A 10-win season for Texas?

[Wes]

We are no where close to the start of football season, but I know all of you are like me and think about Texas football every day. When thinking about the team, it's still tough to put a finger on exactly who this team will be. But regardless of their identity, there is one thing that must happen in the fall for this season to be viewed as a success and that is winning 10+ games, and playing (we could even double down here and say "winning") for a conference championship. With that said, I wan't to know where you all stand right now.

On a scale from 1-10, 1 being very low and 10 being die-hard/super Longhorn/with out a doubt, what is your level of confidence that the Longhorns will win 10+ wins next season and make it to the Big 12 Championship? And state why (can be a few words or as many sentences as you'd like).

Personally, I'm at an 8. There are some unknowns, like if the offensive line and defense can improve. However, I like the fact that Texas not only has many players returning but these returning players line up at some key positions.

Fire away.

 

[bbdude]

I'm at 9 wins for next season. David Ash is good but will never be the guy that gets us to the championship game. Defensively, we are a HUGE question mark. Too many "ifs" based on the coaching staff shifting players around. Offensively we need huge improvements on the line. We could reach 10 with a bowl game. I don't think we compete for a conference title.

 

[Wes]

I really think the success of next year almost relies completely on the defense. The offense shows flashes last season of being great and will continue to improve. I also liked Major's play-calling (though it was really in one half of a bowl game), but I also think his relationship with Ash will help.

But the defense is where the questions lie. If they continue to perform as one of the worst groups in college football then there is no way Texas can win 10 games.

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

I'm an 8. With 19 starters returning, anything less than 10 wins while competing for a Big 12 title will be a disappointment.

Both O-Line and D-Line need to get better running and stopping the run. LB's gotta tackle much better, too. I really believe Ash will step up this year now that Major has loosened the reigns and encouraged him to run more.

 

[Longhorns96]

Let's look at the 2013 schedule, and each opponent:

Game 1 - vs. New Mexico State - easy win (1-0).

Game 2 - @ BYU - close win on the road. (2-0) Defense steps up and Major opens up the playbook early. No more waiting until after OU for Texas to pull out the trick plays. A win is a win. PERIOD!!!

Game 3 - vs. Ole Miss - High scoring game at home against a horrible defense. (3-0) Students from Ole Miss look at the tailgating around the 40 Acres, and realize that The Grove "ain't all that".

Game 4 - vs. Kansas State - I really want to put a win here. REALLY!!! Even though KSU us losing their top QB and his replacement has zero experience, Coach Snyder is Mack's kryptonite. Our two championship seasons never crossed KSU's path. Close loss at home here. (3-1) Fans and ticket holders start screaming again about firing Mack.

BYE WEEK

Game 5 - @ Iowa State - The bye week helps work out any kinks from the KSU loss. Texas takes out their frustration on the Cyclones and wins big. (4-1)

Game 6 "Mack's Job On The Line Game" - vs Mobilehoma - Who is ou bringing back? Texas SHOULD win this game. I am a glass half full kinda guy, and can't seem to take off my burnt orange glasses for this one. Major doesn't call plays like GDGD and knows how to beat these guys. Too bad he can't bring Wayne McGarity back to help rub salt in the wounds of those land thieves. Texas wins (5-1)

BYE WEEK

Game 7 - @ TCU - After another bye week and, Mack breathing a sigh of relief and the Texas offense confident from the win over Blow U, the Horns now believe in each other. Texas travels up I-35 and enacts revenge on the horny toads. (6-1)

Game 8- vs. Kansas - Really? Easy win here (7-1)

Game 9 - @ West Virginia - Geno Smith....GONE. Travon Austin....GONE. Stedman Bailey....GONE. Who will help them score? Their defense? I think not. Texas wins on the road. (8-1)

Game 10 - vs. Oklahoma State - Tough game to call now. They are young and tested. This game is late in the season, when Texas usually finds their stride (USUALLY). If Texas is 8-1 at this point in the season, they will be ranked in the top 10, if not the top 5. I don't see us with a letdown loss here if everything has played out as I have predicted. That being said, Texas wins a close one at home. (9-1)

Game 11 - vs. Tech - Thanksgiving - Coach Kingsbury thinks that Tech is GQ. Welcome back to Austin, Kliff. Remember how we kicked your ass when you were QB? If not, let us remind you. Texas has won 4 in a row from Sand Aggie, and is 12-2 since 1999. I don't see things changing. Texas wins again. (10-1)

Game 12 - @ Baylor - 10-1 Texas travels to Waco during the same weekend as the SEC Championship, PAC-12 Championship, ACC Championship and Big 10 Championship. With a BCS game (and possible BCS title game) on the line, Mack and Major hold nothing back. Texas wins. (11-1)

Depending on the media's love with the SEC, Texas either plays in the Fiesta Bowl or the Rose Bowl.

Hmmmm. Seems like the National Championship game is in Pasadena, CA AGAIN!! Mack takes the team back west and plays in the Rose Bowl one more time. Mack wins and rides off into his burnt orange sunset.

 

[bbdude]

Let's look at the 2013 schedule, and each opponent:
Game 1 - vs. New Mexico State - easy win (1-0).

Game 2 - @ BYU - close win on the road. (2-0) Defense steps up and Major opens up the playbook early. No more waiting until after OU for Texas to pull out the trick plays. A win is a win. PERIOD!!!

Game 3 - vs. Ole Miss - High scoring game at home against a horrible defense. (3-0) Students from Ole Miss look at the tailgating around the 40 Acres, and realize that The Grove "ain't all that".

Game 4 - vs. Kansas State - I really want to put a win here. REALLY!!! Even though KSU us losing their top QB and his replacement has zero experience, Coach Snyder is Mack's kryptonite. Our two championship seasons never crossed KSU's path. Close loss at home here. (3-1) Fans and ticket holders start screaming again about firing Mack.

BYE WEEK

Game 5 - @ Iowa State - The bye week helps work out any kinks from the KSU loss. Texas takes out their frustration on the Cyclones and wins big. (4-1)

Game 6 "Mack's Job On The Line Game" - vs Mobilehoma - Who is ou bringing back? Texas SHOULD win this game. I am a glass half full kinda guy, and can't seem to take off my burnt orange glasses for this one. Major doesn't call plays like GDGD and knows how to beat these guys. Too bad he can't bring Wayne McGarity back to help rub salt in the wounds of those land thieves. Texas wins (5-1)

BYE WEEK

Game 7 - @ TCU - After another bye week and, Mack breathing a sigh of relief and the Texas offense confident from the win over Blow U, the Horns now believe in each other. Texas travels up I-35 and enacts revenge on the horny toads. (6-1)

Game 8- vs. Kansas - Really? Easy win here (7-1)

Game 9 - @ West Virginia - Geno Smith....GONE. Travon Austin....GONE. Stedman Bailey....GONE. Who will help them score? Their defense? I think not. Texas wins on the road. (8-1)

Game 10 - vs. Oklahoma State - Tough game to call now. They are young and tested. This game is late in the season, when Texas usually finds their stride (USUALLY). If Texas is 8-1 at this point in the season, they will be ranked in the top 10, if not the top 5. I don't see us with a letdown loss here if everything has played out as I have predicted. That being said, Texas wins a close one at home. (9-1)

Game 11 - vs. Tech - Thanksgiving - Coach Kingsbury thinks that Tech is GQ. Welcome back to Austin, Kliff. Remember how we kicked your ass when you were QB? If not, let us remind you. Texas has won 4 in a row from Sand Aggie, and is 12-2 since 1999. I don't see things changing. Texas wins again. (10-1)

Game 12 - @ Baylor - 10-1 Texas travels to Waco during the same weekend as the SEC Championship, PAC-12 Championship, ACC Championship and Big 10 Championship. With a BCS game (and possible BCS title game) on the line, Mack and Major hold nothing back. Texas wins. (11-1)

Depending on the media's love with the SEC, Texas either plays in the Fiesta Bowl or the Rose Bowl.

Hmmmm. Seems like the National Championship game is in Pasadena, CA AGAIN!! Mack takes the team back west and plays in the Rose Bowl one more time. Mack wins and rides off into his burnt orange sunset.

Damn, you have us beating Chokelahoma? For Mack's sake I hope you are right.

 

[beevomav]

I see a 10 win season and we should be in the hunt for a BCS game. If we can stay injury free we have a chance.

 

[Wes]

A 1 loss season would be great, but there at still too many question marks for me to buy into that right now. O-line, Ash, and DEFENSE are the big 3. Sprinkle in special teams and those are key question marks that could still derail a season.

 

[bbdude]

We need to showve it down WVU's throat in Morgantown. That loss last season stung pretty bad.