The Checklist: Benchmarks for a successful football season in 2022
Steve Sarkisian is starting his second season at Texas. Many expect he will have a good season this year. By good, I mean that Texas would win nine or more games.
Given the talent on the roster, that is a reasonable expectation. Texas got better at most starting positions this offseason with huge transfer portal additions.
We have spoken at length about just how good Quinn Ewers can be at quarterback. Additionally, he has the best skill talent Texas has had since 2005. While the 2008 team had Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley, that group couldn’t compare to the elite depth Texas has this season.
Nevertheless, there are still plenty of questions about this team. At linebacker, safety, and offensive tackle the Longhorns have highlight reel talents who need to prove they can make the simple plays.
Here are a few ways we can measure success for the Longhorns in 2022.
40 Points Per Game
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This is an objective and realistic marker, given that I cannot remember a more talented group of Longhorn playmakers. Bijan Robinson and Xavier Worthy could leave Texas as top three players at their position. Isaiah Neyor should be one of the better No. 2 receivers in the Big 12 this year.
Having scored 70 points last year against Texas Tech, its reasonable to expect the team will score upwards of 60 points once or twice this season. For Texas to make the jump from 35 points per game to 40, simply avoiding seven-point performances against the likes of Iowa State should get them over the hump.
28 points allowed per game
Texas allowed 31 points per game last season. Factor in the real possibility that Alabama could drop half-a-hundred on Texas in Austin, and the points allowed total should be high this year.
Admittedly, hoping to allow 28 points per is an extremely low bar. Yet if Texas can increase its point differential by eight points per game, they will be a good football team.
Beat Oklahoma
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This year’s red river match could determine the direction in which the program goes with Sarkisian. A win could be the springboard to success Texas needs going forward. Sarkisian’s squad will need to win more than the Oklahoma game this year, but no game will carry more weight for the Longhorns.
Bijan Robinson wins the Doak Walker Award
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The best running back in college football should be the favorite to win the Doak Walker Award. There are good backs elsewhere, but Robinson is one of the more unique backs we have seen. Other ball carriers work hard to propel forward. Bijan effortlessly glides. The talent disparity between the Longhorns’ running back and the field is significant. If he stays healthy and doesn’t win the award, it likely won’t be Robinson’s fault.
Quinn Ewers receives All-Big 12 Honors
Syndication: Austin American-Statesman
Ewers does not have to be the first-team all-conference quarterback. That honor is generally reserved for the de facto best upperclassman. He should at least make the all-freshman team or win Big 12 newcomer of the year honors.
As is the case with any of the above goals, Ewers playing up to potential could easily vault Texas to eight or more wins.
