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College football in the state of Texas has long been linked to the health of the Longhorns and to some extent, the strength of the Big 12 (and Southwest Conference before it). Yet both of those entities sit in extended rough patches at the moment.
Texas, fresh off of an upset loss to Cal survive Saturday, hasn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate recorded double-digit wins since 2009. Its conference, the Big 12, has barely two unbeaten teams heading into league play and its best hope for a College Football Playoff position is… Baylor .
This parity and doubt forces us to rethink how college football is defined in the state of Texas. Or rather, “ who ” defines it. The following takes a shot at assessing the current baron social organization of Texas football, and how all 12 in-state programs fit within that.
1. Texas A&M Aggies:
When Kevin Sumlin arrived at A & M, he brought a brash and bold browbeat to the program. And despite the questions around his tenure since the departure of Johnny Manziel, he ’ randomness still recruiting top 20 classes and seems to have a identical beneficial department of defense this class. Being in the SEC gives the Aggies the strongest path to the College Football Playoff, even if it ’ s not the easiest one. Being removed from the Big 12 ’ south power/dysfunction structure besides gives them a branch up on all other in-state contenders .
2. Houston Cougars:
The # HTownTakeover has vaulted Houston up this tilt in a rush. Whether the Big 12 invites them or not at this point, the Cougars and passenger car Tom Herman have become a Group of Five recruiting impel while locking down the greater Houston area ’ s endowment. In 2016, they would appear to be the state ’ sulfur best gamble at a Playoff position, particularly if they can manage to beat Louisville in November. Power league dollars are all that ’ s stopping them from taking the acme topographic point for the time being .
3. TCU Horned Frogs:
Without the resources of the larger state schools on this list, smaller ( and private ) TCU has built a about 20-year resume of football excellence that lets it fight above its weight. The 2015 and 2016 on-field product may not look Playoff-worthy. But the Frogs have still become a repair atop the Big 12 and are one of the chief reasons for Texas ’ s late struggles. TCU besides stands to benefit least ( along with Baylor ) from the Big 12 adding Houston .
4. Texas Longhorns:
Charlie Strong has improved Texas from the depths of the end of the Mack Brown era. It ’ mho merely hard to believe when you see things like two straight losses to a less-talented Cal program. Or a acquire over Notre Dame that looks less valuable by the day. coverage and conversation around what ’ s “ ill-timed ” constantly drowns out what ’ randomness right, making the job unenviable at this point. The Horns live in a fishbowl that has only led to them ceding prime to smaller in-state programs of late .
5. Baylor Bears:
Baylor could ’ ve been atop this list a year ago. But after Art Briles ’ second departure and with potential NCAA sanctions looming, the conversation has changed wholly. even as the likely Big 12 frontrunner right now, their “ best-case ” scenario is going unbeaten against a struggling group of conference-mates actively rooting against them. Baylor is no longer a feisty underdog. It ’ s a scandal-plagued program that voters will subconsciously ( or consciously ) pull against .
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders:
Tech has been stuck in neutral for a number of years immediately, buoyed by a record-setting umbrage and being in the Big 12 – plus Kliff Kingsbury ’ s good looks, of course. We ’ ve seen glimpses of the Red Raiders ’ ceiling before, and it once looked reasonably high. As the air raid ’ mho become a state-wide dodge, however, it ’ mho been tougher and tougher to bring elect endowment to remote Lubbock. even they ’ ra miles ahead of the rest of names below it.
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7. SMU Mustangs:
Chad Morris ’ mho scheme to build a ( private school ) program wholly off of Texas recruits sounds like a good one. The results are hush TBD, however, though you see improvement already from the 1-11 crater he inherited. SMU is hurt a piece by the endless comparisons to Houston, which could go away if the Cougars leave the AAC for green pastures. It shouldn ’ triiodothyronine be unvoiced to have a quality team in Dallas, and so far the Mustangs have struggled for most of three decades now .
8. Rice Owls:
obviously Rice is still in the tend for the Big 12 ? person should let them know that the 0-3 start this year won ’ t help oneself that cause. A premier academician institution, Rice has always been more about the classroom than the football field despite its location in talent hotbed Houston. Though Todd Graham and then David Bailiff led a spot of a program rebirth, that period appears to be over for the Owls. As C-USA members, they seem doomed to be also-rans as that conference ’ south coffers are peculiarly dry .
Remember the name Dalton Sturm. Slippery as sin. UTSA comes to Kyle Field Nov. 19, presently up 28-12 over ASU. pic.twitter.com/Bd7pdMNCjj
— Robert Behrens ( @ rcb05 ) September 17, 2016
9. UTSA Roadrunners:
UTSA, on the early hand, has been discussed as a high-upside program for years, and would seem to have the most potential for movement in this bed half. State school with a quality sports fan base in a larger city, plus a top recruiter ( early LSU assistant Frank Wilson ) as a read/write head coach ? They ’ rhenium already on the Mountain West ’ s radar. Any course of study that can leave C-USA ’ sulfur disjointed pit of realignment despair mechanically jumps up a spot or two .
10. North Texas Mean Green:
North Texas is another “ top ” program with a long history of never reaching that electric potential. Sitting anywhere near the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex should give you an advantage in terms of attracting endowment. And yet, UNT has four acquire seasons since 1980. The climb to respectability will be exorbitant, but it ’ randomness feasible. There ’ randomness little board to grow into a “ bigger ” league, however .
11. UTEP Miners:
UTEP ’ south sword recognition would vault it past multiple teams listed above it, if not for El Paso ’ s geography. The one saving seemliness is that given the team ’ s honest-to-god WAC history, it could be a natural fit for Mountain West expansion. That gives them leverage, indisputable. It ’ randomness barely not worth anything until they actual receive that proverbial life raft .
12. Texas State Bobcats:
Texas State always feels like a computer-generated team on the old NCAA video games, accomplished with the identity-less “ Bobcats ” nickname. That said, San Marcos ’ s location between San Antonio and Austin sounds appealing for recruiting. It ’ s feasible to improve cursorily in the Sun Belt. It ’ sulfur just that Texas State is so far behind the respite of these programs in the peck order that may not be noticeable at all.
person school partiality may create some quarrels about the order. But like the fast-paced offenses throughout the department of state of Texas ’ s senior high school schools and colleges, many of these teams can move up or down identical cursorily .
If the Big 12 rallies and the Longhorns oversee to get to the College Football Playoff at 11-1, then go ahead and slot them No. 1 come season ’ sulfur end. But if Baylor and its PR nightmare go 12-0, followed by an 8-4 Texas in the Big 12 standings ? That ’ s a recipe for a future of even more in-state football anarchy .
