ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Vince Young and Texas made a statement when they entered the Big Ten 19 years ago. Undeterred, Young led the Longhorns past No. 2 Ohio State, setting the stage for Texas’ magical run to the national championship that ended with Young’s legendary sprint past the Rose Bowl pylon.

The Longhorns were back in the Big Ten on Saturday, and with another stalwart quarterback, Texas made another statement – this time in the Big House – that these Longhorns are ready for their own title run.

Thanks to junior quarterback Quinn Ewers, who like Young saves his best performances for the biggest moments, Texas thoroughly dismantled No. 10 Michigan and took a resounding 31-12 victory.

“This one game isn’t going to define our season,” Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said afterward. “But I think it’s a pretty good gauge of what kind of team we could be.”

With the level-headed Ewers, these Longhorns could become a team that wins its first national championship since 2005.

Facing a Michigan defense still loaded with several future first-round NFL Draft picks, including defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson, Texas ran the ball at will. The Wolverines rushed. They dropped back. They camouflaged their coverage. They tried everything. Nothing worked against Ewers.

“We did a really good job and played with composure and composure,” said Ewers.

The Longhorns converted seven of their first eight third-down attempts, with Ewers consistently finding receivers. He even converted the other third-down attempt, but his 24-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore Jr. on the opening drive was nullified by a holding call.

That penalty resulted in a missed field goal, but it didn’t matter. Ewers came back and continued to complete passes.

“There’s something special about Quinn’s demeanor. He’s a very calm guy. He’s really laid back. He never goes on an emotional rollercoaster,” Sarkisian said. “When you have a quarterback that everyone can believe in, it just builds confidence and belief that you can say, ‘Hey, let’s do our part because the guy who’s holding the ball every play is on point.'”

The Longhorns have every reason to believe in Ewers, who, according to ESPN Stats & Info, is the only FBS quarterback in the country to throw three touchdowns without an interception against multiple AP top-10 opponents since the start of last season. Last year, Ewers threw for 349 yards in a win over then-third-ranked Alabama.

Ewers was equally successful against Michigan, completing 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards as Texas scored four straight times in the first half, including three touchdowns, to put the Wolverines under pressure.

He threw a 21-yard touchdown to tight end Gunnar Helm, who had a career-high seven catches for 98 yards. Then, after a Michigan fumble in the final minute of the first half, Ewers completed four straight passes and capped it off with a 5-yard touchdown throw to Matthew Golden on third-and-goal with 10 seconds left. The pass gave Texas a 24-3 lead and effectively shut down the Wolverines.

“When he’s confident, we feel unstoppable,” Golden said of Ewers. “We feel like we can score 60 goals.”

But with an improved offensive line that now seems to be built for the SEC and a defense that overwhelmed the Wolverines, Texas won’t need 60 points to keep winning games.

Michigan managed just 88 yards of offense in the first half and was able to complete just nine plays in the entire first quarter — their fewest in a first quarter since 2011, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

When Ewers threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Jaydon Blue late in the third quarter, the Big House began to empty.

“I wanted to learn something about ourselves,” Sarkisian said. “Would we be overwhelmed by the environment?

“Our boys played a very relaxed football game. They played hard, they played physical. … We didn’t really want to prove anything. We wanted to play our brand, our style of football.”

Nineteen years ago in Week 2 at Ohio Stadium, the Longhorns learned they had a special quarterback who could lead them to victory against any opponent, anywhere. Then Young did just that, leading Texas to a dramatic victory over USC in the Rose Bowl.

The Longhorns now have another special quarterback, and while there are more tests ahead, Ewers has shown once again that Texas is ready to beat anyone, anywhere.