The Texas Longhorns are a far better team without Garrett Gilbert at quarterback.

Ironic, isn’t it, that the guy who almost redeemed Texas when it most needed it was the guy holding the Longhorns back from being all they can be?

Such is the tale of Gilbert, the former starting quarterback for the burnt orange.

When Colt McCoy went down in the national championship against Alabama in 2009, Gilbert was called on to rally the troops. Considerably more pressure than Landry Jones had in OU’s season-opener against BYU that season, wouldn’t you say? He came up short, and Texas lost, but Gilbert gave Longhorn fans hope for a future without McCoy.

However, Gilbert’s moment of greatness was as short-lived as his career at UT will be. In his sophomore campaign in 2010, Gilbert threw 17 interceptions to only 10 touchdowns and completed a horrifically-low 59 percent of his passes — hardly the 27 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions and 71-percent completion percentage of Gilbert’s predecessor, the older McCoy, in 2009.

And the Longhorns suffered Gilbert’s incompetence with a 5-7 (2-6 Big 12) record that season, missing bowl season for the first time since 1997.

That was then, before Gilbert was forced to bow out of Texas’ 2011 campaign and give way a pair of explosive underclassmen.

After a closer-than-ideal season opener against Rice, Texas coach Mack Brown benched Gilbert to try his hand with two unproven quarterbacks waiting in the wing. Since then, sophomore Case McCoy — the younger brother of Colt — and freshman David Ash have split time. Both played in the Longhorns’ game against BYU, McCoy took over the UCLA game and Ash was given his shot against Iowa State.

So what is Brown getting at with this quarterback tandem? Who’s going to start against OU on Saturday? Who will have a bigger impact on the game? Which one is closer friends with Jordan Shipley’s little brother, freshman wide receiver Jaxon?

Both quarterbacks bring a lot to the table for Texas, and Brown knows that. Maybe the constant switcheroo of field generals is a mental game he’s playing with OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables and the Sooner D. It’s harder to prepare for two quarterbacks than one, which only increases Oklahoma’s prep work before the marquee rivalry game.

So let’s play a little game of “What if” with the pair.

What if... Case McCoy starts?

The younger McCoy is hardly living in his brother’s shadow; if anything, he’s picked up the torch and is carrying on the McCoy legacy in Austin. The two are definitely cut from the same fabric. McCoy loves a bubble-screen pass as much as the next guy, and his ability to move around in the pocket to avoid pressure must be a family trait.

He can throw downfield, too. McCoy opened the scoring in the UCLA game with a 45-yard touchdown to junior tight end D.J. Grant. He finished 12-of-15 for 168 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

In hindsight, though, McCoy showed he can spread the ball around. Grant and sophomore wide receiver Mike Davis led the Longhorns with 77 yards each, followed by Shipley with 46. McCoy completed passes to five receivers against the Bruins to complement Texas’ running game, which took off in that game.

Additionally, McCoy is a sophomore, so he’s got a maturity advantage over his freshman counterpart. Though they are level in experience, an extra year in the system gives McCoy a decisive leg up. I’d also venture a guess that he watched a little more Longhorn football than Ash because his older brother was the starting quarterback for four years.

However, McCoy is less of a dual threat than Ash. Though he can use his legs to keep plays alive outside the pocket, he hasn’t shown the same ability to turn a broken play into positive yards that Ash has demonstrated. But, as plenty of OU fans would tell you, having a smart and accurate pocket passer is perfectly acceptable if you have a potent ground attack like Texas does.

Result: If McCoy starts, Texas will try to air it out whenever possible, and the sophomore is talented enough to find the holes in OU’s secondary for big gains like the Sooners’ first three opponents did. Oklahoma will still triumph at the Cotton Bowl, though, but not by as much as it hopes.

Prediction: OU 38, Texas 24

What if... David Ash starts?

The true freshman showed early he has some wheels. In split time with McCoy against BYU, Ash was in for Texas’ run-heavy plays while McCoy handled the passing plays. But don’t jump to conclusions and unfairly pidgeon-hole Ash as a run-first-throw-later quarterback. His arm is just as good as his legs.

Against Iowa State on Saturday, Ash hardly rushed at all and passed for 145 yards and two touchdowns against the Cyclones. Though the threat of him taking off for a big gain is always there, he feels comfortable in the pocket as well.

However, his weaknesses outweigh his positives, for the most part. As a freshman, he’s much less experienced than McCoy, despite taking an equal number of snaps with the first team. A year with the scout team does a quarterback good to learn the system and become comfortable with his teammates, and Ash’s lack of preparation time could have contributed to Brown putting him in more rushing than passing plays early on. Though he might be getting more familiar with Texas’ offense, he’s still a full year behind McCoy.

He also showed a dangerous dependence on Shipley in his start against the Cyclones. Whereas McCoy spread the ball around to several players, Ash zeroed in on Shipley for 141 yards. Davis was second with 72 followed by a sharp drop off to Grant with only a 19-yard catch.

His chemistry with Shipley works for Texas when Shipley can get open, but what about when the Longhorns play a secondary with much more experience and talent than Iowa State’s like, say, Oklahoma’s?

Ash’s rushing numbers against the Cyclones also tell an interesting story. After rushing for 36 yards against BYU, Ash was held to -17 against ISU. He wasn’t running like he had against the Cougars, but he also didn’t seem as comfortable in the pocket as McCoy. His running ability works in Texas’ favor when it’s a design play or the Longhorns need a first down, but he hasn’t yet translated his rushing skill to avoiding pressure.

Result: If Ash starts, Texas will probably exploit OU’s weakness at defending running quarterbacks. Ash could find success sustaining drives with his legs, but the Sooners’ front line will gobble him up in the pocket if he doesn’t take off quickly or find an open receiver fast enough.

Outcome: OU 42, Texas 23

James Corley is a journalism senior. You can follow him on Twitter at @jamesfcorley.