I think I can speak for all Longhorns fans when I say that is not how we envisioned Week 1 to go. Texas returns home to DKR Memorial Stadium to take on the San Jose State Spartans after losing to Ohio State this past Saturday. Give credit to Ryan Day and the Buckeyes for being able to stop the Longhorns from doing any damage on the road. After losing to the Buckeyes, the Longhorns have dropped to number seven in the AP Poll. Hopefully, the lower ranking makes Texas hungrier for their SEC schedule.
Even though the Longhorns are heavily favored against the Spartans this weekend, you can't count them out from pulling off an upset for the ages on the road. Take a look at what happened to Army vs. Tarleton State last Saturday. However, don't be surprised if the Longhorns' stats are lopsided this weekend.
Here are four shocking predictions for the Longhorns vs. the Spartans this weekend:
1. Arch Manning redeems himself
I think Arch Manning will have a better weekend after being tortured by Ohio State Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia. Manning should have north of 250 yards passing this upcoming weekend.
The Spartans will do everything to force the Longhorns' offense off the field. However, I'm not sure if the Spartans will be able to keep Manning from redeeming himself and getting back into the Heisman Trophy race. A mental reset at home vs. the Spartans is what the doctor ordered for Manning.
2. Steve Sarkisian takes the training wheels off the offense
Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian probably regrets not being more aggressive on offense vs. the Buckeyes on Saturday. However, I expect Sarkisian to take the training wheels off the offense against the Spartans. Expect the Longhorns to get over 300 yards of total offense against this weekend.
They need to do that if they want to get back on track before facing the Florida Gators in a couple weeks. Sarkisian knows which plays work and which ones didn't from last week. It's time for Sarkisian to trust the offense to get the job done. They have too much talent to be conservative on offense.
3. The Longhorns' defense shuts down the Spartans ambush
The Longhorns' defense did a commendable job of keeping the Buckeyes out of the end zone, despite the loss. I think the defense continues to do its job this coming Saturday against the Spartans. My prediction is that the Longhorns hold the Spartans to under 200 yards of offense. The Longhorns' defense, led by Anthony Hill Jr. and Colin Simmons, has too much talent to allow a team like the Spartans to take over DKR Memorial Stadium. It's time to put the fear of Texas back the hearts of opponents.
4. Quintrevion Wisner gets the majority of the snaps
The last bold prediction for this upcoming Saturday is that Sarkisian will give Quintrevion Wisner the majority of the snaps, and no, it's not a criticism of C.J. Baxter or his capabilities. The last thing the Longhorns need is Baxter to re-tear his ACL against the Spartans before they play their SEC Conference games. Wisner can be the starting running back after splitting time with Jaydon Blue last season. Let's keep Baxter as healthy as possible for the entire season.