How many wins will Texas have this season? (2023 edition)

[perfectchaos007 6,527]

With pre-season camp now underway and the orange kool-aid flowin', its time to predict how many wins this team under 3rd year Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian finishes with. Ewers is now in year 2 of Sark's system, but they'll have to find offensive success without Bijan and Roschon. To keep things even more interesting, there are a couple of new faces in our conference schedule compared to last season. Also may be worth noting that for the first time since 2009, the Big12 preseason poll has Texas as the favorites to win the conference. Will they live up to expectations?

When picking which win total to vote for, keep in mind all post season wins count to the total as well. I'm setting the poll to close on September 2nd right before the kickoff against Rice. Nothing more than bragging rights for those who predict correctly. 

[hookemATL 11,496]

 

[HornsofBevo 122]

[gmr548 16,254]

I'm not going to vote until closer to kickoff in case there are any injuries that change my thinking, but I'm settling in at 8 wins for the regular season. You could talk me into 9. That's a little below consensus expectations, and I do get why those are where they are, but Sark's got an established track record of being horrid on the road and blowing leads. I'm also generally on the "Big 12 refs are just incompetent rather than out to get Texas" side but I don't expect Texas will be getting many favorable 4th quarter calls this season.  Between those factors I think Texas drops a couple they shouldn't.

at Bama, Texas can win the game, no doubt, but I am just not buying Sark going on the road and beating Saban. Baylor, TCU, and an ISU team with a defense that have always flustered Sark are all on the road; there's a loss or two in there. OU is always a toss up, Texas should be favored for a reason but you never know. I expect Kansas State and Tech to be quality opponents.

That's seven games where I think Texas is going to have to play/coach reasonably well to get the W and I just don't see any reason to think Sark does any better than 4-3 in such games. Here's hoping this post gets roasted in December when Texas is 11-1.

[perfectchaos007 6,527]

2 hours ago, gmr548 said:

I'm not going to vote until closer to kickoff in case there are any injuries that change my thinking, but I'm settling in at 8 wins for the regular season. You could talk me into 9. That's a little below consensus expectations, and I do get why those are where they are, but Sark's got an established track record of being horrid on the road and blowing leads. I'm also generally on the "Big 12 refs are just incompetent rather than out to get Texas" side but I don't expect Texas will be getting many favorable 4th quarter calls this season.  Between those factors I think Texas drops a couple they shouldn't.

at Bama, Texas can win the game, no doubt, but I am just not buying Sark going on the road and beating Saban. Baylor, TCU, and an ISU team with a defense that have always flustered Sark are all on the road; there's a loss or two in there. OU is always a toss up, Texas should be favored for a reason but you never know. I expect Kansas State and Tech to be quality opponents.

That's seven games where I think Texas is going to have to play/coach reasonably well to get the W and I just don't see any reason to think Sark does any better than 4-3 in such games. Here's hoping this post gets roasted in December when Texas is 11-1.

Sark absolutely has to begin turning around his record in 1 score games. The alternative is to just blow out every opponent, but that’s probably wishful thinking. Sark has also never had a 10 win season as a head coach, so if it happens this year that would be a career first for him. 

[Magus Ossis 2,737]

I could see as few as 9 regular season or as many as 12. I think 10-11 is most likely. Sark hasn’t distinguished himself as a great game day coach, but he isn’t a total moron. The b12 refs will screw us, but that’s not a new thing. We aren’t as good as the 05 team, but we’re the best team on the field at least 11 of those games, and usually by a lot. We have an experienced OL. We have a receiver room I expect to be night and day better than last year. We’ve gained experience, talent, and some transfer help on D. No win would surprise me, and most losses would.

[Js1 82,369]

I usually just pick 9 these days. Teams with talent and experience can usually stumble into 9 pretty easily if we stay healthy.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Js1

[immamac 41,339]

Show me a fucking loss you pussies. 

[Sock Monkey 713]

From the context of this thread, I assume we’re just talking regular season. I voted 10 wins, because I believe that to be our potential, but 9 or even 8 is very possible. 11+ regular season wins would be orgasmic. Assuming we play at least a total of 14 games, 9-5 would entail a rough ending to an otherwise solid regular season.

[gmr548 16,254]

I usually just pick 9 these days. Teams with talent and experience can usually stumble into 9 pretty easily if we stay healthy.

Yeah, 9-3 wouldn’t surprise me at all. And if that involves beating OU and getting into the CCG I’ll be very pleased.

[CashMcCoy 3,199]

18 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

Yeah, 9-3 wouldn’t surprise me at all. And if that involves beating OU and getting into the CCG I’ll be very pleased.

With no more round robin and the unbalanced conference schedules (Oklahoma schools were given a fucking gift), I wouldn’t be completely shocked if a team with two conference losses gets left out of the CCG.

[Rudiger 1,144]

Y’all motherfuckers are high. 

[CashMcCoy 3,199]

16 minutes ago, Rudiger said:

Y’all motherfuckers are high. 

[TrashMaster G 17,263]

Poll really should specify regular season only. Trying to project the post-season is dealing with unknown opponents.

[Mez2 4,010]

13

[Blotto 23,227]

It's a talent game, and we have a lot of talent. Sark hasn't done anything to convince me he's not a bum, but hell, LSU won it all with coach O, so we can overcome that.

To me this season is basically on Ewers. Burrow was OK in 2018 and LSU managed a 10-3 season. Burrow was unreal in 2019 and LSU won it all. We need more from Ewers than just an efficient game manager type QB. He's shown flashes of the physical talent, but I need to see more in the heart and "between the ears" categories. If he develops there, we can stuff some kids in lockers.

[Helobious 9,393]

11-1, upset loss at TCU. We’ll see if I’m “always wrong” like the idiots think after this. 
 

Also counting postseason games in the prediction total is beyond fucking stupid.

[msucolt45 3,977]

11-1, if Ewers is healthy throughout the season, and the loss will not be at Alabama.

Hook’em!!!

[jettrink 42]

TCU ain't got shit this year.

All or nothing at all!

[ousux 5,566]

11-1, if Ewers is healthy throughout the season, and the loss will not be at Alabama.

Hook’em!!!

That's some damn good Kool aid you're chugging there.

Lemme guess, Wyoming is going to be sneaky good this year and catch us still celebrating a huge road win?

[Wulaw Horn 18,917]

I picked 12. I assume this includes conference championship game but not playoffs. 12-1. Going to the playoffs. 

[Deej 76,081]

Not enough for this board's liking.

[gmr548 16,254]

With no more round robin and the unbalanced conference schedules (Oklahoma schools were given a fucking gift), I wouldn’t be completely shocked if a team with two conference losses gets left out of the CCG.

I believe OU will both bounce back to a 9-10 win record and not be that much better than last year. That schedule is something. I get they had to backfill the UGA game at the last minute but the conference really did give them a gift. I could definitely see them getting in at 7-2 over a team that’s better by most metrics.

[Shaggyhorn 641]

9 regular season wins. If we make the conference championship, we’ll get to 10 wins overall.

We lose the bowl game by a field goal with 80 rushing attempts. Sark will pull out the triple option to preserve the QBs of the future with Ewers opting out. Charles Wright will have 10+ rushing attempts in that game. People will ponder whether Texas really is back.

[Neonmoon 38,126]

With our roster, we should win 11 games

- 2 for Sark being a terrible gameday coach

- 2 for Ewers 

7-5

 

[David Dennison 17,660]

2 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

With our roster, we should win 11 games

- 2 for Sark being a terrible gameday coach

- 2 for Ewers 

7-5

 

The surly meltdown would be epic.

[LTtxfan 48,688]

On 8/5/2023 at 9:32 PM, gmr548 said:

I believe OU will both bounce back to a 9-10 win record and not be that much better than last year. That schedule is something. I get they had to backfill the UGA game at the last minute but the conference really did give them a gift. I could definitely see them getting in at 7-2 over a team that’s better by most metrics.

Yeah that blOU schedule without tech, baylor and k-state is a real joke... pretty easy route for blOU to get to B12 Championship Game.  

 

Texas really must beat blOU this year!!!

🤘

Edited August 7, 2023 by LTtxfan

[Pig Bellmont 8,637]

On 8/5/2023 at 5:22 PM, Helobious said:

11-1, upset loss at TCU. We’ll see if I’m “always wrong” like the idiots think after this. 
 

Also counting postseason games in the prediction total is beyond fucking stupid.

TCU is going to be trash this year. They lost everyone 

[Zeus 5,862]

Regular season O/U for us as well as Oklahoma is 9.5 wins... Seems crazy...

Texas wins 10 regular season, and win the Rig12, we get into the playoff right?

Total - 11 wins

 

I got the under on blowU and aggy at 8 wins as well as Texas making the playoff at +300 

24 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Yeah that blOU schedule without tech, baylor and k-state is a real joke... pretty easy route for blOU to get to B12 Championship Game.  

 

Texas really must beat blOU this year!!!

🤘

Wouldn't it be cool has hell to beat blow U twice in the same season?

No way the big 12 allows both the teams that are leaving to make the championship game right???

[Post Oak 20,068]

One or two less than they probably should.  

I want them find a way to win a game they probably shouldn't and not lose a game they probably should win.

 

[closetojumping 61,996]

There are some real fucking homers on this board.

[Helobious 9,393]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

There are some real fucking homers on this board.

I’m no homer. Who could we lose to? Bama is breaking in a brand new QB. Lulz at OU ever being good with venables. We get Kstate at home and we haven’t lost to them in forever. Maybe ok state, baylor, or BYU?

[closetojumping 61,996]

20 minutes ago, Helobious said:

I’m no homer. Who could we lose to? Bama is breaking in a brand new QB. Lulz at OU ever being good with venables. We get Kstate at home and we haven’t lost to them in forever. Maybe ok state, baylor, or BYU?

I was making a subtle joke due to how I voted. 

To answer your question, we could lose to anyone not named Rice or Wyoming on our schedule, as taught to us by the last 13 years wandering in the wilderness. That considered, losing to Oklahoma State this year would some kind of feat. 

[The Dog 42,745]

59 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

That considered, losing to Oklahoma State this year would some kind of feat. 

 

[Js1 82,369]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

I was making a subtle joke due to how I voted. 

To answer your question, we could lose to anyone not named Rice or Wyoming on our schedule, as taught to us by the last 13 years wandering in the wilderness. That considered, losing to Oklahoma State this year would some kind of feat. 

3 way tie for first in the Big 12 and the conference will give us a hypothetical loss to Okie State to keep us out. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22,002]

8 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Yeah that blOU schedule without tech, baylor and k-state is a real joke... pretty easy route for blOU to get to B12 Championship Game.  

 

Texas really must beat blOU this year!!!

🤘

If Venables can lose @ WVU last year he can definately lose road games @ Cincy, KU, and BYU.  Gus may get a win to.  But holy shit what an overall easy schedule.  

[TheRealRonWeaver? 1,258]

8-4

[TreatyOak 16,055]

Since Sark dresses like it's 1984, I'm predicting 8 and 4.

 

[Sock Monkey 713]

Of the four games we lost in the regular season last year, two were defensive slugfests at home to teams that were just slightly better than us and two were classic Sark 2nd half collapses on the road against dangerous offenses. This year, we should cruise through our 6 home games and beat ou in Dallas. Bama will obviously be a tough defense, and our other road games could get interesting, but I don’t see how we don’t win fewer than 3 of of them.

Someone please take this bottle of kool-aid from me.

[ousux 5,566]

Depends how much the Rig12 refs can potentially pad their retirement accounts with.

I'm dead serious, we simply cannot have any close games and must play perfectly against any opponent with a pulse. I'm talking so perfect they would be forced to make phantom calls that are obvious to everyone with eyes. The farewell tour will be interesting if not rage inducing.

[ATXhorn17 1,589]

This is the best Texas roster in a decade, but I’m going with 8 wins… With Sark’s track record, I don’t see us beating Bama on the road. And we will experience full blown fatwa level hatred @TCU and @Baylor — their fans will want eternal scoreboard. Plus, the Big 12 needs to build up their brands to recruit for a post-Texas/OU future, so I’m expecting rampant ref fuckery against Houston/Tech…
And even without their QB, @ISU in November at night is tough — our last trip to Ames didn’t go well…

[pyrohornIII 4,743]

Our depth is better than last year all the way across the board.  It's been a long time since we've had a 3-deep that isn't peppered generously with JAGs.   I think Sark has put together a great staff to develop this young talent both in coaching and S&C.  

I think that depth is going to bring us at least 2 more games than last year.    Getting the bye week after OU will help recover and hopefully prevent UH from being a trap game.  I also like getting Baylor early.  Seems they always are a harder out at the end of the season.  I can see 11 wins.  

Like a lot of you, the biggest cloud casting doubt for me is the officiating.  I think they will have to try to get into the Texas players' and coaches' heads early in some games by throwing outlandish flags.  It will be the only way to keep it close.  And even if our guys play a perfect game, they will fabricate things.    So how well Sark can control the emotions of the team to keep their focus on the opponents and not the refs will be important.   I see losing 1 for refs.

I go 10.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12,301]

On 8/5/2023 at 9:07 AM, Magus Ossis said:

I could see as few as 9 regular season or as many as 12. I think 10-11 is most likely. Sark hasn’t distinguished himself as a great game day coach, but he isn’t a total moron. The b12 refs will screw us, but that’s not a new thing. We aren’t as good as the 05 team, but we’re the best team on the field at least 11 of those games, and usually by a lot. We have an experienced OL. We have a receiver room I expect to be night and day better than last year. We’ve gained experience, talent, and some transfer help on D. No win would surprise me, and most losses would.

9 is your floor? lulz

[Wilcox Cummingtonite 2,714]

9-3 sounds about right, but after beating Bama on the road.

No way this conference let’s us in the CCG this year. Refs are easily good for 3 close road losses- TCU, Baylor, and Houston.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Wilcox Cummingtonite

[Josef Pwag 1,656]

I was really torn between 8 & 9 wins. I voted 9 wins. I think we can get to 9 if we phase out our 2 starting guards from last season. Maybe.

[Burt Macklin 18,960]

On 8/7/2023 at 12:09 PM, Neonmoon said:

With our roster, we should win 11 games

- 2 for Sark being a terrible gameday coach

- 2 for Ewers 

7-5

 

Saying we have an 11 win roster and then subtracting two wins due to the starting QB on said roster is a rather regarded way of explaining your prediction. 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Burt Macklin

[TexArcher 36,905]

I will guess that we go 10-2 (loss to Bama in a game we could've won again, and a stumble late against a B12 team we should've beaten).  Then we win the Big 12 Championship game.  11-2.  And that might get us into the playoff.

[Red Five 40,109]

1 hour ago, Wilcox Cummingtonite said:

9-3 sounds about right, but after beating Bama on the road.

Finishing 7-3 after winning in Tuscaloosa would be unfortunate. 

[Park Gothic 4,881]

5 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Finishing 7-3 after winning in Tuscaloosa would be unfortunate. 

Beating Bama on the road then going 6-3 in Big 12 play would be horrifically on brand. I always assume that Texas is going to perform just well enough to keep me coming back while still mule-kicking me in the dick at the worst possible time. Can't be disappointed unless you have expectations. 

Sorry, my fingers slipped. What I meant to type was "show me a loss you fucking pussies."

[TxTower 648]

There are some real fucking homers on this board.

Theres some but I see a lot of tempered expectations in the 7-9 win range given Sarks track record over the first two years and the high likelihood of B12 Ref fuckary on road games.

The talent on this team says 10+ wins but only if Sark and our new RBs and LBs step up this year.

It’s August - Hope springs eternal. Let’s not kill dreams of glory just yet.