The Texas Longhorns are at a crossroads after a 27-24 upset loss to Oklahoma, just five games into a season in which many expect them to compete for a national championship.
The Longhorns boast one of the nation’s top defenses under new coordinator Will Muschamp, ranking among the best in multiple statistical categories, while the offense continues to struggle. Ranking 59th in scoring and 80th in total offense is a far cry from the expectations created by the offseason transfer-portal additions.
Yet, while head coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t want to make overarching changes, whether on his coaching staff or in personnel, it’s time the offensive play-caller at least acknowledged a hard truth.
His Way or the Highway?
The usual Sarkisian-called offense isn’t working, and the solution doesn’t have to be giving up the call sheet. Instead, he can tweak what he is already calling, some of which is already working for the Longhorns.
That is embracing the unquestioned strength of this offense, which isn’t playing up to its potential; it is incorporating less of its typical run game to set up a deep play-action passing game like a pro-style offense, while using more tempo and a spread-out passing attack.
In its best moments this season, and even last season, the Texas offense has had more receivers on the field. Despite criticism of quarterback Arch Manning, he’s undoubtedly been at his best in a more spread-like passing game, where he drops back and reads the field, with help from spread formations that naturally let young quarterbacks see the defense better.
Texas showed glimpses of this on Saturday in the Red River Rivalry, where several of the Longhorns' biggest second-half plays came from spread looks—AKA using less tight-end-heavy formations in exchange for more receivers.
The 15-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Bishop in the fourth quarter came via a four-receiver formation. Texas spread out the Oklahoma defense with four split-out receivers before Manning motioned Hollywood Smothers out of the backfield to further clarify Oklahoma's defensive look.
Manning immediately opens to the left side of the formation, the side of Bishop and Ryan Wingo, and finds Bishop on a fake hitch he converts into a slant.
Texas already showed signs of being more effective in less tight-end-centric sets. The thrilling fourth-quarter comeback versus Ohio State saw Texas shift away from multi-tight-end sets (12 personnel) into 11 personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end) on 31 of its 42 plays in the game’s final 21 minutes.
The change helped Texas score 21 unanswered points to win, with Manning completing eight of his 11 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown during that stretch.
Sarkisian’s effectiveness as a play-caller may still be debated, but Texas’s offensive talent is not. The Longhorns have the talent to be one of the nation’s most lethal units, yet they need a few tweaks to turn things around.
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