Arch Manning’s Longhorns face a make-or-break showdown against undefeated Texas A&M, and the stakes couldn’t be any higher. Seeking revenge for their last year’s defeat, the Aggies now have a chance to crush the Longhorns’ playoff hopes in Austin. And even ESPN host Peter Burns is not holding back and putting his money on the Aggies’ success this time.

“You go back and look at A&M sitting there at home; the crowd was going crazy. Had an opportunity to play in the college football playoff. Look at that environment. It was as good as college football got, and Texas ended it. A&M has the team, and they will do that, though in the Texas Game, their opportunities go to the college football playoff in Austin,” ESPN host Peter Burns said.

The Aggies are 11-0 in the league, winning ten games for the first time since Johnny Manziel took them to an 11-2 mark during his Heisman-winning season in 2012. Last season, despite a home game, the Aggies fell 7-17 against Texas, but now this year, they get the chance to ruin the Longhorns’ hopes on their home ground.

Texas’ defense is becoming its biggest problem, as they surrendered at least 30 points in four straight games. Longhorns allowed Arkansas to score on its first four drives in a 52-37 win and even collapsed in the fourth quarter against Vanderbilt and Georgia, giving up 21 points in each of those final periods.

Whereas the Texas A&M quarterback and team continue to push opposing defenses. And one of the biggest examples is their 27-point comeback after halftime against South Carolina. Now, the Longhorns shut down Marcel Reed last season with their dynamic defense, not allowing him to score an offensive touchdown, but this time, he’s more mature and dangerous.

Till now, other teams could only sack him nine times, and Texas struggled recently against dual-threat QBs like Diego Pavia and Gunner Stockton. Moreover, this game is not just about playoffs but also about the pride of the team. Texas currently leads them with a 77-37-5 record.

“This is so much bigger than that just one game, because it’s going to get by big brother-little brother mentality that has haunted A&M for a long time,” Burns highlighted.

On top of it, Texas’s playoff rankings after Week 13 put them at the No. 16 spot, which might not manifest in a playoff spot even after the win, so for now, they are just playing for the rivalry at this point. Whereas Aggies can still go to the SEC title game after the loss, they will just need losses by both Mississippi and Alabama.

But Arch Manning’s triple-threat game can give them tough competition. He completed 18 of 30 passes for a career-high 389 yards and four touchdowns. And the best part is he added both rushing and receiving TDs.

“Arch has a swagger about it now. He had a historic game a week ago for the Longhorns. He’s got the confidence again. Anything can happen in these games,” ESPN host Matt Barrie said.

With that, they even had a big recruiting weekend.

Arch Manning’s Texas had a major recruiting weekend

The Arkansas game didn’t just give Texas hope to make it to the playoffs, but also turned out to be a big weekend in terms of recruiting. The Longhorns hosted a deep list of recruits on Saturday, and players who are already committed to somewhere else. As per On3’s Sam Spiegelman’s update, the headliner is LSU’s five-star defensive tackle Richard Anderson. After Texas’s dominance against Arkansas, they might surge in the chances of flipping this 6’3”, 350-pound freak.

With him, two more LSU commits, four-star offensive tackle Brysten Martinez and four-star safety Aiden Hall, made the visit. Martinez is ranked the No. 10 tackle in the 2026 class, and this was his first visit to Texas after committing to the Tigers. Even Hall, the 18th-ranked safety in the class, can push their momentum in the secondary.

On top of that, looking at LSU’s condition, the Longhorns might look like a better option. But they aren’t just limiting it to LSU commits. Even Minnesota running back Jett Walker, who rushed for 2,351 yards with 37 touchdowns last year, was on the campus. They offered him just ten days after Minnesota’s commitment, and this was a major chance for them to pull him away.

Now that Arch Manning’s team is going to face the Aggies this week, let’s wait and see if they can seal victory, a playoff berth, and some of these players or not.