The No. 10 Texas Longhorns have a massive matchup on Saturday when they take on the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs. It's a matchup that certainly has Nick Saban's attention, as he shared his take about both programs on Friday. When discussing the Longhorns, Saban highlighted what he believes has contributed to the program's late-season surge.
During a guest appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the 74-year-old former head coach claims that Arch Manning's improvements throughout the season are playing a key role in the Longhorns' recent success. He also pinpointed the uptick in production out of the offensive line as to why the offense has played so well.
“Well, I think Texas has improved for two reasons,” said Nick Saban. “I think in the last two games, Arch has played better. He's playing with a little more rhythm and not hurrying everything up. And he's been more effective and efficient, and then his completion percentage is way up, and all that. And the offensive line has played better. So, those two things, I think, have made them show improvement as a team.”
"Texas has improved because Arch Manning is playing better and the offensive line has played better..
They still haven't been a dominant team and they still have some issues..
This Georgia offense can do it all but their defense has to improve" ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/NtomcPWGA3
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 14, 2025
The improvements are noticeable, as Arch Manning's play in his last two games is a drastic improvement compared to the first few weeks of the college football season. In his last two games, the 21-year-old quarterback has totaled 674 passing yards and seven total touchdowns (six passing) while completing 68.3% of his pass attempts.
However, not everything is perfect in Texas right now. Nick Saban also revealed where he thinks the team can improve as the Longhorns enter the Week 12 matchup vs. Georgia. Saban states that the secondary has been an Achilles heel this season. That's something the Bulldogs could take advantage of on Saturday.
“[Texas] had terrible issues last week in the secondary where they gave up over 300 yards passing,” said Saban. “So, they still have issues on their team that I think they need to resolve.”
The matchup between the Longhorns and the Bulldogs will take place in Georgia. It will be Texas's final road game of the regular season, as the program will end the 2025-26 campaign with two consecutive home contests.
