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Baylor and Texas A&M jumped into ESPN’s college football power rankings this week, while Texas fell out.
Week 6 of the 2021 college football season was a tough one to stomach for Texas Longhorns fans. Continue reading “Texas drops out of ESPN’s college football power rankings this week”
Oklahoma State fell to the middle of the pack, while Texas and Iowa State are neck and neck.
We’ve reached the halfway point of the 2021 college football season and the Big 12 title is completely up for grabs. Continue reading “Where Texas lands in ESPN’s updated FPI rankings after Week 6”
On the rise…
Texas began Big 12 play with a 2-0 record and have now jumped into the top 25 of many college football rankings. Continue reading “Texas moves up eight spots in USA TODAY Sports’ re-rank of every college football team”
Will TCU keep their streak alive?
Texas is preparing to face TCU in Fort Worth for a critical Big 12 showdown in Week 5. Continue reading “Pregame buzz prior to Texas’ Week 5 matchup with TCU”
Big 12 rushing leaders through Week 4.
The Big 12 has been full of elite level running backs this season, as it seems that almost every team has at least one elite ball carrier.
Typically when people think of the Big 12, their minds immediately go to the passing game, which at its prime consisted of seemingly every quarterback throwing for over 300 yards and five touchdowns a game.
While the quarterback play within the conference has not been as star-studded as we have grown accustomed to, the running backs in the Big 12 have absolutely been lighting each of their opponents on fire.
The Big 12 may have the best group of running backs of any conference in college football, and many of the top teams within the conference, like Texas and Baylor, have heavily relied on their elite running back rooms to take the pressure off inexperienced quarterbacks.
Let’s take a look at where Texas running back Bijan Robinson lands among the Big 12 rushing leaders through Week 4:
A few outcomes could throw a wrench in the Big 12 standings this week.
As a whole, the Big 12 may have had their best showing of the season last week with Kansas being the lone school to suffer a loss.
This marks the second time of the season that the conference only suffered one loss, and it also marks the last, as Big 12 play is about to be in full swing with everyone playing a conference opponent other than TCU and Kansas.
As it currently sits, the Big 12 has three ranked teams in No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 14 Iowa State, and No. 25 Kansas state with Texas and TCU on the outside looking in.
Being the lone conference in the Power Five that plays one another, every game from here on out matters in terms of who will be able to contend for the Big 12 championship. Due to the struggles we have seen early on from Oklahoma and Iowa State, the conference title is seemingly up for grabs this season.
Kansas was defeated by Baylor pretty handily in Week 3. It’s now time to predict how Week 4 will play out in the Big 12. I correctly predicted five out of the eight games last week, as Oklahoma State and Kansas State were both able to hold off MWC opponents whilst West Virginia was able to pull off the huge upset of No. 15 Virginia Tech.
Here is my weekly prediction of how each Big 12 team will do in Week 4.
Heading into Arkansas week, the Longhorns have jumped up six spots in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll.
One week into the new college football season and Texas already has a win against a ranked opponent. No. 23 Louisiana came to Austin with the hopes of pulling off an upset but Steve Sarkisian’s offense proved to be too much.
Heading into Arkansas week, the Longhorns have jumped up six spots in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. Coming in at No. 15, they are the third highest-ranked Big 12 team in the poll behind Oklahoma (No. 4) and Iowa State (No. 10).
Oklahoma State is the only other conference foe to feature at No. 23. The Cowboys fell one spot after a narrow win over Missouri State. TCU and Kansas State received votes as well.
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Alabama | 1624 |
| 2 | Georgia | 1537 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 1491 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 1397 |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 1334 |
| 6 | Clemson | 1239 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 1197 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 1113 |
| 9 | Florida | 1058 |
| 10 | Iowa State | 1057 |
| 11 | Oregon | 920 |
| 12 | Iowa | 914 |
| 13 | Penn State | 872 |
| 14 | Southern California | 828 |
| 15 | Texas | 653 |
| 16 | UCLA | 538 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 359 |
| 18 | Utah | 294 |
| 19 | Coastal Carolina | 289 |
| 20 | Mississippi | 285 |
| 21 | Virginia Tech | 274 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 252 |
| 23 | Oklahoma State | 243 |
| 24 | Miami | 186 |
| 25 | Arizona State | 181 |
No. 13 LSU; No. 17 Indiana; No. 21 Washington; No. 23 UL Lafayette.
Auburn 123; Michigan 99; Louisiana State 95; NC State 81; Liberty 78; Brigham Young 65; Indiana 58; Texas Christian 49; Central Florida 48; Florida State 34; Michigan State 33; Kentucky 28; Pittsburgh 20; UL Lafayette 19; Kansas State 19; Boston College 19; Appalachian State 15; Southern Methodist 14; Rutgers 11; Arkansas 11; Maryland 9; Tennessee 7; Nevada 7; Fresno State 7; Army 7; Tulane 6; Virginia 5; San Jose State 5; Missouri 5; Ball State 5; Marshall 3; UAB 2; Air Force 2; Charlotte 1.
As usual, Texas’ future foes in the SEC have dominated the top of the poll. Alabama retained the No. 1 spot, with Georgia just behind at No. 2. In-state rivals Texas A&M got bumped into the top five thanks to a loss by Clemson.
Florida (No. 9) and Ole Miss (No. 20) both moved up as well.
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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.
Six Big 12 programs are currently within the top 30 of 247Sports’ 2022 recruiting class rankings.
In what could be the final year of the Big 12, it’s sure to be an exciting one. Continue reading “Big 12 Football: Where each 2022 recruiting class ranks”
You can finally consider college football back with the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll out. Texas debuts in the poll as the No. 19 team.
You can finally consider college football officially back because the first preseason poll of the year is out.
The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll was released Tuesday afternoon, with Texas debuting at No. 19. For the first time in years, this feels like the right position for the Longhorns to be ranked. Not too high, like the top 15 rankings in 2018 and 2019, but not low enough where they are dismissed as a solid football team.
Of course, Steve Sarkisian will want to push closer toward the top 10 as the season begins. An early win could help the cause with Louisiana being ranked No. 23. The matchup projects as Texas’ first ranked vs. ranked season opener since 1984.
Within the rest of the Big 12, two teams in Oklahoma (No. 3) and Iowa State (No. 8) are inside the top 10. The two are considered the favorites to win the Big 12 this season, finishing atop the conference preseason poll. Oklahoma State sneaked in the back door of the coaches poll, coming in at No. 22.
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1 | Alabama | 1621 |
| 2 | Clemson | 1508 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 1481 |
| 4 | Ohio State | 1435 |
| 5 | Georgia | 1386 |
| 6 | Texas A&M | 1286 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 1139 |
| 8 | Iowa State | 1131 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 999 |
| 10 | Cincinnati | 979 |
| 11 | Florida | 870 |
| 12 | Oregon | 842 |
| 13 | Louisiana State | 664 |
| 14 | Southern California | 655 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 654 |
| 16 | Miami (Fl) | 575 |
| 17 | Indiana | 573 |
| 18 | Iowa | 554 |
| 19 | Texas | 427 |
| 20 | Penn State | 422 |
| 21 | Washington | 404 |
| 22 | Oklahoma State | 216 |
| 23 | UL Lafayette | 153 |
| 24 | Coastal Carolina | 150 |
| 25 | Mississippi | 149 |
Utah 145; Northwestern 120; Arizona State 90; Auburn 84; Liberty 68; Brigham Young 53; Texas Christian 48; Michigan 30; Central Florida 29; NC State 27; Boise State 27; Kentucky 20; San Jose State 18; Army 13; Virginia Tech 9; Missouri 8; UCLA 7; Tulsa 6; Pittsburgh 6; Boston College 6; Houston 5; Ball State 5; West Virginia 4; Southern Methodist 4; Appalachian State 4; UAB 3; Arkansas 3; Nevada 2; Mississippi State 2; Air Force 2; Stanford 1; Marshall 1; Florida State 1; California 1.
Looking ahead to future conference members, six SEC programs are ranked. Alabama will be looking to defend their national championship as the No. 1 team in the country, while in-state rivals Texas A&M crack the top 10.
Georgia (No. 5), Florida (No. 11), LSU (No. 13), and Ole Miss (No. 25) make the poll as well.
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