Expectations could not be higher for the Texas Longhorns entering the 2024 college football season. And expectations for next season are up there too.
Coming off their first Big 12 title since 2009, the Longhorns head to a crowded SEC along with longtime rivals the Oklahoma earlier. There is also the return of old conference clashes with the Arkansas Razorbacks and the return of the Lone Star Showdown with the Texas A&M Aggies.
The season is much more than just an opportunity to face old rivals. Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian have national championship aspirations. This might be the best chance the Longhorns have had in years. Quarterback Quinn Ewers returns for a third year as a starter along with a bevy of talented receivers, tight ends and running backs. Simply put, the offense is loaded.
There is a lot of young and veteran talent on the defensive side of the ball. The loss of linebacker Jaylan Ford along with defensive tackles Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat are big for this team. The roles of Anthony Hill Jr, Colin Simmons, Jermayne Lole and Tiaoaalii Savea should help alleviate the losses. Pete Kwiatkowksi’s defense should be ready to play in 2024.
Worst case scenario for Texas in 2024
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What CBS Sports says…
Texas could take a bit of a hit if it can’t handle the weekly rigors of an SEC schedule. It’s not hard to imagine three losses — the worst-case scenario most programs can only hope for — if everything goes wrong. Despite what Michigan may have lost, the Wolverines still might have one of the fiercest defenses in the country, and winning in Ann Arbor is never easy. And then there’s Georgia, which has been the toughest in the SEC the last few seasons. Those are two potential losses right there. Oklahoma always presents a tough challenge, and Texas’ regular season finale, reviving the rivalry against Texas A&M, could be a sneaky pick with emotions sure to run high. First-year Aggies coach Mike Elko will fight hard for a pivotal win in the Kyle Field scrimmage to build his program.
As Backus states, the Longhorns could, at worst, be 9-3 after their first year in the SEC. That could still be good enough to make the expanded College Football Playoff field. There will be many teams wishing this was the worst-case scenario.
Best Case for Texas in 2024
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What CBS Sports says…
Texas could take this all the way to the national title. The Longhorns are already a modern pick to compete for an SEC championship and look as close to a return to the College Football Playoff as possible. Coach Steve Sarkisian has this program firing on all cylinders, with elite recruiting and a steady build toward a national breakthrough finally paying off in 2023. QB Quinn Ewers is back to lead an offense bolstered by key receiver transfers , a rising star in running back CJ Baxter and an offensive line loaded with talent. A road game against a rebuilding Michigan team could set the tone for the year, while an October home game against Georgia gives Texas the opportunity to announce its SEC arrival in style.
I think the best-case scenario is to return to the college football playoffs and secure the national title for the first time since the 2005-2006 season. Texas has talent in attack and defense, the big secret will be the new additions to the team. Can the wide receivers match last year’s team’s performance and can the defense get to the quarterback consistently? If both occur, there is confidence that Texas could return to the title game scene.
