Texas’ offensive line has spent the first three games looking like one of the biggest success stories in college football.
The Longhorns have allowed only four sacks, and that number comes with an asterisk: in at least some of those breakdowns, Arch Manning held the ball too long. Still, the overall picture is clear. Texas has built a front that has given Manning and his backfield partners, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, real room to operate.
Now comes a different kind of challenge.
Texas heads into its matchup with Tennessee facing a Volunteers defense that has piled up 13 sacks already, good for third in the country. Only LSU and Virginia Tech have more, and those two are tied at 14 apiece. That kind of pressure changes everything, and it gives the Longhorns their first real test against a defensive line that looks like a wrecking crew.
The Buckeyes offered a tough opening-week measuring stick, but Ohio State’s front has not produced the same kind of disruption this season. The Buckeyes have just four sacks, so what Texas is about to see from Tennessee is a much different level of edge and interior stress.
That means the burden falls squarely on a Texas line that has to be sharp from the start. Left tackle Trevor Goosby, center Connor Robertson, and left guard Dylan Sikorski will be in the spotlight, along with the rest of the unit. Goosby and Robertson bring experience, with 29 combined starts for the Longhorns, and Sikorski has already become one of the more pleasant surprises on offense after stepping into the starting job many expected Laurence Seymore III to hold.
Texas will also be missing a body in the blocking game with tight end Nick Townsend off the depth chart. Even so, Spencer Shannon, Emaree Winston, and Michael Masunas have handled that work well enough to keep the offense moving.
And it won’t just be the line dealing with Tennessee’s pass rush. Smothers and Brown will have to help in protection whenever Steve Sarkisian isn’t calling a run for them or sending them out as receiving options for Manning.
On the other side, Tennessee’s rise up front has been tied to a familiar name in a new place. Josh Heupel brought in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at the end of last season, and the early returns are already showing up in the numbers.
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Indiana Is Back At The Center Of A CFP Sideline Dispute
Steve Sarkisians postgame explanation for the late-game communication hiccups in the College Football Playoff final has already turned into a larger conversation than the final minutes themselves. The Texas coach said President Donald Trumps early departure created headset issues for both teams, a claim the White House quickly rejected, setting off a back-and-forth that pulled the spotlight away from the field and onto the sideline.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti added another layer to the dispute, pushing back on reports that his team suffered a major headset shutdown. He said there were brief communication problems earlier in the game, but they were resolved before the finish, leaving the broader question of what actually happened in the final stretch still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces One Road Test That Will Expose Last Years Biggest Flaw
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Last season, Texas' trouble away from home was not just about talent level. Penalties and composure issues kept showing up in losses, turning otherwise manageable stretches into uphill climbs. This matchup in Tennessee offers a cleaner test of whether the added experience on the roster translates into better poise when the environment gets difficult, and for a team with bigger goals, that is the part worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Newcomers Are Already Setting The Tone For No. 1
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Sophomore Luka Mladenovic gave Texas another strong showing by winning the 200 breast and finishing second in the 100 breast and 200 IM. The meet mixed collegiate and professional swimmers across several events, but the Longhorns still came away looking like a group with depth and versatility. For a No. 1 team trying to establish its rhythm early, performances like these matter because they hint at how quickly the newcomers are already raising the standard. [Read more 🡒]