What to Expect From Texas' First Year in the SEC

“Get right back to work.” 

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian had that to say when asked what the Longhorns need to do this season to maintain the good footing they’ve been on the past couple of seasons at Southeastern Conference Media Day.

Fresh off their first appearance in the College Football Playoff that ended in a 37-31 loss to the Washington Huskies, Texas is looking to take it a step further this year. The Longhorns haven’t had back-to-back double-digit win seasons since 2008-09, their last time playing for a National Championship. It also marked the last time Texas was an annual contender for the national championship, having won it back in 2005.  

Expectations for Texas in 2024

This 2024 season will be a test for Texas football. Not just in Sarkisian’s ability to keep a winning team intact, but his ability to adjust to a much harder conference in the SEC. For the first time since 1996, Texas will not be in the Big 12. Texas will be tested harder this year to be crowned a conference champion. Let’s face it: Defense was not what the Big 12 Conference was known for, so Sarkisian’s offense will face better defensive minds. Quarterback Quinn Ewers said this when asked about the difference in defenses between the two conferences.

“The talent overall. In the SEC there are more defensive guys. A lot more first-round picks.”

Quinn Ewers, Texas, QB

An advantage for Sarkisian’s offense is having Ewers, a Heisman Trophy candidate, returning. Ewers could have declared this past year for the NFL Draft, but decided to stay another year for his redshirt Junior season.

Ewers hopes to join Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to become another first-round pick to leave. When asked why he didn’t declare this past year, Ewers said:

“One of the main things for me was the more experience you have in college football leads to how successful you are in the NFL.”

Quinn Ewers, Texas, QB

Ewers will be throwing to a new corp of receivers. Potential starters include junior Isiah Bond, senior Silas Bolden and sophomore Johntay Cook. Bond is transferring in from Alabama; Bolden is transferring in from Oregon State. Former five-star running back CJ Baxter will also be starting next to Ewers and should provide an extra layer of offensive explosion.

2024 Schedule

The schedule should be challenging and not something the Longhorns can’t handle. A win against Michigan on the road in the second week and a double-digit winning season should secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. Other challenging games will be against Oklahoma in the "Red River Rivalry," then in Week 6, Texas faces Georgia at home. The “Lone Star Showdown” returns to college football for the first time since November 24, 2011, when Texas squares off against Texas A&M at College Station. So, that's what to expect this year from the Texas Longhorns in their first year as an SEC member.