In front of nearly 112,000 fans at the Big House in Ann Arbor, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns got off to a strong start and dominated the game until a meaningless last-minute touchdown by the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines in a 31-12 victory on Saturday.
Here are some of the best reactions from social media:
Does the former Texas wide receiver hold any resentment for not being able to enroll early at Michigan after committing as a member of the 2021 recruiting class?
Maybe. Or maybe he just commented on the game the way he said he would – exactly.
The perhaps more surprising statement came from former running back Bijan Robinson, who is not exactly known for his bold statements on social media:
We’re witnessing the emergence of a team that is the future of college football, and these guys are running out of steam before they even get started. ♂️
— Bijan Robinson (@Bijan5Robinson) 7 September 2024
Half an hour before Robinson was ready to publicly acknowledge what was going on on the field in Ann Arbor, a Wolverines fan had to make an important confession, perhaps with a certain amount of sarcasm given the team’s three consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff, culminating in last year’s national championship:
Dear Texas fans,
As a Michigan fan, I apologize for ever thinking we were on the same level as Texas football. We clearly overestimated ourselves and forgot that the Longhorns will be on a different level in 2024.
Its rich history, its passionate fan base and …
— TillDaddy (@TillDaddyYT) 7 September 2024
Gary Patterson, former TCU head coach and special assistant to Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, also commented:
Texas doesn’t surprise me in the first half. They were young and talented two seasons ago in Sark’s sophomore year. In year four, they’ve grown up!
— Gary Patterson (@FBCoachP) 7 September 2024
A national commentator had already identified a major imbalance in the game:
Sark with this lineup against Sherrone is not a fair fight.
— Peter Burns (@PeterBurnsESPN) 7 September 2024
At least one Ohio State University fan was ready to jump into the action and met a man from Michigan where it counts – with his esoteric knowledge:
Texas beats Michigan because Texas graduates know more about World War II than Michigan graduates
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) 7 September 2024
Another referred to the cheating scandals at the school:
I see Michigan has decided to impose sanctions on itself
— lukezim (@lukezim) 7 September 2024
There was a play on words:
I’m just glad Jaydon made it into the end zone so Michigan fans could see a Blue TD today.
— Longhorn Republic ️ (@LonghornPod) 7 September 2024
The Big Blue faithful were able to see their team score a touchdown at the end, but it didn’t matter at all.
Former Baylor quarterback and former ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III turned former Iowa State running back Breece Hall’s 2020 comment about five-star culture versus five-star culture on its head:
And a heavy blow for the Wolverines through the media …
Old man in Michigan hat as we wait to get into the press conference room: I hate the media. They never tell the truth.
Us: We will certainly tell the truth about your team today, sir.
— Danny Davis (@_dannydavis) 7 September 2024
And finally, imagine ranking a Penn State team that beat Bowling Green 34-27 against this Texas team. You don’t even need the benefit of hindsight.
My Top 25 —
1. United States
2. tOSU
3. Power supply
4. Texas
5. Alabama
6. ND
7. Miami
8. Ole Miss
9. Utah
10. Oregon
11. Mizzou
12. Kansas
13. K-State
14. Tennessee
15. USC
16. Michigan
17. Texas A&M
18. NC State
19. Arizona
20. State of Iowa
21. Louisville
22. Oklahoma
23. LSU
24. State OK
25. BSU— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) 3 September 2024