As the records above would indicate, there’s not much of a challenge facing the Longhorns tonight as they host the independent UT-Pan Am Broncs. The visitors are in the midst of an NCAA investigation, have self-sanctioned their program to the tune of one less scholarship, and have a lineup with seven newcomers including three walk-ons. This one could get very, very messy.

The Broncs have played a bold schedule early this season, having already taken on Missouri, Nebraska, and Mississippi State. Those three games netted losses of 56, 28, and 25 points, respectively. Even when not playing big-conference opponents, UT-Pan Am has struggled. They dropped a 10-point contest at home to Texas State, the school which the Longhorns defeated by 33 points on Saturday. While we all know that the Transitive Property of Scoreboards is highly inaccurate, those numbers add up to a 43 point Texas win tonight. Yeehaw.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for Texas, as the Longhorns stumble into this game with quite a bruised lineup. Coach Barnes will be without both J’Covan Brown and Shawn Williams who are recovering from ankle injuries suffered Saturday against Texas State. Sophomore guard Varez Ward is out for the year with a ruptured quadriceps tendon, while Florida transfer Jai Lucas will not actually be eligible to play until Saturday, not tonight as initially expected. That leaves Texas with just Dogus Balbay, Justin Mason, and Avery Bradley in the backcourt.

Fortunately for Texas, their opponents are incredibly undersized and can be abused by a Longhorn lineup that is skewed towards the frontcourt. For that to happen, though, Texas will have to get more than the combined 35.5 minutes that Dexter Pittman and Damion James averaged in the last two games.

UT-Pan American has eleven players who are averaging more than ten minutes per contest, and quite frankly, none of them are worth the time or the words we could spend on previewing them. Walk-on guard Aaron Urbanas earns a cursory note from us, solely due to the fact that he played at Bowie High School in south Austin.

With that same dismissive attitude, we provide our one key to the game for Texas — show up in uniform at tip-off. Texas will easily cruise in this game, so easily in fact that stat guru Ken Pomeroy’s models give the Longhorns a 100% chance to win the game. Interestingly enough, that model also gives the same stone-cold lock status for Texas against Gardner-Webb in two weeks.

If you’re in town and want to catch the game, print this web coupon and enjoy a buy one, get one free offer from Texas Box Office. And since the game will likely be out of reach before halftime, you can even get the kids in bed at a decent hour. If you are located elsewhere in Texas, turn on the TV to Fox Sports Southwest, while those Longhorn fans flung nationwide can get the game as part of ESPN’s Full Court package, or online at ESPN360.com.