The stars at night are deep and bright in the heart of Texas! Although we sit halfway through May with the season three and a half months away, the expectations in and around Austin, Texas could not be higher entering the 2023 season. Let's take a look at our college football odds series where our Texas over/under win total prediction and pick will be revealed!

After going 8-5 during the 2022 season including a 6-3 mark in conference play, the Texas Longhorns are more than ready to return to the national landscape of college football a year later. Last season, Texas put the college football world on notice by almost defeating Alabama at home and obliterating their rivals in the Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 49-0. Alas, the Longhorns showcased that they are ready for what the SEC has in store for them when they begin play in that conference in 2024. Until then, does Texas have what it takes to win the Big 12 in 2023 one final time before exiting for good?

Here are the College Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Over/Under Win Total Odds

Over 9.5 wins: -115

Under 9.5 wins: -105

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Why Texas Can Win 9.5 Games 

For starters, the Longhorns are considered to be an early favorite to win the Big 12 Conference by many college football experts after finishing third in the league a year ago. Believe it or not, Texas has not won the Big 12 since way back in 2009 which also happened to be their last appearance in the National Championship Game. In that season that took place almost 14 years ago, it was the Longhorns that possessed strong QB play along with star position players that eventually saw success at the next level.

In fact, the same formula may be applied in 2o23 as the biggest reason Texas will win more than 9.5 games will be in large part due to the most talented quarterback room that the Longhorns have had in recent memory. Alas, the season and its success will ultimately fall on the shoulders of soon-to-be sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers. After posting 2,177 passing yards through the air and connecting on 15 touchdowns with his fellow receivers as a true freshman, Ewers is eager to take that next step in transforming himself into one of the top signal callers that college football has to offer.

However, if Ewers takes even a slight step back from his stellar play in 2022, one of the more highly anticipated high school recruits in QB Arch Manning will be lurking in the shadows for his opportunity at the starting gig. If that name sounds familiar, it's because it does. The son of Cooper Manning struggled at times during the Texas Spring Game, but he has unbelievable physical tools that are making Longhorns fans salivate at the mouth. To make a long story short, Texas should not be short on options at the most important position on the football field.

Why Texas Can Not Win 9.5 Games

While all eyes should be on an offense that will provide plenty of fireworks in 2023, Texas' main concern should be to continue to develop their young and unproven wide receiving core while also finding a way to fill out the defense. One of the biggest reasons in Texas' success during the 2022 season was the fact that they were able to shore up a defense that had more holes than Swiss cheese in 2021. A year ago, the Longhorns surrendered less than five yards per play as they will need to replace a shore of names that took their talents to the NFL. Despite Texas possessing top recruiting classes over the last several years, it his often difficult to replace this type of depth on the defensive side of the ball.

Without a doubt, winning ten games in college football is no easy task, and the biggest reason why that won't come true will be because of a defense that fails to stop anybody. The stereotype around the nation is that the Big 12 often doesn't play admirable defense, so Texas will need to reverse that viewpoint.

Above all else, replacing RB Bijan Robinson also won't be an easy task. Not only was Robinson one of and if not the top running back in all of college football a year ago, but he was also a much-needed leader in that locker room. With that being said, the ball carriers will need to step up production-wise, but other Longhorns on this roster also must provide tremendous leadership qualities to help themselves overcome obstacles when faced with adversity. Hopefully for Texas' sake, leaders will show themselves in the early going of the season.

Final Texas Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick

The sky is the limit for this Texas Longhorns football program, as the expectation is for them to return to their old glory days more than a decade ago when head coach Mack Brown was running the show. With a talented roster returning and the quarterback position more than equipped to find success, side with Texas winning more than 9.5 games later this fall.

Final Texas Over/Under Win Total Prediction & Pick: Over 9.5 (-115)