By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
This has been a big season for win-based milestones. First, Tom Pence became the winningest coach in CFSL history. Now we have a new winningest program in league history. Texas’ win over LSU pushed them to 116 wins in program history. They were tied with Notre Dame at 115 coming into the week. Notre Dame lost last night to Florida State, so (at least for now) the Longhorns take over the top spot.
To celebrate this impressive feat we will look at how Texas got here and who else besides Notre Dame is chasing them. Let’s dive in.
The History of Texas
The Longhorns were brought into the CFSL in Season 3 by Michael Buck and they have been in the league ever since. This makes them tied with Clemson for the 6th longest continually operating team in the CFSL. It did not take Texas long to find success in the CFSL either. Buck led the Longhorns to a 9-3 record and a Gator Bowl victory in their inaugural season. Two seasons later Buck would lead Texas to their first National Championship. Texas would beat Auburn 27 to 24 to win what is still their only National Title.
Buck was the head of Texas through Season 7. Joe Pantoja, who was then the AD of Alabama, took over. Pantoja also had no issue starting hot with Texas. He led the team to a 7-3 record and another trip to the National Championship Game. They would lose 49 to 37 to Clemson in that game.
Pantoja would lead Texas to two more National Championship Game appearances, in Seasons 12 and 13. The Longhorns lost both to Notre Dame. While he never won the big one, Pantoja did set team records in wins and seasons as the AD. No AD has been to more National Championship Games than Pantoja.
Pantoja stepped down after Season 15. He was replaced by Buck, who took over Texas once again. Buck led Texas to a 6-5 season, in which they made it to the quarterfinals in the playoffs before losing to Oklahoma State. Buck’s return, however, was short-lived. He would once again leave the program, this time after just one season.
In came Justin Duke. Duke, coming off an impressive run with Bowling Green, took over at Texas in Season 17. He struggled in his first season with Texas, going 3-6. However, he quickly picked up the pace after that season. Duke would lead Texas to back-to-back eight-win seasons in Seasons 18 and 19. In Season 19 Texas won their conference for the first time since Season 14. Texas also made it to the Semifinals of the Season 18 Playoffs before losing to eventual champion Kentucky.
Duke announced he was leaving Texas after Season 19. First-time AD Ryan Moreland replaced him. Moreland led Texas to its second straight conference title in Season 20 after a 6-2 regular season. However, they would lose in the first round of the playoffs.
Here is a breakdown of how each AD contributed to the 116 wins.
| AD | # of Texas Wins |
| Joe Pantoja | 48 |
| Michael Buck | 40 |
| Justin Duke | 19 |
| Ryan Moreland | 9 |
Who Could Catch Texas?
Notre Dame is the easy answer here. The Irish are right behind Texas after the Longhorns just past them. However, this has not been Notre Dame’s season. It doesn’t seem likely for them to catch back up this season.
Auburn is the next closest team and the only team over 100 wins. Currently, the Tigers have 104 wins. Even if Texas had a complete collapse and Auburn went undefeated, it wouldn’t be possible for it to happen this season. However, Justin Duke has turned Auburn into a powerhouse in the first two seasons as the AD. It will take time, but Auburn passing Texas in a few seasons is a realistic scenario. Only time will tell if the Tigers can pull it off.
For now, the record belongs to Texas. Good luck to those chasing down the Longhorns.
