Texas Longhorns Football: Schedule Science, Dissecting The Rest Of 2010

The Texas Longhorns sit 4-4 (2-3) after a roller coaster ride through the first nine weeks of their 2010 season, and there are just four games remaining on the schedule to achieve bowl-eligible status and climb their way up the Big 12 ladder to receive a bowl bid.

Nothing went right for the Horns this year.

Their sophomore quarterback Garrett Gilbert was supposed to demonstrate moments of stardom and hope of a BCS return in the near future.

This pro-style running game that Mack Brown and his staff spent all spring and summer preparing shows weakness in nearly every facet.

The small group of veterans has not continued down a path of consistent development, ultimately leaving the Longhorns’ faithful with much to desire.

Discipline on either side of the ball has led to countless penalties that stall drives on offense and extend them on defense.

There are no signs of play-makers on the offensive side of the football, and the defense can hardly shoulder the burdens from the offense.

The youth on this team, however, have been seeing plenty of time on the field, spelling some hope of a bright and amendable future.

But with an ugly eight games behind them, fixing the problems should be the sole focus of the program. Texas has four games left on the schedule, three in the Big 12, to foster some momentum and optimism for next season.

Nov. 6 at Kansas State

If there is any one team that has had Texas’ number of late, it is Kansas State. In the last two meetings between these programs in 2006 and 2007, the Wildcats have won 45-42 and 42-21 respectively.

Both rosters are different in virtually every aspect of the game, though the Wildcats are a much better offensive team. Transitive wisdom says that because Kansas State beat UCLA (31-22) and Iowa State (27-20), a couple of teams that laid the pain in Austin, Texas may be in for yet another rough outing in Manhattan.

Solid rushing teams have been the bane of this Texas defense, minus a strong showing against Nebraska. Another offensive sputter by the Longhorns this weekend may send Texas fans into riots.

Nov. 13 vs. No. 17 Oklahoma State

A truly under-performing Texas secondary will have their hands filled against the third-ranked Cowboys passing offense next weekend in Austin.

Oklahoma State has run into some bad luck against the Longhorns in recent years, including a couple of monumental breakdowns in 2005 and 2007 when Texas mounted monster comebacks.

The tables are turned, to say the least. Texas is no longer the offensive juggernaut of the past, and Oklahoma State seems to be firing on all cylinders scoring over 45 points a game.

At the rate the Texas offense is scoring, this one certainly does not look good for Mack Brown’s team.

Nov. 20 vs. Florida Atlantic*

A gimme may not be so much of a gimme anymore. What originally looked like a nice sigh of relief on the schedule may be the difference between a bowl-eligible season and a wasted one.

The Owls are scoring just over 17 points a game and are just 2-5 to date. They have upcoming match-ups with a 1-7 Western Kentucky squad and 2-6 Louisiana-Lafayette, not exactly the barn burners of the weekends.

Nevertheless, this late-season out of conference game will be a testament to how hard the Longhorns are willing to work to prove some sort of optimism heading into the final game of the year against their Aggie rivals.

Chalk this one up for a win, but it could be a lot closer than many expect.

Nov. 25 vs. Texas A&M

The final game of the year for Texas is never a walk-through.

The Aggies will go through a Big 12 gauntlet before the Thanksgiving night game against the Longhorns, facing off against Oklahoma, Baylor and Nebraska—all ranked teams. But whatever the outcome of that trio of games, be it 0-3 or 3-0, the Aggies will come to Austin like it is the last game of their lives.

Throw all statistics and projections out the window for this rivalry game, as they have hardly meant anything in the past few years. Last season’s game saw a 6-5 Aggies team host an undefeated Texas, with the underdogs pushing the eventual National Championship runners-up to their limit only to come up short in a 49-39 shootout.

The Aggies have shown to be the more explosive unit on offense in both phases of the game, and their defense has been able to hold their own.

The Longhorns’ home crowd may be able to stir up enough energy to help their struggling team, but it figures to be mighty close.

The Verdict

While it will not be pretty, the Longhorns should win three out of four, finishing the year 7-5 with a bowl bid and having something to play for in the postseason.

Expect some mix ups on both sides of the football as Mack Brown and his staff attempt to dissect their own problems and hopefully save the solution for next season.