After finishing the 2018 season as a top-10 team, the Texas Longhorns were a little disappointed to finish last year 8-5. However, that step back for Tom Herman’s team was understandable given the youth and inexperience the Longhorns had at some positions. Of course, that won’t be an excuse in 2020, as Texas expects to compete for a Big 12 championship.
Offense
The Longhorns had a potent offense last season, averaging 35 points per game, and could be even better this year with most of their starters returning. Of course, the biggest key for the Texas offense is senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger. He threw for over 3,600 yards and rushed for over 600 yards last season, making him one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. At times, Ehlinger can carry the Longhorns on his back, although the hope is that he’ll have more help around him this season and won’t have to play the Superman role quite as often.
The Texas offense backfield is loaded with Keaontay Ingram and Roschon Johnson both returning and former five-star recruit Bijan Robinson joining the group. However, that trio will only be as good as the offensive line in front of them. Left tackle Samuel Cosmi is one of the best in the country at his position. But the Texas o-line has a couple of spots where the Longhorns don’t have much experience.
Meanwhile, the biggest concern for the Texas offense is at receiver where both Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson need to be replaced. Junior Brennan Eagles is the only returning player who had more than 300 receiving yards for the Longhorns last season. That means Ehlinger will have to get accustomed to working with new receivers, including Michigan transfer Tarik Black, who will be a wild card for the Texas offense this season.
Defense
Inexperience and injuries were excuses for a subpar Texas defense last season. But those won’t fly this year with the Longhorns bringing back most of their key contributors. The defensive line remains an area of uncertainty and could make the Longhorns vulnerable against quality rushing teams. However, linebacker could be a strength with Joseph Ossai having star potential.
Naturally, the secondary will be a key part of the Texas defense when facing all of the Big 12’s pass-happy offenses. The Longhorns are littered with upperclassmen in the defensive backfield in their two-deep, which should help the Texas defense take a big step forward compared to last season.
Schedule
The ongoing pandemic hasn’t led to many changes on the Texas schedule this season. They will still play all nine of the other teams in the Big 12 after opening the season with what should be an easy game against UTEP. The Longhorns will have to cover the biggest college football lines of the week 2 slate as they enter the game at (-42) point favorites. The thing that stands out the most is the Longhorns will play their biggest rivals during the first half of the season. After playing UTEP, they will play Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma, and Baylor before the end of October. That means the November schedule should be a little lighter. Keep an eye on which side the pros are betting in all of these games with BetQL’s college football expert picks, where you can always see which side the public and pros are betting for every game and every bet type
Of their 10 games, the Longhorns only have three against teams that are ranked in the top-25 heading into the season. Outside of a Halloween visit to Oklahoma State, Texas plays most of its toughest games at home or on a neutral field. That should open the door for the Longhorns to challenge for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game. However, last year’s youthful roster has to grow up quickly and be ready for some difficult games early in the season.
If you are an NFL fan make sure you take a look at BetQL before this week 1 kick off where you can always find the most updated odds,lines, spreads and picks for every game and every bet type.
