Longhorns get ready to hit the gridiron
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Texas Longhorns linebacker Tyler Atkinson runs through a practice drill last month. Photo: Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images
The University of Texas Longhorns football team kicks off their season Saturday against Texas State in Austin.
Why it matters: With the return of star quarterback Arch Manning and a fearsome defensive front, anything short of a national championship will be a disappointment for diehard Texas fans.
- But first, they must run a gauntlet of big regular-season matchups.
The big picture: It's a moment of turbulence for college football. Coaches have splintered on whether athletes who have signed NFL contracts — but don't stay in the league — should be welcomed back to the college game.
- Meanwhile, questions mount over player safety, the wild West of student-athlete transfers and player payments, and the infiltration of sports gambling.
What they're saying: "When you really look at it, they're still kids, right?" Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said this week about the enthusiasm of players on the practice field. "And they still love this game of football and they love playing the game of football."
Zoom out: The Longhorns, ranked fifth nationally, host top-ranked Ohio State on Sept. 12. Other big games include:
- No. 20 Tennessee in Knoxville on Sept. 26.
- No. 10 Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 10.
- No. 9 Ole Miss in Austin on Oct. 24.
- No. 11 LSU in Baton Rouge on Nov. 14.
- No. 8 Texas A&M in College Station on Nov. 27.
Flashback: The Longhorns finished 10–3 last season, narrowly missing the College Football Playoff.
- They defeated Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.
Zoom in: For the Longhorns, it's all about Manning, the grandson and nephew of famous NFL quarterbacks.
- If returning left tackle Trevor Goosby can remain healthy — he suffered a knee injury in August but has been back at practice — Manning, a junior, can get the protection he needs to throw to Auburn transfer Cam Coleman and speedster Ryan Wingo.
- On the other side of the ball, look for defensive end Colin Simmons to terrorize opposing quarterbacks.
If you go: Saturday's game kicks off at 2:30pm at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
- The free Longhorn City Limits concert series starts at 11am on the LBJ Lawn. Eli Young Band plays around 12:30pm.