Three games, three wins, all in the comfort of home. Now, Texas has to prove it can carry that momentum onto the road. Last season, the Longhorns went just 2-3 away from Austin, barely escaping in two of those victories. That history makes the next stretch particularly intriguing, and CBS analyst Bud Elliott has already pointed to the same concern.

“You know, Texas has been legitimately bad on the road under Sark, especially last year. I mean, overtime Mississippi State, overtime Kentucky, right? Like, losing outright at Florida. Like, they have not been good or trustworthy at all on the road under Sark,” said Elliott in his conversation 5at Cover Three Podcast.

Next up for the Longhorns is a trip to Neyland Stadium to face the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers. Texas may have the better team on paper, but Elliott believes last season’s road struggles could come back to haunt Steve Sarkisian’s squad when the Longhorns finally leave the comfort of Austin.

Last season, the road was anything but easy for the Longhorns. Texas stumbled against Florida, falling 29-21, before Georgia blew them out 35-10. Even their two road wins, 16-13 at Kentucky and 45-38 at Mississippi State, came with plenty of drama.

But the Kentucky game is where the warning signs really start to show. Texas managed just 179 total yards, while Arch Manning completed only 12 of 27 passes for 132 yards. Somehow, the Longhorns escaped with a 16-13 overtime win, but the performance left plenty of questions behind.

Elliott highlighted this exact concern, pointing out just how shaky the Longhorns have been under Steve Sarkisian when it comes to playing on the road last year.

But the analyst didn’t stop there. He also raised questions about Arch Manning’s progress.

“Arch has been…he has not taken the jump that I think we expected him to take based on how he played down the stretch last year,” he added in the X clip on the podcast. “I don’t think he’s been bad, but I don’t think he’s been, like, a guy that’s, like, you can argue he’s the best quarterback in the SEC.”

Elliott believes that Manning, despite playing better so far this season, has shown some concerning gaps as his production has dipped. While PFF had him at an 80.0 overall grade and a 79.5 passing grade through September 22, his game-by-game production has declined.

While Manning’s production has raised some questions, Texas’ receiving corps, particularly Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman, has been a bright spot early this season. That was evident in Week 1 against Texas State, when Manning connected with Wingo for a touchdown and Coleman for another score. This is where Elliott’s question comes in.

“Can you get to Arch without having to blitz?”

The dilemma for Tennessee is simple: send four defenders, and seven remain in coverage. But if the Vols need five or six to pressure Manning, they leave fewer bodies to handle Texas’ receivers, an inviting matchup for a talented Longhorns passing attack.

Tennessee’s defensive staff has already identified the vertical passing game as a key test for its secondary.

“Well first off, he’s experienced, he has high-end talent, can run, can throw, a really talented player. And obviously with the receivers they have, he’s got real targets, tight ends, running backs. So, they’ll be a big challenge. This would be the first week I think our secondary will be challenged on the vertical ball, so we’re getting ready to play,” said Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach Anthony Poindexter when asked about Arch Manning.

Well, Longhorns have enough offensive firepower to deal with Tennessee if Arch Manning gets time. If Tennessee has to blitz repeatedly to create that pressure, Texas’ receivers may get favorable matchups.

However, with the Volunteers already looking to deal with the Texas WR room, things might get a bit difficult for Arch Manning and the Longhorns on the road.