The Texas Longhorns face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday.
It’s a preview of what the Longhorns will face when they, along with the longtime rival Oklahoma Sooners, join the Southeastern Conference in 2024.
According to ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, who spoke with Alabama and Texas media on a Zoom call Wednesday to preview the upcoming tilt, the Longhorns are more prepared for the brutal SEC slog than the Sooners.
“If you look at Oklahoma and you look at Texas, right now the rosters … Now, Brent Venables is a couple years behind where [Steve Sarkisian] is, but it just feels like when you look at Texas, they’re closer to being where you need to be than I think where Venables is currently,” Herbstreit said, according to Eric Bailey of Tulsa World. “But I think he’ll be there as well because he understands it probably as well as anybody.
“He’ll get that program eventually there, but right now Texas, I think, is … I think they’re ready to compete. So we’ll see how it goes.”
Texas fans will no doubt feel Herbstreit’s words will give them a boost against the Tide, who are seven-point favorites entering the contest.
Regardless, Oklahoma and Texas play each other in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 7th.
