AUSTIN, Texas -- As he settles into the chair in the corner of his office, Tom Herman bathes in the expectations that come with coaching football for the University of Texas.
The Thorpe Award, which Michael Huff and Aaron Ross captured in back-to-back years, stands on the end table to Herman's right. In front of him, Ricky Williams' Heisman Trophy towers atop the coffee table.
Yet for far too long, the Longhorns have failed to field a squad befitting the lofty expectations of their past. In fact, since playing for the 2009 national title, Texas, inconceivably, is only five games above .