Time for the fun speculating to get us through these final 6 weeks!
Saturday Sep. 1 at Maryland Terrapins
FedEx Field, Landover, MD 11:00am CT FS1
We shouldn't get caught napping this year. It'll probably take some time to get things rolling, but I think we will win this one by 10 points.
WIN 1-0
Saturday Sep. 8 Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX 7:00pm CT LHN
Home opener. Tulsa will probably be better than some of the other gimme games we usually play, but we should win this one easily while taking advantage of the new redshirt rule and playing some freshmen.
WIN 2-0
Saturday Sep. 15 USC Trojans
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX 7:00pm CT
This one is so hard to predict. We almost won it last year, and this year we have them in Austin. They have a new QB coming in. It really all depends on how strong our offense has improved. I think the revenge factor helps and we win by 3 or 7.
WIN 3-0
Saturday Sep. 22 TCU Horned Frogs
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX
I'll believe it when I see it. TCU has had our number for years. Despite them also retooling, I think we will be worn out after playing lights-out against USC. This game will be the closest one we've had against them in a long time, but I still think TCU finds a way to win it. They're our achilles heel.
LOSS 3-1
Saturday Sep. 29 at Kansas State Wildcats
Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS
This could easily be a trap game. After focusing our efforts on finding ways to topple USC and TCU, and with Oklahoma coming up next, this trip to Manhattan seems awfully dangerous. I think it's a coin flip game, and if we happen to beat TCU we may lose this one. Likewise if we lose to USC and think we might win this one. But I'm just not sure our offense can beat their defense and our defense stop their offense at Bill Snyder Stadium.
LOSS 3-2
Saturday Oct. 6 at Oklahoma Sooners
Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
Last year's late-game loss and Baker's antics will give our team enough motivation to take this one. I predict a win by 10-14 points in Dallas.
WIN 4-2
Saturday Oct. 13 Baylor Bears
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX
Baylor will be better, but not better enough.
WIN 5-2
Saturday Oct. 27 at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Oh how nice a week off will be. This will help us prepare for a rebuilding Oklahoma State team and we will take care of business in Stillwater, earning a bowl berth.
WIN 6-2
Saturday Nov. 3 West Virginia Mountaineers
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX
Circle November 3rd on your calendars. I really feel that this game is the pivot point on how this season's team will be viewed. Take this one from an improved WVU team, and you're on your way to being a championship squad. Lose this one, and you're an improved good but still-not-great one.
LOSS 6-3
Saturday Nov. 10 at Texas Tech Red Raiders
Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
No repeat of last year's shenanigans. Texas Tech has no business beating UT. We ignore the extra-curriculars in Lubbock and beat them by two touchdowns.
WIN 7-3
Saturday Nov. 17 Iowa State Cyclones
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX 7:00pm CT LHN
Iowa State often plays spoiler, but we have them in Austin and we will be prepared.
WIN 8-3
Friday Nov. 23 at Kansas Jayhawks
Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS 11:00am CT FS1
Don't make me think about 2016 ever again...
WIN 9-3
Saturday Dec. 1
Big 12 Championship Game
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
9-3 is my honest prediction for how this season will go, with losses coming to TCU, one of USC or Kansas State, and one of West Virginia or Oklahoma. If we can beat OU and also beat WVU, we should finish the season 10-2 and compete in the Big XII title game against either Oklahoma, TCU, or West Virginia. The confidence with which we played our Bowl Game last year would make me think we could win the Big XII championship game, especially against a WVU, but I'm not sure we'd be able to defeat an angered end-of-season Oklahoma or a Gary Patterson-ready TCU. Thus, we probably head into the bowl game at 9-3 or having lost this one at 10-3.
Bowl Game
Herman's got this.
WIN 10-3 or 11-3
Saturday Sep. 1 at Maryland Terrapins
FedEx Field, Landover, MD 11:00am CT FS1
We shouldn't get caught napping this year. It'll probably take some time to get things rolling, but I think we will win this one by 10 points.
WIN 1-0
Saturday Sep. 8 Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX 7:00pm CT LHN
Home opener. Tulsa will probably be better than some of the other gimme games we usually play, but we should win this one easily while taking advantage of the new redshirt rule and playing some freshmen.
WIN 2-0
Saturday Sep. 15 USC Trojans
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX 7:00pm CT
This one is so hard to predict. We almost won it last year, and this year we have them in Austin. They have a new QB coming in. It really all depends on how strong our offense has improved. I think the revenge factor helps and we win by 3 or 7.
WIN 3-0
Saturday Sep. 22 TCU Horned Frogs
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX
I'll believe it when I see it. TCU has had our number for years. Despite them also retooling, I think we will be worn out after playing lights-out against USC. This game will be the closest one we've had against them in a long time, but I still think TCU finds a way to win it. They're our achilles heel.
LOSS 3-1
Saturday Sep. 29 at Kansas State Wildcats
Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS
This could easily be a trap game. After focusing our efforts on finding ways to topple USC and TCU, and with Oklahoma coming up next, this trip to Manhattan seems awfully dangerous. I think it's a coin flip game, and if we happen to beat TCU we may lose this one. Likewise if we lose to USC and think we might win this one. But I'm just not sure our offense can beat their defense and our defense stop their offense at Bill Snyder Stadium.
LOSS 3-2
Saturday Oct. 6 at Oklahoma Sooners
Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, TX
Last year's late-game loss and Baker's antics will give our team enough motivation to take this one. I predict a win by 10-14 points in Dallas.
WIN 4-2
Saturday Oct. 13 Baylor Bears
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX
Baylor will be better, but not better enough.
WIN 5-2
Saturday Oct. 27 at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Oh how nice a week off will be. This will help us prepare for a rebuilding Oklahoma State team and we will take care of business in Stillwater, earning a bowl berth.
WIN 6-2
Saturday Nov. 3 West Virginia Mountaineers
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX
Circle November 3rd on your calendars. I really feel that this game is the pivot point on how this season's team will be viewed. Take this one from an improved WVU team, and you're on your way to being a championship squad. Lose this one, and you're an improved good but still-not-great one.
LOSS 6-3
Saturday Nov. 10 at Texas Tech Red Raiders
Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
No repeat of last year's shenanigans. Texas Tech has no business beating UT. We ignore the extra-curriculars in Lubbock and beat them by two touchdowns.
WIN 7-3
Saturday Nov. 17 Iowa State Cyclones
Darrell K Royal - TX Mem. Stadium, Austin, TX 7:00pm CT LHN
Iowa State often plays spoiler, but we have them in Austin and we will be prepared.
WIN 8-3
Friday Nov. 23 at Kansas Jayhawks
Memorial Stadium, Lawrence, KS 11:00am CT FS1
Don't make me think about 2016 ever again...
WIN 9-3
Saturday Dec. 1
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
9-3 is my honest prediction for how this season will go, with losses coming to TCU, one of USC or Kansas State, and one of West Virginia or Oklahoma. If we can beat OU and also beat WVU, we should finish the season 10-2 and compete in the Big XII title game against either Oklahoma, TCU, or West Virginia. The confidence with which we played our Bowl Game last year would make me think we could win the Big XII championship game, especially against a WVU, but I'm not sure we'd be able to defeat an angered end-of-season Oklahoma or a Gary Patterson-ready TCU. Thus, we probably head into the bowl game at 9-3 or having lost this one at 10-3.
Bowl Game
Herman's got this.
WIN 10-3 or 11-3