Best Case/Worst Case in 2016: Texas Longhorns

[caption id="attachment_24656" align="alignright" width="350"]Photo by Artie Guerrero Photo by Artie Guerrero[/caption] Will this season be a dream or a nightmare for your favorite FBS program in the state of Texas? In this series, we take a look at the best and worst case scenarios for all 12 teams. Texas 2015 Record: 5-7Best Case The youth movement is alive and well in Austin. For the first time in three years, head coach Charlie Strong boasts a roster with more players he recruited than leftover from the previous regime. That’s good news for a Longhorn fan base eager to watch its first winning season since an 8-5 year in 2013. To turn it around completely, Texas must start with a bang. The firecracker is right in front of the Longhorns, who host Notre Dame on the first Sunday of the season. A win on national television against the same program that opened up last season with a 38-3 victory over Texas would put the Big 12, and nation, on notice. True freshman Shane Buechele and an improving defense leads Texas past the non-conference schedule of Notre Dame, Rice and California before a three-week gauntlet in the Big 12 likely determines the success or failure of the 2016 season. Wins over Oklahoma State, TCU and Oklahoma starting Sept. 26 would make Texas the favorite to win the Big 12 and a contender for one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff. Worst Case Texas is still a year away from pushing for a conference title and it is a year Charlie Strong might not have if he becomes the first Texas coach to post three consecutive losing seasons. The Longhorns are made up of young players, which normally lends itself to inconsistent play. Texas could easily be the team that knocks off Oklahoma, but loses in a dud against Iowa State. You know, like the 2015 season. Out of Texas’ 85 scholarship players, 60 are freshmen or sophomores. It is hard to win on a weekly basis with a bunch of dudes that young. Suffering another multiple-touchdown defeat to Notre Dame to start the season puts the Longhorns on a path back towards mediocrity, especially if the quarterback position isn’t figured out. Texas is capable of losing five of its first six games. The second half of the schedule is winnable with Baylor and Texas Tech the toughest games for the Longhorns after an open date following Oklahoma on Oct. 10. A bad start to the season could equate to another winter without a bowl game. The natives will be as restless as ever, and Strong would be lucky to keep his job.

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