Tag: 2021 football schedule

Updated Sooners game-by-game win probabilities per ESPN FPI after win over TCU

An updated look at Oklahoma’s game-by-game win probabilities per ESPN FPI after the Sooners’ incredible win over the TCU Horned Frogs.

The Oklahoma Sooners beat the TCU Horned Frogs 52-31 on Saturday in a game that at times felt closer than the scoreboard indicated, but was never really close after TCU pulled within three in the second quarter.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved to 7-0 and 4-0 in the Big 12 and continue their march to the Big 12 championship game in Arlington, Texas. With the Kansas Jayhawks and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, the Sooners should be 9-0 before they enter their tough three-game stretch against Baylor, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State to close out the season.

On Saturday, Caleb Williams was phenomenal in helping the Sooners break their trend of one-score wins against FBS opponents. Though it was against a TCU defense that has struggled this year, Williams and the Sooners’ offense was dominant.

Oklahoma has some things to figure out defensively, most importantly, can they get healthy, because it’s clear they’re missing Woodi Washington, Jalen Redmond, and Delarrin Turner-Yell.

As we take a look at the rest of the schedule, the Sooners continue to be the projected winner in each of their five remaining games according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Texas Football: Ranking the 12 games on the 2021 schedule by toughest matchups

Each game during the season should be respected and holds equal importance, but not every game is as tough as the others.

For how much pressure there is on Texas to have a successful season, it will not be a cakewalk by any means.

The Longhorns are in the midst of a new era, with head coach Steve Sarkisian taking over after a stellar career as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. He is tasked with taking on what 247Sports ranked as the No. 9 toughest schedule in the nation, and is responsible for deciding who will take over as the Texas’ next quarterback. Hudson Card and Casey Thompson are in the middle of what sounds to be the closest quarterback battle in the nation.

Texas, who will be starting the season ranked as the No. 21 team in the country according to the AP Poll, is looking to make their first Big 12 championship appearance since 2018, and hoping that Sarkisian and Co. can win their first conference title since 2009.

It is a tough task, especially with Oklahoma in the conference. The Sooners are looking to win their seventh consecutive Big 12 title, and may have their most complete team under Lincoln Riley this season.

Texas has a very talented roster, even with questions surrounding who will start at quarterback, and whether or not the receivers can be consistent playmakers. The Longhorns still arguably have the best running back in the nation, a veteran-led defense, and one of the top defensive coordinators in the nation in Pete Kwiatkowski.

With the season only a little over two weeks away, I’ve ranked the 12 matchups for Texas this season from easiest to toughest. It’s obvious that each game during the season should be respected and holds equal importance, but not every game is as tough as the others.

What Big 12 coaches anonymously said about Texas football heading into 2021

These are direct quotes from coaching staffs across the Big 12.

In what could potentially be the last season of the Big 12 conference, it’s sure to be an interesting one.

All eyes will be on Texas and Oklahoma after reports surfaced that the two Big 12 powerhouse programs were interested in joining the SEC. Now that the move will in fact happen by the 2025 season, the target on Texas’ back got a bit bigger heading into the 2021 season.

The other eight remaining Big 12 programs are not happy with the two schools choosing to dart for greener pastures, which is certainly expected. The Longhorns have received the most backlash as they were seemingly the one who initiated the move.

How will that carry onto the field this season?

Athlon Sports recently spoke with each Big 12 coaching staff. In order to get get an honest response and accurate assessment of each conference foe heading into the 2021 season, the coaches were asked to speak anonymously about their opponents.

Texas seemed to garner comments from all angles. Some were surprisingly positive, while others were negative and/or uncertain. Take a look at what Big 12 coaching staffs had to say about Texas football heading into the 2021 season:

An early look at the Texas Longhorns 2021 schedule

With the 2020 college football season in the books for the Texas Longhorns, we take an early look at the 2021 opponents.

It has been a hectic last week for Texas Longhorns football. Following the Alamo Bowl thumping of Colorado, the Forty Acres was flipped upside down over the weekend. Continue reading “An early look at the Texas Longhorns 2021 schedule”