Texas Football: Bijan, Casey Thompson ranked among CFB’s top tandems

To round out the 2020 season, now former fourth-year Texas football head coach Tom Herman saw what could’ve been his top tandem for the following year come through in a big way. Texas fans in general saw the rise of redshirt sophomore quarterback Casey Thompson and freshman running back Bijan Robinson come to the forefront in the dominant Dec. 28 win over the Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl.

When Thompson, Robinson, and the Longhorns took to the field at the Alamodome in San Antonio on the night of Dec. 28, we didn’t know what team would show up against the former Big 12 foe Colorado. Texas did come out firing, and never really looked back against the hapless Buffs.

Once he took over for senior star quarterback Sam Ehlinger in the Alamo Bowl, Thompson was nearly perfect. And the same could be said for Bijan when he was rolling for Herman and the Longhorns in the first half.

In that game alone, Thompson completed 8-of-10 of his passing attempts for an impressive 170 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also added 17 rushing yards on four attempts in the Alamo Bowl win.

Meanwhile, Robinson was just as efficient in that game. He registered a whopping 183 rushing yards on just 10 attempts, one rushing touchdown, and 37 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. Robinson really couldn’t be stopped in the last few games last season for the Longhorns.

The momentum that Thompson and Robinson built up going into the offseason was undoubted. With that, a recent list of the top tandems around the college football landscape for 2021 from 247Sports named Thompson and Robinson in the mix.

What about this tandem for Texas football?

Here’s more on what this piece from 247Sports had to say on Robinson and Thompson as one of college football’s top tandems in 2021.

"We saw Alabama’s offense operate at maximum capacity and then go into overdrive last season under the tutelage of Steve Sarkisian and the talent the Longhorns have returning isn’t far behind. Bijan Robinson averaged 8.1 yards per carry as a freshman and that came with teams prepared to stop the Longhorns’ zone-read attack. New starting quarterback Casey Thompson gives Texas another wrinkle in the post-Sam Ehlinger era and his supporting cast is one of the Big 12’s best. It’s not out of the question to think Texas can produce at levels close to Oklahoma and Iowa State this fall offensively, if not better."

It is true that the potential that this tandem for the Longhorns of Thompson and Robinson has under the direction of newly hired head coach Steve Sarkisian this year is mind boggling. The former Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator and the reigning Broyles Award winner Sark took over for Herman back on Jan. 2.

Sark has an impressive array of skill position talent in the mix for the 2021 campaign, despite losing key players like Ehlinger, junior running back Keaontay Ingram, junior wide receiver Brennan Eagles, etc. this offseason. Texas is boasting other key skill position players this year such as sophomore running back Roschon Johnson and the elusive wide receiver tandem of Jake Smith and Jordan Whittington.

Texas finished up with a record of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12) under the direction of the former head coach Herman after their 55-23 drubbing of Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. Sark takes over with a roster that has potential but loses a lot of production from last year’s squad.