Texas football banquet could be Mack Brown's last as a Longhorn

The Texas Longhorns are holding their annual football banquet on Friday night amid continued talk about the job status of embattled head coach Mack Brown, who is set to make another public appearance, as are new athletic director Steve Patterson and university president Bill Powers, who survived possible removal yesterday.

There isn't expected to be a retirement announcement from Brown during the banquet, which begins at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on the Longhorn Network, but the tone of the banquet could be telling for what happens in the next few days.

One of the most interesting story lines in the whole process also has yet find resolution, as it's not clear whether the meeting between Brown, Powers, and Patterson has happened yet. It was supposed to happen on Thursday, but got delayed, and there has been little information on Friday about the status of that meeting, which may go a long way towards determining Brown's future in burnt orange -- if there is a future.

It's against that backdrop that a number of committed and uncommitted prospects will listen to what Brown has to say. He was focused on keeping the message about the kids during his Alamo Bowl press conference and will probably maintain a similar attitude on Friday evening, so don't expect a lot of talk about his future.

Of course, there's also the chance that Brown announces his retirement and shocks the world.