Clear Eyes, Full Hearts
Eight reasons to be excited - and nervous - about UT Football's new season
Summer is here. Time to enjoy the sun, the swimming, the events that make the ATX the special place it is. But for a few, summer is simply a speedbump on the way to fall... and football. It will not be long before Longhorn football once again engulfs the city. However, what is usually a magical and exciting time of year, today carries with it some caution, as the Longhorns come off their worst season in 15 years.
...for a few, summer is simply a speedbump on the way to fall... and football!
Following up a trip to the National Championship with a devastating 5-7 record last season can cause a few fans to lose enthusiasm, and a few coaches their jobs. But it is still football and this is still Texas, so we present eight reasons to be excited and cautious about the upcoming season.
Get excited:
It’s Football dammit!
Football season is so much more than the actual games. It is also defined by the things that go along with it: Boots, Beer and BBQ. These remain fall football components that Austin does better than anywhere else in the country, no matter how well the team is playing.
Longhorn recruits #1 in the nation
One of the key indicators of a team’s long term success is ability to recruit incoming players. ESPN recently ranked UT's incoming class of recruits as the best in the nation. Texas has regularly had a top five recruiting class so this is no guarantee of future success, but right now they are certainly better than everyone else’s new players.
Increased likelihood of Matthew McConnaughey sightings
Austin’s own Dazed and Confused moviestar is a fixture at Texas football games. McConnaughey has also lent his trademark drawl to promoting the launch of the Longhorn Sports network, the first sports network dedicated solely to one school. The landmark deal should further solidify Longhorn football's status as a national brand and the pride of the Lone Star state.
Mack Brown still Head Coach
Now entering his 14th season, Coach Brown faced a lot of criticism for his team’s performance last year. But remember: He is the winningest coach in school history and one of the winningest in all of College Football. 10 consecutive seasons of nine wins or more, two trips to the BCS Title game and the 2005 National Championship create a pretty impressive track record for a former Coach of the year. He also still posts a winning record against Oklahoma. And--unlike powerhouse schools USC and Ohio State--he didn’t have to violate NCAA rules to do it.
Be Cautious:
Last season
We’re not going to lie, last season was rough! Losing to UCLA was bad enough. But A&M and Iowa State? Even the most diehard Longhorn fans have a right to be nervous.
Players From last season, still on the team
Another thing to remember, though many of the poor coaching decisions will surely be corrected, many of the players executing those decisions are still on the team. We'll see if the little brothers of Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley, Case and Jackson respectively, are able to match the brother magic in order to save the team.
Increased likelihood of Matthew McConnaughey sightings
See above. Not everything Matthew McConnaughey touches turns to gold. Consider the following movies: Failure to Launch, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Fools Gold.
Mack Brown still makes all that money and you don’t
With a record setting college football salary $5.2 million, Brown’s talents come at a hefty price and not everyone is pleased. We can forgive him for one bad season. But two bad seasons? It’s going to take a lot more than Bevo to fire up that kind of team.
One of the weekend's major talking points was the addition of the new Paddock Hospitality track at the top of Turn 1. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Although he is not in contention for a repeat championship, Lando Norris remains a crowd favorite. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Kimi Antonelli led from the start, never losing placement as he claimed his ninth win of the season. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It was hard to get a moment with Paddock star the Ferrari Pope, who posed for pictures all weekend. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Kimi Antonelli greeted the Grandstand before boarding the trailer ahead of the Driver's Parade on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Lily Zneimer stopped for a quick portrait before heading into the McLaren garage to support her boyfriend, driver Oscar Piastri.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Michael Dell made their way to the McLaren garage just before the qualifying round on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It takes a well-oiled machine of a team to win races. No drama, just fist bumps and good communication. Oh, and a fast car.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
COTA's new attraction is the theme park, aptly named COTALand. Clearly, the jury remains out on the spectacle. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It's not uncommon to see fans lined up outside of the Paddock as they wait for their favorite drivers and teams to head out for the day. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Last year's US Grand Prix winner, Max Verstappen, finished third this year after starting second on the grid. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Alpine's pit crew got their warm-ups done shortly before race start on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
"All we talk about are tires and batteries in this sport. (They're the) stars of the show," said Nic Cameron of Leeds, New York. Mercedes engineers stacked used tires from the qualifying session to send off for analysis.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Interior designer and Miss Jamaica Universe 1994 Angelie Spencer was on site to support her favorite team, Ferrari. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Having Cadillac driver and fan favorite Checo Perez back on the grid has been great for the US Grand Prix, as thousands of Mexicans come to Austin to watch their countryman race. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It's no surprise who fashion influencer Aimee Kelly supports.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Although Antonelli took home the winner’s trophy, he did not clinch the driver’s championship as some had hoped. He needed teammate George Russell to fall to 9th and ex-Mercedes world champion Lewis Hamilton to finish in 5th. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Mercedes garage was full of adrenaline as they waited for Antonelli to arrive at parc fermé and take the traditional plunge into the hands of his crew.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The championship is all but Antonelli’s, with one hand firmly on the grip of the trophy. He is expected to complete his first-ever world championship this weekend in Mexico.Photo by Daniel Cavazos