The only reason the RRS was even close last year was the referees let your defense get away with late hits on Baker Mayfield that threw him off his rhythm until the fourth quarter strike to Andrews. Our defense, which was our Achilles heel all season, was able to keep your offense in check in spite of your All-America punter giving your team the field position edge all game, and he also happened to be your bowl MVP in your win against maybe the fifth best program in the SEC East and has since departed for the NFL.
Your secondary will have a difficult time being able to cover Hollywood Brown, Ceedee Lamb and Charleston Rambo much like last season, and I would worry about your safeties being able to play center field without Elliott, and LR will be able to exploit weaknesses in your defense by being able to throw it to the backs or the tight end with wheel-and-go routes to keep your defense honest until he calls the deep routes in which our receivers will blaze passed your secondary for big gains. Even the dreaded trick plays (see Sermon's 42-yard pass to Brown last year) can be called at very inopportune times for you.
Not to mention our offensive line will hold the advantage in the running game, and the team with the most rushing yards in the RRS has won every game except one this century. That especially bodes well for OU with Kyler Murray at quarterback and the Rose Bowl's leading rusher last year in Rodney Anderson.
I would certainly expect Texas to be much improved from the past several years, but your talent level simply does not match OU's right now and mass depletions from your 2015-16 recruiting classes are going to hinder you this year and without a Heisman contender at quarterback, I just don't see Texas being any better than a 3 loss team this season.
