Las Vegas Sets Over/Under on Number of Texas Wins
Las Vegas has set the over/under on the number of wins for the Texas Longhorns at 7.5. Using that number, what do you think the final win total will be for the Longhorns under Charlie Strong?
The glass half-full group will say this is easily achievable. The 2013 team topped this win total with a defense that leaked like a sieve for much of the season and had a pop gun offense. By all accounts, Strong is doing a good job of changing the mentality in the locker room, and more guys will play to their potential. Getting to eight wins should be doable. Las Vegas loses.
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This seems logical considering the team will get its starting quarterback back on the field. David Ash missed most of the 2013 season. Case McCoy did the best anyone could expect – including a big win over Oklahoma – but he was not his brother (meaning he couldn’t put the team on his back like Colt did). Ash provides the size and arm strength needed to run Shawn Watson’s offense. He may not put up numbers comparable to Teddy Bridgewater, but Ash is no slouch at the position.
The defense should be much improved. Cedric Reed and Quandre Diggs returned for their senior seasons to help right the ship. You can bet these two will not let teammates loaf around on the field. This group will be refocused.
On the other side of the coin, the pessimistic fan will remind you this is a team that did not have a single player selected in the 2014 NFL Draft. To this fan, change may happen, but it won’t be overnight.
Several players have been dismissed from the team. The departures of Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander weaken the wide receiving corp, especially with Jaxon Shipley out for an undisclosed amount of time. There are key players who are one misstep away from being dismissed as well. Two of these players are on the offensive line – a line that lacks experience. One thing is for sure, Texas lost important depth with the dismissals.
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Probably the biggest reason why some may not think Texas tops seven wins is the quarterback position. Behind Ash, questions linger. Who is the number two quarterback? Does either player have a grasp of the new offense? The biggest question mark is can Ash stay healthy for the entire season. There is validity in all of these questions. Poor quarterback play can certainly derail the season. In that case, Las Vegas wins.
Doubters can point to the schedule as another reason why Las Vegas is right. Texas faces the BYU Cougars, UCLA Bruins, Oklahoma, Baylor Bears, Texas Tech Red Raiders and Kansas State Wildcats. These are six tough games that if Texas is unprepared, can all turn into loses.
Taking an objective look at this team, it is really hard to say how many wins Texas will finish with. Eight seems realistic, but injuries and depth concerns could lead to a five or six win season.
How many wins do you think the team will have this year?