a test at the beginning of the season for the Longhorns – The Daily Texan

On September 7, just two weeks into the 2024 football season, the Longhorns will travel deep into enemy territory to face their most difficult non-conference opponent this season: the Michigan Wolverines, the defending national champions.

Texas is coming off its best regular season performance in the CFP era and is one win away from a national championship appearance. While that win wasn’t due to a number of factors, including Washington’s uncanny ability to not miss a throw on the night and a couple of self-inflicted injuries from the Longhorns, it was a showcase of Texas’ potential for the upcoming football season.

After the 2023 season, Texas lost some of the team’s most influential players to the NFL Draft. These influential players included defensive heavyweights such as defensive tackles T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. The Longhorns also lost key playmakers on the offensive side of the ball: wide receiver Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jordan Whittington, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and running back Jonathan Brooks.

Michigan is also dealing with losses. The Wolverines drafted the most players in the NFL last year and have a lot of holes to fill on both sides of the ball. Michigan is dealing with player turnover not only on the field, but also on the sidelines. Perhaps the biggest loss for Michigan this offseason was head coach Jim Harbaugh, who left after winning his first national championship. After Harbaugh left Michigan for the LA Chargers, most of the coaching staff did as well, leaving newly appointed head coach Sherrone Moore to pick up the pieces and reassemble a stellar sideline.

Who the Wolverines will start at quarterback is still uncertain, with sophomore quarterback Alex Orji appearing to be the favorite. At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Orji is described as the most athletic quarterback on the roster, but he has plenty of competition to choose from if he wants to succeed JJ McCarthy this season. If he does indeed get the nod from Moore, the Longhorns will have to face a quarterback whose only experience on the field so far has been as a rusher with limited snap counts, 21 rush attempts and just one pass attempt. Although they’ve lost some of their starters on the offensive line, Orji could pose a challenge for a Texas defense that can no longer rely on Sweat and Murphy’s strength to keep a quarterback in check.

Texas benefits from a strong hand in quarterback Quinn Ewers, whose experience could prove to be his biggest advantage this season. With Ewers dealing with a revamped offense and high expectations from last season’s success, a win against Michigan to start the year could dictate the rest of the season for the Longhorns. Ewers will rely on sophomore running back CJ Baxter and junior running back Jaydon Blue in the backfield. Blue and Baxter took on larger roles on the team last season after star running back Brooks tore his ACL.

Texas will travel to Michigan in early September, making home-field advantage Michigan’s biggest advantage. The Wolverines have an active 22-game home winning streak and “The Big House” can be a rough environment for visiting teams. Texas will look to take advantage of Michigan’s jumbled roster and a quarterback lacking experience at the starting position, whoever it may be when game time comes.