Here are some observations, in random order, about Texas' team this year.

1. I am glad that BYU is playing them early in the season. It's evident that the Charlie Strong culture and mentality is sinking in with this team. They are focused and physical. This will be a difficult game for BYU to win in Austin, but I think it can still be done.

2. Defense. Hicks #3 and Diggs #2 are both NFL 1st-round players. Hicks will probably be a 1st Team AA before his career is done at Texas. This will be a major test for the BYU offense, because they have athletes all over the field with size and speed.

3. Offense. Texas has two very good running backs in Malcolm Brown and Jonathan Gray. Both highly, highly touted and both look to be budding stars. Fortunately, the QB, Ash, is IMO average at best and below-average much of the time. Not a great scrambler and not a super-accurate decision-maker or passer. We saw this last year at LES before he got his bell permanently rung for the season by the BYU defense, but I don't see a bunch of improvement this year. They have big athletic receivers and Shipley, who is sure-handed and runs great routes, but again the QB isn't above-average.

The O-line for Texas is massive and talented, but North Texas sacked him at least twice that I saw and hurried him several other times. So the running game poses the biggest threat for BYU next week, as either RB can go the distance on any play. That's the type of back BYU has struggled against historically, and Texas has two of them.

Having said all of this, I like BYU's chances next week. They will need to be sharp, limit turnovers and get some breaks, but this is a beatable Texas team. They will be very good, but right now they are in the process of becoming very good and aren't there yet.