Why the hype surrounding Texas is warranted entering 2023 season

On3’s JD PicKell asked which team college football fans believe has the most hype surrounding them heading into the 2023 season. And a good amount who responded to his question aligned with the college football expert. When it comes to hype, good or bad, entering next season, the team at the top of the list for most it’s none other than the Texas Longhorns.

“The University of Texas at Austin is, for my money, right up there; the number one or number two hyped team in the country,” said PicKell. “There is a certain prestige around that Longhorn logo. There just is, man. And there’s a certain expectation that comes with being the school in the state. You’re a school that’s known by the state. It’s not the University of Texas at Austin; they just call you Texas. The branding itself carries some weight with it. So that’s the expectation. That’s the hype that’s always gonna be there.”

For better or worse, the flagship school of the University of Texas system, in the state capital of Austin, TX, carries a ton of cachet in the college sports world. On the football field, the Longhorn logo was synonymous with national championships in the 60s, 70s, and early part of the 80s. And in the 2000s, former Texas head coach Mack Brown brought the program back to the pinnacle of college football after leading the Longhorns to the 2005 national championship.

While history and prestige play a significant role in why Texas is viewed in college football, it is only part of the reason why there is so much hype surrounding the team. According to PicKell, the hype surrounding them as they head into the 2023 season has much to do with the level of talent on the team’s roster.

“The reason why there’s extra hype this year is because you look at the roster. This is the best roster you’ve had on campus now in a hot minute. This is a culture now going into year three- a quarterback that is probably the most talented quarterback you’ve had on campus since Colt McCoy. There’s all these things that come together combined with the fact that the conference itself is pretty wide open. A lot of people are picking Texas to win the Big 12 in 2023 before they head out to the SEC. There’s a lot that pieces together really well on this roster.

PicKell on what naysayers think about Texas hype

Now for all the positive hype surrounding Texas, there is a good amount of negative hype. And as PicKell dived further into the topic, he gave some insight into why those individuals feel the way they do.

“So the people saying Texas is hyped for the wrong reasons, I would say: one, you’re wrong. But two, I understand where you’re coming from. Because for people that oppose the Texas hype, they’re saying it’s the boy that cried wolf. Boy, that cried wolf-vibe is how you would explain the opposition of Texas. People are saying, yeah, Texas has always been talented. They’ve always been supposed to win that conference -recruited the best, but when does it ever come together? For reasons I just said; the culture, the head coach, the potential at quarterback, and all the skill positions that are proven commodity now in Texas, I think a reason to be excited.

So I’ll just say this; the hype around Texas is warranted. It’s also unavoidable. But this is the year for the good folks in Austin where you’re expecting now some return on investment. You’ve put in so much, investment-wise, now is the year, in year three, where you expect to get back some on that investment in the form of wins.

Whether you’re a fan of the program or not, Texas does indeed have a ton of hype surrounding the program. Whether you love them, hate them, or love to hate them, the Longhorns are consistently one of the most-watched programs in college football. And this year, with the talent they have on their roster, there will be more eyes on them than they’ve had in recent history. That alone is plenty enough reason for them to be one of the most, if not the most, hyped programs heading into 2023.