The Longhorns move into the SEC with one of the more talented rosters in the country, and the expectations to match. Gambling sites position Texas as a future College Football Playoff team with an over/under set at 10.5 wins as Steve Sarkisian’s programs comes off a Big 12 championship and CFP appearance in 2023. 

The Horns return a third-year starter at quarterback, one of the best offensive lines in the country, and a defensive line that was padded through the transfer portal with Trey Moore on the edge and Power Four transfers at defensive tackle to pair with Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton. Now, it is time to see if Texas is ready for the SEC grind. The good news is that the schedule is favorable with no Alabama, LSU, or Ole Miss on the docket. 

TEXAS LONGHORNS 

2023 record: 12-2 
2024 record prediction: 11-1 

BIGGEST GAME – at Texas A&M on Nov. 30 

No need to get cute – the biggest game in the Lone Star State in the 2024 season takes place at Kyle Field two days after Thanksgiving when the Longhorns and Aggies square off for the first time in over a decade. Both teams should be good, too. Texas is obviously the favorite right now with Sark in Year 4 and national championship aspirations, but don’t sleep on Mike Elko’s Texas A&M. They put together a great transfer portal class and the 12th Man is worth a couple of points. If you’re planning on attending, you might want to start tailgating right now because College Station will be buzzing come the end of November. 

TRAP GAME – vs. Kentucky on Nov. 23 

Sandwiched between trips to old Southwest conference rivals Arkansas and Texas A&M is a home game against a pesky Kentucky team. The Wildcats, led by Mike Stoops, are never an easy out. They are a physical team who is disciplined and keen on SEC upsets over bigger brands. The trip to Fayetteville is rarely fun for the Horns and a trip to Aggieland will loom large on the minds of players and fans, but Texas needs its A game to knock off the Wildcats and avoid the SEC pitfalls of late-season upsets. 

POTENTIAL UPSET – vs. Georgia on Oct. 19 

Finding a potential upset is tough for Texas because the Longhorns might be favored in 11 of the 12 games on the schedule. The one that the Horns might enter as an underdog takes place at home a week after the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma in Dallas. Playing the Sooners one week and the Bulldogs the next is an introduction to the SEC grind. If the Longhorns take care of business against Michigan in Week 2 and Oklahoma in Week 7, this might be a matchup between two top three teams in America. 

FULL SCHEDULE 

Aug. 31                 Colorado State                
Sept. 7                  at Michigan                         
Sept. 14               UTSA                                        
Sept. 21               Louisiana-Monroe       
Sept. 28               Mississippi State           
Oct. 12                 Oklahoma (Dallas)      
Oct. 19                 Georgia                                  
Oct. 26                 at Vanderbilt                     
Nov. 9                    Florida                                    
Nov. 16                 at Arkansas                        
Nov. 23                 Kentucky                              
Nov. 30                 at Texas A&M