Week 2 continues on Saturday afternoon as Texas hosts San Jose State. Texas football dropped in the rankings after falling in Week 1. They are still heavy favorites over a non-power opponent in San Jose State. While the Longhorns are major favorites, there are still bold predictions to be made about this game.
San Jose State opened the season at 0-1. The start of the game was rough for the Spartans, facing Central Michigan. After the Chippewas missed a field goal, San Jose State began driving, but threw an interception. This led to a touchdown by Central Michigan. They then lost a fumble on the next drive, leading to a Chippewas field goal. In the second quarter, a second interception led to another three points for Central Michigan. The Spartans scored at the end of the first half and took the lead in the second half. Still, Central Michigan would tack on a field goal and San Jose State would miss field goals on each of their last two drives, falling 16-14.
Meanwhile, Texas fell to Ohio State to open the season. After a scoreless first quarter, Ohio State drove the field and scored in the second quarter, taking the 7-0 lead into halftime. The Buckeyes would convert an Arch Manning interception into a touchdown drive to open the fourth quarter. Still, the Longhorns would make it close, scoring on a 42-second drive later in the game. The comeback would fall short, though, after a failed fourth-down attempt sealed the game.
Will Texas let Arch Manning loose?
Week 1 was a less-than-stellar performance from Manning. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown and one interception. He also ran ten times for 38 yards in the game. These fell far short of the expectations of the next Manning star.
It may not have been all Manning's fault, but a coaching issue. “Imagine having a generational talent at QB and having the training wheels on all game,” Dan Orlovsky of ESPN posted on X. Steve Sarkisian will not be making the same mistake this week. The San Jose State secondary showed some weakness against Central Michigan. While it was a low-scoring game, some large plays were available in the passing game.
Chippewa receivers average over 14 yards per reception, while Tommy McIntosh had a 47-yard reception in the game. Further, Joe Labas had open receivers, but failed to connect. Central Michigan did not pass much, passing just 13 times as opposed to 50 rushes. While Manning may not play the entire game and may slow down his pass attempts before potentially being removed, expect him to be allowed more big-play opportunities in this one.
Can Quintrevion Wisner have a massive game?
Texas used a running back rotation in the first game of the season against Ohio State. In Week 1 of the season, Quintrevion Wisner ran the ball 16 times for 80 yards, while CJ Baxter ran ten times for 40 yards. San Jose State struggled heavily against the run in Week 1. Central Michigan ran the ball 50 times, going for 247 yards and a score. This was led by Nahree Biggins, the top running back for the Chippewas. He ran the ball 18 times for 102 yards, good for 5.7 yards per game. Further, Trey Cornish rushed for 99 yards on 13 carries, good for 7.6 yards per carry.
There will be room to run for the Texas running backs, and Wisner is going to have a massive game. Not only did he out-carry Baxter, but he was also on the field more. Wisner took 41 of the 67 offensive snaps, while Baxter had just 26 offensive snaps. If they keep the same split, with the weak defensive line of San Jose State, he will eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark in this game. He did that four times in 204, but that was without splitting time with Baxter. Regardless, he did it twice with 15 or fewer carries, and he will do it again against the Spartans.
Will San Jose State get a solid performance from Walker Eget?
Eget struggles early on in the game against Central Michigan. He completed his first two passes for 55 yards, but he completed just one of his next seven passes for one yard. He would also be sacked and lose a fumble, plus throw two interceptions. From that point forward, he completed 21 of 34 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Julian Sayin had a solid game against Texas for Ohio State. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a score. This was also the first start of Sayin's career.
Eget has shown in his career that he can play in big games against tough opponents and produce. He had four 300-yard passing games in 2024, including throwing for 446 yards against Boise State. He also threw three touchdowns in that game, while also throwing two interceptions. The Longhorns enter the game as 36.5-point favorites. With the fact that San Jose State will be playing catch-up most of the game, expect plenty of opportunities for Eget in this one. He has shown he can rise to the occasion, and while an interception or two may happen, he will also have a big game. It will also be enough to San Jose State to cover the massive spread.
