Texas Football: 5 overreactions from loss to Oklahoma State

3. Longhorns are one year away from contending

It seems like we say this every year since the end of the Mack Brown-era in Austin, but something does feel different with Texas this year. The Longhorns are actually a much improved team after the departure of former head coach Charlie Strong.

Not only is the offense starting to click and the passing game looking much more consistent, the defense is playing at a whole other level. Texas has now held Oklahoma State to 13 points, Oklahoma to 29 points, and Iowa State to seven points.

Obviously Texas is out of the running for the Big 12 Championship this season. Yet, it’s not out of the question for them to contend next season. In fact, Texas will likely be a popular pick to win the conference with another year of Ehlinger and Tom Herman.

The improvement for the defense, especially the secondary, is a sign that things are really turning around in Austin. Plus, it’s only a matter of time before a blue blood program like Texas is able to put things back together anyway.