Even if the Texas Longhorns Aren't Elite Again, They Sure Are Fun

Texas has spent better than half a decade trying to get back to an elite level. Ever since losing to Alabama in the 2009 National Championship, the Longhorns haven't just been mediocre or bad—they've been incredibly boring.

Five games into 2016, it's clear that we still haven't gotten "elite Texas" back, as the Longhorns sit at just 2-2 after an18-point loss to Oklahoma State, but boy is "fun Texas" back.

All of this happened in the Longhorns' loss to Oklahoma State:

• Two Texas running backs finished with over 100 yards
• The only quarterback to throw a pass was a true freshman, Shane Buechele. He didn't have a great day, going 21-33 for 239 yards and 7.2 yards per attempt.
• The Longhorns had THREE EXTRA POINTS BLOCKED, including one returned for two points.
• They barely missed a field goal, thanks to a delay of game penalty right before the kick.

The earlier games this year were just as exciting. The Longhorns beat Notre Dame, 50-47, in double overtime to start the season. That game marked the beginning of new offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert's career, and UT mixed it up with an areal passing attack from Buchele and the "18-wheeler" running package with quarterback Tyrone Swoopes.

Since then, Texas is 1-2, but has scored at least 31 points in every game, despite the losses to Oklahoma State and Cal. It's not perfect, but holy hell is it fun.

Anyone hoping for the Longhorns to be great this year, especially after the win over Notre Dame, was a little bit premature. The defense has a lot of work to do, and even though head coach Charlie Strong is a great defensive mind, the defense might need its own Sterlin Gilbert in order for Texas to become a true national contender once again. Moreover, the offense only ranks in the 50s nationally in efficiency. This isn't the finished product.

But after years of middling play on both sides of the ball, and a year removed from getting shut out at Iowa State, Texas at least looks like it has the pieces to get back to that level. In the meantime, the Longhorns will be a lot of fun, win or lose. That's progress.