Can Texas Avoid the Same Fate as Its Last Preseason Title Contender

Lofty goals often come with lofty expectations — it's not a new concept that swirls around the Texas Longhorns program in the months leading up to every football season.

Behind a strong performance to close out the season, which included a victory against one of the 12 teams to make the College Football Playoff, Texas A&M, and a rout of Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

Once again, the Longhorns are back on the nation's radar as the favorite to raise the trophy in Las Vegas next January.

But betting agencies and pundits alike cannot truly predict a clean path to the title every year. Texas knows this too well, as they opened up the 2025 season No. 1 in the polls and were last year's national favorite.

Is It Going To Be The Same Story or a Breakthrough Chapter?

Nov 22, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive lineman Colin Simmons (1) reacts after a fumble was recovered for a touchdown during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

As many college coaches try in the modern era to control, there is still something left in the sport that they can’t. One being their conference schedule, the order it's in, and the strength of their opponents.

The Longhorns have one of the toughest schedules in the nation heading into the 2026 season, and by choice, too.

Texas will still meet Ohio State in week two of the season, completing their home-and-home series with the Buckeyes despite the pushback against cancelling the game in favor of so-called “cupcake” teams.

Then there are Texas State and UTSA: the latter has always seemed to give Texas a lot of trouble in the first half before cooling off in the second half, as recent history has shown. The Longhorns will open up the Southeastern Conference with Tennessee on the road and their annual trip to the Cotton Bowl for the Red River Showdown.

Texas will have three tough opponents with dates with Ole Miss, a Lane Kiffin-led LSU at Tiger Stadium, and a new-look Florida under new management with Jon Sumrall. Everything caps off with a Black Friday Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M.

It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Longhorns can make it out of this brutal schedule unscathed — it's if they have the endurance to survive and not fall into the first round of the playoffs.

Fortunately for the Longhorns, head coach Steve Sarkisian and Co. hit the portal hard to address issues that plagued them last season. Running backs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers are expected to provide a consistent, dominant running game that CJ Baxter and Quintrveion Wisner could not.

Without a true No. 1 option in the passing game in 2025, quarterback Arch Manning will have Auburn transfer Cam Coleman as his X receiver, rounding out a solid receiver room with Ryan Wingo and Emmitt Mosley V.

Manning also received major support up front, with transfers Melvin Salani and Laurence Seymour boosting the offensive line.

Defensively, the Longhorns are shaping up to be one of the best units in the country with a mix of experienced returners and players primed for breakout seasons.

Returning to the play calling, Will Muschamp returns to the Forty Acres to have Colin Simmons and Hero Kanu be the heart and soul in the middle, and the dirt. While the Longhorns may have their youngest secondary in years, Jelani McDonald anchors it, staying for his fourth year.

After a year of seasoning, this iteration of Texas is primed for a breakout year, but only time will tell if they can overcome the demons of yesteryear.

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