The Texas Longhorns have built themselves some positive momentum at the midway point of the season after what was disastrous back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida and after those two results, Texas dropped to a 4-2 record and became the No. 19 team in the country.
Since that second loss, the Longhorns have won consecutive games, taking down the then-Top 10 Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs, improving to a 6-2 record and in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, Texas ranked No. 7.
While the Longhorns have been trending in the right direction, with the team as a whole showing improved performance, the Texas offensive line still has questions surrounding it, and head coach Steve Sarkisian makes a bold claim about that unit heading into Saturday against the Missouri Tigers.
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) and offensive lineman Brandon Baker (73) react after Coleman caught a touchdown pass during the first half against the Mississippi State Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The five players starting upfront for the Texas offense have been inconsistent for most of the season, with up-and-down blocking on both passing and running plays. However, even with those struggles to find a rhythm, Sarkisian believes his offensive line is more than prepared for the challenge and ready to make a statement against Missouri.
"They worked really hard," Sarkisian said at his Thursday media availability. "They're dialed into it. They're competitive. They're a prideful group. I expect them to come out and play a hard-nosed, tough football game Saturday."
The Longhorns are going to need their offensive line at their best this weekend as playing on the road has always made communication a challenge, as center Connor Robertson and quarterback Arch Manning are going to have to battle through the crowd noise to get everyone aligned properly at the line of scrimmage.
Additionally, the Missouri pass rush will not make it an easy task for Texas on Saturday, as it was one of the most productive units in the SEC early in the year. Through the first six games of the season, the Tigers had recorded 18 sacks; however, over their last two games, they've only managed one.
While Missouri's sack numbers have definitely dipped, the Longhorns' offensive line has struggled to keep Manning upright for the majority of the season, as Texas has allowed the third most sacks in the SEC with 24.
In the SEC, running the ball on the road has always been one of the big keys to coming away with victories, and the Longhorns' rushing attack hasn't been great, ranking towards the bottom in rushing offense.
The Texas offensive line will already have its work cut out for it, trying to run the ball in general, and placed in front of it is a Missouri defensive front that ranks third in fewest rushing yards allowed per game.
Sarkisian spoke positively about the preparation his offensive line has had in practice and believes the unit can control the game at the line of scrimmage; however, words need to equal actions when the Longhorns hit the field in Columbia on Saturday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/texas as Steve Sarkisian Sets Bold Expectations for Texas' Offensive Line vs Missouri .
