Three biggest storylines for Texas' matchup at Alabama

The Longhorns have one of the most important matchups in all of college football this upcoming season, and it will be taking place during Week 2.
As every Texas fan knows, and is perhaps anxious about or dreading, the Longhorns are set to hit the road and head to Tuscaloosa to square off with Alabama on Sept. 9.
Their final time meeting as nonconference opponents also comes with three major storylines to look out for dating back to not only last season’s matchup but a decade prior.
For Texas they have an infinite amount of pressure on them for a handful of reasons, but these three storylines stand out the most.
Revenge
First things first, Texas fell to Alabama this past season and it was a game that many believe the Longhorns could have won. Quinn Ewers was not only shredding the Alabama defense, but one could even say he was out-dueling future No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. Similar to the LSU and Arkansas losses in years past, that game took some wind out of the team’s sail the rest of the way. Not to mention, Texas fans still would like to see Texas beat Alabama after they lost to them in 2009 and Colt McCoy was injured after just a handful of plays. Avenging the loss from last year would be huge in the confidence department for the program.
Possible Dream Season
While just about every season feels like the year for Longhorn fans, 2023 actually has a different aura around it. Texas is picked to win the Big 12, and they could have one of the strongest rosters in the entire country. Beating Alabama could be a sign of the program getting past their mediocrity stage, and signify the beginning stages of being able to compete at the highest level. Something they really haven’t done since McCoy went down with the injury. Defeating Alabama would also be their first win against a Power Five nonconference opponent since 2018 when they beat USC.
Stev Sarkisian vs. Nick Saban
The master facing his former protégé is one of the more underrated aspects of this matchup. While Nick Saban has fallen a couple times to former assistants recently, beating him is still no easy task. With Texas having as much hype as it does heading into 2023, for Steve Sarkisian to beat a Saban led Alabama team would not only help the program but could also give him more confidence as a head coach. Sarkisian is looking to secure his first 10-win season as a head coach, and is also looking to end what has become a trend of Texas blowing leads in the second half. Winning this game is a perfect way to make sure the two aforementioned reasons occur.