Texas' hopes of contending for a Big 12 championship this season are fading, as they've quickly returned to being one of college football's old punchlines.
For the second straight week, the Longhorns blew a double-digit lead against a ranked opponent, this time losing at home to No. 12 Oklahoma State, 32-24, on Saturday in Austin. Wounds from their collapse against No. 6 Oklahoma on Oct. 9 were reopened.
"What I really want to see is progress, because you can't expect a team to be great right away," Texas legend and former Heisman winner Ricky Williams told the Tiki and Tierney show on Monday. "When a team goes through adversity, you learn to trust each other and keep building off it. So, it's early enough to say, if they can build off and learn from adversity, it's definitely worth it. If they go back into the old, 'Here we go again,' then they're going to be in trouble.
"I love [first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian], and I'm excited about the direction the program is headed. It's unfortunate, the losses. But if you watch the games, you see there's flashes where they're playing lights-out, they're playing top-three football for quarters. And that's a start. That's a start."
Texas was pushed around by Oklahoma State in the trenches, and plagued by careless penalties. Not only did the Longhorns defense allow 154 second-half yards to Cowboys running back Jaylen Warren, but their offense was limited to just 12 combined yards on their final six drives. During the fourth quarter, they were outscored 16-0 and outgained 170-1. Staggering numbers.
Perhaps the silver lining to Texas' gut-wrenching loss was Bijan Robinson's performance in the backfield. The sophomore running back has generated considerable Heisman buzz, as he rushed for 135 yards on 21 carries with three touchdowns against Oklahoma State. Through seven games, Robinson ranks third in the nation in rushing yards (930) and touchdowns (10), and according to ESPN Stats & Info, he's the first Longhorns back to score in nine straight games since Jordan Shipley accomplished the feat back in 2008.
Texas, which is no longer ranked inside the AP top-25, enters its bye with an overall record of 4-3. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Longhorns have the fifth-best odds (+3000) to win the Big 12 title.
The entire football conversation between Williams and Tiki and Tierney can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.