5 reasons Texas football are national championship contenders in 2016
1. Strength of Schedule
With games against UTEP and Cal in the coming weeks, the Longhorns figure to keep their momentum rolling. They’re two very winnable games and Texas can hold its No. 11 rank, or better if they take care of business.
In fact, only four of Texas’ 11 remaining games will be against currently ranked opponents. And three of those games will be played in Austin.
Texas Longhorns remaining schedule
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) September 5, 2016
UTEP
@ CAL
@ OKL ST
OKL (Dallas)
Iowa St
@ K-St
Baylor
@ Texas Tech
WV
@ Kansas
TCU
The Longhorns will host No. 14 Oklahoma (10/8), No. 23 Baylor (10/29), and No. 15 TCU (11/25). They’ll travel to Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, OK to meet No. 22 Oklahoma State on Saturday, 10/1.
If Texas can beat one of the Oklahoma teams, it’d be a huge boost to their BCS legitimacy. Unranked in 2015, they knocked off the #10 Sooners (24-17) and only a special teams disaster prevented them from beating the #24 Cowboys.
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Those games included, Texas has the 26th toughest schedule in the nation, according to FB Schedules. In addition to UTEP and Cal, the Longhorns have very winnable games against Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas, and West Virginia. 2016 could be shape up as a 10-plus win season, especially if they sweep the Oklahoma games. The Notre Dame game proved Texas is back, and Charlie Strong has the ‘Horns poised to make a real run this season.