Quinn Ewers and No. 4 Texas open against Colorado State eying first step in expected playoff run

Colorado State at No. 4 Texas, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas by 33 1/2.

Series record: Texas 1-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Texas opens the season as one of the teams expected to make the newly-expanded College Football Playoff behind quarterback Quinn Ewers. Anything less in the program's first season in the Southeastern Conference would be a disappointment. Texas has its highest preseason ranking since 2010 when the Longhorns were No. 5 and finished 5-7. Colorado State coach Jay Norvell is trying to avoid a third consecutive losing season in his tenure.

KEY MATCHUP

Colorado State's mature offensive line against Texas' rebuilt interior DL. The Rams start two seniors, a graduate student and a fourth-year junior up front. Texas lost last season's dominant playmakers Byron Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat to the NFL, but return seniors Alfred Collins and Vernon Broughton in new starting roles.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Colorado State: WR Tory Horton had 96 catches for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023.

Texas: WR Isaiah Bond transferred from Alabama and should be the playmaker Ewers needs after the Longhorns lost their top five receivers from last season. Bond led the Crimson Tide with 48 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns in 2023.

FACTS & FIGURES

Texas has its highest preseason ranking since 2010 when it started No. 5. The Longhorns finished 5-7 that season .... This season marks the 100th anniversary of Texas' Royal-Memorial Stadium, which held 27,000 when it opened and now seats 100,119 ... The Rams are without two key injured players, TE Jaxxon Warren and DE Nuer Gatkuoth ... The Mountain West has no teams from Texas, but the Rams have 19 players from the Lone Star State.

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The Associated Press