Over the past week the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners learned who they will be playing in the 2024 season.
A schedule that marks their first SEC schedule, as this 2023 season is obviously their last in the Big 12 before they make the jump to play with the big boys.
The schedules have created nothing but debates and internet squabbles as to who got it worse. Many Oklahoma fans definitely think they got a tougher draw compared to Texas and while they do have some tough draws, when you look at their schedules as a whole, it’s certainly no cupcake schedule for the Longhorns.
Even CBS Sports ranked Texas’ schedule as the second easiest in the conference, but I firmly believe people are valuing home games far too much and not looking at the actual opponents.
There’s a reason Steve Sarkisian and the players were all posting about their 2023 schedule, which is obviously to show that they aren’t looking ahead, and that’s the perfect mentality. However, while they don’t want to look ahead, those of us not on the field have to, and it’s causing Texas fans to lose sleep two years in advance.
The Longhorns start off the season against what has been a bad Colorado State team, but immediately hit the road and play Michigan at The Big House. Michigan has made the past two playoffs, and have been one of the more dominant teams in college football. Not to mention, Texas has been historically bad in nonconference games early in the season. Since 2012, when Texas plays a Power Five program in the first three weeks of the season they hold a 2-10 record. If you count meetings against independents BYU and Notre Dame, that drops to 3-13.
The Longhorns will have a chance to secure a blowout win against Louisiana Monroe, but follow them up with a game against UTSA who has proven to be one of the best Group of Five programs in the country under Jeff Traylor. However, what most people are overlooking is their first four-week stretch of SEC play that has them scheduled to play Oklahoma, at Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia. A stretch of games that even with home field advantage in three could really deter the Longhorns’ season. Oklahoma always plays Texas extremely tough regardless of how good either team is, Texas didn’t fare well against Arkansas at Fayetteville a couple seasons ago, Georgia could be in the midst of becoming the next Alabama, and Florida may be on the rise.
Yes, Texas gets a perfectly nice stretch of home games, but being in the SEC, their schedule is an absolute bloodbath with many of the programs they play either already being extremely good or on the rise. Steve Sarkisian and his staff have been treating Texas as if it were an SEC program and attempting to build the roster like one, but we will find out in 2024 if that actually worked as it wouldn’t be shocking at all if Texas wins around just seven or eight games.