The TCU Horned Frogs and Baylor Bears were not granted the opportunity to compete in the inaugural College Football Playoff but they did manage to turn the Big 12 upside down as co-champions.
Meanwhile, traditional powerhouses like Texas and Oklahoma struggled in the conference, including the Longhorns, who stumbled to a 6-7 record in the first year under new head coach Charlie Strong. Strong has said that last year’s 6-7 record will never be accepted as the standard at Texas but they are certainly looking up at the Horned Frogs and Bears heading in to the 2015 season.
There is no doubt that the Longhorns are considered longshots to contend for a conference title this season but it certainly isn’t an impossible goal. Here is a look at four reasons Texas could contend for a Big 12 title this season.
The New Offense
The Longhorns are hoping that quarterback Tyrone Swoopes can follow a similar path to the one that Trevone Boykin took at TCU over the last two years. There is reason to believe the former can thrive at the position after gathering a year of experience. Swoopes struggles as a starter last season the same way that Boykin did a couple of years ago but he is much more comfortable in the spread offense heading in to his junior year now.
He could thrive in the team’s new up-tempo offense and that alone could get Texas back on the map. They didn’t make sweeping coaching changes but the existing staff is looking to make the transition to the type of power spread system that Ohio State and Auburn have used so successfully.
With Swoopes more comfortable after another year of experience, a new up-tempo offensive system and six other starters back, the potential is there for the Longhorns offense to be a lot better than it was last season.
The Run As A Default Option
They key to the success of this Texas offense will be Swoopes’ ability to swing the ball around but if they are ever struggling in any one game or situation, they certainly have the default option of handing the ball off to a skilled stable of running backs led by senior Johnathan Gray.
The talented back ran for 637 yards and seven touchdowns last season while picking up another 20 receptions for 122 yards. He gives the Longhorns a quality power option inside if they simply want to hand it off and let him act like a battering ram through opposing defenses. Gray will hand some touches off to talented freshman Donald “Duke” Catalon and sophomore D’Onta Foreman, so Texas certainly has several quality options to choose from in the backfield. They’re much more versatile on offense this time around.
Strong’s Defense
Also like Gary Patterson at TCU, Strong is known for his defense. After finishing 26th in the nation in total defense last season, this unit looks like they’re on the rise. The Longhorns return only five starters on that side of the football and while that means plenty of turnover, it also means plenty of opportunity with future stars at all three levels.
It’s their second year in the system and that should mean good things. They had some impressive outings last year when they held UCLA to 20 points, Baylor to 28, Texas Tech to 13, West Virginia to 16 and Oklahoma State to just seven points. Look for them to build on that.
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The Schedule
In order to have a shot at winning the Big 12 title without a conference playoff structure, Texas will have to take care of business during the regular season. That includes games against TCU, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Baylor.
The Longhorns are fortunate that they get to host TCU, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Kansas and Texas Tech this season but they also face a very difficult trip to TCU in early October and then another tough tip when they visit Baylor in their season finale.
That is an extremely difficult schedule for a Texas team that will clearly have an uphill climb but if they field the best defense in the conference and the offense is in fact improved, this could be doable. It’s a stretch to expect Texas to win the Big 12 but unlike last season, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
