Get your preseason rankings here. Amway Coaches Poll and the AP Poll both listed the Texas Longhorns inside the top 15. By removing the teams not actually playing this fall, the Longhorns wind up inside the top 10 for both.
Related: USA TODAY Sports ranks the Longhorns in the top ten
Seems like it has been a lot of the Longhorns receiving preseason love only to falter throughout the season. Last year saw the Longhorns dip to 7-5 and dropped out of the rankings prior to the Valero Alamo Bowl. So does that make the 2018 season an aberration or a sign of things to come?
The Longhorns jumped all the way up 15th in the last College Football Playoff poll after defeating a top five team in the Georgia Bulldogs. Then of course there was last season. The Longhorns fell early on to the eventual National Champions Louisiana State and then lost three out of five starting with Oklahoma. That pretty. much derailed any hopes of a return to the Big 12 title game.
It could be a different story this year and we shall soon find out just what the Longhorns have in store for the fanbase. Two weeks from Saturday the team is kicking off against UTEP at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. In yet another preseason poll, Sports Illustrated released their “still standing 16.” The top 16 teams in college football.
SI put the Texas Longhorns at No. 11 behind both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Not a terrible spot but many feel that they are better than Oklahoma State and well they did defeat the Cowboys at DKR in 2019. This year there are questions about the team, especially at wide receiver.
Related: Texas adds graduate transfer wide out from Arizona
Related: Watch new WR Brenden Schooler
Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde highlight the fact that the offense struggled with injuries to the running back position that cause Roschon Johnson to move from quarterback. However, this season they have a few guys that could step up if needed. Keaontay Ingram returns as the incumbent starter, Johnson and standout freshman runner Bijan Robinson. Not to mention they just added another back in Gabriel Watson.
Defensively there are questions on defense especially with injuries to the secondary from last year. This year it seems as though that secondary has a lot more talent. As they point out, it will be a different defense with Todd Orlando being replaced by Chris Ash.
Player to watch:
It all comes down to fourth-year starter Ehlinger. With 3,663 yards, a 65.2% completion rate and 32 touchdown passes last year, he showed off a rocket right arm and more toughness than most at his position. Despite playing through a rib injury in 2019, he ran for 663 yards and seven touchdowns. – Dellenger and Forde