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2008 Texas Longhorns College Football Predictions

by Thomas Jensen on Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

The Big 12 South Championship will likely come right down to that December 11th date in Dallas when the Texas Longhorns take on the Oklahoma Sooners. Online sportsbook BetUS.com has the Texas Longhorns +1200 odds to win the 2009 BCS Championship. Find out which Big 12 powerhouse will come out on top in Expert Football Handicapper Jeff Alexander's 2008 Texas Longhorns College Football Predictions for Point-Spreads.com.

Offense – The Horns lost their top tight end, wideout, and running back, but QB Colt McCoy is back and there is enough talent left of the roster to reload. Blaine Irby will jump right in at tight end, Brandon Collins and Malcolm Williams will fill the wide receiver vacancy, and Vondrell McGee, Chris Ogbannaya, and "Fozzy" Whitaker will be taking the carries. I have no reason to believe that they won't slip into larger roles seamlessly like the talented players before them did. Quan Cosby will be McCoy's go-to receiver this season. The 5'11 sophomore has a little Marvin Harrison in his game. McCoy is more athletic than he has been given credit for and I expect him to be a threat on the ground as well in Texas' zone read play. McCoy has hit the weights hard to improve his strength, durability, and speed. We know that he's no Vince Young, but we expect him to build off of a 492 yard rushing season.

Defense – Texas has a new defensive coordinator for the fourth year in a row, that's the kind of turnover you don't expect in a major program. But Will Muschamp is a rising star and he will be smart enough not to change much in a defense which has been good for years. Texas' front seven is solid as a rock and the linebacker corps could be the best in head coach Mack Brown's tenure. Tackles' Lamarr Houston and Roy Miller combined for 20 tackles for loss in 2007 and will be back causing havoc this year. Rashad Bobino returns at middle linebacker. Sergio Kindle should finally have the breakout year the Horns are expecting if he can remain healthy and Rod Muckelroy will take the weak side spot. Jared Norton is another solid linebacker which can spell any of these guys without Texas missing a beat. Like the Sooners, the secondary could be a weakness. Texas has returning starters at the corners, but the safety position could be a weakness. Four of the top five safeties are freshman and the problem for Texas safeties in the past has been getting sucked in by play action fakes to give up the big play.

Special Teams – Quan Cosby gives the Longhorns a sure-handed breakaway threat to return kicks and punts. Ryan Bailey has been a very consistent kicker for the Horns and freshman Justin Tucker will step right in to do the punting.

College Football Predictions on the 2008 Texas Longhorns – 2nd in Big 12 South

The Longhorns will have another good season with 10 or more wins, but I don't think they will be quite good enough to beat the Oklahoma Sooners and that will keep them from a Big 12 South title. While the losses of three key offensive playmakers won't hurt Texas much against most of its competition, it will show up against Oklahoma. This team should handle Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Baylor to solidify another winning season.

Get a full season of college football picks from expert football handicapper Jeff Alexander.

BetUS.com has posted college football predictions betting odds to win the 2009 BCS Championship:

LSU +1200

Southern Cal +300

California +4500

Ohio State +1000

Wisconsin +3000

Boston College +12500

Florida +600

Kentucky +10000

South Florida +5000

Oklahoma +900