Merry Christmas from everyone here at Longhorns Wire! Here are three gifts that could benefit the Longhorns football and basketball team.
Merry Christmas from everyone here at Longhorns Wire!
Texas has had a shaky football season, but still has some work to do. Getting a win against the Utes should be the priority, but the coaching staff still needs to be filled. Fulfilling both of those as soon as possible would be nice, as the Longhorns can get focused on the 2020 season as soon as possible.
Once football season ends, it is officially basketball season. Texas has been doing a decent job so far, but still has some work to do. With conference play beginning at the beginning of January, the Longhorns need to get off to a fast start to keep their NCAA tournament hopes where they are at.
Here are three gifts Texas need this Christmas:
A bowl win against Utah
First and foremost, Texas needs to find a way to get a win against a really good Utah team. Much like the Sugar Bowl last season, the Utes are just off a conference championship loss that would have put them in the College Football Playoff. Not only did they lose to Oregon, but they got dominated. Utah may be excited to be playing in the Alamo Bowl, but it is not where they wanted to be.
Texas is also in a similar position as they were last year as they are in a better bowl game than they deserve. They are also underdogs for the second year in a row, coming in as a touchdown underdog. Off a disappointing 7-5 season, winning on New Year’s Day would be a huge momentum builder going into the 2020 season.
A win against Utah could do what everyone thought the Sugar Bowl win against Georgia was going to do this season. While it may not have Sam Ehlinger saying “We’re back,” it would prove that the Longhorns can still compete with top-quality teams.
An offensive coordinator
The moment Texas took away the offensive coordinator title from Tim Beck, there were some big names connected to the position. Graham Harrell from USC was mentioned, but he has recently signed an extension with the Trojans. Passing game coordinator Joe Brady from LSU was the biggest name connected with the job, but the Tigers have made it clear they want to keep him.
Now, Ohio State’s passing game coordinator Mike Yurcich is the new favorite to get the job. Currently in the middle of a national championship run with the Buckeyes, if the Longhorns are going to hire it, it may not be until the middle of January. Kirk Ciarrocca is listed as the second favorite, but Texas seems to be all in on Yurcich.
Not hiring an offensive coordinator did not fully hurt the Longhorns on National Signing Day, but they did lose some commits before the big day. The sooner Texas is able to hire someone to run the offense, the better.
The basketball team starts Big 12 play out strong
With football season coming to an end, it is nearly basketball season in Austin. Texas’ current record is 9-2, but have been unimpressive at times. Winning games against teams they should be beating so far this season, that has been a positive. When playing against tournament-caliber teams, the Longhorns have been less than impressive.
A good win against Purdue on the road is the best win so far this season but loses against Georgetown and Providence have been brutal. Hosting High Point before opening up Big 12 play, Texas needs to rattle a few wins off to keep their NCAA tournament chances safe.
Baylor, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Kansas are the first five games of conference play. The Bears and Jayhawks are currently ranked in the top five in the AP poll and a win against one of those teams would go a long way. As for the other three, they are the type of games the Longhorns need to win. Quality Big 12 opponents that would be good on the resume. If Texas can start conference play, their NCAA tournament resume will start to come together.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]
