Texas Football: 2022 game-by-game predictions
By Kathryn Rose
No Breece Hall, no Brock Purdy, big problems. To add to the potential misery, Iowa State only returns 37 percent of its 2021 production. In other words, this is a very thin team.
But, there are positives, too. Edge rusher and 2020 sack king Will McDonald IV and wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson were two big needle-movers last year. They’re back. In addition, Iowa State was one of the most unlucky teams in college football in 2021; there’s almost certainly going to be positive regression for the Cyclones this year.
Is that enough? It’ll be a closer game than last year’s 30-7 Iowa State win, but still may be a Texas loss.
Prediction: Loss (4-3, 2-2)
There’s a lot to like about last year’s Big XII runner-up. For one, Spencer Sanders is back after having a first-team all-Big XII performance from the year before. There’s also Derek Mason, who ends up as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator this year. It’s not like that defensive unit needs help – they only gave up 4.3 yards per play – but Mason will certainly be a further asset.
On the downside, this team only returns 53 percent of their production from last year, which is below everyone else in the league, save for Iowa State and West Virginia.
Even with a team improvement, Texas should be the underdog in this game.
Prediction: Loss (4-4, 2-3)