Where is Texas ranked to begin the season?

Discussion in 'On The Field' started by ptownhorn, Mar 20, 2010.

  1. ptownhorn

    ptownhorn 1,000+ Posts

    We were talking about this at the bar tonight? Breaking in the new quarterback, a reloaded defense.... 8-12th?

    I have no idea really.
     
  2. South Austin

    South Austin 2,500+ Posts

    I think the 8-12 range is fair, but closer to 8. We have a new QB with a still questionable offensive line an running game. I think our defense will be sick, and we certainly have enough talent on both side of the ball to pull off another great season.
     
  3. FWHORN

    FWHORN 10,000+ Posts

    Almost certainly top ten, I can see as high as 6 or as low as 10. I would prefer to start somewhere in the teens and sneak up on people but there is too much to the Texas brand now and that means higher than deserved opening day rankings some years, next year will be an example of which.
     
  4. tholly

    tholly 1,000+ Posts

    Deserved or not, I think we start the yr in the 5 or 6 spot. As poorly as we played and looked at times last yr, we (and Gilbert) garnered at lot of respect when we played the mnc game without our 2009 offense. And had a shot to win with 3 minutes left. Voters could see that Texas was enormously talented and could've/would've still been in the mix had Colt left after the previous season. Fast forward to 2010 and it's the same story.... None of the hype will matter if our wr's keep dropping balls and/or Gilbert struggles with learning reading a blitzing D..... I'm sure he'll see plenty of those until he proves that he can see and react. I'm betting he's a fast study
     
  5. I_Dont_Exist

    I_Dont_Exist 1,000+ Posts

    Alabama and Ohio State will be 1 & 2 in whichever order any particular poll chooses. We'll be 3-5 along with Boise State and Iowa. Oregon would have been ahead of us but with Masolli gone that's out the window.

    The rest of the top ten in no particular order will be Florida,,USC,Nebraska,TCU, Wisconsin. Georgia Tech or Oregon could sneak in.
     
  6. tholly

    tholly 1,000+ Posts

    I would enjoy seeing TCU and Boise in the top 6 or 7 to start the season. As they creep up into the top 3 lets see if the voters push Florida, ou, (or UT) and USC ahead of them after hard fought victories over and SCar, Kan, and Wazzu.
     
  7. Wacker

    Wacker 25+ Posts

    We'll be somewhere between 3 and 5. It may not seem like we deserve to be that high, but someone give me five teams better situated than us, even with a new QB. Alabama and Ohio St. are probably 1 & 2.
     
  8. Phil Steele's projected preseason AP top 10 for this year has Texas at #5. I'm going to say they'll be ranked 6 or 7. Perception means a lot in college ball and I think people now see Texas as one of the premier programs in college ball.
     
  9. PropositionJoe

    PropositionJoe 2,500+ Posts

    6-10 sounds about right
     
  10. rickysrun

    rickysrun 2,500+ Posts


     
  11. salonghorn-70

    salonghorn-70 2,500+ Posts


     
  12. I_Dont_Exist

    I_Dont_Exist 1,000+ Posts


     

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  14. GoHornsGo90

    GoHornsGo90 1,000+ Posts

    I have us #2 preseason, simply because the talent differential between us and all the other teams that will be ranked highly around us (Boise, TCU, and even tOSU to an extent) is so substantial and Gilbert seems to be already around McCoy's level from last year.

    Not sure who posted about Iowa, but I don't expect many logical people to have them in their top ten preseason.

    It actually matters this year, because Boise and TCU could both go undefeated and disallow us from going to the NC if we are also undefeated (not saying this is probable, just saying we don't want to have to deal with it) simply because of their easier schedules. That said, we should breeze through most of our games other than Dallas and at Nebraska (who I think will be supremely overrated this year), but we will be favored in every one. Should be a fun season--unlike basketball.
     
  15. 71grad

    71grad 1,000+ Posts

    I think we will be somewhere in the 5 - 8 range. I am really looking forward to kickoff.
     
  16. rickysrun

    rickysrun 2,500+ Posts


     

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  18. GoHornsGo90

    GoHornsGo90 1,000+ Posts

    I wouldn't say we got "lucky" that Reynolds got hurt. Bama got lucky that McCoy got hurt. Reynolds is no wunderkind at LB like Derrick Johnson or Teddy Lehman were in college. Also, football players get hurt all the time. So it's much less of an excuse than a basketball player getting injured (which definitely kills the team). That said, Texas should have had Gilbert more prepared and it's hard to deny the stat differential between when Reynolds was in and what we did to them after he got hurt.
     
  19. Hu_Fan

    Hu_Fan Guest

    Except for losing a star player, as did Texas after losing VY following the championship... dropping the Horns to #2... it appears the defending champ is given #1. Protocol.

    So, Alabama gets the obligatory "start as #1" ranking.
    After that, I'm not sure how you judge, what you go on.

    For me, I'd look at Gilbert adjusting to his sudden start, having a big 2nd half and pulling to within 23-21 against Alabama in a game Horns win by 2 touchdowns (at least) with a healthy Colt. And if Colt had pulled up lame days before the game and Gilbert had time to get ready to start, Horns still win.

    So, Texas goes in as #2, and I don't see any program bringing more to the game next season than Texas who has lost two games in two years, and Muschamp ... well, if you think we've seen his defense by now, you ain't seen nothing yet.

    In my book, Texas is the team to beat and the most total team under Brown thus far; most balanced and formidable in all phases, all total. Where the '05 team was so powerful on offense, this team will be a lock-down bunch on both sides of the ball and on special teams. It will be the gridiron's version of Hades... 60 minutes of hell.

    I'll make up a top 5...
    Alabama (olbigatory)
    Texas (#2 only behind obligatory returning champ)
    Ohio State (returning QB)
    Florida (returning players, coach, and SEC obligatory factor)
    Fill-in-the-Blank
     
  20. notreally

    notreally 1,000+ Posts

    i saw some poll the other day, and i forget where.... but it had texas at #7 and OU at #12. both sound about right. however, you are getting a lot of credit at #7 based on the what people thought of gilbert during the NC. now, we'll see how he does. and we'll see how much help he gets from the OL and the backfield. he'll have plenty of help at WR.

    12 sounds about right for us. landry played good, definitely not great. our OL should be much improved, but it is still the same guys basically. you have to hope they have improved. complete unknown.

    some places we'll be stronger than last year: WR, OL (couldn't get worse), safety, and i believe LB. our LB crew should be sick this year if wort can play good.

    places where we will possibly not be as strong: cornerback, DE (maybe), TE (still no serious threat), LB (yes i know it is on both lists... but we'll just have to wait and see).
     
  21. Shark4

    Shark4 2,500+ Posts


     
  22. Shark4

    Shark4 2,500+ Posts


     
  23. I_Dont_Exist

    I_Dont_Exist 1,000+ Posts


     
  24. GoHornsGo90

    GoHornsGo90 1,000+ Posts


     
  25. Third Coast

    Third Coast 10,000+ Posts


     

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  27. coolhorn

    coolhorn 2,500+ Posts

    Gilbert has the potenial to be one of the top two quarterbacks to ever play at UT. Of course, Coach Royal said "Potential means you ain't done it yet."

    I think because of our last half decade of play, and because of the perception of our recruiting classes of the last several years, and because of the confidence in Coach Boom to somehow build a murderous defense, UT starts at about 7. That might be a little higher than actual facts indicate, but by the end of the regular season, UT could be very salty and rolling again.

    I think we could have up to three regular season losses, but looking at the schedule this far out, I only see one very likely loss. IF we only lose one, we're back in the BCS hunt, but a lot is riding on Gilbert's development with our receivers, and somehow finding a viable run game.
     
  28. Shark4

    Shark4 2,500+ Posts


     
  29. Scotman23

    Scotman23 25+ Posts

    Vegas has us at 4th best odds to win the championship.
    It goes Bama, Ohio State, Oregon, UT
     
  30. wolfTEX

    wolfTEX 25+ Posts

    "Not sure who posted about Iowa, but I don't expect many logical people to have them in their top ten preseason."

    Good home scheduled in 2010 equals a possible conference championship.
     

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