Texas Football: The Biggest Disappointments for the Longhorns in 2014

The Longhorns have had their moments in 2014, but it's impossible to finish the regular season with a 6-6 record without a string of disappointments along the way.

Fresh off of a 48-10 pasting at the hands of TCU, it's easy to forget what Charlie Strong has accomplished in his first season. The Longhorns are still the best pass defense in the Big 12 by a mile, will return their entire offensive line and, no matter what, will have two quarterbacks who have spent a year learning the offense.

No matter what happens in the bowl, these Horns can hold onto those achievements as signs that the program is moving forward.

Right now, it's just tough to swallow the blowout losses, offensive line woes, inconsistent quarterbacking and the disappearance of Cedric Reed.

The Blowout Losses

Associated Press

Texas has suffered four defeats by 21 points or more in 2014.

Blowout losses have been a real problem for these Longhorns, with four of their six losses coming by at least 21 points. 

"Just didn't see it coming," Charlie Strong told the media following the Longhorns' humiliating 38-point loss to TCU. Per HornsDigest.com's Chip Brown, that defeat is Texas' worst home loss since 1997, but it's far from the only time this team has had its clock cleaned in 2014.

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#Longhorns' 48-10 whipping at home by #TCU was #Texas' worst home loss since Rout 66 - the #Longhorns' 66-3 loss to UCLA in 1997.

@ChipBrownHD, 28 Nov 2014

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For the second straight season, the Horns got ripped by BYU, this time falling by 34 points. Then in pivotal Big 12 matchups with Baylor and Kansas State, the Longhorns looked lifeless while being outscored 51-7.

The offense was the obvious culprit in these games, never once scoring more than 10 points as the opposition wore the defense down to a nub. That side of the ball can never be this bad again.

The Offensive Line

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Texas' issues up front have hampered its entire offense.

Down three projected starters for almost all of the season, Texas' offensive line has been predictably below average, and the entire offense has suffered for it.

Losing tackles Kennedy Estelle and Desmond Harrison to disciplinary issues put the Longhorns in a tough spot to start the season. This situation then became a dumpster fire when center Dom Espinosa broke his ankle, and Joe Wickline has been plugging holes in the dam ever since.

The Texas front turned in some decent performances during a late-season winning streak but has limited this team all season. The Longhorns average just 3.9 yards per carry, which ranks better than only Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma State, and allowed over two sacks per game.

It'd be one thing if Tyrone Swoopes were an experienced, polished passer who could manipulate opposing defenses, but he's not. Without the running game to take pressure off of him, he has made a lot of mistakes behind this overwhelmed group of blockers.

The Quarterback Situation

Ashley Landis/Associated Press

Tyrone Swoopes' inconsistent play has torpedoed Texas in blowout losses.

Texas' quarterback position has been tough to watch for the past five seasons, and Tyrone Swoopes' implosion against TCU showed that there's a lot of work left to be at the position.

Swoopes has had his moments since taking over in the wake of David Ash walking away from football. He piled up some impressive numbers in his first Red River Rivalry, turned in an amazing game-winning drive against Iowa State and picked apart Oklahoma State.

But for every game that gets you excited about Swoopes, you get another that makes you wonder if he's cut out for the position. He's been brutal in those four blowout losses, averaging 156.5 passing yards with two touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Yeah, it's been that bad.

That said, it's important to remember that both Vince Young and Colt McCoy had awful performances early in their careers, so Swoopes is far from a lost cause. 

It should also be noted that the coaches were able to keep Jerrod Heard's redshirt in tact, and he'll be ready to compete for the job in the offseason. "He'll be really competitive for us in the spring," offensive coordinator Shawn Watson told the media during the bye week.

One way or the other, we should see some improved play in the near future.

DE Cedric Reed

Eric Gay/Associated Press

For whatever reason, Reed's production has dropped off significantly in 2014.

Not to nitpick about a 6.5-sack season, but didn't we all expect more out of senior defensive end Cedric Reed?

Playing opposite All-American Jackson Jeffcoat, Reed had a major breakout in 2013. With 10 sacks and 19 tackles for loss, he finished the year as one of two FBS players to record at least five sacks, four pass breakups and five forced fumbles.

The other player was Buffalo's Khalil Mack, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

Reed's numbers have now dropped across the board, and he even suffered a five-game sackless streak in which he recorded one tackle for loss. This happened even with Reed having the fortune of playing next to tackles Malcom Brown and Hassan Ridgeway, who have combined for 12.5 sacks and 24 TFL.

Texas' senior defensive end does have five sacks over his past three, but he hasn't been the dominant disruptor we saw a season ago.