Texas Football: Ranking 7 worst Longhorns teams since 2000

7. 2017

Record: 7-6 (5-4 Big 12)

Postseason Result: Texas Bowl win over Mizzou Tigers

The 2017 season was by no means only the seventh worst purely in terms of success in the win column. But the 2017 campaign did signal new hope and potential new beginnings for the Longhorns under Tom Herman’s direction.

Texas brought Herman over from the Houston Cougars after Charlie Strong was let go following the disappointing 2016 regular season. Herman immediately made a difference for the Longhorns and righted the ship at quarterback. Texas got back to bowl eligibility and started to find its eventual quarterback of the future with then true freshman Sam Ehlinger.

The best wins for the Longhorns in 2017 came over the Mizzou Tigers, Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas State Wildcats, and West Virginia Mountaineers. But the Longhorns still had losses to the Maryland Terrapins and Texas Tech Red Raiders that almost came in embarrassing fashion.

At least this was the start to the turnaround for Texas under Herman’s coaching regime. The 2018 season brought back hope to Longhorns fans that a national title and Big 12 Championship could be in the near future. The 2017 season pretty much marked the end of the Shane Buechele-era for Texas and kicked off Ehlinger’s starting years.