Texas-Alabama: What would 'progress' look like for the Longhorns?

To find the last time Texas defeated Alabama in a college football game, one would have to rewind back to 1982 when the Longhorns beat the Crimson Tide 14-12 in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

Steve Sarkisian’s Texas team will look to put an end to that 40-year drought when they host No. 1-ranked Alabama on Saturday (noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

The Longhorns enter Saturday’s much-anticipated showdown as a 20-point underdog, despite coming off an impressive 52-10 blowout victory over UL Monroe in Week 1.

Should covering that 20-point spread be looked at as a victory for Longhorn fans?

“This team is built for the future, which is why I think success for Texas this week probably looks like a cover,” Joel Klatt said Wednesday on “The Joel Klatt Show.”

“If you force Bama to beat you, and you don’t beat yourself, I think Texas fans will look at that and say, ‘That’s growth … That’s progress.’”

Joel Klatt names Bama’s biggest advantages over Texas

Joel Klatt explains to Colin Cowherd why Alabama has a big edge over Texas.

The Longhorns underachieved last season, finishing 5-7 and failing to make a bowl game. Of those seven losses, five were decided by single digits. Perhaps even more alarming was that Texas led in the second half in three of those five games.

“It always feels like it’s one step forward, two steps back with Texas,” Klatt said. “They beat themselves far more often than the opponent comes in and just handles and beats them.”

To hang with a team of Alabama’s caliber, the Longhorns are going to need outstanding play on both sides of the ball, which includes the task of containing the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Will Anderson Jr.

A projected top-five selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, Anderson was dominant for the Tide last season, totaling 17.5 sacks en route to winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and being named a unanimous first-team All-American. He played his best in big games, totaling 48 tackles and six sacks in games against ranked opponents last season.

The talent doesn’t stop there as the Tide also return a pair of all-conference performers on defense in linebacker Henry To’oTo’o and safety Jordan Battle.

“The bottom line is, this is one of the best front-sevens you’re gonna face in all of college football,” Klatt said. “It’s going to be an uphill battle for Texas this week.”