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SEC hands the Longhorns an impossible gauntlet of road matchups

Ahead of its second season in the SEC, the Texas men's basketball team was handed an impossible slate of conference road matchups.
BySam Fariss|
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) reacts in the second half of the NCAA Tournament First Four game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Texas Longhorns.
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) reacts in the second half of the NCAA Tournament First Four game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Texas Longhorns. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last season didn't work out exactly how the Longhorns had hoped and resulted in former Texas head coach Rodney Terry losing his job, despite a surprisingly deep run in the SEC tournament and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

However, a 19-16 overall record and a 13th-place finish in conference standings spelled ruin for Terry, and now, the Horns are looking to their second season in the SEC under new head coach Sean Miller.

With returners like Tramon Mark and Chendall Weaver, as well as the No. 1 transfer portal class in the nation, things were looking up for Texas. That was until the SEC revealed which conference opponents the Longhorns would have to play on the road this season.

Texas men's basketball home & away SEC opponents

  • Home/Away: Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M
  • Home: Florida, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt
  • Away: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee

Texas will have to play six of the strongest conference teams on the road this year. Between the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, and Tennessee Volunteers, five teams that finished in the AP Top 25 last season.

Not to mention, the Horns will have to play the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas A&M Aggies twice during the regular season, which will create a massive hurdle for Texas to overcome. Yes, the team will have to play the Oklahoma Sooners twice as well, but OU hasn't presented the same level of threat over recent seasons.

At home, Texas will face the defending national champions, the Florida Gators, as well as the LSU Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels, Mississippi State Bulldogs, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Vanderbilt Commodores (the Rebels also finished in the Top 25 last year).

Also read: Texas schedules headliner game with college basketball blue blood

To put it lightly, the Horns' second season in the SEC will be far from easy, and a far cry from any easier than last year. However, under new guidance, Texas fans should maintain hope that their team will be alright.

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