After a much-needed bye week, Texas is back in action for eight straight weeks of football, starting this Saturday against rival Oklahoma.
While the Longhorns have played and defeated a couple of top-ranked opponents, their schedule doesn’t get any easier. In fact, five of their last eight regular-season opponents are ranked in the top 25, and almost all are in College Football Playoff contention. Texas ranks second in ESPN’s strength-of-schedule ranking.
As head coach Steve Sarkisian has said a time or 20, anyone can beat anyone in the Southeastern Conference. Just look at former No. 8 Florida, previously one of the hottest teams in the country, riding the high of upsetting Ole Miss just to get upset and, quite frankly, dominated by then-No. 25 Missouri the next week.
It’s an understatement to say that Texas needs to be at its very best week in and week out to stay afloat in the conference.
“You better strap it up every week,” Sarkisian said. “You (have) to be physically tough in this league. You (have) to be mentally tough in this league because you have to get right back to it each Monday. And you’ve got to wipe the slate clean, and you’ve got to get back to what you believe in and prepare and practice, mentally and physically, ready for another war come Saturday.”
Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma has fallen completely out of the rankings after starting the season 2–2. Senior quarterback John Mateer has struggled, and the Sooners’ offense has looked stagnant and inconsistent. Despite Texas being the clear favorite, the Red River Rivalry is notorious for being competitive no matter what each team looks like coming in, and Texas is not underestimating any opponent.
No. 16 Florida Gators
This game has no doubt been circled by the returning Longhorns, as the Gators upset them in The Swamp last season. Florida has only gotten better, surpassing preseason expectations. The Gators recently got a reality check in the form of a 45-17 lopsided defeat against Missouri, which exposed Florida’s young defense while shutting down the run game. Still, Florida has an explosive, dangerous offense, averaging 46 points a game and featuring one of the country’s best running backs in junior Jadan Baugh.
No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels
It’s been a wild ride for the Rebels so far under first-year head coach Pete Golding. Ole Miss got its revenge win against LSU and head coach Lane Kiffin a couple of weeks ago, but Florida dominated them 52-28 the next week. The Rebels are still in the mix, boasting an explosive, high-powered offense and averaging 322.5 passing yards per game. The matchup will serve as a good midseason litmus test for the Texas defense.
No. 17 Mississippi State Bulldogs
Like Florida, Mississippi State became one of the biggest surprises through the first couple of weeks of the season. Just like Florida, the Bulldogs took a humbling loss, being dominated by Alabama on Saturday. The Bulldogs are led by breakout sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor, who, despite having an off game against the Crimson Tide, still possesses explosive playmaking abilities.
No. 14 Missouri Tigers
If Missouri wasn’t on Texas’ radar before, it definitely is now. By the time the two teams meet in November, it could very well be a top-10 matchup. The Tigers are now a stable top-20 team after dominating Florida, backed by a strong home-field advantage and a standout performance from senior transfer quarterback Austin Simmons, who threw for 340 yards against the Gators.
