Subscribe
Follow Us
The Texas Longhorns football program has desperately been seeking their way to back to college football relevancy.
The Longhorns haven't won a National Championship since 2005 and haven't played for one since 2009 when they faced Nick Saban and Alabama. That game arguably changed the entire landscape of college football as we know it, where Saban and the Crimson Tide have yet to relinquish their grip from the sport and Texas has only had one 10-win season since. Which means that Texas football hasn't been all too great for a while now. It also means they yet to appear in the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014. However, with high expectations for the 2023 season, there is optimism that the Longhorns can finally make a break through. In order to achieve this, though, they'll need a lot to happen in their favor.
Win the Big 12 Championship
Texas hasn't played for a Big 12 Championship since 2018, and what's worse, they haven't won one since 2019. Perhaps even more shocking is they only have three total Big 12 titles to their name. With only one year left in the conference before they bolt to the SEC, facing even greater challenges, they have one last shot for a title — and it seems more than feasible. Of course, it seemed that way last season until the Longhorns once again failed to live up to expectations, finishing with a meager 8-5 season.
Last year's Texas football team did have a multitude of injuries, however, including that to starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. Ewers, in what was strangely reminiscent of when Colt McCoy went down against Alabama in the 2009 National Championship game, was taken out in last year's contest against the Crimson Tide and never truly got back to form after returning later in the season.
With the usual high expectations at Texas, head coach Steve Sarkisian once again will have his work cut out for him. He's left with having to answer what so many coaches before him couldn't answer, or perhaps answered too flippantly. Is Texas back? Well, one way to begin to answer that question is winning the Big 12; making the College Football Playoff would be next.
Filling the void in the running game
Replacing the dynamic running back duo of Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson will be crucial for Texas. The Longhorns have the talent to contend for the Big 12 championship, and perhaps further, making the College Football Playoff, but a Sarkisian led offense needs talented backs in order to be efficient. In Sarkisian's time as a head coach, he has consistently pumped out 1,000 yard backs, including some that went well over that. The Texas offense last season was fairly balanced, but they still ran the ball more than anything, accounting for 52% of the entire offense. Robinson no doubt was a big reason because of that, rushing for almost a staggering 1,600 yards, so finding his replacement is a bit unfair — but someone will need to pound the rock.
Offensive consistency, starting at quarterback
The other half of the offense will rely on quarterback play. Quinn Ewers, who showed flashes of promise in his first year as a starter coming from Ohio State, must step up his game to lead the offense effectively. With the highly touted recruit Arch Manning coming in this season, the competition is bound to be a major talking point. Anxious Texas fans aren't likely to hold out long if Ewers isn't producing, so it'll be imperative the second-year quarterback play well throughout the season, keeping Texas in the thick of the College Football Playoff talk. If not, the cries for Manning will be outrageous.
At least with the addition of Adonai Mitchell along with Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington at wide receiver, Ewers will have some help. Also, tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders is poised to be a rising star. However, none of this will matter if the offensive line can't protect Ewers. Good news is, the Longhorns return all five starters from last season up front.
Defensive Dominance
The Big 12: the conference that doesn't play defense. That's long been the narrative, and the Texas football program has helped make that true. The last four seasons prior to last year, the Longhorns defense ranked, 58th, 65th, 61st and 99th. Texas did make significant strides on the defensive side of the ball last season, however, where they ranked 28th in the country, their best since 2017 when they ranked 30th. They also went from 99th in points allowed in 2021 to 27th, and from 102nd in yards per play allowed to 18th.
Building upon this progress is essential for the Longhorns to make a playoff push in 2023, where they'll not only hope to separate themselves from the Big 12 no defense stigma, but also set themselves up for their SEC arrival next season where defenses do matter. With some key players returning and incoming talent bolstering the roster, third year defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, along with Gary Patterson's influence, will perhaps have one of the best units in the Big 12.
Beat Alabama
The only conference's that can seemingly get away with one, maybe two losses and still make the College Football Playoff are the SEC and Big 10. Fair or not, the Big 12 doesn't have that luxury. Even last year's undefeated TCU team had question marks making the playoff before surprisingly making their way into the title game. So, if Texas wants to make their first playoff appearance, they're going to have the tall task ahead of them of beating one of the most consistent teams over the last fifteen years in Alabama. They were oh, so close last year, right in the middle of doing it in the blazing Texas heat and all. This year, the challenge will be even greater, as they'll have to travel to Tuscaloosa to face an Alabama team seething a return to the playoff themselves. Good luck.
Consistent performance against all 0pponents
If somehow this Texas football squad can get past Alabama, they'll need to not have any mishaps past that point. Historically, Texas has struggled with inconsistency, resulting in surprising losses against teams with inferior talent. To make a legitimate playoff run, the Longhorns must prioritize each and every game, not looking ahead to any opponent. Winning convincingly against expected opponents will be crucial in solidifying their case for a playoff spot throughout the season.
