The Texas Longhorns got a lift from their win over Ole Miss, but the calendar hasn’t exactly gotten kinder. With Mississippi State coming to Austin on Saturday night, Texas can’t afford a slip if it wants to keep its College Football Playoff hopes in decent shape.
That makes the latest availability update worth watching closely. The SEC’s initial report lists wide receiver Cam Coleman as probable and edge rusher Colin Simmons as questionable for the matchup.
Coleman’s status matters because he exited the Ole Miss game with a shoulder injury, and even with some drops in the mix, his production has been hard to ignore. The Auburn transfer leads Texas with six receiving touchdowns and remains one of the team’s biggest downfield threats. Alongside Ryan Wingo, he gives Arch Manning a dangerous receiver pairing.
Simmons is a different kind of problem for opponents. Texas’ top defensive star is working back from a high ankle sprain he suffered against Florida, an injury that typically takes 4-to-6 weeks to recover from. Even so, his tag moving to questionable suggests progress and keeps open the possibility that he’ll be on the field.
Mississippi State, meanwhile, also has a notable name on its report, with safety Isaac Smith listed as questionable.
Texas enters the game 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play, while Mississippi State is 4-3 and 2-3 in the conference. The Bulldogs will also be without Kamario Taylor-less for the trip to Austin.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
In Other News...
Steve Sarkisian Just Framed Mississippi State As A Serious SEC Threat
After Texas survived a tense 34-27 win over Ole Miss at home, Steve Sarkisian turned his attention to Mississippi State and made it clear the Bulldogs have his respect. The Longhorns coach, who watched his team give back a sizable lead before hanging on, praised Mississippi States program ahead of the next matchup and framed the game as an important one for Texas.
Sarkisian also singled out the work of Bulldogs coaches Jeff Lebby and Zach Arnett, a notable nod from an opposing staff still fresh off a hard-fought SEC win. With Texas now preparing for Mississippi State, the message from Sarkisian was simple enough: the Bulldogs are not a team to take lightly, and the challenge ahead is one his team has to be ready for. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans May Not Expect How Reachable This Halloween Game Feels
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium was spoken for before the season even began, with all of Texas 2026 home games sold out for a fifth straight year. Still, a trip to see Mississippi State in Austin does not come with the kind of sticker shock many fans might expect for a sold-out game, since the only way in now is through resale sites such as SeatGeek, TickPick, StubHub and Vivid Seats.
For a Halloween matchup, the market has stayed comparatively reachable against other Texas dates and even some Mississippi State games, making this one of the more accessible big-ticket options on the schedule. Prices are all over the place depending on the platform and the seat, but for fans hoping to make the trip, there is at least a path into a game that might otherwise have looked out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Offense Faces A Brutal Test After Major QB Blow
Mississippi State is heading into a difficult matchup with Texas already staring at a steep analytics hill, and the timing could not be much worse for an offense trying to steady itself. Multiple football models lean heavily toward the Longhorns, with the forecast picture showing a clear gap in where the two teams sit entering the week.
The Bulldogs also have to move forward without Kamario Taylor, whose season was ended by surgery, according to Jeff Lebby. On the other side, Steve Sarkisian acknowledged Texas is dealing with injuries of its own, but the Longhorns still just won while managing those issues, which only sharpens the challenge Mississippi State is about to face. [Read more 🡒]