Bohls, Golden: Texas Longhorns' Big 12, CFP hopes are stilll there for the taking

The second half of the season is stretched out perfectly for No. 8 Texas, which has a path to the Big 12 championship game and a possible College Football Playoff spot even with that Oct. 7 loss to Oklahoma still out there. But time heals wounds, and last week's open date gave the Longhorns a chance to hit reset and focus on what lies ahead. That's the thought, anyway, as we ponder the start of the second half:

Trap game? Only if Texas lets it be

1. Will Texas take Houston seriously?

Bohls: Absolutely. Even Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that his team is “a little pissed off.” This is a very mature, conscientious team that sticks to business and doesn’t get too high or too low, although I expect to see an emotionally riled up Longhorn team that is eager to correct all that went wrong against Oklahoma. I got Texas in a breeze, 48-13.

Golden: Yes, because nothing should be assumed in college football. If the Cougars have a knockout punch in them, they will bring it to TDECU Stadium. Sarkisian has his team in a great state of mind after the Oklahoma loss, and they will go into Houston and take care of business. Horns win 38-14.

Oh, the Horns know Houston's quarterback all too well

2. What's the biggest danger that Houston presents?

Bohls: They do have very good receivers, including Matt Golden, who already has two kickoff returns for touchdowns, and Stephon Johnson, the Oklahoma State transfer who caught the Hail Mary to beat West Virginia. Dual-threat Donovan Smith completed his last 16 passes last week and threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns as a Red Raider in last year’s Tech overtime win over the Horns, so Texas will have to watch its p’s and q’s with Houston’s passing attack.

Bohls: Over these final six games, it's not just if Texas wins, but how Texas wins

Golden: Smith is a streaky passer who threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns in Texas Tech’s upset of Texas last season, and he’s also adept at making plays with his feet at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. The Horns have to keep him under wraps because he will come in with a load of confidence after that miraculous win over West Virginia.

Wanted: a few more snaps, please

3. What Longhorn would you like to see more of on the field?

Bohls: Give me more Derek Williams, the hard-hitting freshman safety who’s made 12 tackles and broken up a pass. He’s a budding star and one of those who Sarkisian has said will see his role expanded.

Golden: Freshman linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. can’t get enough reps. He’s still figuring things out, but his jaw-dropping athleticism has to be in there, even if he’s just told to go chase the ball. He will one day be the team’s version of Micah Parsons.

More: Some highs, some lows and plenty to fix for the No. 8 Texas Longhorns

Big things brewing in the Big Ten

4. Will Penn State knock off Ohio State?

Bohls: The Nittany Lions will not, even though it’s time for James Franklin to put up a big win after going 4-14 against the Buckeyes and Wolverines. He does have a superb defense that leads the nation in yards allowed, run and pass defense, and sacks. Perhaps if this were in Happy Valley, it could happen, but the Buckeyes’ passing game is too strong for Penn State in a 31-28 victory.

Golden: Not in Columbus. Franklin is a good coach, but his Nittany Lions are 1-8 against Ohio State, the Buckeyes have won 23 straight games in October, and Kyle McCord is the most overlooked quarterback in the country. He gets enough protection against the nation’s No. 1 defense, and the Buckeyes come away with a 27-20 win.

Upset alert this week

5. Pick a Top 25 upset.

Bohls: Pretty slim pickings, but I’ll go with No. 18 USC bouncing back from its thrashing at the hands of Notre Dame and scoring enough against No. 14 Utah’s rugged defense to prevail 24-21.

Golden: USC won't be winning a national championship, but it will get a measure of satisfaction with a win over Utah.

Circle your calendars, Texas

6. Assuming Oklahoma makes it, who is Texas' biggest challenge for a spot in the Big 12 title game?

Bohls: Has to still be Kansas State. With the four non-Longhorn teams that are currently 2-1, the Wildcats have the fewest road games remaining, with only two at Austin and Lawrence, and with four very winnable home games against TCU, Houston, Baylor and Iowa State.

Golden: The conference isn’t exactly awash in contenders for the throne, but if I had to pick a non-blue blood, it would still be Kansas State, even though the Wildcats didn’t show up in the loss at Oklahoma State two weeks ago. The Cats don’t beat themselves in most instances, so they’re the logical choice to make a run at the top two.

Under the radar, but not these radars

7. Who's the most underrated player in college football?

Bohls: I really like Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott, but I’ll go with Arizona redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita, who has filled in for injured starter Jayden de Laura and threw for 645 yards against nationally ranked USC and Washington State with eight touchdowns and only two picks on the year. He may sit behind the recovered de Laura, who has passed for nine scores with five interceptions this year and a 34/18 ratio in his career and isn't nearly as accurate as his understudy, who has completed 75.2% of his throws.

Golden: We don’t get to see a lot of him, but South Alabama wideout Caullin Lacy is second in the nation with 48 receptions for 826 yards and six touchdowns. Lacy has six straight games with at least five catches and 100 yards, including a five-catch, 104-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 33-7 win at Oklahoma State.

Headed to the Heisman? A midseason check

8. Name your top three Heisman candidates. And a dark horse.

Bohls: In order, I’d lean toward Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., LSU’s Jaylen Daniels and Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel. All three quarterbacks are completing 72% or more of their passes. Penix has 20 touchdowns against three picks, Daniels 21/3 and Gabriel 16/2, but the Sooner also ran for 113 yards and a score to beat Texas. As for a real sleeper, give me Texas tailback Jonathon Brooks, who leads all Power Five running backs with 121 yards a game and averages 6.7 yards a carry.

Golden: I’ll take three quarterbacks: Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel and LSU’s Jayden Daniels. I’ll take LSU wideout Malik Nabers — he of the 52 catches for 860 yards and seven touchdowns — as my dark horse.

Mack vs. Saban: it's 2009 all over again

9. What football topic would you like to see an ESPN "30 for 30" focus on?

Bohls: I’d be fascinated by a deep dive into Nick Saban and his daily routine, his obsession with detail, his life away from football, his love of Miss Debbie cakes, any hobbies, and his personality at home and with friends.

Golden: Mack Brown is making magic in North Carolina, and I’d love to send the Longhorn Network cameras to Chapel Hill to reunite with the former Texas coach. Of particular interest would be footage of an all-time great recruiter on the road and the story behind those sweet dance moves in the locker room after a win.

Georgia's three-peat chances take a hit

10. Will Georgia make the CFP this year without Brock Bowers?

Bohls: The Bulldogs will not. He’s one of the few indispensable players in college football as well as Kirby Smart’s prime offensive weapon. I can see Georgia falling to Alabama in the SEC title game and being denied a chance to win a third straight title.

Golden: I just don’t see it. Bowers is a game changer unlike any other at his position in the sport. He’s Georgia’s chain mover and its best big-play threat. Try as he might, Smart can’t manufacture what Bowers brings to this offense.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football team can still realize its Big 12 and CFP title dreams