No. 1 Texas is walking into its SEC opener with a loud building waiting on the other side and a real test in front of it.
The Longhorns head to Neyland Stadium to face No. 14 Tennessee in a matchup that could carry major implications for both teams.
Texas arrives at 3-0 after rolling past Texas State in its opener, surviving a major comeback against Ohio State in Week 2, and then beating UTSA 30-6 last week. Tennessee is also 3-0, opening with a 56-9 win over Furman before closing its non-conference slate with victories over Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State.
For Texas, the key is simple: start fast. This is the Longhorns’ first road game of the season, and Neyland can get rolling in a hurry.
Texas struggled away from home last year, so getting Arch Manning settled early matters. The Longhorns need to control the clock, quiet the crowd, and avoid letting Tennessee’s fans get into the game.
There’s also a turnover battle looming. Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon has not thrown an interception this season, and the Volunteers’ up-tempo offense will force Will Muschamp to find ways to slow the pace. One takeaway could swing everything, and Texas would love to be the team that creates it.
Another thing to watch is whether Texas can fully unleash Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo. Earlier this week, Tennessee co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Anthony Poindexter spoke highly of the duo, and the Longhorns need that pair to show up in a big way. If Manning can attack downfield and stress Tennessee’s secondary, it should open things up for the run game too.
Tennessee hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent since October 19, 2024, when it knocked off No. 7 Alabama.
A win over the top-ranked Longhorns would end that run in a hurry. Texas, though, already owns its signature win after taking down Ohio State, and the Longhorns have bigger goals than one early-season statement.
This is the first meeting between the programs since Texas joined the SEC, and it comes with the kind of atmosphere that can expose a team not ready for the moment. But Texas has the pieces to handle it. Sarkisian’s team should be prepared for the road, Manning should settle in, and the Longhorns’ defense should be enough to keep Tennessee in check.
Texas wins its conference opener.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Controversy Is About To Test Texas Again
Arch Mannings week has already taken an off-field turn Texas would have preferred to avoid, after the quarterback apologized for laughing at an AI-generated spoof video that showed head coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe. Manning called his reaction insensitive, and Rowe later accepted the apology, saying the two had a productive private conversation and agreed to move forward with respect.
The timing still matters for Texas, because Manning and Sarkisian are expected to take part in joint interviews with Rowe before the Longhorns game against Tennessee. For a program trying to keep its focus on the field, the next round of media appearances will offer a chance to reset the tone, even if the underlying episode has already become another test of how the team handles attention away from football. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Added A Transfer With A Rise Fans Should Notice
Elyjah Freemans path to Texas is the kind of climb fans notice right away. The junior forward arrives after stops at Lincoln Memorial University and Auburn, and his rise has been steady from the start: he was unranked out of high school, began at a Division II program and worked his way into conference recognition before earning a bigger role at Auburn.
Sean Miller has already pointed to Freemans development as a major reason Texas is excited about the addition, and that matters in a roster-building sense as much as it does on the floor. For a Longhorns team looking for players who can keep trending upward, Freeman comes with a track record of growth and the expectation that there is still more to come. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Gets Encouraging Colin Simmons News Before Tennessee Showdown
Texas footballs first Southeastern Conference availability report of the 2026 season offered some useful early clarity ahead of the Tennessee matchup, and the biggest item for Longhorns fans was the status of Colin Simmons. The EDGE rusher is listed as probable despite dealing with a recent injury, a welcome sign for a defense that will need all of its top pass-rush help in a game that figures to carry real weight.
The report also sketched out the rest of Texas health picture, with Justus Terry out and Nick Townsend doubtful, while Tennessee entered the week with five players listed as unavailable. Availability reports can still shift before kickoff, but the initial update gives Texas a better sense of where it stands as it prepares for a matchup that should test both depth and discipline. [Read more 🡒]