What Kind of Impact Will Texas Make in the SEC?
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
The Texas Longhorns finished 12-2 in their final season in the Big 12 Conference after losing in heartbreaking fashion in the College Football Playoffs, 37-31, against Washington. Now the Longhorns move forward with the same lofty expectations surrounding the program but are now members of the SEC. Despite switching conferences, Texas is already favorites to return to the 12-team College Football Playoffs, and potentially fight for the national title.
Star quarterback Quinn Ewers returns under center with some new weapons surrounding him as the Longhorns acquired wide receiver Isaiah Bond and Silas Bolden in the transfer portal. Kelvin Banks Jr., first-team All-Big 12 in 2023, returns to the lead offensive line up front. Texas averaged 35.8 points per game last season and will look to put on another offensive show in 2024.
The Longhorns gave up 19 points per contest last year and return some star power despite losing multiple players to the NFL draft. Linebackers Anthony Hill Jr. and Kendrick Blankshire will be featured in the front seven with cornerback Malik Muhammad will be the star in the secondary.
Texas opens the 2024 campaign at home against Colorado State on August 31. The first true test comes the following Saturday in the Big House as Michigan hosts the Longhorns on September 7.
The Longhorns’ three-game home-stand will commence with their two final non-conference games against the University of Texas-San Antonio, on September 14, and the University of Louisiana-Monroe, on September 21.
Conference play for the Longhorns opens on September 28 with a battle against Mississippi State in Austin. After their first bye week, Texas will travel to Dallas for the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma on October 12.
On October 19, Georgia will travel to Austin to face the Longhorns in one of the most highly anticipated games of the season in all of college football.
The next week Texas will make their first SEC road trip to face Vanderbilt. After their second bye week, the Longhorns will be pitted against the Florida Gators in Austin on November 9. Texas will then rekindle an old rivalry on the road against Arkansas on November 16.
The final home game of 2024 will be on November 23 when the Longhorns host Kentucky. The regular season concludes on November 30 at Kyle Field in College Station against in-state rival Texas A&M.
In the opening rankings of the preseason, Texas is slotted in at No. 4. With only four games against ranked opponents; the schedule is definitely in the favor of the Longhorns to make a deep conference run and contend for the national title.
The key part of the schedule will be those back-to-back games in October against the Sooners in Dallas and hosting the No.1 Bulldogs.
It will be exciting to watch whether or not head coach Steve Sarkisian uses the pressure from high expectations of the program and switching conferences to bring this team back to the mountaintop of college football.
Photo credit: Michael Thomas/Associated Press