Geoff Schwartz
FOX Sports activities Betting Analyst
Is simply making the School Soccer Playoff ok for the richest program within the sport?
After back-to-back playoff appearances, together with two wins and a semifinal berth final season, the Texas Longhorns look to lastly win the championship in 2025.
Texas, similar to its associates within the higher tier of the game, doesn’t lose video games that it ought to win. The Horns had been 11-1 with a loss to Georgia within the 2024 common season. Then they went 11-1 in 2023 with a loss to 6-0 Oklahoma on the ultimate play of the sport.
That’s it — two regular-season losses within the final two seasons.
After sitting behind Quinn Ewers for 2 seasons, Arch Manning will begin this yr at Texas.
Now, after two years of hype and 90 passing makes an attempt final season, Texas turns to Arch Manning because the starter. He’s proven elite bodily skills, so the hype is warranted — however being a first-time starter does include some bumps and bruises.
The Texas offensive line was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award final yr, however that unit nonetheless had moments the place it wasn’t as clear as anticipated. It now has to exchange 4 starters, however ready are all of the top-tier recruits and portal gamers.
Texas continues to lose receivers to the draft and Steve Sarkisian has replacements ready on the roster there, too. The Longhorns run sport has been one thing they’ll lean on. The offense is loaded with unproven expertise, however Sark’s monitor report, plus the expertise of Manning, ought to get them buzzing rapidly.
On the defensive facet, Texas despatched 5 guys to the NFL, however similar to the offense, that facet of the ball is retooling with the very best degree of expertise.
Linebacker Anthony Hill would be the anchor of the protection, with freshman All-American Colin Simmons because the lead cross rusher.
Texas went to the portal for defensive linemen and the secondary. The Longhorns have a monitor report of having the ability to develop on that facet of the ball and I belief Pete Kwiatkowski and employees to have this protection taking part in at an elite degree once more this season.
Steve Sarkisian is coming into his sixth season as head coach at Texas.
If we take a look at the Texas schedule with the belief that upsets are uncommon, the squad has two video games proper now which can be toss-ups.
Texas opens the season at Ohio State after which performs Georgia in the course of November on the highway. Ohio State should change a lot manufacturing on each traces and at quarterback, so catching them to start out the season might favor Texas right here.
I do fear in regards to the Longhorns’ means to win at Georgia after going 0-2 in opposition to the Bulldogs final season. So in the event that they cut up these video games, Texas is nearer to profitable 11 video games than 9. A cut up would permit for an upset and the Longhorns nonetheless going Over 9.5 wins.
Video games in opposition to Florida and Texas A&M shall be troublesome, however Florida has questions at quarterback for the time being and I don’t assume A&M is sweet sufficient to win at Texas proper now.
If given a alternative between the Over or Below on the Texas season, I lean towards the Over.
PICK: Texas Over 9.5 Common Season Wins
Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports activities. He performed eight seasons within the NFL for 5 completely different groups. He began at proper sort out for the College of Oregon for 3 seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 choice his senior yr. Observe him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz.
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