Texas's defense has made it allowable for the Horns' offense to look questionable

I have written quite a lot about the fact that Texas's defense has been dominant so far this season, pushing the Longhorns to an undefeated record and a No. 1 ranking. However, when you put actual numbers to that dominance, it becomes that much clearer just how good Will Muschamp's squad is.

The Horns have given up a touchdown on just 9.5% of their defensive stands, the second-best overall performance in the country, only trailing the Miami Hurricanes, who have yet to face a ranked opponent.

Simply put, even if Arch Manning and the Texas offense started to look bad, instead of just being questionable at times, the defense could still keep the Longhorns in their games.

For comparison, the Oklahoma Sooners' defense, which has reportedly "kept" OU in its games despite the team going 2-2 to start the year, ranks 13th in the nation for defensive touchdown allowance rate at 13.6%.

And, Texas has reached this otherworldly success rate while facing two top-15 opponents in the then-No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and the then-No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers.

Players like Colin Simmons, Rasheem Biles, Hero Kanu, Lance Jackson, Bo Mascoe, and Jelani McDonald are making headline-worthy plays; there is no denying that fact, but these numbers prove that the Longhorns are simply shutting down opponents in general.

Texas's offense has a couple excuses for shaky performances

On the other side of the ball, while the offense has undeniably looked shaky at times, the Longhorns almost have an excuse for their questionable offensive performances.

Looking at those same stats, Ohio State boasts the sixth-best defense for stopping touchdown drives, allowing opponents to find the end zone just 11.5% of the time. Similarly, the Volunteers have the 13th-best defense, giving up TDs on 12.5% of drives.

Texas's other two opponents, the UTSA Roadrunners and the Texas State Bobcats, don't have quite the same pedigree on defense, but the Horns also scored the most points in those games.

Against Texas State, which has the 112th-best defense at stopping the touchdown, the Longhorns were able to put up 59 points. Against UTSA, which has the 62nd-best defensive touchdown allowance rate, the Horns posted a 30-piece.

Yes, undeniably, the Texas defense has made life easier on the offense, allowing opponents to score an average of only 13.3 points per game. However, Manning and the offensive unit have faced quite a bit of steep competition of their own, and they continue to come out on top.

To put numbers to it, the Texas offense scores a touchdown on 34.9% of its drives. If you want a laugh, Oklahoma scores a TD on just 22.7% of its possessions.

This weekend, the Horns will take on the Sooners in what looks like it could be yet another clash of dominant defenses in the Red River Rivalry, but when you look at the numbers, Texas clearly has the more dominant team.

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