Texas Fans Prove to be One of One After Taking Over The Big House vs. Michigan

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and players comment on the strength of Longhorn Nation in first press conference post-Michigan win

Texas fans celebrate 31-12 win over Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Texas Longhorns football brought hundreds of players and staff to Ann Arbor to aid the Longhorns in a victory over the defending national champions, but few could've expected the lengths of travel and fandom portrayed on Saturday by the Longhorn Nation.

Texas has been clawing at greatness throughout the last three years in the Sarkisian tenure. First, it was a near win over No. 1 Alabama in 2022, a year that still brought Texas a Red River Rivalry win and an upset in Kansas State.

Then, in 2023, the Longhorns took to Tuscaloosa in folds, showering a section of the lower bowl in burnt orange after head coach Steve Sarkisian added his first signature win of his Texas career, defeating the Crimson Tide in their own home. A loss to Washington in the Sugar Bowl ended a fantastic 2023 season just one play away from the national championship.

Throughout these near triumphs and past victories, Longhorn Nation has always been around, but few fan bases have ever taken over a top stadium in college football than the burnt orange faithful did on Saturday in "The Big House", the largest football stadium in the world.

Texas fans celebrate 31-12 win over Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

"What a turnout," Sarkisian said about the fans. "I know I referenced this in the post-game presser, but what a turnout, you know, to hear Texas Fight echoing through that iconic stadium and to sing (The Eyes of Texas) with everybody, with our team, was definitely a special moment."

Texas fans showed their ability to travel in 2023 in Tuscaloosa, but it's hard to believe anyone was prepared to see the sea of burnt orange in Michigan, over 1,300 miles from home. Burnt orange covered spots all around the stadium from the start of the kick, but the most damning image came after the final whistle, with thousands of fans gathered around the corner endzone to sing The Eyes of Texas with Sarkisian and his players.

Texas fans don't just travel, they takeover 🤘 pic.twitter.com/CG05IPXuv3

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) September 8, 2024

Texas won't play a notable away game, unless you count the neutral site Red River Rivalry game in Dallas, for over two months, but the turnout in Ann Arbor begs a question. Just how loud can these Longhorn fans be when Georgia comes to town in mid-October?

Texas, at least in the last decade, has not been seen as one of the toughest places to play in the nation. While Penn State's White Out, LSU's Death Valley and Texas A&M's 12th Man headline every list of the hardest environments in college football, Texas often finds itself lower on the list.

Though video games aren't gospel, Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium was ranked the 19th hardest place to play in the NCAA 25 video game, despite having the seventh largest stadium by capacity in all of college football.

"I've been here, UT fans just came and packed the place out with how many people they could so it's been pretty good," offensive tackle Kelvin Banks said. "Hopefully, hopefully soon they get in the top 10."

Texas fans celebrate 31-12 win over Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, September 7, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

But some players disagree with that sentiment. Former Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson, who ended up winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 for the Houston Texans, said this about DKR when the Crimson Tide came in 2022.

"To be honest, since I've been here these last three years, this is probably the loudest environment I've done played in," Anderson said. "Probably the hardest game I've played in since I've been in college football. Their fans were super loud, they had a lot of energy. But the atmosphere was crazy."

That team Anderson played against was hyped, but clearly less talented and less praised heading in. Texas was unranked in its Week 2 matchup in 2022, but that will not be the case in 2024 when they face Georgia.

Though both teams have a chance of losing games before the matchup in Week 8, especially in Texas' Oklahoma matchup and Georgia's Alabama matchup, it's expected that Georgia and Texas will face off as top-five teams when they meet in Austin.

"It's amazing, It's kind of gives you that sense of the extra support system you have, not just with your family, but you have people that come out and actually take time out their day to travel to Michigan, to come out here and support you," Banks said about Longhorn Nation. "It definitely gives you that feeling like you have a whole village behind you."

If the Longhorn fans can replicate the intensity of 2022, as well as the turnout in Ann Arbor in 2024, who is to say this won't be the hardest environment in all of college football? Anderson, who played three years in the SEC against the likes of LSU, Georgia, and Florida, believed that DKR was the hardest place he had played, and fans are arguably even more hungry for wins in 2024.

Though we won't be able to know for another two months, Texas fans, and Georgia players, should prepare for DKR to enter the shortlist of the hardest environments in the nation.