Texas took down Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, and the result will likely be a big bump in the AP Top 25 that may or may not be warranted. Even though expectations have been tamped down slightly since the immediate end to the season, the Longhorns will almost certainly open in the top 10 to start the 2019 campaign.
There was little to gauge out of the spring game with Texas, as they opted to stay nondescript on offense and kept their cards close. Sam Ehlinger is the unquestioned starter, with 23 games under his belt and massive improvement from his freshman to sophomore seasons. Now an upperclassman, Ehlinger could really break out in 2019. He lost Lil’Jordan Humphrey in the passing game and Tre Watson in the backfield, but there are still plenty of weapons.
The defense should be another stout group in Austin, even after losing a lot of talent on that side of the ball that eventually landed NFL contracts. Jeffrey McCulloch looks ready to step up at linebacker, while the defensive line has plenty of players with on-field experience. Where the Longhorns are less experienced is on the back end, which could make them susceptible to Big 12 offenses.
LSU comes to Austin in Week 2, opening the door for one of the two teams to get a significant boost up into the realm of contenders for a spot in the College Football Playoff. In addition to the Big 12 round robin, the Longhorns face Louisiana Tech before the Tigers showdown and Rice at NRG Stadium in Houston in Week 3. Their strength of schedule hinges largely on that SEC opportunity.