2026 Title Hopes

[antcan95]

Anyone else feel next year is the last year of a 4 year stretch where we had our best shots to win a title in 20 years? By 23 and 24 we had coaching continuity, elite skill players, an elite defense, an experienced QB, NFL players all over, and very forgiving schedules. We also had a head start on NIL.
This year we were 1 bad game away from being in the playoffs and peaking at the right time. Next year is Arch's last year, we will have NFL draft picks in Goosby and Baker, draft picks in Wingo and Mosley, experience at key spots on the defense, plus we will play a bunch of teams with new coaches. I feel like if we don't get it done next year, we will be a perennial top 10 team rather than a top 4 team. 

Also, who knows what happens with Sark when Arch declares for the NFL in a year. 

[SB21]

Are you sure next year is Arch’s last year?  It wouldn’t surprise me if he is a 4yr guy…. He doesn’t need to run off to NFL money. 

[FaxMachine]

4 minutes ago, SB21 said:

Are you sure next year is Arch’s last year?  It wouldn’t surprise me if he is a 4yr guy…. He doesn’t need to run off to NFL money. 

Yes next year is his last year. We are going all in on portal to make a run for that year. 

[Alex Butler]

I don’t think we’re limited to a 4 year run I think this was like 2001-2004 where we had elite players and development but couldn’t quite get to the BCS thanks to poopy 💩 stoops (and INTs against Colorado 

[Roysterr]

Dia Bell will be very good after Arch is finished playing

[Junior]

Correction: we missed the playoffs because the committee objectively did a lousy job and also prioritized number of losses over full body of work. Many teams in the playoffs had a couple games they underperformed, lost or didn’t play up to their expected standard. 

[Rocky P]

2 hours ago, SB21 said:

Are you sure next year is Arch’s last year?  It wouldn’t surprise me if he is a 4yr guy…. He doesn’t need to run off to NFL money. 

Next year would be his 4th year

[Hesity]

11 minutes ago, Junior said:

Correction: we missed the playoffs because the committee objectively did a lousy job and also prioritized number of losses over full body of work. Many teams in the playoffs had a couple games they underperformed, lost or didn’t play up to their expected standard. 

I agree we had a strong case with the quality of wins against top 15 teams…but we also looked really bad at times. As a 9-3 squad, the committee couldn’t overlook us looking discombobulated in the non-con games, squeaking by the two worst teams in the SEC, getting handled by Georgia…we were a play away in the two OT games of having a 7-5 record. I wish we were in cos I think we were starting to figure things out as a team, but it is what it is. 

[antcan95]

7 minutes ago, Hesity said:

I agree we had a strong case with the quality of wins against top 15 teams…but we also looked really bad at times. As a 9-3 squad, the committee couldn’t overlook us looking discombobulated in the non-con games, squeaking by the two worst teams in the SEC, getting handled by Georgia…we were a play away in the two OT games of having a 7-5 record. I wish we were in cos I think we were starting to figure things out as a team, but it is what it is. 

I think what we showed against A&M was that we could beat anybody in the field. It really sucks the committee thought so little of us because of the Florida game, obviously we were not the same team…. Arched progressed, we shuffled up the OL, WRs got healthy.

[Hesity]

11 minutes ago, antcan95 said:

I think what we showed against A&M was that we could beat anybody in the field. It really sucks the committee thought so little of us because of the Florida game, obviously we were not the same team…. Arched progressed, we shuffled up the OL, WRs got healthy.

It’s a flawed system for sure

[SB21]

2 hours ago, Rocky P said:

Next year would be his 4th year

He’s a Sophomore. Meaning next year is his 3rd yr and he can come back in 2027 if he feels like it. 

[SB21]

2 hours ago, antcan95 said:

I think what we showed against A&M was that we could beat anybody in the field. It really sucks the committee thought so little of us because of the Florida game, obviously we were not the same team…. Arched progressed, we shuffled up the OL, WRs got healthy.

The fact that our last game against the Ags was pushed aside cause of “how bad” we looked at Fl, Kentucky and Miss St shows they didn’t care about recent results and instead had their predetermined thought of who we were in their heads versus thinking we “got better” like we’re supposed to do as the season goes. Very flawed and unfortunate but can’t change it now. Just gotta do better next year 

[diegozanna20]

4 hours ago, SB21 said:

Are you sure next year is Arch’s last year?  It wouldn’t surprise me if he is a 4yr guy…. He doesn’t need to run off to NFL money. 

Arch is not coming back for another year most likely.
He had a ROUGH start and there's still big time anylsts saying that come draft day this year he'd still be a 1st round pick.
It's his dream to win at Texas but it's been clear that it's also his dream to get drafted #1 overall...  with a strong off season and production (that I think he will have seeing the improvement he's had week after week) it's hard not seeing him go #1.
If he's the project #1 he's gone, and as a Texas fan you hope that's the case cause to me that would indicate a very good year for Texas.

[SB21]

14 minutes ago, diegozanna20 said:

Arch is not coming back for another year most likely.
He had a ROUGH start and there's still big time anylsts saying that come draft day this year he'd still be a 1st round pick.
It's his dream to win at Texas but it's been clear that it's also his dream to get drafted #1 overall...  with a strong off season and production (that I think he will have seeing the improvement he's had week after week) it's hard not seeing him go #1.
If he's the project #1 he's gone, and as a Texas fan you hope that's the case cause to me that would indicate a very good year for Texas.

I hear you but all I was saying is no one knows if he is for sure gone or not other than him and his family. They might want him to stay thru Senior year and work on his game while enjoying a last ride in college. He seems like the kind not trying to rush off to the nfl is how I see it. I know we’ll be good at QB in 2027 either way but I think it would be cool to have him back 

[diegozanna20]

Just now, SB21 said:

I hear you but all I was saying is no one knows if he is for sure gone or not other than him and his family. They might want him to stay thru Senior year and work on his game while enjoying a last ride in college. He seems like the kind not trying to rush off to the nfl is how I see it. I know we’ll be good at QB in 2027 either way but I think it would be cool to have him back 

Yeah not denying that coming back is a possibility, but we also have to be realistic... If he's the projected #1 overall pick next year he's gone and he would be pretty foolish not to go... It would also mean Texas had quite a lot of success which is good for us.
The only way I really see him coming back is if he has a down year and I don't want that for him and obviously for Texas.

[Rocky P]

56 minutes ago, SB21 said:

He’s a Sophomore. Meaning next year is his 3rd yr and he can come back in 2027 if he feels like it. 

Rs sophomore..3 years this year. Next year would be 4

[SB21]

32 minutes ago, Rocky P said:

Rs sophomore..3 years this year. Next year would be 4

I wasn’t meaning for this to go back and forth this many times…. It doesn’t really matter but to clarify I meant 4 yrs playing. As if he could play as a senior, I wasn’t counting the redshirt yr lol and his family is all about letting him enjoy college. Why not come back as the alpha senior and light up college football for one last ride then go off into the league. That kid will be playing football for a long time. The decision is more about when will he want the college experience to be over and when will he want to open the next chapter really.