New head coach Eric Taylor finds his every move scrutinized as he takes over leadership of Texas's No. 1 high school football team.

Coach Taylor asks Jason to attend the upcoming Homecoming game, who begins to suspect there's something going on between Tim and Lila. Smash feels the pressure of college scouts, even though he's still a junior. Tyra and Billy plan the ultimate party for after the game.

When Smash's mother finds his needle, she puts the coach in an uncomfortable position and Tammy gets a new job offer, which makes the coach even more uncomfortable. Matts father gets recalled to duty and Jason ponders his decision about his relationship with Lila and Tyra tries to help her mom get over her last woman-beating boyfriend.

Coach Taylor continues to ride Smash while the team gets ready for their upcoming playoff game. Tim goes in search of his father and Jason stands up to Buddy Garrity, which sets him apart from Lyla.

When an assistant coach is quoted in the media with racial intentions, he draws a line between the team, right at playoff time. Julie and Tyra are forced to join the powderpuff game as a result for skipping class, and Julie's dad is a bit elated when she's picked for quarterback by Matt. Tyra, meanwhile, has a hard time dealing with her mother's growing relationship with Buddy Garrity, and starts taking it out on his daughter, Lila. Jason gets an invite to join the local rugby team.

Julie is confronted by her parents regarding her growing relationship with Tyra. Matt tries his hardest to get back in Julie's good graces. Meanwhile, the post-season is in jeopardy as Coach Taylor remains divided over firing his offensive coordinator or standing by his friend, which is the key to one quarter of the team taking a stand by sitting out of the next game.

With TMU trying to recruit Coach Taylor, Julie insists that she will not be moved away from Matt and Dillon. The quad rugby recruiters in Austin deliver some bad news to Jason. Riggins becomes friends with a single mother and her son.

A chemical spill forces Coach Taylor and the Panthers to seek another facility in which to play the crucial State semifinal game.

Coach Taylor makes a final decision about whether to take the job at Texas Methodist University, while Tyra's secret is revealed.

The Panthers gear up for the state championship, as the rumor about Coach Taylor spreads. Meanwhile, Tami receives some news.

As a new school season gears up the Dillon Panthers find themselves without Coach Taylor, who is also missed by expectant mom Tami and adrift daughter Julie.

Eric and Tammi's separation takes its toll; Landry and Tyra become closer while Matt and Julie drift apart meanwhile the Panthers gear up for a new season.

Matt takes it upon himself to try to curb Smash's enthusiasm for the upcoming season. Tim turns to Lila when he spots his brother leaving his neighbor's house. Jason turns his attention on Mexico in an effort to walk again. Buddy turns to Coach Taylor to convince him to return as coach of the Panthers.

Eric quits his college coaching job to return home to his family and the Panthers, but the latter doesn't look very promising when the old coach fights his termination after only two games. Tim accompanies Jason to Mexico where a questionable medical procedure gives Jason hopes of walking again. After making an appearance in the Lord's name in a boys' home, Lila takes it upon herself to show a recently-release inmate the light. Landry's father is called into work after the body that he and Tyra disposed of is discovered.

Upon returning to the Panthers, Coach Taylor finds himself trying to mend broken fences between his quarterback and his halfback and attempts to find a little intimate time with his wife. Tim recruits Lila in trying to talk Jason out of the risky surgery he has scheduled in Mexico, while Landry's father tries to put up a fence between his son and Tyra.

The coach's wife enlists the aid of Tyra and Lila to secure entertainment for the annual Pantherama event, while the coach enlists the aid of Buddy, who found a hot new football player for him, but the new prospective star has a family that's run out on him, and Tami won't let him play football until that scenario is amended. Julie enlists the aid of journalism in an effort to help her get over the loss of Matt. Smash doesn't want help from anybody, while he turns his back on the possibility of a great education, opting out, instead for a chance at more recognition from the pro ranks while playing for a more-notable school.

Landry gives into his better judgment and confesses about what he did while trying to save Tyra. Santiago feels the pressure about the upcoming football game, while pressure mounts between Julie and her mother surrounding the christening of the new baby in the family. Tim feels the pressure of his new roommate, while Jason does his best in getting back into the dating world.

After a tornado rips through the surrounding country side, bombs begin to fly: Coach Taylor drops a bomb on his team by being host to a rival team when their school and field is damaged, Lila drops a bomb on her father about her mother's impending nuptials, and Tyra drops a bomb on Landry about attending Dillon High School's formal dance. Meanwhile, tensions grow around the Taylor household surrounding Tim living in the house.

The coach's need for his own space in his own house doesn't just stop at throwing out Tim, even though his wife has her own needs when it comes to caring for her family and Smash's need for choosing a college is taking its toll on his family, especially his mother.

Matt doesn't want to break his bond with his grandmother's nurse, who's moving back to her native country. Smash and Noelle are pressured by their parents to break the bond they have between them. Tami doesn't want to break the bond with her infant daughter by leaving her at daycare. And as Santiago's former friends show up at his house to retrieve their bond, Buddy feels the bond with his material possessions, while his daughter, Lyla, takes a job at a Christian radio station.

The hardships in Saracen's life begin to get to him, and he and Riggins, who is still pining away for Lyla, commiserate; Julie feels left out when it seems like her mom is more focused on the volleyball team than on her; Smash's suspension hurts the rest of the team's morale, and it has an unexpected consequence for him; Tyra becomes jealous of Landry's new girlfriend.

Brian "Smash" Williams is determined to get a football scholarship to college despite the recent events that have transpired. However, Brian is very shocked when the most unlikely place offers him what may be the opportunity of his life. Tami Taylor runs into her ex-boyfriend from high school, a big real estate mogul, and he decides to stay in Dillon for a few days. A few days proves to be too long as Coach Taylor begins to feel a bit jealous. Elsewhere, Jason Street hears the biggest news of his life since his accident and must decide if he is willing to change his life completely. Meanwhile, Tim Riggins continues his pursuit of Lyla by getting his own radio show at the Christian radio station. Lyla seems to be enjoying her current relationship with her Christian boyfriend as she goes with him to meet his family.

The press grills Coach Taylor about the upcoming season while the teachers grill his wife, the new principal, about the budget and the necessary cutbacks, while Buddy and the football team have the best of everything. A new quarterback enters the picture and Matt feels threatened and Riggins is still up to his old game plan about not feeling anything. Tyra's new guidance counselor lays some rather bleak news on her, causing her to walk out of school, only to find some personal resolve within herself to attempt to rectify her situation.

When Coach Taylor realizes that it's not Smash's knee that's holding him back, he comes up with a rather unique way of laying it all on the line. The doctor lays it all on the line for Matt, who, legally, can't take care of grandmother, anymore, while Buddy goes out of his way, laying it on the line for Tami over the jumbo tron issue, and laying it on the line with Tim, who's now dating his daughter. Meanwhile, Tyra realizes that it's easier to lay it all on the line by taking shortcuts in winning the student body presidency.

Coach Taylor feels pressured when the boosters corner him at the annual barbecue. Tim gets pressured from his brother about helping him score some extra cash to pay for his impending wedding, while getting pressured at the same time, from Lyla, to try and turn his life around...and her father isn't any help, either. Julie and Matt continue to bond, while Smash's future gets offered an option.

Jason and Tim come up with an idea that will, hopefully, get them out of their financial woes, but Buddy stands in the way. Tyra's budding romance continues to bloom, while Julie shows 'signs' of rebellion. Coach Taylor's new idea to his quarterback situation only ends up in disarray and pressure from his coaching staff.

After witnessing a hazing incident involving his new starting quarterback, Coach Taylor sets a task before his team captain, Tim Riggins, the job of making J. D. McCoy feel more comfortable with the team. Matt's comfort level with his new position on the bench is felt by everyone close to him, including Julie as they continue to grow closer together. Tyra sings a different tune after her new boyfriend's family shows up on her doorstep.

Lila is put off when Tim puts off a college recruiter; Tim is put off when his brother's impending marriage is over and takes it out on Tim's truck; Tyra is put off by Cash's actions when they go out on the road together, and Coach Taylor is all but put off by being selected as the game of the week for television during an important playoff game.

Skipping ahead five months in time, Dillon High School finds its graduating class with: Lyla, who's father has come up with a plan for her to still possibly attend Vanderbilt; Matt, who plans to attend a school in Chicago away from Julie; Tim, whose brother tries to get a mechanic's garage going while planning to attend college himself; and Tyra, who's application is still up in the air in wanting to attend TU. Meanwhile, the issue over splitting Dillon High School seems small, compared to the fact that outside influences such as money and a control for power continue to affect Coach Taylor, even while his contract comes up for negotiations.

Coach Taylor is faced with building a football program from the ground up after the redistricting splits Dillon into two high-school districts. East Dillon is without funds, without a qualified coaching staff and without talent after the gerrymandering that was done by the Dillon Panther Boosters. Meanwhile Tim Riggins gives up on college and returns to Dillon only to find that you can't always go home again. Matt Saracen & Julie struggle with their roles in football crazed Dillon, now that Matt is no longer on the team.

Following an opening night forfeit, Coach Taylor struggles to regain the support of his new team. Coach & Mrs Taylor weather a maelstrom when the star running back of the Dillon Panthers is outed as an East Dillon resident. Tim Riggins struggles to find a new living arrangement. Matt struggles with an internship with an abrasive local artist. Landry runs into an interesting girl at his new school.

Coach Taylor & the team struggle to come up with funds for new uniforms & Coach makes a commitment that may get him in trouble with Mrs. Taylor. Riggins bonds with Becky, his new landlady's daughter. Matt's artist mentor influences both Matt and Julie. Landry's interest in Jess increases and he discovers that she knows football when she tutors him on kicking.

Coach Taylor tries to foster community interest in the East Dillon Lions by staging a pep-rally while dealing with the increasing friction between Vince and Luke, his two star players. Tammy is still suffering the repercussions of making Luke Cafferty attend East Dillon. Riggins finds himself pageant dress shopping with his landlady's daughter and hunting with a trigger happy Matt Saracen. Meanwhile Julie accompanies Devin to a gay bar and runs into someone unexpected.

Just as the East Dillon Lions start to perform as a team, the town of Dillon is rocked with the news of the death of Matt's dad. Coach & Mrs Taylor and Julie all do their part to help Matt weather the storm. Landry & Riggins & the rest all rally to help as well but ultimately Matt must make peace with his dad on his own. Meanwhile Becky connects with Luke after he's been paint-balled by some of his former friends and the two finally...

Craziness comes to East Dillon when their scheduled football game against the undefeated McNulty team means that the game will be televised. Meanwhile Lyla remains in Dillon after the funeral and she and Tim reconnect. Julie goes AWOL to a music festival in Austin in hopes of cheering Matt up. Following their first kiss, Landry confesses to Jess that he may still not be completely over Tyra.

With the decision to close the East Dillon Football program speculation runs wild on two fronts. Will the Lions be able to win State and go out in a blaze of glory; and will Coach Taylor agree to return to coach the Dillion Panthers and a super team with the best of both schools? Tami's PA job offer adds conflict in the Taylor home as does a new development with Matt & Julie. Meanwhile Tim Riggins and Tyra talk seriously about their futures and Luke & Becky clear the air.