Report on injuries and opt-outs from the Sugar Bowl: Texas and Washington will play each other again, but on separate paths
The Longhorns have added players since their matchup with Washington a year ago.
It will be the second time in little over a year that the No. 2 Washington Huskies and the No. 3 Texas Longhorns square off in the postseason when they play in the Sugar Bowl in hopes of advancing to the CFP Final. With one score remaining, Texas held the ball down one touchdown in the Alamo Bowl 2022, but Washington was able to fend off a late Texas surge. The Longhorns battled until the very end, attempting to mount an unlikely comeback and force overtime with a 46-yard fourth-down convert from Quinn Ewers to Casey Cain. Texas’s late surge—scoring 17 of its 20 points in the second half—was partly necessary since the offense struggled to get going early because of two crucial opt-outs, Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson.
Throughout the regular season, the Longhorns relied on that duo to pace the offense. However, with both players preserving their bodies for the NFL draft and star linebacker DeMarvion Overshown out, Texas was forced to figure out how to operate an offense without its best two players. They didn’t, and as a result, the first half saw just three points.
Despite being hindered by an offseason surgery-related hernia ailment, running back Jonathan Brooks’ touchdown streak showed that the Longhorns had worked out their system and how to move the ball against Washington.
In addition to losing those significant opt outs, Brooks will not be available for Texas this season as he has missed the previous three games due to an ACL tear. In contrast to last year, though, they know exactly who they have at running back going into their game against Washington: after Brooks’s injury, CJ Baxter, Jaydon Blue, Keilan Robinson, and Savion Red have all played significant snaps. Texas’s ability to run the ball consistently could be a not-so-secret weapon in this game because Washington’s ground attack is vulnerable. The Longhorns will probably benefit more from it, and the Huskies’ offense will probably be kept off the field.
With the exception of Brooks, Texas should be well-prepared for the game, making the most of the month between the Big 12 Championship Game and the CFP Semifinal to allow their star players to recover. Players like Baxter, cornerback Ryan Watts, right tackle Christian Jones, tight end JT Sanders, and wide receiver Xavier Worthy all struggled with injuries during the season, but they should be fully fit going into the game.
For the majority of Texas players—though not all—who have already made the decision to use the NCAA transfer portal, the same cannot be true.
Players’ capacity to research their options on the portal directly conflicts with the exceptional chance to participate for a national title because of the tangled and expedited college football schedule. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is giving athletes the freedom to choose whether to use the portal and stay on the team, in keeping with his custom of putting culture first. However, players are still required to uphold the program’s cultural standards.
Safety Larry Turner-Gooden and offensive lineman Sawyer Goram-Welch made that choice along with Cain, who flashed his big play ability in the last matchup against Washington, but multiple players left the team instead of playing in the playoffs. Perhaps the biggest name that was unable to take advantage of the offer was former QB2 Maalik Murphy, who decided to transfer to Duke ahead of the CFP, illustrating the struggles with the December calendar and the CFP.
His decision to participate in spring football at Duke, which is sensible for a quarterback hoping to start the next season, is representative of the bigger issue with December and January in college football. Even though participants in the CFP are eligible for more allowances, the window is frequently filled during the condensed 30-day window due to the added stress of classes beginning in Durham just two days following the CFP championship.
With that move, Texas is now just one injury away from having a five-star rookie, New Orleans native and top prospect Arch Manning, take over in a championship circumstance.
Setting aside the memories of 2009, the Longhorns appear to be in much better shape in terms of participation and health.
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