Will Texas football capitalize on a veteran team in the 2020 season?
On the heels of their Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia to cap off the 2018 season, Texas football was, once again, faced with major expectations entering the 2019 campaign. Tom Herman’s Longhorns, however, fell short of that mark. They followed up double-digit wins with an 8-5 season. But not all was lost for the program.
For starters, only one of the losses (at TCU) can truly be construed as disappointing as the other four all came against high-quality teams, including two against College Football Playoff teams and another against a New Year’s Six team. But entering the 2020 season, the Longhorns are aiming higher than an above-.500 campaign with moral victories.
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger returns for another season but he’s not the only one. Texas has one of the most experienced rosters in the Big 12 and in college football at large. But for this team to fully make its mark this year, it may be the coaching changes that have the biggest impact on this roster.
Mike Yurcich, who helped guide Oklahoma State to several highly productive offensive campaigns, takes control of Ehlinger and that unit this season while Chris Ash assumes the mantle in control of the defense. If Ash can capitalize on a talented defensive line and elite secondary, and Yurcich is able to unlock something more from the Texas offense, things could be looking up in this shortened season.
Will that happen, though — especially when the Big 12 is supposed to be a strong conference at the top this season? Let’s dive into the Longhorns and their outlook for the upcoming year. We’ll preview the 2020 season for Texas football by making game-by-game predictions, diving into the depth chart and then identifying potential breakout players for this group as well.