Can Texas football win a national championship next year? These 4 stats have to improve

With Arch Manning under center and returning defensive stars like Anthony Hill Jr., Colin Simmons and Michael Taaffe, the sportsbooks made Texas football the early favorite to win the national championship next season.

Coach Steve Sarkisian has elevated the Longhorns into regular contention, but their title charges have been stopped short in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff for two consecutive seasons.

What improvements do the Longhorns need to make to catapult themselves out of the pool of also-rans and onto the championship podium?

Here’s a look at four key areas where Texas must grow in 2025 to live up to its national title potential.

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Texas football committed 1.62 turnovers per game in 2024

It would have required a significant statistical anomaly for the Longhorns to win the national championship while turning the ball over as frequently as they did in 2024.

Texas gave the ball up 1.62 times per game. Their season-long total of 26 turnovers was the fifth-most in the country and served to counteract a defense that was elite at taking the ball away.

Since 2006, national champions have averaged 1.08 turnovers per game. Within the same span, only Ohio State in 2014 and Clemson in 2016 have won the title while giving the ball away more often than Texas did this season.

Ohio State and Notre Dame — this season’s finalists — have each committed 15 turnovers in 15 games.

BREAKING IT DOWN: The Texas football offense failed to deliver in big games in 2024. Here’s why

Texas allowed the most tackles for loss in college football

Few offenses were more explosive than Texas’ during the 2024 season. Likewise, no offense in the country was pushed backward more than the Longhorns.

Texas gave up 114 tackles for loss during its…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-football-win-national-championship-110214369.html

Author : Austin American-Statesman

Publish date : 2025-01-18 11:02:00

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