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The top Texas football fireworks from the recent past

by: RT Young07/02/25
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Arch Manning (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

In honor of our nation’s independence and the celebration that accompanies it, I wanted to look back at a few memorable ‘fireworks’ from Texas football’s recent past.

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We’re 59 days out from the season, but still firmly in the dog days of summer. There’s little drama or palace intrigue right now.

And you said you wanted Texas to be back? These slow times are the consequence of such wishes.

Firework #1: The Houston Chronicle Leaks Texas & OU’s SEC Elopement

I still remember where I was when I read the report that the Longhorns and Sooners were intending to leave the Big 12 for the SEC. The times were still a bit COVID-y, and I was on a soul-sucking work Zoom on my back deck. 

“I gotta go, something came up,” I lied.

I then refreshed Inside Texas frantically. The nothing-burger statements by Greg Sankey and the athletic directors made it obvious something was up. Then the sweaty and frantic attempt by Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork to kill the move all but confirmed it was real. It was one of the most unbelievable moments of my sports life. 

Firework #2: Arch Manning Commits to Texas

This commitment was so far-reaching I was told about it by my mother-in-law. She’s a huge Longhorns fan but not exactly “online.” We were on the beach playing with the kids and my phone was at the house. I came back to an ungodly amount of texts—from the all-caps gibberish of excited Texas fans to bewildered casuals who couldn’t believe Steve Sarkisian landed a member of the Manning family just months after losing to Kansas at home. Previous commitments of Kelvin Banks and transfer Quinn Ewers were proof of concept, but the blessing of football’s royal family was like Sarkisian’s program being anointed with holy water. The Mannings believed in what was coming to the Forty Acres before most fans did.

Firework #3: Tom Herman is Fired / Steve Sarkisian is Hired

I never believed Herman was coming back, but the waiting—after the failed Urban Meyer heist and Alamo Bowl against Colorado—had me tugging my shirt collar. Then came the morning of January 2, 2021, and my neck felt like it had whiplash. Notifications exploded—Herman is gone, Sarkisian is in. I had briefly wondered about Sark when he coached Alabama in the Iron Bowl while Nick Saban was out with COVID, but bigger names like Meyer and Brian Kelly seemed more likely. Then Sark was headed to Austin in what felt like minutes after Herman was axed. It was officially five

Now we’re at year five of the most exciting run Texas football has been part of in 20 years. Charlie Strong and Herman didn’t even make it to year five. On the eve of Mack Brown’s fifth year, Texas still had more questions than answers.

[Order THE LONGHORN ALPHABET: Your little Longhorns can know about famous plays like Roll Left!]

This is rare air. Enjoy the fireworks still to come.

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