Texas is 'capable of winning in all' during first season in the SEC

Texas joins the SEC this upcoming college football season with high expectations following their best season since 2009. Finishing last season 12-2 with a Big 12 Championship win and their first appearance in the College Football Playoff.

The Longhorns ranked No. 4 in the AP Preseason Top 25 Poll that was released this week, regarded as a program with one of the strongest rosters across the entire college football landscape. Which led to SEC Network host Paul Finebaum continuing to set the bar high for Texas when he was asked what realistic expectations should be for Texas this season in the SEC.

“They’re capable of winning it all,” Finebaum said Wednesday morning on ESPN’s Get Up. “With Quinn Ewers at a quarterback that is a big boost for them.”

Ewers enters his third season as QB1 for Texas after helping take the team to new heights last season. But the Longhorns also lost their RB1 recently during fall camp to a season-ending knee injury. Who was likely to be relied on in some of the team’s biggest games of the season.

“They lost their running back this week, [CJ] Baxter, and I think that’s a significant loss, especially early in the season when they go to Michigan. Just keep your eyes on that game, if Texas survives Ann Arbor, I think they’re in really good shape for the playoffs,” Finebaum said. “They have Georgia later on at home, they have [Texas] A&M on the road in the final game, but I think they have a legitimate shot at winning it all.”

Texas’ annual matchup with rival Oklahoma remains as a known high-stakes matchup on the Longhorns’ schedule where records are pushed to the side and the intensity will be at an all-time high. But Texas will also face a new slate of SEC opponents and the defending national champions that will definitely push the program in new ways.

Despite having a new-look schedule that presents a fair share of challenges and obstacles, the Longhorns still have the fourth-best odds of making the College Football Playoff and of taking home this year’s national championship. With a season win total line of 10.5 wins according to FanDuel.

Great expectations weigh on Texas following their newfound success and transition into a conference that many regard as the toughest in college football. And it will be intriguing to see if they can live up to the hype, potentially compete for an SEC title, and even a national championship this upcoming season.