Trap Game or Tune-Up? Sizing Up UTSA on Texas' 2026 Schedule

The Texas Longhorns will be awaiting their return to the football field as they project to be one of the top teams in the country and are heavily expected by many to be one of the top national championship contenders this season.

The Longhorns will already be in the full swing of things when they reach the third week of the season with two ballgames already under their belt. And in week three of the season, making the road trip up to Austin will be the UTSA Roadrunners, who will look to give the Longhorns a run for their money.

Texas will be heavily favored when UTSA rolls into town, as the Longhorns roster undoubtedly has more talent than the Roadrunners. However, the game is scheduled in an interesting spot in the Longhorns' schedule that could make the game hold bigger stakes than it otherwise should.

UTSA is Trap Game Fuel

UTSA Roadrunners head coach Jeff Traylor runs onto the field during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

The Roadrunners won't be given much of a chance against the Longhorns; however, where they are on the Texas schedule could make for an interesting trap game at Darrell K. Royal Stadium.

The week three game is situated right after the Longhorns take on the Ohio State Buckeyes, and whether they win or lose, Texas will be looking at the UTSA with intensity. If the Longhorns were to take down the Buckeyes, they would have to move on from that huge win quickly and avoid a big win hangover when the Roadrunners head to Austin.

If Texas loses that game against Ohio State, its week three game against UTSA will undoubtedly be looked at as a get-right game. A loss against the Buckeyes would mean back-to-back seasons with early losses, and with other big games looming large after the Roadrunners, the Longhorns will have a different mindset heading into week three if they come off a loss.

And then the very next week for the Longhorns, it's the start of a daunting nine-game SEC schedule. In week four of the season, the Longhorns will be hitting the road for the first time, heading to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Longhorns will need to take care of business against the Roadrunners with the importance of not overlooking the team from San Antonio to avoid any chance of a slip-up. Texas has a big-time clash the week after in one of the toughest places to play in the SEC in Neyland Stadium, meaning the Longhorns need to be rolling when they reach week four of the season.

The game against the Roadrunners sits at a pivotal early point in the season, being squeezed in the middle of two huge matchups for the Longhorns. The schedule won't get any easier for the Longhorns following the game against Tennessee, with UTSA being a trap that Texas will have to avoid.

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