Subscribe
Follow Us
As many expected, the Texas Longhorns are back in the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year. Last season, Texas reached the four-team playoff, and this year, in the new 12-team format, they enter as the fifth seed, hosting a first-round home game against 12th-seeded Clemson (10-3).
The Longhorns had hoped to secure a first-round bye, but their second loss of the season came at the worst possible time—and against a familiar foe. In their inaugural season in the SEC, Texas (11-2) reached the conference championship game, only to face the Georgia Bulldogs once again. Unfortunately for Texas football, the result mirrored their earlier matchup, albeit slightly closer. The Bulldogs edged them in overtime this time, a step up from Texas's 15-point loss earlier in the season.
Despite falling short of a bye, the Longhorns will host Clemson, the ACC Champions, who narrowly secured their playoff spot by winning their conference title. However, the Tigers were not among the lucky four to earn a coveted first-round bye.
For Texas, they have to avoid an upset here. Clemson, with either luck or divine intervention, by earning their way into the bracket, has caught some fire, making them dangerous. This likely won't be a easy game, no matter what ACC scrutinizers say.
Was the SEC Championship loss to Georgia too much to overcome?
Though not their fatal flaw, a concerning trend for the Longhorns this season is their failure to beat a single currently ranked team. Every team they defeated during the regular season that was ranked at the time has since fallen out of the rankings. Worse yet, most of those teams have poor records, with Texas A&M being the exception at 8-4.
For whatever reason, the College Football Playoff committee consistently favored the Longhorns throughout all six weeks of rankings. Texas football never dropped out of the top five and spent most of the time ranked No. 2 or 3, despite their lack of quality wins.
Losing twice to Georgia is far from a bad mark, considering the Bulldogs have won two of the last three national titles. However, the manner in which Texas lost at home in their first meeting with Georgia, followed by their loss in the conference title game, raises questions.
The Longhorns entered that October game with all the momentum, boasting a 6-0 record and home-field advantage—an asset that's often a game-changer in college football. Yet, Texas delivered what many consider their worst performance of the season, falling flat on a stage where they had every reason to thrive.
Fast forward to the SEC Championship Game, and Georgia, a team that has shown vulnerability all season and had just endured an eight-overtime slugfest with rival Georgia Tech, managed to beat Texas once again—this time with a backup quarterback—in another overtime game.
Mentally, losing twice to the same team is a tough pill to swallow for any program. The fact that Georgia achieved this feat despite their challenges only compounds the sting for the Longhorns, who were hoping to make an indelible mark during the first season in the SEC.
But looking back at both of those games, it's Texas’s offensive struggles that have been at the heart of their setbacks, and unless they find a way to fire on all cylinders, this issue could loom large as they prepare for Clemson.
Quinn Ewers, lack of running game, is major concern for Texas against Clemson
Texas entered the season banged up at the running back position, losing two of their top backs. They’ve recovered fairly well, averaging 164.3 rushing yards per game. However, there were two games where they combined for just 60 yards. Care to guess which games? If your answer was Georgia, grab yourself a cookie.
Quintrevion Risner had been on quite the roll leading up to the SEC Championship, essentially carrying the Longhorns offense. In his two prior games, he rushed for 158 and 186 yards with a touchdown. Yet, both he and the rest of Texas’s offense were held in check by the Bulldogs, including quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Since returning from an injury suffered during the UTSA game in mid-September, Ewers has been wildly inconsistent. There have been games where he’s fallen short of 200 yards passing. This season, despite playing fewer games, he’s thrown the most interceptions of his career with nine—three of which have come in his last two games, including a costly pick-six against Texas A&M.
Ewers, once known for showing up in big moments—like against Alabama on the road last year and initially against Michigan this season in the Big House—has been missing in action when it matters most this year. He did throw for 358 yards—a season-high—one touchdown and two interceptions against the Bulldogs. But it wasn't enough to seal the victory.
Now, in what will be Texas's biggest game of the season, Ewers will be tasked with delivering his best performance. But will Steve Sarkisian hesitate at the first sign of trouble and turn to Arch Manning?
Whatever the decision, Sarkisian will need to craft his sharpest game plan against Clemson, a team known historically for its stingy defense.
