ANN ARBOR, MICH. – Forget back. Texas has arrived. And they’re not going anywhere. 

That’s the new reality for the road warrior Longhorns after extending their winning streak in true road games to eight while simultaneously snapping Michigan’s 23-game winning streak at Michigan Stadium in a 31-12 victory. It was the second year in a row that Texas waltzed into a Top 10 opponent’s stadium and left with a double-digit win after knocking off Alabama in Week 2 of 2023. 

The Horns ended up winning a conference championship and reaching the College Football Playoffs last year. This year, the highs could be even higher. Texas is unquestionably one of the four or five teams with a roster talented and deep enough to withstand what could be equivalent to an NFL regular season if this group reaches the SEC and national championship games. 

“None of these moments should feel too big for us anymore,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the game. “This is who we are (now).” 

Climbing back to the top of the college football mountaintop wasn’t a guaranteed reality for the Longhorns when Sarkisian was hired after the 2021 season. It felt like a burnt orange mirage through the Charlie Strong and Tom Herman eras. Even after a 5-7 Year 1 under Sarkisian when his Horns couldn’t hold onto a lead. He inherited a program that didn’t possess enough scholarship offensive linemen to hold a spring game in 2021. He’s developed a program that bullied the Wolverines in the Big House by 2024. 

“At the end of the day, we just want to continue to play our brand of football and focus on the opinions inside of our walls to continue to get better week in and week out,” Quarterback Quinn Ewers said. He finished the game with three touchdowns and over 300 yards passing. 

Texas didn’t just beat Michigan – the Longhorns bloodied the Champions of the West. In their own yard. The Big House was Big Quiet by halftime as the Longhorns stormed to a 24-3 lead at the break. Texas outgained Michigan, 279-88, and ran 45 plays to the Wolverines’ 21 in the first half. Texas was 8 of 10 on third down, averaged 6.3 yards per play, and had 11 more first downs. The Longhorns never punted in the first half. 

The dominance continued in the second half. The Longhorn defense and its revamped secondary shutdown the Wolverines. Andrew Mukuba recorded an interception and served as enforcer in his first marquee game as a Longhorn. Derrick Williams Jr. added a pick and a handful of tackles. Jahdae Barron and Malik Muhammad were clamps on the outside at cornerback. The front seven held Michigan to under four yards a carry. 

Michigan waived the white towel in the third quarter when the maize-clad crowd watched Sherrone Moore elect to kick a field goal down 21 on fourth and seven with 5:28 left in the third quarter. Texas scored a touchdown on the next drive to flatten the final nail in Michigan’s coffin. 

“I felt like the most physical team came out on top,” safety Andrew Mukuba said after the win.

Texas is seventh in the nation with a blue-chip ratio of 72 percent, meaning nearly three-fourths of its roster were four- or five-star prospects. They are fourth on 247Sports’ Team Talent Composite behind only Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State. The Horns were 11th on that list in Sarkisian’s first season and sixth last year. Texas fields 11 former five stars and 50 former four stars on the 2024 roster. 

Over confidence feels like a birthright for the Longhorn faithful at times. The off-field bravado rarely matches the on-field results. Or, at least, that was true since 2010. And it was true for the bulk of the years between Darryl K Royal and Mack Brown. All hat, no cattle. 

Sark’s “all gas, no breaks” motto was mocked in 2021 as the Longhorns continually ran out of fuel in the second half. As Texas continued to torment the Michigan offense and pummel the Wolverine defense, it became clear – Texas can drive all the way to Atlanta for the national championship game on Jan. 20.