Kirk Herbstreit Names Horns 'Mystery' Ahead of Alabama Game

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit believes the offensive line play will a determining factor for the Texas Longhorns against Alabama.

Where is a football game won and lost? Depending on who you ask, it is safe to assume the overwhelming majority will say "in the trenches." Just like it is for games at any level, from high school to the NFL, this Saturday's game between the Texas Longhorns and Alabama Crimson Tide will also be determined upfront. 

If a team can't win at the line of scrimmage, whether that is in pass protection keeping the quarterback off the ground, or in the running game, their chances of winning are diminished.  

This is why when previewing the upcoming game for Texas, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit called the offensive line play of the Longhorns his biggest question ahead of Saturday's game.

"The mystery to me going into this game is, will Texas be better on the O-line against some of the new faces other than Dallas Turner and Chris Braswell, ...." Herbstreit according to Inside Texas. "Can [Texas[ hold off the pressures? Kevin Steele is going to dial some things up. He knows Sark very well. How does that offensive line do in run blocking and how do they do in protection?"

Despite this year's Crimson Tide team not having Will Anderson Jr., the first-round edge rusher who is now with the Houston Texans, it won't necessarily be any easier for the Longhorns in the trenches. 

As the ESPN analyst points out, the Tide still has Dallas Turner, the junior out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who could become a first-round pick in his own right next April.

Turner just so happens to be the player who hit Ewers on the play that sidelined him with the hurt shoulder. After Ewers was sacked three times in the season-opening win versus Rice, the Longhorn offensive line will have to play better in order to beat Alabama.

Not only will pass protection be key as the Horns will want to give Ewers as much time as possible to get the ball to the playmakers, they will also have to create lanes upfront in the running game. 

"If we look back at the end of the game and Texas either won it, or they competed, or they got blown out," Herbstreit said. "I think a lot of it will be dependent on the line of scrimmage when Texas has the football and how Sark takes some of the pressure off of them with his play-calling in trying to get Bama a bit on their heels instead of teeing off on that offensive line.”