No. 15 Longhorns prepped to reset

AUSTIN — Nothing stings Texas like losing to Oklahoma. And last Saturday carried with it the double whammy that the No. 15 Longhorns likely have no shot at the College Football Playoff.

Winning the program’s first Big 12 title since 2009 is still possible.

Texas players said this week it’s time to focus on that goal. The next step to getting there is Saturday night against Kansas (2-4, 0-3) which got off to a good start but has lost three in a row under new coach Les Miles.

Texas (4-2, 2-1) remains a favorite to get to the league championship game where they could face Oklahoma again. Last season, Texas beat the Sooners in the regular season before Oklahoma won the rematch to win the league title.

“I just want to make sure we are there,” senior wide receiver Devin Duvernay said this week. “Whoever we play, it doesn’t matter.”

Kansas doesn’t win a lot but the Jayhawks have been no pushover for the Longhorns in recent years. A loss to Kansas in 2016 cost former coach Charlie Strong his job, and the Longhorns barely escaped Lawrence with a 24-17 win last year when the Jayhawks scored all their points in the fourth quarter.

Texas quarterback Sam

Ehlinger insisted there

would be no hangover of lingering disappointment from the loss to Oklahoma.

“That emotion doesn’t help us win the next week,” Ehlinger said, “so why would I carry that on?”

Kansas brings one big weapon and an element of surprise. Running back Pooka Williams is one of the toughest rushers in the Big 12. And the Texas defense has to deal with the unknown of facing new Kansas offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon, who was promoted by Miles last week after Les Koenning was fired.

Dearmon spent last season as head coach at NAIA program Bethel University and was on the Kansas staff as a senior offensive analyst. He’ll take over a unit that ranks last in the Big 12 in scoring and near the bottom nationally in most offensive categories.

“He’s just got a really fresh approach.” Miles said. “I felt like there needed to be a change … I think it’s going to work out very well.”