things that they’ve ever done. And there’s always moments throughout a year where you maybe have lulls, and our job is to work our way through that lull.”

Ranking 79th in offense in college football qualifies as one hell of a lull. Maybe even a perfect storm. Texas has had lulls in all but the fourth quarter against Ohio State, for the most part.

Perhaps Florida’s deficiencies on defense are the perfect tonic for all that ails Texas. The Gators haven’t been able to stop anyone with their 109th total defense and 131st pass defense.

Or maybe the Longhorns will find new creative ways to lose.

Oh, and here’s one more positive. The Longhorns don’t have it as bad as that, uh, cesspool in College Station.

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This article originally published at Hey, Longhorn Nation. Want to feel better after that OU loss? We’ve got positives for you | Bohls.