Is No. 3 Texas a worthy playoff contender? The 11-1 record says yes but their performance says otherwise. Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns may have won over Texas A&M in their season finale. But it wasn’t the dominating blowout that rivalry games usually exude. In fact, as former CFB player and current analyst Joe Deleone said, the “game was really boring to watch.” And who’s to blame for these lackluster performances? 

We all know it’s the playcaller who gets the extremes of both credit and blame. But in the case of QB Quinn Ewers, the bad seems to be outweighing the good. Joe Deleone got on the latest YouTube episode on The Ruffino & Joe Show – Weekly College Football on December 2 to react to the Texas vs Texas A&M clash. And he thinks their signal caller might cause costly mistakes as he said, “This is a legitimate concern. I can’t get behind Quinn Ewers playing in a playoff game. The turnovers are way too costly.” 

With their 17-7 victory in their final regular SEC battle, Texas earned a spot to compete with Kirby Smart and Georgia in the SEC Championship game on December 8. But the Bulldogs could be a problem to the Longhorns’ conference title hopes considering that they’re their only defeat of the season. Deleone didn’t hold back what was on his mind as he added, “You’re not gonna win if Quinn Ewers has those two red zone turnovers. You will lose those games just like you did against Georgia.”

It was Texas’ defense that shone at Kyle Field and Quinn Ewers is now aware that they’re the ones saving them from losses. Following the game, he said, “It’s just like a common theme at this point. They continue to save our butts on offense.” The Longhorns could have rendered a pointless score to the Aggies if it wasn’t for Quinn Ewers’ 93-yard pick six that gave them their seven points. He regretted this play later as he said, “I feel bad for allowing them to get seven points on that pick six.” Hopefully, this won’t be a repeat of last season’s playoff semifinal game. 

Quinn Ewers should address his turnover problem 

2024 may not be the best season for Quinn Ewers but it doesn’t mean he’s not a talented star. Last season, he led the Longhorns to a 12-2 record, earning them a spot in both the Big 12 Championship game and the playoffs by recording 3,479 yards, 22 TDs, and six interceptions. But it was in the playoff semifinal game against Washington that he failed his completion.  

This regular season, Ewers’ records are 2,307 yards, 24 TDs, and seven interceptions. The interception in the last game wasn’t his only costly mistake. It was his three turnovers that contributed to their 30-15 defeat against Georgia earlier in the season. But with a rematch against their rival, can he take care of his turnover problems and show his critics that they’re worrying for nothing?