Texas Football: 3 best upset wins of the Tom Herman-era

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An up and down 2019 season for the Texas football program did, at times, bring up questions about how hot the seat was for then third-year head coach Tom Herman. Texas finished up their 2019 season with a record of 8-5 (5-4 Big 12). What gave them that elusive eighth win was the triumph in the Alamo Bowl over the No. 11 ranked Utah Utes.

Beating Utah likely saved Herman from coming under a lot of heat this offseason. If Texas had finished with seven wins last season, this long period that the athletic department has to think about the direction of the football program in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic might come back to hurt Herman. But that’s not the case at the moment.

Texas athletic director Chris del Conte gave Herman the patience of allowing him to retool his coaching staff and try to get the pieces right this time around. Herman also returns a much more experienced team in 2020, and he has yet another year to develop his recruits on the Forty Acres.

Prior to the 2019 season, Texas really looked to be headed in the right direction under Herman. They were coming off a high note to cap the 2018 season, in which they won double-digit games, the Sugar Bowl, and made it to the Big 12 Championship Game. None of the feats were repeated by Texas last season.

However, Herman still carries a record of 25-15 over the course of his three years as the Texas head coach. He now has a career college football head coaching record of 47-19 (between his time with Texas and the Houston Cougars). Herman has become known for his upset wins during his time as the Texas and Houston head coach.

Here’s a look back at the three best upset wins for Tom Herman during his three seasons as head coach of the Texas Longhorns football program.