Big 12 Watch 2012: #5 Texas Longhorns

Oklahoma homer? Possibly. However, take a good look at Texas’ schedule and talent at quarterback, and you would know exactly why it’s difficult to say “Texas is back.” This could be another brutal year for Mack Brown.

Sure, they have a good defense coming back. Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor are going to be hell, but I am not completely sold on their interior guys on the defensive line. Their secondary will be hard to throw against, but not sure how solid they are at linebacker. Overall, it’s a good defense, but you know who had a really good defense? The 2009 Oklahoma Sooners.

The offense has good weapons. Malcolm Brown has a year under his belt, and has a promising sophomore season ahead of him. Also, Mike Davis and Jaxon Shipley are quality receivers that any team would love to have in their rotation. Although, even though the Horns have a few good wideouts, will it make up for the lack of a quality quarterback?

There is still a huge question mark on who is Texas’ quarterback. It looks like it is leaning toward David Ash, but I won’t be surprised when Case McCoy gets called up. Also, is the offensive line going to be able to give Ash or whoever time to throw? Big questions lie ahead for Texas on offense, and they’ll need to find out the answers quickly with their brutal schedule.

Brown’s non-conference is cupcake-filled, and don’t tell me a trip to an SEC school of Ole Miss’ caliber is a quality out-of-conference match-up. Texas needs to be focused on the Rebels, though, because it could set the tone for the rest of the season. Win big, and Texas rolls in to conference play with a victory over an “SEC school,” though, take a look at Texas’s first three Big 12 games.

Oklahoma State in Stillwater. West Virginia in Austin. Oklahoma in Dallas. Good luck avoiding starting winless in the conference with that one, Mack. Those three are all losable games for Texas, and on top of that, Texas travels to Texas Tech and Kansas State. Yikes.

Is Texas back? It’s a possibility, but will it kill the media to wait for Texas to pulverize Wyoming week one? Honestly, this should be an improved Longhorns team, but let them play one or two in the Big 12 before we throw Texas a welcome back party to elite status.