Well, I don’t think Saturday went the way a lot of us thought. What was your biggest takeaway from the Texas Longhorns’ big win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry?
Daniel Seahorn (@DanielSeahorn)
– Gritty culture win for Steve Sarkisian and his program after an absolute debacle against Florida. This was a must-have, and they got it, and it put some pep back into their step heading into the back half of the year. Arch didn’t have the súper gaudy stat line, but he was in firm control of the offense, and he made plays with his arm and his feet that put nails in the coffin for Oklahoma in this game.
Gerald Goodridge (@ghgoodridge) – Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning are getting onto the same page. It seems Sark is finally comfortable calling an offense that blends Arch’s skillset with the current deficiencies, the biggest one being the offensive line. The screen game didn’t go as well as they would like, but Texas supplementing its lack of an early-down run threat with quick passes is definitely something that I hope persists. You probably don’t have linemen with the feet to run traditional screen schemes, but some RPO bubbles and quick outs to the WR to get them in space seem to make a lot of sense. That minimized the defense’s advantages and tired them out, which in turn let the offensive line lean on them late.
Cameron Parker (@camerondparker) – Arch’s ability to find a way to move the ball. We saw flashes of it against Florida, but I think Saturday was the best game of his career, and he showed his ability to use the scramble drill to his advantage.
Jacob Neidig (@jneidig_2) – This team has juice. I don’t mean talent on the field or scheme execution, I’m talking about the swagger and confidence necessary to win games. The energy this team played with in the first six games was lackluster. Downright horrible at times, especially against Florida. I thought the team’s energy against Oklahoma resembled that of a big-time team.
Quentin Bell (@uncleqbell) – Good win in a neutral site against a big rival. Arch seemed to mature some. Quintrevion Wisner had a great rushing game, and the defense looked like one of the best in the nation. I need to see something when the Horns are on the road.
Wescott Eberts (@SBN_Wescott) – That Steve Sarkisian is actually willing to adjust his game plan to mitigate his offense’s weaknesses and take away a defense’s strengths. For an offensive mind as highly considered as Sarkisian, that should be a given, but it’s not always – witness his regular willingness to relentlessly attack with the vertical passing game regardless of whether his quarterback can complete his passes or his offensive line can block long enough. So it was nice to see him allow Arch Manning to be a game manager and reduce his depth of target in the win over the Sooners.
Buy or Sell: The offensive line figured things out on Saturday with the addition of Nick Brooks to the starting lineup.
Daniel – Very cautiously buying because the stock is essentially cheap and won’t break your bank. I’m not completely sold just yet, but the second half was encouraging to see for sure.
Gerald – Cautiously buying. I still think they have too many slow feet to fully eat, but Brooks looked good after the first couple of drives. I don’t love having to sub in a true freshman out of position to supplement what they’re doing, but ultimately, if it wins them games and gets a kid like Brooks live game reps before he is needed to take the full brunt at his natural position, I can’t be mad.
Cameron – Is layaway an option? I’ll buy, but Arch was under pressure for a big portion of Saturday’s game against Oklahoma; he was just able to navigate it better. Nick Brooks flashed, but still struggled in pass protection. It was comforting to see the offensive line handle twists and stunts better than they did against Florida.
Jacob – Sell. The offensive line looked better against one of the better fronts in the country, but I think they’re still a ways away from figuring things out. The group opened up more holes and protected the pocket better, but still struggled mightily. I need to see better play for a longer period of time before I buy stock in this group.
Quentin – Buy, the line did well with pass protection and making holes for Wisner. The o-line seemed more cohesive and worked well as a unit with Brooks stepping up and executing in his role, which will give the offense a bigger playbook to work with.
Wescott – I’ll buy here even though Brooks still had some issues with penalties and his pass protection. The latter will continue to be a work in progress as he adjusts to playing inside, but his athleticism is a huge upgrade over Connor Stroh, and that allowed Texas to return to majoring in outside zone, the preferred scheme for Quintrevion Wisner.
Buy or Sell: The defense is one of the top units in the SEC, and the Florida performance was an anomaly.
Daniel – I will firmly buy this. The sample size for this group is a lot larger, and the track record lends you more credibility. Florida’s Jaden Baugh has given Texas problems two years running, and Vernell Brown and Dallas Wilson can certainly play. You can make the argument that Texas may not see a better trio of talent on for the rest of the season, given how that group can stress a defense. I think the defense is too talented, and Muhammad being out certainly didn’t help things in that matchup. They showed against Oklahoma that they could put that game behind them and still be elite.
Gerald – Buy. They looked like absolute trash against Florida and were really one play (or player) away from playing winning ball. One stop, or the talents of Manny Muhammad, and that is a much different game. Florida did a good job of picking on the inexperienced players that Texas leaned on to backfill in the secondary, so with him back, this group is probably much better off.
Cameron – Buy. I don’t know if Texas finds a way to beat Florida if Malik Muhammad were healthy, but he definitely would’ve helped. We’re seeing the rise of Lance Jackson, which is freeing up Colin Simmons and Brad Spence to make more plays. I think we’ll see more games in which Texas holds opponents to single-digits than 20+ points from here on out.
Jacob – Yes. This group has a lot of the makings of being one of the better units in the conference. The speed at which the defense played against Oklahoma has the potential to suffocate any offense. If the secondary can stay healthy and the pass rush continues improving, look out.
Quentin – Buy, aside from Florida, the defense has been consistent. The intensity and swarming that the Longhorn defense has displayed is top-tier with communication and awareness that only the closest units show with progression and maturity.
Wescott – That’s an easy buy. The front has been playing at a high level for two and a half hours, and the secondary has been one of the best in the country since the start of the 2024 season, so Pete Kwiatkowski’s defenses have put a lot of elite stuff on film, enough to say conclusively that they didn’t look like themselves against the Gators.
Buy or Sell: Texas can contend for the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff
Daniel – Cautiously selling, because I still need to see them win some big games down the stretch before I start buying again. Those games against Georgia and A&M are huge for their resume right now and they likely need to win both to be firmly in the playoff.
Gerald – Buy. I said to start the year that the Black Friday game against Texas A&M would probably be a play-in game for the SEC Championship, and I think that is still likely the case. Texas should go into the bye 7-2 (4-1) in the SEC, and although they’ll travel to Athens immediately following, I think this Georgia team might be gettable. Is Sark the one to get them? We haven’t seen it, but nothing has happened until it does.
Cameron – Sell. Three losses guarantee you’re missing the CFP with how stacked the SEC is this season, and Georgia and A&M remain on the schedule.
Jacob – The path to this happening is more viable now, but I’m not buying quite yet. Texas turned in a momentum-building performance in Dallas, but we still don’t know what team is going to show up week in week out.
Quentin – If the defense played like they did against Ohio State and if the offense played like they did against OU, I’d buy. Texas needs to win out for any conference or playoff look.
Wescott – Selling until Sark proves he can beat Georgia. It’s that simple for me.
Will the Longhorns cover for the first time on the road this season? Texas (-12.5 at FanDuel) or Kentucky?
Daniel (3-3/1-5 ATS) – Kentucky ain’t good, but it’s still Lexington at night, so it will be interesting. Still think Texas wins this game to make it two in a row. Texas 28 Kentucky 13
Gerald (3-3/2-4 ATS) – I think this Kentucky team is downright bad. If Texas can buck the trend and start strong, I think the quicksand gets tough for the Wildcats early. Texas 28, Kentucky 7
Cameron (3-3/2-4 ATS) – With weird weather in play and Kentucky coming off a bye week, I think this game is a little tighter than expected. Texas 20, Kentucky 9
Jacob (4-2/3-3 ATS) – The talent disparity between Texas and Kentucky is pretty vast, especially between the Longhorn defense and Wildcat offense. I don’t think a bye week or any amount of desperation can save Kentucky or Stoops’ job. Texas pulls away. Texas 31, Kentucky 10
Quentin (3-2/2-3 ATS) – There shouldn’t be any issues with Kentucky as long as the Horns stay mentally locked in and execute. Texas 24, Kentucky 6.
Wescott (3-4/1-5 ATS) – The Longhorns turn the Wildcats over to take control of this game early, taking the Kentucky running game out of it and finding enough success offensively to win this one easily. Texas 20, Kentucky 6
