Paul Finebaum is already looking at Saturday’s Texas-Missouri matchup as the kind of game that can tilt an entire season.
On Sunday’s “The Matt Barrie Show,” the ESPN analyst singled out Week 10 as the one he was most interested in, saying Texas could be headed for a dangerous slide if it slips in Columbia.
“Texas, if it loses this game, it could collapse because it goes the following week to Baton Rouge,” Finebaum said.
He didn’t stop there. Finebaum added, “You don’t want that to be your fourth loss when you have built everything from the ground up with Arch Manning at the top of the cake.”
That warning hangs over a Texas team that has already been through plenty of turbulence. The Longhorns are 6-2 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, and their two losses have both come by three points, each decided by fourth-quarter turnovers.
One of those came against Oklahoma, when a pick-six helped swing a 27-24 defeat. The other was a 27-24 home loss to Florida.
Finebaum’s view of Arch Manning has also been a moving target. After the Oklahoma loss, he said Manning “can just be downright stupid” in some moments. Then, after the Florida game, he went on “First Take” and said benching the junior quarterback was overdue: “Yes, it is time.”
Texas stayed with Manning, and the response has been two straight wins.
The latest came Saturday, a 31-3 victory over Mississippi State. Manning threw three touchdown passes, but the game still came with some rough edges.
The Bulldogs sacked him six times, and wide receiver Cam Coleman left and did not return. Afterward, coach Steve Sarkisian described his team as “a growing team that continues to find ways to win.”
The Longhorns’ résumé still has some real weight. They own a 24-23 win over then-No.
1 Ohio State in Week 2, one of the best victories in the country this season. They also beat then-No.
7 Ole Miss, 34-27, though that one was far from smooth; Texas led 24-3 at halftime before Ole Miss tied it at 24-24 in the fourth quarter.
Now the schedule tightens again. Texas has three of its final four games away from home, with trips to Missouri, LSU and Texas A&M.
Arkansas is the lone home game left on the slate. The Longhorns haven’t played in Baton Rouge since 1953, and another loss would only add more pressure to the debate around Manning and where Texas stands in the playoff picture.
Barrie pushed the conversation beyond Texas, arguing Missouri deserves more respect than it’s getting. “Missouri’s schedule is good enough that, Paul, if they win out, they’re getting in,” Barrie said.
Eli Drinkwitz’s team is 6-2 after a 34-10 win at Arkansas, where four Razorbacks turnovers turned into 24 points for Missouri. The Tigers also have lopsided wins over Florida, 45-17, and Texas A&M, 27-6, and both of their losses came on the road.
Their closing stretch is no joke: Texas, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma. Georgia and Kentucky are both 7-1 and sitting atop the SEC standings. If Missouri runs that table and finishes 10-2 with wins over Texas, Georgia and Kentucky, it would have one of the strongest résumés in the country.
The first College Football Playoff rankings come out Tuesday night, and the Texas-Missouri game kicks off Saturday at noon ET at Faurot Field.
In Other News...
Mizzous Arkansas Win Came With One Lingering Concern
Missouris 34-10 win over Arkansas gave the Tigers another solid step forward in a season that has started to take shape on the strength of defense and ball security. The Tigers forced four turnovers and controlled the game in a way that made the final margin look comfortable, even if the offense never fully found its rhythm. Ahmad Hardy made a limited return after missing time with an injury, while Jamal Roberts handled the bulk of the work as the primary running back and gave Missouri enough production to keep the ground game moving.
Still, the performance was not spotless, and the red zone issues stood out as the one lingering concern from an otherwise convincing afternoon. Missouri moved the ball well enough to win going away, but the offense left some points on the field and did not always finish drives the way it would like against better competition. For a team trying to build momentum, the defense keeps providing a sturdy foundation, but the next step is making sure the offense matches that standard when the field gets shorter. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Fans Got One More Reason To Celebrate This Arkansas Win
Missouris 34-10 win over Arkansas gave the Tigers more than another rivalry victory. It pushed Eli Drinkwitzs team to bowl eligibility and extended Missouris run of success in the series to five straight, a steady stretch that has made this matchup feel increasingly one-sided from the Tigers perspective. The offense found its rhythm after halftime, with Austin Simmons throwing two touchdown passes and Jamal Roberts powering the ground game with 138 yards and two scores.
There was also a welcome sight in the backfield as Ahmad Hardy returned after recovering from a gunshot wound and got back on the field for Missouri. He logged two carries for five yards, a modest contribution on the stat sheet, but an important step in his comeback. With bowl season now secured, the Tigers can turn the page with momentum and a little more depth than they had just a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Just Got A Huge Boost In A Rivalry Win Fans Loved
Rainy conditions did not slow Missouri down in its 34-10 win over Arkansas, and the Tigers made the most of every mistake the Razorbacks gave them. Missouri forced multiple turnovers, turned those into 24 points, and got a steady effort from quarterback Austin Simmons, who threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns in a game that had the feel of a rivalry statement from the start.
Ahmad Hardys return gave the Tigers another lift, with the running back back on the field for the first time this season after dealing with an injury. For Missouri, it was the kind of complete performance that plays well in a rivalry game: opportunistic on defense, efficient enough on offense, and strengthened by the return of a key piece just when the stretch run starts to matter most. [Read more 🡒]