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Texas Football: 5 reasons Longhorns can realistically win the Big 12 in 2017

By Connor Muldowney

AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 15: Shane Buechele #7 of the Texas Longhorns drops back to pass against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half on October 15, 2016 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 15: Shane Buechele #7 of the Texas Longhorns drops back to pass against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half on October 15, 2016 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TX – OCTOBER 15: Shane Buechele #7 of the Texas Longhorns drops back to pass against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half on October 15, 2016 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX – OCTOBER 15: Shane Buechele #7 of the Texas Longhorns drops back to pass against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half on October 15, 2016 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /

2. The rise of Shane Buechele

When Sam Ehlinger committed, there were some fans who believed he might give Shane Buechele a run for his money as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback. However, that’s the soon-to-be sophomore’s job to lose.

Coming into the 2016 season, the Longhorns were iffy at the quarterback position and the true freshman was given the nod in Week 1. He led the Longhorns to an electrifying win over Notre Dame, passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another in the double-overtime victory. That’s when everyone realized he was no slouch.

Although his next game was against a weaker UTEP team, he did complete 22-of-27 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns, he showed promise. He was elusive in the pocket, making it tough for defenses to swallow him up. He went on to have a solid freshman season, passing for nearly 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns.

The only way to go from here is up. With a strong quarterback-friendly coach like Herman in town, Buechele can expect to improve in just about every category, and he was already strong all-around. The 2017 season will signal the rise of Shane Buechele and the Longhorns will benefit greatly from it.

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