This Aspect of the Texas Longhorns Schedule Could Give Them a Major Advantage

Texas' 2026 schedule is very unique from the one that the Longhorns had this year.

Nov 28, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns are facing a difficult 2026 slate from any angle you look at it.

Facing four College Football Playoff teams, complemented by road matchups at Tennessee, Missouri and LSU, means that head coach Steve Sarkisian's team again has its work cut out for it as the program heads into its third season in the Southeastern Conference.

But there is one clear aspect to Texas's 2026 campaign that could prove advantageous, especially compared to the circumstances the Longhorns endured this season.

Longhorns only leave Texas 3 times all season

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass in the first half of the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorn at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This season, Sarkisian's team spent 42 straight days away from Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium between its home matchups against Sam Houston and Vanderbilt. That stretch included all of October -- Texas played at Florida on Oct. 4, in Dallas against Oklahoma on Oct. 11, at Kentucky on Oct. 18, and at Mississippi State on Oct. 25.

It ended up being a costly stretch for the Longhorns, primarily due to the loss to Florida that prevented Texas from getting a CFP spot. The Red River Rivalry win over the Sooners was a high point, but the Longhorns' struggles with consistency were evident in overtime nailbitters against Kentucky and Mississippi State.

In 2026, it will be a different story. After starting with three straight home games, and beginning Southeastern Conference play on the road at Tennessee -- like they did at Florida this year -- the Longhorns will have an early bye on Oct. 3, before having four consecutive October games in the Lone Star State.

Texas then heads to the Cotton Bowl to face Oklahoma on Oct. 10, hosts Florida on Oct. 17, Ole Miss on Oct. 24 and Mississippi State on Oct. 31 at DKR.

Then, after back-to back away games, they return to Austin to take on Arkansas, followed by a trip to College Station to take on Texas A&M in the season finale.

Why this stretch could prove as an advantage

Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian gestures after a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Yes, Texas's October home stand translates to a November that includes three away games. But it also means that the Longhorns leave Texas only once until their ninth game, and just three times overall.

Texas opens the season with its three home non-conference meetings, including the back end of the home-and-home series with the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sept. 12. Then comes the SEC opener in Knoxville on Sept. 26, followed by an all-in-state October schedule.

This home-heavy season could very well lead Texas to control its own destiny down the stretch as it comes to the SEC championship conversation and the CFP bracket. The Longhorns went undefeated at DKR-TMS in 2025 and have only lost one game at home in the past three years.

Momentum will be a big storyline for Sarkisian's team as the season moves along due to the nature of its calendar. If the Longhorns can handle business in that first half of the season, they could bring crucial energy into that challenging, season-defining final push.