The Texas Longhorns are 7-2 in the season and are treading on thin ice now. Why? The schedule ahead is stacked with playoff contention teams in Georgia and Texas A&M. Defeating them surely looks like a formidable challenge. A misstep will then cost the Longhorns’ CFP berth. Despite that, Steve Sarkisian has a major advantage in his favor, which has been echoed by a former CFB Hall of Famer.

Former Georgia All-American David Pollack sat with analyst Brent Rollins on his podcast discussing how Texas could make it to the playoffs. “Texas probably has the biggest room to grow and climb the most. Because one of the losses at Ohio State. But when you have a chance to beat five on the road and beat three, you can start leaping up,” said David Pollack. The Longhorns have undoubtedly found their rhythm ever since their loss against Ohio State.

The Ohio State setback surely was concerning, as Arch Manning had just 56.7% efficiency. Subsequently, after facing some weaker teams, another loss came against Florida, where QB1 only completed 55.2% of his passes. But now, the team has finally found how to cope amid the 21-year-old’s struggles. 

Steve Sarkisian has used Manning in the rushing attack and has bolstered his already strong defense. Not to mention that, receivers like Ryan Wingo and Parker Livingstone are averaging 16+ yards per reception. Plus, DeAndre Moore Jr is not far behind with his 13.1 yards per reception despite Arch Manning’s efficiency woes. So, when the 21-year-old throws an accurate pass, it’s almost a guarantee that it will be caught. The result then shows.

Longhorns have defeated Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Mississippi State on the road. The next frontier? It’s a playoff berth.“I don’t see how they’re not in at 10. Because Texas plays Georgia and A&M so they got five and three (AP poll rankings) on their schedule. If they went out. They’re going to be in. And then others might not be,” said David Pollack about Texas’s playoff contention. Defeating the teams would still not be easy!

Texas plays Georgia on the road after a bye week on 15th November. On the other hand, Georgia will come after playing Mississippi State on the road. That can bring out an intense, tiring defensive battle, where Texas could actually edge out due to less fatigue. After that game, Steve Sarkisian will play a 2-7 Arkansas at home, an easier battle to win, and will face Texas A&M at home on 28th November. 

The A&M game, too, can be won since the Aggies’ playoff berth would be sealed, even if Mike Elko loses against Texas, with an 11-win season. Not just that, Arch Manning, too, has finally found his rhythm after the Vanderbilt game. That makes hopes of winning against the 3rd-ranked Aggies quite favorable.

Injury scare turns blessing in disguise for Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian

Defeating Vanderbilt was far from an easy task for Steve Sarkisian. For one, Diego Pavia was playing unworldly, and the team had a 6-1 record. Moreover, Vandy also had defeated teams like South Carolina, LSU, and Missouri. But when Texas needed Arch Manning the most, the Manning legacy finally rocked that Burnt Orange and White. The QB1 put in a stellar performance even after suffering a concussion against Mississippi State.

“I think the concussion absolutely helped Arch Manning. And I say that because, Brent, it’s the first time I’ve seen him play where he did not want to get hit. It was very clear. He didn’t want to get hit. So I thought he played more conservatively. When he scrambled to the right and threw that touchdown pass, no part of him thought about running and taking a shot. He thought about playing QB,” said David Pollack. Arch Manning himself acknowledged humorously that the concussion helped him in the Vandy game.

With a ripe smile on his face, the Texas #16 said, “Maybe the concussion helped.” So, instead of seeing a more cluttered and inaccurate Arch Manning. We actually saw what everyone was waiting for. He passed for 328 yards with an impressive 75.8% efficiency, bolstering Texas’s CFP hopes. He also protected himself, too, taking in zero sacks and proving highly prolific. That’s why Pollock, Manning, and many others saw an unfortunate injury as somehow helping Steve Sarkisian.