Wyoming at No. 15 Texas
Kickoff: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (Longhorn Network)
Spread: Texas by 31
Watchability: Given the difficulty of actually finding Longhorn Network on your television, this one may not be worth the effort unless you're really eager to evaluate Texas quarterback David Ash against an overmatched foe.
Shining stars: Wyoming: C Nick Carlson. The senior is expected to be the leader along the Cowboys' offensive line after finishing as a second-team all-Mountain West performer in 2011. He will be key if Wyoming hopes to protect quarterback Brett Smith. Texas: DL Alex Okafor. An All-American a season ago, Okafor is back to anchor the Longhorns' defensive front -- and perhaps the entire defense -- as linebackers Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson both graduated. Okafor's ability to get into the opponents' backfield is key to Texas' prospects on defense.
Who could steal the show: Wyoming: QB Brett Smith. The Mountain West's freshman of the year a season ago is back, and if Wyoming has any hopes of keeping pace in this game, Smith will need to be spectacular. He threw for 2,622 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2011 while also finishing as the team's leading rusher with 710 yards and another 10 scores. Texas: RB Johnathan Gray. The true freshman was highly touted as a recruit, and he should figure into the rotation at his position immediately. There are plenty of other talented players in front of him (sophomore Malcolm Brown notable among them) but Longhorns fans will be interested to see what Gray can do.
You going? Ranking the road trip: Austin is a top-notch city, and Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium packs more than 100,000 fans inside (all of whom could be grumbling by halftime if this isn't a rout). If you want to party more than you want to watch a competitive game on opening weekend, this could be the place.
Magic number for Wyoming: 232. That is the amount of rushing yards per game the Cowboys yielded in 2011, 115th in the FBS ranks. Against Texas' stable of talented running backs, that could spell disaster.
Magic number for Texas: 12. That is the number of consecutive season-opening wins for Texas and coach Mack Brown. The Longhorns are 77-7-2 all-time in season-openers played at home.
The game comes down to: How quickly the Longhorns can end any hopes of an upset. Wyoming should have a tough time scoring against the Texas defense, so a few early touchdowns would put this one out of reach. But UT will likely want to see what Ash can do, and if he struggles, it may take a bit longer to put this one away than the spread would suggest.
Prediction: Texas 40, Wyoming 7
For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Big 12 bloggers C.J. Moore and Patrick Southern, follow @CBSSportsBig12 on Twitter.
