The Big 12 Conference announced on Wednesday that the game between Texas and Kansas on Nov. 21 would be postponed to Dec. 12.
Kansas is unable to field the required amount of players due to COVID implications. This becomes the first contest that has directly impacted the Texas football program this season.
However, it may actually benefit their remaining schedule. As the Longhorns were on a bye last week, the Kansas postponement now gives Texas three weeks off before facing No. 16 Iowa State at home on Friday, Nov. 27.
Rather than the Longhorns traveling to and from Kansas prior to facing Iowa State on a short week, they’ll now have plenty of extra time to prepare for the toughest conference opponent left on their schedule.
In regards to Texas head coach Tom Herman, he typically excels when allowed three or more weeks to prepare for a high quality matchup. Herman’s squad defeated top-11 opponents Georgia and Utah in each of Texas’ last two bowl games.
It goes without saying that the unexpected week off will benefit the key players currently nursing injuries. Having a healthy roster will certainly help Texas as they have zero margin for error in their remaining three games if they hope reach the Big 12 title game.
Herman announced via his weekly press conference on Monday that tight end’s Cade Brewer and Jared Wiley were seemingly questionable for Kansas, therefore the extra time off may benefit these two players most.
Wide receiver Jordan Whittington returned to practice this week, he’s now likely a sure bet to be available for the Iowa State matchup. Whittington is one of Texas’ most dangerous weapons on the offensive side of the ball and will provide quality depth in the slot behind Jake Smith.
Texas’ top receiving threat Joshua Moore has been battling a variety of injuries throughout the season. It’s unclear the severity of his current shoulder issue, but it’s clearly taking longer to fully recover than originally expected.
Nose tackle Keondre Coburn was already cleared to return against Kansas after suffering a high ankle sprain in Texas’ 17-13 win over West Virginia.
If the Longhorns can squeak by Iowa State and Kansas State in their next two games, they could find themselves competing against Kansas for a berth to the Big 12 title game.
That’s a much less stressful way to close out the season.