From former Longhorn Coach Pat Culpepper. 5. Texas Longhorns – The name of the Longhorns’ game is defense. The Burnt Orange will have the best secondary, linebackers and defensive ends in college football for 2010. Cornerback Aaron Williams is a brilliant defender who became a national star against Oklahoma with a blitz from the tight end side which buried quarterback Sam Bradford and a fourth quarter hanging-in-the-air interception which killed the Sooners’ comeback hopes. His opposite corner Curtis Brown is a perfect match. Safeties Blake Gideon and Christian Scott are smart and tremendous contact players. Defensive end Sam Acho not only had 10 sacks last season but is an honor student. His brother Emmanuel is an outstanding linebacker and his speed is matched by the Longhorns’ other outside linebacker Keenan Robinson. Texas led the nation in defensive recruiting and DEs Reggie Wilson from Haltom and Jackson Jeffcoat from Plano will get their turns early against Rice and Wyoming before the Horns go to Lubbock on Sept. 18. It will take time for Texas to develop its run-first, pass-second attack but quarterback Garrett Gilbert will make better downfield throws than Colt McCoy by game number three. Left tackle Kyle Hix at 6-7, 320 gives Gilbert protection when he throws and should be a punishing blocker coming out of a 3-point stance instead of the 2-point zone blocking pass protection model of the last near-decade when Vince Young and Colt McCoy ran the Texas spread formation. Toughest games: Sept. 18 at Texas Tech, Oct. 2 vs. OU in Dallas, Oct. 16 at Nebraska, Nov. 6 at Kansas State and Nov. 25 vs. Texas A&M.
I hope the Longhorns are ready offensively and on defense. I picked Texas to score the most points and Rice the least in the Pick'm Contest!