Three Reasons Why the Texas Longhorns Will and Will Not Win the Big 12 Conference
Written by Charlie Beutel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
The Texas football program has been on an upward trend since the hiring of head coach Tom Herman ahead of the 2017 season. Each of the past two seasons the Longhorns have gotten progressively better jumping from a 5-7 team to 7-6 in Herman’s first season and hit the 10-win plateau a year ago. In 2018, Texas took a giant step forward as they defeated Oklahoma in the regular season but unfortunately fell short against the Sooners in the Big 12 Championship Game (39-27). The season ended with a Sugar Bowl victory seeing the Longhorns dominate then- No. 5 Georgia 28-21.
Expectations are high surrounding the Longhorns going into the 2019 schedule with Texas looking to build off a successful 2018 season with sights set on going for that Big 12 Conference crown, their first since the 13-1 season under Mack Brown in 2009.
Three Reasons Why Texas Could Win the Big 12
QB Sam Ehlinger
The junior gunslinger accounted for 41 total touchdowns in 2018, 25 passing and 16 rushing, which is second in school history for a single season. Ehlinger can also hurt opponents on the ground but must avoid injury. In two conference games, he was knocked out with a shoulder injury but the Longhorns overcame the setback coming out victorious. Ehlinger has another year of experience under his belt with most of his weapons returning at receiver in Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay. Another year of highlight-reel plays will have this playmaker in Heisman contention.
Favorable Schedule
Texas has four of their first six games at home highlighted by their Week 2 match-up hosting LSU out of the SEC and their Week 6 battle against Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown held in the Cotton Bowl (Dallas). In conference action, their toughest true road test will be in Ames against Iowa State. This contest in the middle of November could determine who remains at the top of standings in the Big 12 at seasons’ end. The Longhorns beat the Cyclones 24-10 in Austin last season.
Offensive Firepower
Ehlinger won’t be the only returning weapon on the offensive side of the ball. At running back sophomore Keaontay Ingram is coming back after rushing for 708 yards and three scores. Ingram led the team with five yards per rushing attempt in 2018. Wide receiver Collin Johnson will return for his senior year after snagging 68 passes for 985 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018. Other offensive weapons include wide receiver Devin Duvernay, tight end Cade Brewer and running back Jordan Whittington. The core of this unit accounted for 31 points and 412 total yards per game on average a year ago.
There are also three reasons why their plan to win the Big 12 could fall short
The Injury Bug
Since Ehlinger was knocked out of two games in 2018 with shoulder injuries, if that happens again, the Longhorns could be in big trouble as the backup quarterback is redshirt freshman Casey Thompson. Thompson did not attempt a pass last season. The whole team will need to avoid injuries if they want to dethrone the four-time defending conference champion in Oklahoma.
The Defense
Only two starters return from last season’s defensive unit. One of those starters is senior safety Brandon Jones, who makes tackles and big plays all over the field. The other returning starter is Cade Sterns, who was named Freshman All-American after the 2018 season. The new starters will definitely need to gel sooner rather than later with LSU coming to town in Week 2. The Longhorns were the 67th ranked defense in the nation last season allowing 393 yards per game. What can the fanbase expect this season?
Offensive Line
There will be three new starters on the offensive when the Longhorns open against Louisiana Tech. Senior Zach Shackelford returns at center and sophomore Samuel Cosmi is making the move from right tackle to left tackle. The other big men up front is inexperienced with freshman Junior Angilau expected to win the left guard spot. The offensive line has one of the most important jobs on the team in keeping their star quarterback safe from injury. This unit must improve upon controlling the line of scrimmage on running plays to win tight games against tough competition. The Longhorns were 91st in the nation, eighth in the Big 12, in rushing yards per game covering 153 yards each time out in 2018.
Texas Longhorns 2019 Schedule
Week 1 – Aug. 31 vs. Louisiana Tech – Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Week 2 – Sept. 7 vs. LSU – Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Week 3 – Sept. 14 at Rice – NRG Stadium (Houston)
Week 4 – Sept. 21 vs. Oklahoma State – Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Week 5 – Bye
Week 6 – Oct. 5 at West Virginia – Mountaineer Field (Morgantown)
Week 7 – Oct. 12 vs. Oklahoma – Cotton Bowl (Dallas)
Week 8 – Oct. 19 vs. Kansas – Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Week 9 – Oct. 26 at TCU – Amon G. Carter Stadium (Fort Worth)
Week 10 – Bye
Week 11 – Nov. 9 vs. Kansas State – Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Week 12 – Nov. 16 at Iowa State – Jack Trice Stadium (Ames)
Week 13 – Nov. 23 at Baylor – McLane Stadium (Waco)
Week 14 – Nov. 29 vs. Texas Tech – Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
Where do you see Texas finishing in the Big 12?
Photo credit: KVUE.com; Texas QB Sam Ehlinger