It will be no easy task for Texas to get back to the Big 12 title game after losing the winningest quarterback in the history of NCAA Division I football. The offense also lost top receiver Jordan Shipley, and the defense must find a way to replace Lamarr Houston, Sergio Kindle, Roddrick Muckelroy and Earl Thomas. That's the bad news. The good news is head coach Mack Brown is a ridiculous 128-27 in 12 seasons at Texas. In other words, Texas is one of the few programs across the country bringing in enough talent year after year to consistently reload.
Offense: Garrett Gilbert is faced with the task of replacing one of the best college football players of all-time. He does enter the 2010 season having won his last 30 game as a starting quarterback, spanning his 2007 and 2008 high school seasons when he led Lake Travis High to consecutive state titles. We did see glimpses of brilliance when he replaced McCoy in last season's BCS championship, but we also saw classic rookie mistakes. Coach Brown is not confident that Gilbert is ready to run the spread so he is installing a power-running offense to take some of the pressure off of his young signal caller. Texas has succeeded with this type of offense in the past with running backs like Ricky Williams and Cedric Benson putting up huge numbers. The problem is I don't see any tailbacks in Austin of their caliber. Brown was not happy about how ineffective his running game was last season. The Horns averaged only 4.0 yards per carry, their lowest tally since averaging 3.4 in 200 2. Tre' Newton will get the bulk of the work once again. He gained 552 yards and scored six touchdowns a season ago. If the running game can show the kind of improvement Brown is hoping for, it will open up some nice play-action passing opportunities for Gilbert. Such opportunities will go a long way toward boosting his confidence.
Defense: The Longhorns led the entire country in rushing defense in 2009, allowing only 72.4 rushing yards per game. Stuffing the run will once again be their forte. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has enjoyed a lot of success by daring teams to beat Texas through the air. His defenses play the run, forcing teams to pass, and that allows his powerful ends and talented defensive backs to take care of the rest. One of those ends is Sam Acho. He led the Horns with 10 sacks in 2009. Curtis Brown, Aaron Williams and Blake Gideon are all future NFL defensive backs. Gideon really has a nose for the football, picking off six passes last season. The Horns did lose some talented players, but Muschamp has enough talent stepping in to execute his scheme again.
Prediction: 2nd Big 12 South - As good as the Texas offense was in 2009, the defense was the strength of the team. That will again be the case in 2010. Brown will rely more heavily on his defense as he looks to grind out games while his new starting quarterback gains experience. Texas will likely take a small step back following the loss of McCoy, but it is still talented enough to post another double-digit win season. Be sure to check out my 2010 Big 12 football predictions to see how I have the rest of the conference shaping up.
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