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Texas Football: 2017 Season preview, predictions and more

By Matthew Bartlett

DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 08: A Texas Longhorns flag at Cotton Bowl on October 8, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 08: A Texas Longhorns flag at Cotton Bowl on October 8, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Texas Football
GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 05: The Texas Longhorns helmets are arranged on the field before the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on January 5, 2009 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /

2017 Texas schedule and predictions

Week Date School Opponent
1 2-Sep-17 Texas  vs. Maryland
2 9-Sep-17 Texas  vs. San Jose State
3 16-Sep-17 Texas @ USC
4 23-Sep-17 Bye Week
4 28-Sep-17 Texas @ Iowa State
5 7-Oct-17 Texas  vs. Kansas State
6 14-Oct-17 Texas  vs. Oklahoma
7 21-Oct-17 Texas  vs. Oklahoma State
8 28-Oct-17 Texas @ Baylor
9 4-Nov-17 Texas @ Texas Christian
10 11-Nov-17 Texas  vs. Kansas
11 18-Nov-17 Texas @ West Virginia
12 24-Nov-17 Texas  vs. Texas Tech

Final thoughts

Just like Herman did at Houston, he’s going stun some people with a few big wins in Austin. With the retirement of Bob Stoops it seems only natural to pick the ‘Horns to upset the Sooners in Herman’s first taste of the Red River Rivalry.

Don’t get too carried away. The bulk of this team still consists of players that lost to Kansas in 2016. Will they stumble to that degree in 2017? Probably not. But there are some roster holes, particularly at running back and the defensive line, that still need answering. That’s going to rear up and bite them as the season goes on.

Every game that the Longhorns win will fuel the fire of a Texas comeback hype-train. They won’t need any added incentive, but the wave of anticipation for Herman’s Longhorns is going to impact the on-field product in some way next year. It’s entirely possible that Texas could enter their game against Oklahoma 4-1 (with a loss to USC). A win against the Sooners would vault them into the top 25 and build momentum towards a run at the Big 12 title.

Prediction: 7-5

There isn’t one singular team in the Big 12 that seems unbeatable this season. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt. That leaves the door open just a crack. The Longhorns should be in the thick of the Big 12 conference title race immediately.

Next: 50 best Big 12 players of all-time

The biggest detractor is Herman’s newness to the head coaching world. He just hasn’t shown enough staying power yet after losing to Memphis and SMU last year. It will be a better season in Austin in 2017, but 2018 will be where the bulk of the expectations rest.

***Stats from Sports Reference, NCAA, ESPN***

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