Texas Football Schedule: The Longhorns' Path to Climbing the BCS Rankings

The Texas Longhorns got a dose of reality in the form of a 55-17 stomping at the Red River Rivalry, leaving Mack Brown's Horns at 4-1 with seven games remaining on the schedule.

The road ahead does not get easier, however, as the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who boast the FBS' top-scoring offense and second-ranked passing offense, make the trip down to Austin on Saturday.

Coming off a 5-7 in 2010, the Longhorns have shown promise after an overhaul of the football program. And while 4-1 is a good mark, this young Texas team was humbled in every respect in Dallas.

It was a bad loss, but the season is far from over. Although a BCS appearance is a long shot, if the right dominoes fall, Texas can be in the thick of things as the season winds down.

Here is a look at the rest of the schedule for the Longhorns and the keys to climbing the BCS ladder.

October 15 vs. Oklahoma State

Breakdown:

The Pokes have a pass-heavy offense that is at least as good as the Sooners, meaning the Horns will have to buckle down with every fiber of their being in order to neutralize Oklahoma State's productivity.

Brandon Weeden is one of the top quarterbacks in the country, and he throws a ton of yards to a flurry of highly-serviceable wide receivers, including Justin Blackmon, who has the skill set of an NFL pass catcher.

Keys to the game:

The Longhorns have to make a complete 180 from their performance against the Sooners to even stand a chance against one of the FBS' top offenses.

Hit the quarterback, kill the pass. Texas not only has to pressure Weeden, but they have to put him on his back on a consistent basis to disrupt the passing game and force the Cowboys to the ground.

Establish the run. Offensively, the Horns have to establish the running game to keep the Oklahoma State offense off the field. That means the offensive line has to put together a mean streak that can go for 60 minutes.

A good running game will hopefully lead to a consistent effort in the passing game.

Other notable games this week:

Michigan at Michigan State
South Carolina at Mississippi State
Baylor at Texas A&M
Georgia Tech at Virginia
Kansas State at Texas Tech
Arizona State at Oregon 

October 29 vs. Kansas

Breakdown:

Whatever way this game is spun, Texas will be the heavy favorite. To date, Kansas statistically has the worst pass efficiency defense, the worst scoring defense and the worst total defense. The Jayhawks are giving up over 550 yards per game, translating to nearly 50 points allowed. In two conference games, Kansas has given up an average of 57.5 points.

Offensively, Kansas actually is not that bad, balancing a unit that averages over 450 yards per contest. If its defense could actually stop somebody, the Jayhawks' 2-3 record may read a little differently.

This will be the chance for the Longhorns' offense to flex their muscles and put points on the board.

Keys to the game:

Stop the run, force the pass. Contain the slew of Kansas running backs and force quarterback Jordan Webb into mistakes. The sophomore Webb has five interceptions on the season, with all of them coming in the Jayhawks' two conference matchups.

Score early and often. Offensively, Texas may not have an easier time scoring points, so it has to take advantage of every opportunity to improve its productivity.

In fact, with the way Kansas has been bleeding points on defense, all Texas may have to do is show up.

Other notable games this week:

Oklahoma at Kansas State
Baylor at Oklahoma State
Clemson at Georgia Tech
Michigan State at Nebraska
Illinois at Penn State
Wisconsin at Ohio State
Stanford at USC 

November 5 vs. Texas Tech

Breakdown:

Texas Tech is ranked in the top 10 in both total offense and passing offense, gaining more than 350 yards and 520 yards, respectively. The Red Raiders statistically have balance with their running game, but the team took a significant hit with the recent injury to Eric Stephens.

This will mark the third time in four games that Texas will be pitted against a prolific pass-heavy offense in the conference. Fortunately for the Horns, Texas Tech presents nothing special on defense, ranking 115th against the rush and 96th in total defense.

Keys to the game:

Establish the run. Texas should look to exploit Texas Tech dismal run defense, as Bryan Harsin's misdirection offense should open some big plays for the Longhorns' plethora of running backs and scat backs.

Sit in coverage, pressure the quarterback to force mistakes. Defensively, without the presence of a proven running attack, the Longhorns should expect to be in plenty of nickel and dime sets as the Red Raiders will seek to spread the field. 

Senior quarterback Seth Doege has completed at least 15 passes to six different Red Raiders receivers, accumulating over 1700 yards in the process. With 17 touchdowns to just one interception, the Longhorns will have to apply pressure to force mistakes in the passing game.

Other notable games this week:

Texas A&M at Oklahoma
Kansas State at Oklahoma State
South Carolina at Arkansas
Michigan at Iowa
Missouri at Baylor
LSU at Alabama 

November 12 at Missouri

Breakdown:

The Missouri Tigers might be in the cellar in the Big 12, but their make up on offense and defense tell a much brighter story.

Led by the quarterback-tailback tandem of James Franklin and Henry Josey, the Tigers have the 14th-ranked rushing offense in the FBS, coming second to only Baylor in the conference with 225 yards per game.

Defensively, Missouri is solid. The Tigers are not super flashy, but they do enough to make opposing offenses scheme carefully.

Missouri is currently riding a two-game losing streak in the Big 12, dropping road contests against Oklahoma and Kansas State by a combined score of 62-45.

Keys to the game:

Stop the run. Josey is the conference's top running back at the moment, picking up over 115 yards per game. Franklin, meanwhile, is a threat in both dimensions. Forcing the Tigers into a single, offensive dimension will allow Texas to play more in coverage.

Open the field with the pass. Missouri's defense can be had through the air, as it allows over 230 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks.

Going into Columbia is never an easy challenge, so keeping the Tigers from doing what they do best will be critical for this road game.

Other notable games this week:

Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
Oregon at Stanford
Michigan at Illinois
Nebraska at Penn State
Florida at South Carolina
Texas A&M at Kansas State

November 19 vs. Kansas State

Breakdown:

Kansas State has had Texas' number for the past three contests, beating the Longhorns in 2006, 2007 and 2009, often in embarrassing fashion regardless of the venue.

The Longhorns draw the Wildcats this season in Austin for senior day, Texas' final home game of its 2011 campaign. It makes for, once again, a welcomed opportunity for Kansas State to stroll in and steal a win.

As it stands now, KSU has the best defense in the Big 12, rated 17th in the FBS, and ranks in the top four in most defensive categories. 

Texas should have a much firmer grip on its offense by now. 

Keys to the game:

Stop the run. Force quarterback Collin Klein into a passer. Klein and running back John Hubert have combined to rush for 937 yards on 201 carries. Their combined 4.7 yards per carry and eight rushing touchdowns is an integral part of Kansas State's 26th-ranked rushing offense, which picks up close to 210 yards per game.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats' passing offense is rated 115th in the FBS right now.

Texas should be able to load up the box and trust that its young quarterbacks perform.

Establish the run, wear them down. Offensively, the Longhorns will need to lean on their running game. If they can get a rhythm going on the ground, it should open up the field for a—hopefully—more efficient quarterback.

A low-scoring game should heavily favor the Longhorns, but solid defense will win this game.

Other notable games this week:

Oklahoma at Baylor
LSU at Ole Miss
Wisconsin at Illinois
Nebraska at Michigan 

November 24 at Texas A&M

Breakdown:

This season's Lone Star Showdown between the Longhorns and the Aggies could be the last one we see in a while.

With Texas A&M jumping to the SEC, it does not appear likely that the two long-time rivals will continue its tradition of the Thanksgiving rumble.

The Aggies will be riding its best team in years, looking to stick it to the Longhorns one final time.

Throw stats out the window for this one. The game will be in College Station, tipping the scales to the Aggies from the get-go. But whichever team comes in with more focus, preparation and work ethic for 60 minutes should win this contest.

Keys to the game:

Although the Aggies are ranked fifth in the Big 12 in total offense, the 493 yards per game is good enough for 12th nationally. A very balanced offense provides an argument for the most prolific in the conference.

Play its best defense this season. Texas will have to play lock-down defense and force early turnovers to drown the crown and generate an early advantage. Texas A&M can pound the ball with Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael, but if Texas loads up the box, Ryan Tannehill has shown he can sling it around the field.

Spread the field, cut up the secondary. The Horns will face a top 10 rush defense, but the FBS' worst pass defense. We have seen A&M blow big halftime leads before, against two very efficient offenses. Texas would be wise to go to the air and take advantage of a unit that is allowing almost 350 yards through the air per game.

Other notable games this week:

Iowa at Nebraska
Arkansas at LSU
Alabama at Auburn
Clemson at South Carolina
Georgia at Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech at Virginia

December 3 at Baylor

Breakdown:

In Texas' final game of the 2011 season, the Longhorns may be facing their most intricate challenge ever.

Baylor's quarterback, Robert Griffin III, is one of the nation's most explosive play makers. Once revered for his scrambling and open-field abilities, Griffin has upped the ante by throwing for more than 1500 yards and 19 TDs through five games.

He has made one mistake, an interception late against KSU, and it cost them the game when it never should have.

The Bears may the third-best offense in the FBS, but their defense reeks of mediocrity. Baylor won in Austin last season, marking the first time it has triumphed over the Horns since 1997.

Keys to the game:

Stop Griffin. Though harder than it might seem, Texas will look to stop Griffin, plain and simple.

Keeping the score as low as possible means the Longhorns are probably playing good defense and slowing the tempo.

Letting Griffin and the Bears' offense find a rhythm means the Texas defense will be doing a lot of chasing.

Baylor's defense can be had. The game in Waco will add some depth to the challenge, but Texas will not have the offensive power to get into a shootout.

Other notable games this week:

Oklahoma at Oklahoma State
West Virginia at South Florida