Not that the Texas Longhorns aren't expected to be very good next season, it's just that aside from that, the intrigue and anticipation of the 2012 season isn't quite what it normally is.
But that doesn't mean they won't have a handful of must-see games on the fall weekends, and SB Nation college football editor Jason Kirk broke it down for you week-by-week, right here.
For Texas, the first marquee matchup comes against the new-look Oklahoma State Cowboys minus Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon. The Cowboys took it to the Longhorns in 2011, by a score of 38-26. But under Manny Diaz, the Longhorns could present a nasty defense in the upcoming head-to-head. We'll have to stay tuned on that one.
Kirk has the West Virginia welcome to the Big 12 being the signature game of week 6 as well:
"WVU's true welcome to the Big 12, against an orange defense that won't be quite as compliant as the last one was."
The Longhorns face the Oklahoma Sooners in the following week in Dallas. Not much needs to be said about that one, aside from the fact that we know how it goes down when these two meet up. You'll be watching, correct?
Kirk also makes a decent point about this game and rivalry itself:
"Not the only rivalry that survived conference realignment, but maybe the only one involving two teams so tied together that they'll switch leagues, but only if they still get to hate each other every year."
That's an interesting thought if you follow college football in Texas, but what's cool is that this will be an even more interesting game than the initial concept of the game being interesting. Wait for it.
Read more about the Longhorns at Burnt Orange Nation.