Can The Texas Longhorns Rebound From California Loss?

The Texas Longhorns were the No. 11 ranked team in the country last week heading into their game against the California Golden Bears. They were expected to win but ended up falling by a final score of 50-43. It was an incredibly entertaining game for the fans, but the end result was not favorable for the Longhorns.

Looking ahead following the loss, the question to be asked is whether or not the Longhorns can bounce back from their loss and still compete for a spot in the college football playoffs.

Simply glancing at the Longhorns’ schedule, it is hard to see how they can earn their way back into the playoffs. They only have two games left against opponents that are ranked heading into Week 4. That may be enough depending on what other teams around the country do, but it is likely not.

Can Charlie Strong get his team back on track? What will it take in order to get the Longhorns back up in the rankings?

First of all, the Longhorns cannot afford to lose any of their remaining games. Making the playoffs can be hard enough with one loss, much less two. They have a fairly decent schedule the rest of the way, although there are a couple of dates in particular that should be circled on their calendar.

In two weeks, they will face off against the No. 25 ranked Oklahoma Sooners at home. On October 29, the Longhorns will welcome the No. 16 ranked Baylor Bears to town. Those two games are must-win matchups for the Longhorns, and they need to win both of those games in convincing fashion.

If the Longhorns are going to return to relevance in the playoff picture, their defense will have to step up in a big way. It has failed them all season long, but the defense was a major problem against the Golden Bears. Strong will have to figure out what the issues are with their defense and get them fixed immediately.

Shane Buechele seems to be the answer at the quarterback position that Strong has needed since taking the Texas head coaching position. He has a strong arm with excellent accuracy, and Tyrone Swoopes has been a solid backup quarterback who has come in for a change of pace.

Outside of the quarterback position, the Longhorns have found success at the running back position. Both D’Onta Freeman and Chris Warren III have been solid for Texas. They have also had multiple wide receivers step up and show off their playmaking skills throughout the early stages of the season.

Can the Longhorns get themselves back to a point where they can compete for a spot in the playoffs? Yes, although it will take a lot of help from other teams and losses from certain teams as well. Due to the loss against California, the Longhorns are not in control of their destiny anymore this season.

Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what the remainder of the 2016 season holds for Texas. It is great for college football to see them relevant once again, but they have a lot more work to do.

Expect to see Strong and the Longhorns rebound well from their loss against California last week. It was a brutal loss, but certainly not something that will derail their entire season. Heading into Golden Bear territory isn’t easy for any team, but it was a valuable learning experience for Texas.

It would be a surprise if they made the college football playoffs this season, but there is no question that their football program is finally back on track. Buechele will continue improving throughout the season, and fans will be even more excited at the end of the season than they are now.

[Featured Image by Raymond Thompson/AP Images]