Tom Herman Loves Gum

Texas looked like a different team on Saturday night.

And for the first time in a long time, Texas looked like a completely different program — one not mired in mediocrity, but instead, one that looked like it belonged on the same field as the Trojans.

Barking Carnival sums it all up:

Crucial deficiencies on the OL and in the booth did them in, but celebrate the fight, heart and attitude this team showed in a ferocious effort.

The future looks bright.

Every Longhorn who emerged in the tunnel after a stunning night in the Coliseum was brimming with confidence. Only the ultimate diehards would have picked Texas, a two-touchdown underdog, to beat fourth-ranked USC. The Longhorns almost knocked them out on their own turf.

The game was worthy of a Hollywood sequel.

This was no sequel of their old Hollywood classic from a decade ago, with the brightest stars on both sidelines and two of the game's most-storied programs putting on an unforgettable show.

But this remake had plenty of big moments, an ultimately satisfying follow-up for anyone who wanted to see USC and Texas again at the center of a national showcase.

If we only had our own Sam Darnold.

There are no moral victories.

The defense showed championship-caliber effort.

Texas’ offense wasn’t very good, and Texas’ defense showed it can be. This was good stuff, the type of play that harkens back to the Fred Akers years where outstanding defense was the norm and comingled with a lot of field goals to produce two near national championships in 1977 and 1983. This was a nearly kind of game, too.

High praise from a USC head coach Clay Helton:

“I’m so glad we caught them early in the season because that team is going to be really, really good,” Helton said after a 27-24 double-overtime win Saturday over the Longhorns.

“They’re doing some great things, and that team will continue to grow. They’ll be a pain in the butt next year when we play them again.”

Tom Herman loves gum.

Be prepared. The Pokes’ offense is going to make everyone look bad.

Three Big 12 teams are in the top 25 this week.