Texas football: Is it Big 12 title or bust this year?

Will anything less than a conference championship be a disappointment in Austin?

Tom Herman had to stop in the middle of answering a question during Big 12 Media Days in Arlington.

"It's hard for me to watch that catch, the one on the screen, so hang on," Herman said. 

"Oh the Calcaterra one?" a reporter asked. Referring to the game-clinching play in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma's win over Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game. 

Herman shook his head. 

The disappointment of being tied with rival Oklahoma at 27-27 entering the fourth quarter only to fall 39-27 was still clear on Herman's face months after it happened.

Yes, one could argue Texas entered the contest playing with "house money" at nine wins already on the season and all but promised a trip to the Sugar Bowl regardless of the outcome, but coming close to knocking the much-hated Sooners off the Big 12 perch upon which they have dwelled for four years and counting is something a man of Herman's high expectations couldn't handle. 

That brings us ahead to this year. The Longhorns have arguably the best quarterback in the Big 12 in Sam Ehlinger, one of the best wide receivers in the country in Colin Johnson and the not one but two potential breakout stars in the backfield in Jordan Whittington and Keaontay Ingram. 

Add in the fact the Sooners are replacing four-fifths of a Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line, a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback and a first-round draft pick at receiver and you can see why folks in Austin are thinking this is the year the Longhorns evict their rivals to the north from the penthouse of the conference.

However, could be and should be are two different things. When examining the expectations for the season the question has to come up, would anything less than a conference title be considered a disappointment for Texas fans? Especially if the alternative is the Sooners hoisting the trophy again for a fifth-straight year?

This is Texas after all, where expectations - warranted or not - tend to quickly escalate and the grading curve by which a team and coach is judged can become unfair in a hurry. So despite what has been a rather remarkable turnaround in a short period of time for Herman, there's an expiration date to the grace period before he's expected to contend for national titles. 

Look back at Mack Brown, who led the Longhorns to unprecedented success in the first few years of his career. Despite never winning less nine games from the time he was hired and claiming at least 10 victories from 2001-04, the website firemackbrown.com was getting plenty of traffic from disgruntled Texas fans thanks to Oklahoma's death grip on the conference at the time. 

So how long until Herman becomes a victim of his own success and conference titles are no longer appreciated, but expected in Austin? Only time will tell.