Tag: Way-too-early predictions

College Football writer ranks Texas No. 2 in way-too-early Top 25

One writer views Texas as the No. 2 team in college football.

Preseason projections continue to roll in as we enter recruiting season. The Texas Longhorns rank highly in another projection.

Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker ranks the Longhorns No. 2. He explained what could make Texas a force leading up to the 2024 season.

“With a trip to the CFP to build on and quarterback Quinn Ewers (64.3 completion percentage, 5,656 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, 12 interceptions in 22 career games) back in the fold, the Longhorns again have lofty expectations for 2024. Yes, there likely will be holes to fill on both the defensive line and for those receiving targets. Yes, they will be playing in the SEC, so the competition will stiffen (there’s also a Sept. 7 stop at Michigan). However, Texas will be among the 12 best teams in the nation next season when anything can happen.”

Mezydlo is higher on Texas than most as we look forward to a pivotal fourth season for head coach Steve Sarkisian in Austin. If Sarkisian can follow a 12-win season with another good showing in 2024, we could see Texas return to more of the success it had under former head coaches Mack Brown, Fred Akers and Darrell Royal.

The college football writer shared interesting projections for a handful of teams. The Ohio State Buckeyes are given a lower than usual ranking at No. 5. The Oklahoma State Cowboys (No. 10) and Washington Huskies (No. 12) are given more benefit of the doubt than we would give despite potentially lacking the talent to compete at an elite level this season. The Cowboys return plenty from last season, but displayed a low floor in blowout losses to South Alabama and UCF.

Texas’ rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies (No. 24) and Oklahoma Sooners (No. 16), are included in the Top 25 ranking. They might belong higher on the list than Mezydlo gives them credit for in the rankings. The analyst shares that while Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold gave reason for optimism in the Alamo Bowl, the SEC slate is daunting. Mezydlo opines that Texas A&M’s schedule is favorable in that many of its toughest games are at Kyle Field.

It’s uncertain where the Longhorns will end up by season’s end, but the national perception seems to favor the team. Texas looks to live up to its high ranking in 2024.

Pre-spring College Football Playoff tiers for the 2024 season

We put teams in tiers based on College Football Playoff chances.

12 teams will make the College Football Playoff. We have a good idea about a handful of teams’ chances to make it. Continue reading “Pre-spring College Football Playoff tiers for the 2024 season”

The Athletic predicts the Texas Longhorns’ football record in 2024

The Athletic has Texas going 11-1 in 2024. You’d never guess who the loss is against.

The Athletic is nothing if not bold. The publication has released its early SEC record predictions for the 2024 football season.

This season’s prediction does not have Texas going 4-8 although such a prediction has happened before. This year, the publication has Texas going 11-1 in its first season in the SEC. The lone loss? The Athletic has the Longhorns falling to the rival Texas A&M Aggies in their final regular-season game.

This 2024 prognostication isn’t as far-fetched as the one from the 2022 season that had the Longhorns winning just four games. Albeit, it is surprising to predict that Texas will beat Michigan, Oklahoma and Georgia in the same season it loses to a rebuilding Texas A&M squad. That said, it’s hard to beat an 11-win season prediction in the team’s first season in the SEC.

Despite the upset prediction in favor of the Aggies, The Athletic does not seem high on the Longhorns’ rivals. Texas A&M is predicted to go 6-6, while Texas’ more bitter rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners, are predicted to go 7-5.

The Athletic has Oklahoma dropping games to Texas in Dallas, Alabama at home, and three games on the road against Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU. In College Station, Texas A&M is predicted to lose to Notre Dame, Missouri and LSU at home with road losses to Florida, South Carolina and Auburn.

National media often miss what those close to the teams can see, but their predictions might not be that far off in this instance. We see the Longhorns as a double-digit win team, although the Sooners might be underrated nationally.

Way-too-early predictions will continue to roll in for the 2024 college football season. We will have a better idea of what players will make an impact for each team after their spring games.