Summer camps have kicked off across the SEC, which means the start of a football season unlike any other is just a few weeks away. For the first time, 12 teams will qualify for the College Football Playoff. Texas hopes to earn a spot after going 12-2 a year ago and qualifying for its first CFP.
Got questions about the Longhorns and their debut season in the SEC? We have some answers.
Wait, the SEC? Is this part of the college realignment I’ve been hearing about?
Why, yes, it is. After a courtship that lasted years, Texas — along with Red River rival Oklahoma — finally left the Big 12 and joined the SEC on July 1, giving the nation’s best football conference 16 teams.
How is joining the SEC good for Texas?
More money in the coffers is always good for any athletic department, and Texas’ move to the SEC will approximately double what the athletic department made in television revenue as a member of the Big 12. And yes, the SEC is really good at football. In fact, SEC schools have won 13 of the past 18 national championships.
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Where does Texas fit in with the rest of the SEC?
The SEC did away with its two divisions after expansion, since the conference wants to ensure all league members play each other at least once in a four-year span. And they haven’t committed to a long-term plan when it comes to scheduling. All the Longhorns know is that they will play Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi State in each of the next two seasons. Also, SEC officials have all but guaranteed that Texas will get rivals Texas A&M and Oklahoma every year.
Who will be tougher to beat: Oklahoma or Texas A&M?
Well, the Sooners have a pretty salty defense, but they’re replacing quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who lit up the Longhorns in a 34-30 Oklahoma win last season. At least Texas will have half the crowd behind it when the teams meet again in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 12. That won’t be the case when the Longhorns visit Texas A&M on Nov. 30. It’s been 13 years since the last game between the bitter rivals, and the Aggies will be out for blood.
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Are those the most challenging SEC games on the schedule?
Unfortunately for Texas, nope. Georgia, which has won two national championships in the past three seasons, will visit Austin on Oct. 19. The Bulldogs will probably start the season as the nation’s No. 1 team, and they boast a loaded roster as well as a sizable chip on their shoulder pads after being passed over for one of the four CFP spots a year ago.
What makes Georgia so good?
The Bulldogs might have the best defense in the nation, and they might just have the country’s best quarterback in Carson Beck — if it’s not Quinn Ewers, the Longhorns’ three-year starter. In fact, the Heisman Trophy race might come down to this game. Whoever performs best and gets the win could be the front-runner.
Besides A&M and OU, what SEC road trips does Texas have?
Two more, and both seem manageable. Although a visit to Fayetteville, Ark., is never pleasant for Texas, the Razorbacks look a bit down. And Vanderbilt seems to always be down; surviving a Friday night on Nashville’s Lower Broadway looks tougher than a Saturday game against the Commodores.
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Who’s the most dangerous of the other three SEC teams visiting Austin?
It’s not Mississippi State, since the Bulldogs are again rebuilding behind first-year head coach Jeff Lebby. Florida has the name brand and winning legacy, but the Gators haven’t found much traction under third-year coach Billy Napier. But watch out on Nov. 23 for Kentucky and one of the best defensive front sevens in the country. Longtime coach Mark Stoops is one of the nation’s top defensive minds, and the Wildcats could make things uncomfortable for a Texas squad that might be peeking ahead at the trip to College Station.
What if Texas makes the SEC title game?
Since there are no more divisions in the conference, the top two teams in the standings will meet for the SEC title and an automatic berth in the CFP. That means Texas could face Georgia in a rematch if the Longhorns can navigate their tricky conference schedule. Ole Miss and Alabama will make a strong case for the SEC title game, too; head coach Lane Kiffin has added to a talented Ole Moss roster with an impressive portal haul while new coach Kalen DeBoer inherits a loaded Alabama squad from the retired Nick Saban. And keep an eye on Missouri, an SEC dark horse with a proven quarterback in Brady Cook.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Let’s answer some questions as Texas Longhorns football enters the SEC
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