Fansided

Predicting the first loss for every college football top 25 team

By Nathaniel Reeves

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Deondre Francois
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - DECEMBER 30: Deondre Francois /
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AUSTIN, TX – APRIL 15: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns listens to a play call during the Orange-White Spring Game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 15, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX – APRIL 15: Head coach Tom Herman of the Texas Longhorns listens to a play call during the Orange-White Spring Game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on April 15, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

No. 23 Texas Longhorns: at USC, Sept. 16

It’s completely fair to temper expectations in Tom Herman’s first year, but there’s a lot to like on a Longhorns roster that has the potential to reach the eight-win plateau for the first time since 2013.

Texas couldn’t get off the ground under Charlie Strong with a 16-21 record over three years and plummeting numbers on the defensive side of the ball. A November loss to Kansas was the last straw, prompting the Longhorns to hire the best possible candidate in Tom Herman, who led Houston to a 22-4 record over two years including a 2015 Peach Bowl win over Florida State and a victory against Oklahoma.

Despite losing the nation’s leading rusher in D’Onta Foreman, there’s plenty for Herman to work with on offense with talented sophomore Shane Buechele returning under center along with his three top receiving targets and All-American left tackle Connor Williams. While a young defense posted poor numbers in 2016, just about everyone is back, including game-wrecking linebacker Malik Jefferson.

Texas should be able to get past an improving Maryland squad at home in the opener and will then host San Jose State before traveling to USC for the third game of the season. As promising as Texas’ roster and coaching staff looks, Sam Darnold will just be too much for a largely unproven secondary, and the Longhorns don’t quite have an explosive enough offense to keep up.

This is a young and talented roster that should gel later in the season and at least take care of business against the bottom half of the Big 12 to qualify for a bowl. Grabbing an upset win over Oklahoma or Oklahoma State could really set the Longhorns up for a run in 2018 and beyond.