Name a bigger collapse this season than Garrett Nussmeier. When LSU entered 2025, Nuss was on every Heisman watch list, projected as an early first-round draft pick and the hometown quarterback who was supposed to take LSU back to a natty. After leading college football in passing yards and throwing 29 touchdowns in 2024, Tiger fans believed he was set up for a Burrow-esque senior encore. But after watching his week 11 ball against Bama, there’s a legit doubt if he will even finish another full game in purple and gold.

The LSU vs Alabama game over the weekend sent shockwaves across the college football world when Frank Wilson benched Nussmeier for sophomore backup Michael Van Buren with 6:26 left in the third quarter. Something nobody in their wildest dreams predicted back in August.. And that single move threw a massive wrench in Nussmeier’s NFL Draft outlook and his future in Baton Rouge. Post-game, he said, “At the end of the day we’re going to do what it takes to win the game,” and hinted he will most likely still start next game. But now that Week 12 is here, fans are asking the biggest question in Louisiana: who is actually QB1 for the Razorbacks?

On November 10th, LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson hopped onto a podium and spilled the answer to the most asked search question out there in Baton Rouge. Frank Wilson answered diplomatically: “As of now, nothing has drastically changed. And how we have flowed outside of the fact like last week, I’ll say to you, we’re going to use everything that we have. And both of those guys will play in this game moving forward.”

Although Garrett Nussmeier completed 18 of his 21 passes, he was painfully mid for the Tigers on Saturday. He only threw for 121 yards. If you dig deeper, it gets ugly: zero touchdowns, one interception, and two fumbles. Plus, he killed LSU’s scoring opportunity in the red zone by getting sacked in a very humiliating way.

The interim head coach saw that and said, ‘That ain’t finna cut out in SEC’ and made a switch: “I felt at the back end we needed a spark and something to add another dimension to our game. I thought Michael stepped in and gave us those things. As of now, nothing has changed in how we have flowed… Both of those guys will play in this game moving forward.”

However, Nussmeier will get the first-team reps, heading into the game against the Razorbacks. “I thought Garrett did well enough to be the starter… He’ll be the first guy in,” Wilson said. That doesn’t stop Arkansas Razor’s interim head coach Bobby Petrino from prepping a contingency plan.

Bobby Petrino is ready for whatever’s coming his way this weekend

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino is preparing his team for a challenge at quarterback. LSU has been using two different players, Garrett Nussmeier and Michael Van Buren, at the position. Petrino said the Razorbacks’ defense has to be ready for either player. “They played both quarterbacks so that was a little bit different,” he said. “We’re familiar with both of them, obviously from last year.”

Petrino also shared that he respects what Nussmeier brings to the field. “Have a lot of respect for Nussmeier and the way he’s played throughout his career,” he said. Even though Nussmeier hasn’t had the season he expected, Petrino approves Nussmeier of a top-class gunslinger. This shows that Arkansas knows they can’t underestimate either quarterback.

The coach explained that facing two quarterbacks creates extra challenges for his defense. The team must change how they apply pressure. Especially when they cover certain players, and their overall timing depends on who is playing. Petrino made his manifesto clear: the defense must be ready for both of them. Which means the Razorbacks need to stay flexible and alert all game.