Texas on Top? Longhorns Projected to Finish First in Big 12

With the 2023 season still months away, Athlon Sports released its predictions for the Big 12 conference standings.

The word "back" has become a bit of a sore subject when it comes to the Texas Longhorns. 

From Joe Tessitore proclaiming the Longhorns were "back" following a 2016 double overtime win over Notre Dame to former quarterback Sam Ehlinger quarterback making his own bold claim following a 2018 Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, the word "back" has haunted Texas in recent memory. 

Looking ahead to 2023, though, it just might be time for the Longhorns to become contenders once again. The Big 12 is wide open, and Athlon Sports believes as a result that Texas will win its first conference title since 2009. 

On paper, it isn't hard to see why the Longhorns are projected to win the Big 12. They return a plethora of talent on offense and anticipate even more improvement from a defense that was vastly improved in year two under Steve Sarkisian.

if the Quinn Ewers that played in the Alamo Bowl shows up, the offense could take yet another step under Sarkisian. 

Along with their returning talent, they landed another elite recruiting class in the 2023 cycle with recruits that may very well earn playing time from day one.

Of course, the inverse of these scenarios could also very well play out. Ewers could show inconsistencies once again while the loss of Bijan Robinson proves too much to overcome, and the defense could regress.

Ultimately, preseason speculation and predictions are just that, speculation. The Longhorns have as good a chance as any under Sarkisian to win the Big 12, now all they have to do is take advantage. 

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You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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