I’m old enough to remember the true line of demarcation when it came to the start of summer: the arrival of Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine. For me, spotting the magazine at Brookshire’s in Kaufman, Texas, was a magical experience. And if a Baylor player like Mike Singletary or Cody Carlson showed up on the cover, it was pure ecstasy.
Now, the annual cover is revealed via Twitter, along with everything else in this country. I wasn’t surprised to see University of Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger receive cover boy distinction because he’s the biggest thing to hit Austin since barbecue pit master Aaron Franklin.
He has ended UT’s years in the quarterback wilderness that saw two head coaches — Mack Brown and Charlie Strong — vanquished. Ehlinger’s such a star in the Big 12 that he’s made the Longhorn Channel seem like a viable entity. I even had a prominent Aggie booster tell me recently that he covets Ehlinger due to his toughness and leadership skills.
Ehlinger famously declared the Longhorns were “baaaack” after earning the MVP in a win over No. 5 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. He accounted for 41 touchdowns last season, which is a number that would make even Vince Young and Colt McCoy blush. But Ehlinger must advance the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff’s Final Four to be in the conversation with those UT legends. Young led the Horns to a national title, and McCoy probably would’ve had one if not for an injury against an Alabama team that barely allowed Greg McElroy to throw a forward pass.
Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa are in a virtual tie for the Heisman, according to betting sites (+260 on Bovada). And Jalen Hurts (+1200) is in the next tier of quarterbacks because he’s playing in an offense that has produced the past two Heisman winners. It’s worth noting Kyler Murray was not even on the board until August last year. He showed up at +2300 and the rest is history. It will not help Tagovailoa that ‘Bama is playing what Tim Brando recently referred to as a “reprehensible” schedule that includes Duke, New Mexico State and Western Carolina. Tagovailoa will rarely play in the second half.
There are seven quarterbacks ahead of Ehlinger in the Bovada odds that were updated Thursday. Justin Fields (Ohio State), Adrian Martinez (Nebraska), Jake Fromm (Georgia) and Ian Book (Notre Dame) all have better odds than Ehlinger at +2000. And that’s why I think Ehlinger is one of the best bets I’ve seen in years. I may even call my Vegas runner at the South Point Hotel and Casino, Brent Musburger, and have him place a bet for me. If Ehlinger leads the Horns to a win over the LSU Tigers on Sept. 7, those odds will improve to about +900. I can’t overstate the level of hype that will be attached to this Texas team if it wins that game over a talented SEC team.
Noted college football writer Bruce Feldman told me recently this is the year Texas wins the Big 12 title. Losing to LSU would put an enormous amount of pressure on the Horns to run the table, so a lot hinges on that game. Tom Herman would like to temper expectations, but there ain’t no reins on this thing. Every Horns alum believes this is the season to restore glory to the Forty Acres.
I know Herman and Ehlinger were hoping to talk blue-chip wide receiver Bru McCoy out of transferring, but they are stocked at receiver. And Ehlinger is one of the most physically imposing quarterbacks in the country. He won’t have the gaudy passing stats of Lawrence or Hurts, but he’ll run for 15-20 touchdowns. If the Horns somehow run the table in the Big 12 and win the title game, Ehlinger will absolutely be in the mix for the Heisman.
This Baptist rarely encourages folks to gamble, but if you have a few extra Benjamins, Ehlinger at +2000 sounds really good to me.
