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Mr. CFB (Tony Barnhart) and A Jersey Guy (Mark Blaudschun) both love college football, but their viewpoints are often different. We at TMG are going to explore that each week.

Topic:  Will Texas develop into a national power in the SEC in the next five years?

Mr. College Football

This is not a complicated question.

Just because Texas football has been lost in the wilderness for a decade doesn't mean the Longhorns are destined to stay there.

Jersey Guy, I know you're skeptical about our friends in Austin. But hear me out.

 Let's look at the basics of what it takes to be a national power in college football:

**--A huge fan base that supports the program both in ticket sales and contributions. Check.

**--An athletic department with the resources to hire great coaches and give them the resources to compete at the highest level. Check. Texas has the largest athletic budge ($187 million) in the FBS.

**--A strong in-state recruiting base. Check. In 2020 Texas was second only to Florida's 59 in the number of blue-chip recruits produced (54). The key is getting them to stay home. And to do that you need to have......

**--A strong conference affiliation. Double check. We're not sure exactly when Texas will become a member of the SEC. But when it does the Longhorns it will get a boost to recruiting. Since rival Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012, the Aggies have made hay in recruiting by offering something the University of Texas could not: A chance to play in the SEC. That will change.

**--An elite head coach. To be determined. Steve Sarkisian is a great play caller. He knows how to work with and develop quarterbacks (ask Mac Jones). But does that make him a great head coach? This is a hard job because the big-money boosters tend to stick their nose in where it doesn't belong. The head coach at Texas has to tell those folks back off. But you better win.

That is the great unknown that could ulitmately make me wrong about this five-year window.

But sooner or later Texas will find the right head coach who will maximize all the benefits and minimize the shortcomings in Austin.

Jersey Guy, I'm betting that Steve Sarkisian will be that guy and the Longhorns will be challenging for the SEC championship by 2025.

A JERSEY GUY:

Does Nebraska and the Big Ten sound familiar to you, Mr. CFB?

It should because the motivation for leaving the comfort of success in the Big 12 with the Huskers is being followed by the Longhorns.

Follow the Money.

The problem was that Nebraska went from an elite program in the Big 12--as well as a leader--to an also-ran in the Big Ten West.

The Huskers have left lots of stink bombs in their decade long stay with the Big Ten, but hardly a footprint.

Now we will grant you that Texas has more resources, many more than Nebraska, but you answered your own question when you brought up questions about the leadership.

If Urban Meyer had replaced Tom Herman--as many Longhorn fans and officials hoped--this move would have set off tsunami warnings in Tuscaloosa, Athens and all points South and East in the SEC.

Steve Sarkasian? Nope doesn't do it. What's Saint Nick's record against former assistants?

Texas is too good to stay in the also ran pile on a long term basis, but until they get better leadership or during the next five years, we are going to say, we will hear much more from Oklahoma than the Longhorns.