College football's unique in that a single loss could mean the difference between a conference championship (or the ultimate regular-season goal, a College Football Playoff spot) and becoming an also-ran in the FBS ranks. If the Longhorns want to return to the top of the Big 12 in 2016, they are going to have to pull off a few upsets. Here are Texas' five toughest games heading into this year:
5. TCU Horned Frogs (November 25th)
TCU is expected to take a step back in 2016 after losing star quarterback Trevone Boykin to the NFL, making this the perfect opportunit for Texas to end a two-game losing streak to the Horned Frogs.
4. at Oklahoma State Cowboys (October 1st)
This is undoubtedly Texas' toughest true road game of the season, heading to Stillwater to take on an Oklahoma State team determined to build on last year's success and win the conference. This will be a big measuring stick for how good the Longhorns are this year.
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (September 4th)
Forgotten about the 38-3 beatdown Notre Dame handed Texas in the season opener in South Bend last year? The Longhorns sure don't. Even though the Irish are expected to compete for a College Football Playoff berth, Texas is hoping to ride the home crowd to a big upset victory.
2. Baylor Bears (October 29th)
Speaking of big upsets, Texas would love to knockoff Baylor for the second straight year. The Bears join Oklahoma as the two favorites to win the Big 12 this year, and beating them again would cement the Longhorns as a threat in the conference race.
1. Oklahoma Sooners (October 8th)
A better way to jump to the forefront of the conference race? Beat rival Oklahoma again. The Sooners are a preseason top five team, but anything can happen in the Red River Rivalry.
PREDICTION: All of these games will be tough, but I see them getting multiple wins. Mark TCU as a 'W' since the Longhorns are playing at home on Thanksgiving against a rebuilding team, and Texas has enough talent to win at least one of the remaining games. I picture a 2-3 mark through this portion of the schedule, but going 3-2 isn't out of the question, either.
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