A trap game for UT? What's ailing A&M? A must-win for Tech? | A Texas take on college football
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The Texas Longhorns have another winnable game at home against a team with a backup quarterback, but that didn't work out too well against Florida. Perhaps Mississippi State will be a different story.
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Around college football, there are plenty of questions: A must-win for Texas Tech? Can Big 12 get two teams in the CFP? Any hope for Texas A&M? Will Lincoln Riley survive at USC?
Columnists Kirk Bohls and Cedric Bolden have the answers:
1. Mississippi State limps into Austin without star quarterback Kamario Taylor, but Texas may be missing as many as two outstanding starters in edge rusher Colin Simmons and tackle Trevor Goosby. Is this a trap game for the Longhorns?
BOHLS: Not likely. Yes, Texas did lose to Florida, which played its backup quarterback, but the Bulldogs' potential replacements isn't Tramell Jones Jr. or former Sooner Caleb Williams or Georgia Bulldog Gunner Stockton, who also came off the bench to beat the Longhorns. The win over Ole Miss has galvanized the Longhorns, who are ready to come together and play to its full potential - even in the third quarter - and beat the Cowbellers 45-13.
GOLDEN: Not at all. Not even for the Horns who have an enigmatic quality that could lead to some nervous moments against teams they're supposed to work. Conventional wisdom suggests they learned their lessons when Florida backup quarterback Tramell Jones, Jr. diced them up two weeks up. Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby hasn't announced who he is starting at quarterback in place of Kamario Taylor, who is out for the season. Either AJ Swann or Billy Puckett will get the nod. Neither is Kamario. Give me Texas, 36-20.
2. How does Steve Sarkisian account for an inexperienced left tackle protecting Arch Manning's blind side?
BOHLS: Lots of ways. He should play a tight end on that side. He should have a running back ready to chip block rushers from that side. He should roll out Arch Manning to the right and throw quick passes as he did last week. He should also lean heavily into the run game with at least 45 carries.
GOLDEN:Andre Cojoe is making his first career start and has a job on his hands in place of Goosby. If Steve Sarkisian wants quarterback Arch Manning to feel comfortable in the pocket, he will make sure and employ a few chip blocks here and there from his running backs against a Mississippi State pass rush that ranks only 13th in the league with 2.29 sacks per game. Establishing the run game and staying ahead of the chains is most important. It will all aid a clean Manning, who should be able to make some plays downfield against the league's worst pass defense. Of course, I said the same against Florida, who was ranked 131 in the category two weeks ago and we remember how that turned out.
3. Texas A&M has an open week before finishing with four tough games. Any suggestions for Mike Elko?
BOHLS: For starters, he ought to look to backup quarterback Brady Hart because the Aggies coach is trying to sell hope to his fan base. A large percentage of Aggies have probably already checked out on Marcel Reed, who ranks 93rd nationally in yardage and has as many interceptions (eight) as touchdowns. So Elko ought to strongly consider going to Hart to see what he's got or think about a proven quarterback in the portal. Elko needs to give Billy's cesspool reason to believe in his program, keep the faith and have a chance to knock off Texas.
GOLDEN: I hear the Bahamas are nice in January. That's all I have. The Aggies just didn't have it in 2026, mostly due to the regression of quarterback Marcel Reed, who has struggled behind an underwhelming offensive line. I know, that sounds familiar. Unlike their archrivals in Austin, the Aggies have already played themselves out of CFP contention. At 4-4 overall and 1-4 in SEC play, I don't see them getting to six wins with games remaining against resurgent South Carolina on the road, home against Tennessee, at Oklahoma and home against the Longhorns.
4. Is this showdown with Arizona an elimination game for once-beaten Texas Tech?
BOHLS: It is if the Red Raiders lose. Their schedule, which insults the Harlem Globetrotters, who made their living off the Washington Generals, would deny Tech a CFP spot if it drops this home game to a more than capable Noah Fifita. The Arizona quarterback ranks seventh with 295 yards a game and a 74.2% completion rate and has thrown 18 touchdown passes with only four picks. I'm nervously picking Tech 31-28 so Cody Campbell's head doesn't explode.
GOLDEN:How could it not be? The Red Raiders had the easiest path to the Big 12 championship game with six of their first seven games against unranked opponents. The loss to unranked Cincinnati was a gut punch, and they get another test against No. 22 Arizona at home. If they lose with No. 24 Oklahoma State coming up Nov. 14, we won't see them in the CFP because even if they finish 10-2 and don't make it to the conference title game, the selection committee won't take them over a 9-3 SEC team with more quality wins.
5. Can the Big 12 get two teams in the CFP?
BOHLS: Highly unlikely after last weekend. Tech may already be done with one loss with its weak schedule, Arizona doesn't have a great win on its resume, a second loss could knock out BYU, and that could leave only unbeaten Utah in the playoffs.
GOLDEN: Of course it can, but BYU's road loss to Central Florida didn't help matters. Before then, the Cougars and unbeaten Utah were on a collision course for a pair of showdowns - their Nov. 7 meeting in Salt Lake City and the Big 12 title game at Jerry World - and it can still happen. If the Cougars can upset the No. 6 Utes, that would give them a second top-10 win to go with the 28-24 win over No. 2 Notre Dame two weeks ago. If the Utes and Cougars both finish 11-1 in league play, they're both going to the playoff.
6. What's your lock of the week against the spread?
BOHLS:I'm 5-1 now since Alabama won but didn't cover the spread against A&M. I'll take Florida plus 12 1/2 points against Georgia in Atlanta.
GOLDEN: I'll take that high powered Oklahoma State offense to go into Ames, take down Iowa State and cover that 8 ½ point spread.
7. You good with Philip Rivers potentially getting the North Carolina State job?
BOHLS: Yes, on the strength of his animated personality, legend status at his alma mater and his successful NFL legacy that will speak to recruits. It hasn't really work out for Deion Sanders at Colorado, and he had some coaching experience. As good a quarterback as Rivers was, he's never coached in college football but is coaching St. Michael Catholic in Fairhope, Ala. and could probably assume the duties as a college CEO. Besides, there's only one L in Philip, not two, which is a good start.
GOLDEN: I've never been a fan of someone without college football coaching experience landing a Division I job. Rivers is an NC State legend along the lines of David Thompson and Torry Holt, but that was as a quarterback and not a coach. I read where part of Rivers' allure is being the father of Gunnar Rivers, a four-star QB who has committed to the Wolfpack. That said, I would pursue someone who is getting things done as a head coach like New Mexico's Jason Eck or former NC State assistant Manny Diaz who has done a great job at Duke.
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8. The first set of CFP rankings will be revealed onTuesday. Who will be No. 11 and 12?
BOHLS: Boise State will be in the final slot but first must get past Texas State, and Notre Dame will slide in at 11 after it loses to Miami next week or possibly SMU.
GOLDEN: I see the Texas Longhorns coming in at No. 11 after taking care of Mississippi State followed by Ole Miss at No. 12. The Rebels are off this week and will be a heavy favorite to take down Auburn Nov. 7. The Horns will have a great chance to move into the top 10 if they can top the Bulldogs and go 1-1 on the road in the next two against Missouri and LSU.
9. Is Lincoln Riley done at USC?
BOHLS:Officially no, but yes, even if he knocks off a wounded Ohio State team Saturday. He's built no momentum in five seasons in La La Land, has yet to nail down a single CFP berth as he did three times at OU and is a horrendous 5-14 against ranked teams. Send him a lifeline, Baylor. Or TCU.
GOLDEN: He's gone after this season. The bloom is off the rose for a coach who was hired to win Rose Bowls and national titles. The 24-7 loss to Wisconsin represented the opposite of everything SC thought it was getting when Riley arrived: a listless offense that rushed for minus-17 yards, five allowed sacks and two blocked field goals. The man who coached Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams to Heisman Trophy wins couldn't beat the Badgers and now he gets the Ohio State Buckeyes. Good times.
10. With next Tuesday being election day, which college football head coach would you vote for for public office?
BOHLS: Dave Aranda is the nicest guy on the planet but no longer working. I'd give my vote to Houston's Willie Fritz, a common-sense guy who doesn't have an overinflated sense of himself and is an honest, kind man with decency and intelligence.
GOLDEN: Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman has an affable personality with an easy style of communicating that would go over well with folks on both sides of the aisle. He's likable and carries himself with style and grace. I doubt he would want to take a pay cut to leave coaching since I assume he wouldn't be cutting corners in politics.
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