Where 247Sports projected Texas football to finish in Big 12 in 2020

Big 12 projections are starting to come in from various media outlets for the 2020 season, and Texas football’s outlook is getting mixed reviews.

With players starting to return to campus for the Texas football program this offseason ahead of summer workouts, there is some excitement building for what is to come for the 2020 season. Texas didn’t get to participate really in any bit of spring camp before the Big 12 essentially cancelled out any football activities starting back in March.

But this can’t stop the Longhorns from getting ramped up for a fast start to the 2020 regular season slate. They get a decent Group of Five test at home to kick-off the 2020 season, against the South Florida Bulls on Sep. 5. Then, the real test arrives for Texas during the non-conference slate. Texas travels to Baton Rouge on Sep. 12 to take on the defending National Champion LSU Tigers at Death Valley.

The Week 2 matchup against LSU comes in the back end of a home-and-home series with Texas.

Moreover, with the Longhorns players getting back to campus early this month for summer workouts, the projections for the looming 2020 season are starting to pour in. Brandon Marcello of 247Sports gave his projections for how the Big 12 would turn out this coming season. He ranked the Big 12 projected standings from top-to-bottom, and had some thoughts on superlatives from the top players and teams.

The 247Sports team has also recently opened up on a number of projections for the Longhorns during the looming 2020 season.

He projected Texas to finish as the third ranked team in the Big 12 this fall, behind the Oklahoma schools. Marcello had the Oklahoma Sooners taking the Big 12 Championship for the sixth year in a row. Presumably, they would beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big 12 Championship Game. That still places Oklahoma State as the second place team in the final conference standings.

Here’s some nuggets about how Marcello projects Texas in particular this season.

"Again, what will lead to a potentially bumpy road for the Sooners (and others) is the elite talent at quarterback across the conference that could push their teams to down-to-the-wire finishes. Many believe the top contender to knock off Oklahoma is Texas. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger is a tremendous player, but something is missing for the Longhorns. Ehlinger is one of six quarterbacks out of the Power 5 to throw 25 touchdowns and rush for 15 touchdowns in the same season in the last 20 years. The other five quarterbacks won the Heisman Trophy.But Ehlinger is not winning the Heisman Trophy in 2020 and Texas is not winning the Big 12. Two of its three toughest games of the season are on the tail-end of the schedule (Iowa State and Oklahoma State). The offense loses Devin Duvernay and his 106 catches for 1,386 yards, and the defense just isn’t a championship-caliber unit after finishing 98th in yards per play allowed last season. Nine starters return, but keep an eye on defensive coordinator Chris Ash as he tries to shift from a 3-4 base to a 4-3, which will be interesting to explore in the pass-heavy Big 12.I’m a big believer in consistency on a coaching staff, and it may prove to be more important this season after an offseason of virtual meetings and less in-person instruction. Texas made six big changes on its staff, including the firing of Todd Orlando and the hiring of Ash on defense and a change at offensive coordinator. Ash and Mike Yurchich have veterans to work with, but the defense just doesn’t look the part of a contender."

Marcello also named the Big 12 Player of the Year as Oklahoma State rising redshirt junior running back Chuba Hubbard. The Game of the Year in the Big 12 went to Bedlam, with the Sooners presumably topping the Pokes. But who really knows. That series could be split one-and-one in this projection (like Red River was during the 2018 season).

He did mention the Oklahoma State-Texas regular season finale during Thanksgiving Week as possibly the most interesting game of the Big 12 this year. But he clearly has a set top three that could decide who takes the Big 12 crown this season between Texas, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.

Texas finished up the 2019 season with a record of 8-5 (5-4 Big 12) after beating the No. 11 ranked Utah Utes in the Alamo Bowl by the final score of 38-10. The season opener comes on Sep. 5 against USF at home at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. And the Longhorns are set to open up the Big 12 slate on Oct. 3 on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats.