Arch Manning has taken college football by storm.

The Longhorns quarterback has only started two career games for Texas. Despite his inexperience, he’s widely expected to be in the Heisman conversation in 2025 as the starting quarterback in Austin, Texas.

While Manning has only started two career games, he has game experience under his belt. In 2024, when he served as the Longhorns’ backup quarterback behind Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning still saw the field in 10 games, where he had 90 pass attempts and 13 total touchdowns.

The 21-year-old quarterback said that experience will help him in 2025.

“Anytime you can get reps in the game and make an impact to help your team win, it definitely builds your confidence for the following year,” Manning said.

Many players come to college programs around the country and need time to mature. But Manning is far from a “typical” player, and Texas’ head coach Steve Sarkisian believes his maturity will help him succeed with the Longhorns.

“He’s got a very even keel about him, he’s very quick-witted, he’s got a great sense of humor about himself and he’s OK to laugh at himself,” Sarkisian said. “I think that’s a great quality to have.”

While Sarkisian said he understands the coaching staff has to do their part in putting him in a good position to win, he knows Arch Manning already has what it takes.

“He’s a great guy, he’s a great teammate and he has an unbelievable work ethic,” Sarkisian said. If he stays true to himself, that’s gonna help him navigate these waters as they present themselves.”

For Manning, the key to the offseason wasn’t necessarily on the football field. Instead, he wants to become a more vocal leader for his team.

“As much as it wasn’t always easy, those two years I feel like I got a lot of respect from the team,” Manning said. “Now, being more of a vocal leader, they know it’s coming from a place of love and I’m not just being a turd.”

With everything going for him, Sarkisian knows that when adversity strikes during the season, his starting quarterback will battle through.

“He’s prepared for the moment, but now it’s time for him to go do it,” Sarkisian said.

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Texas is coming off its first appearance in the College Football Playoff, and head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are working to return to the postseason amid their move to the Southeastern Conference.

Sarkisian and the Longhorns held their annual Orange-White Game on Saturday, splitting the team into an intrasquad scrimmage and seeing Team Orange win 35-34 over Team White. Between their 37-31 defeat to Washington in the Sugar Bowl, managing roster construction and building during spring practice, Sarkisian said the Longhorns have looked for their identity for the 2024 season.

READ: Former Trojans WR Mike Williams joins USC as Director of Player Development

“Between a lot of these mid-year high school kids and the transfers that showed up in the program, we had to kind of recreate ourselves this spring,” Sarkisian said. “And I thought that the buy-in was there. I would say this, like, our practices were really competitive. And they were hard. And they were tough, and they were physical. But yet, they really were working with one another to try to get better, and to me that that sets us up for June. As you guys know, in June and July, we do a ton of culture work and that’s when we really start on that stuff. But man, I feel like we’ve almost got a head start on that because of the way they competed in spring.”

READ: NCAA penalizes Arizona State for ‘impermissible in-person recruiting contacts’

Texas took in several transfers since the offseason began, including Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Bond. He impressed with 98 receiving yards across three catches, including a 75-yard touchdown thrown by redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning. Bond, entering his junior year, caught 888 yards and five touchdowns with the Crimson Tide, and he figures to be a weapon for Longhorns starting quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Ewers played two series, and senior defensive lineman Alfred Collins returned a tipped pass 32 yards for a touchdown when Ewers was in the game. Texas’ returning third-year starting quarterback said gaining chemistry with new receivers was among his top priorities this spring.

“Some of the goals were obviously just needed to get to know those guys — a bunch of new faces in that room — and be able to connect on the field and even off the field,” Ewers said. “But I think as a whole that whole room did a great job of coming in this entire spring and really trying to put their head down whether that’d be learning the offense for some of these guys or continue to work on their routes for the guys that do know the offense and just come out each day. And again, just put their head down and go to work, so proud of those guys for that.”

Wide receivers senior Thatcher Milton had a 50-yard receiving touchdown, sophomore DeAndre Moore Jr. had 93 receiving yards and a touchdown, and freshman Ryan Wingo scored on a 56-yard touchdown.

READ: NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves ‘optional technology rules’ for 2024 season

Manning shined in the spring game. By halftime he’d gone 11-for-13 with 190 passing yards and two touchdowns eventually finishing with 335 yards and three scores.

“The biggest thing I saw from Arch was something that we kind of really harped on with him about a week and a half ago about just dialing into playing the play, keeping your eyes up, and I think I talked about this last week: when he gets himself in trouble at times at quarterback is when he relies on his athleticism, which he has a ton of and he can do, and there’s times today I blew the whistle on him,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t know if he was really happy with me that I blew it, but he’s noncontact. But when he keeps his eyes up and steps up in the pocket, and he can deliver those balls down the field the way we’d like to play. And so it was good to see and was good to see some of the guys around him play with him the way that they did.”

The Longhorns will begin summer workouts until the start of fall camp in August. They’re looking forward to opening the season against Colorado State at home on Aug. 31.

Texas will have an interesting schedule its first year in the Southeastern Conference. Sarkisian and the Longhorns will host Florida, Georgia and Kentucky, and they’ll travel to Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

READ: Arizona State QB Jaden Rashada announces transfer

The summer yields vital results when players focus on continuing their progress from the spring. Sarkisian said he’ll hold exit meetings with each player who’ll also meet with their position coaches. Sarkisian listed the defensive line and secondary among the areas he hopes the Longhorns can address this summer — as well as getting Texas back to the Playoff.

“What excited me today is that playmakers made plays, and that’s something that you try to recruit to, and how do playmakers make plays? You got to be effective at the line of scrimmage, right?” Sarkisian said. “I think that that we’ve got a lot of talent. We’ve got — there’s a lot of playmakers. We play a physical brand of football. But more importantly, I like the kind of energy of this team. They’re in it together, and they want to be really good. And when you as a coach, when you have a team that’s motivated to shoot towards a goal like you are, that’s what makes it exciting to come in every day and to tap into them and go to work.”

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This year, record-breaking runs and jumps took center stage, all the while spiral passes were aplenty and many an NFL executive likely left with new impressions on some of their future players. 

READ: Pitt WR Bub Means looks to gain momentum from NFL Combine

Widely projected No. 1 overall pick USC quarterback Caleb Williams was among the biggest talking points of the combine. Williams chose not to take part in measurements and on-field workouts, instead opting to share medical information with specific teams interested in drafting him, and he did take the podium for a media session. 

Also absent from the combine was Biletnikoff Award winner and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. He’ll likely compete at the Buckeyes Pro Day on March 20. 

The NFL Draft is less than two months away beginning April 25 in Detroit. Here are five takeaways from this year’s combine. 

Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy breaks records. Could he climb the draft board? 

John Ross’ previous combine 40-yard dash record has been broken. 

It took Texas wide receiver Xaver Worthy two tries before he earned the crown of fastest 40 time in combine history. Worthy blazed his way to a 4.21 official time, topping Ross’ best by 0.01 seconds. 

So now, how does this affect Worthy’s draft positioning? According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects, Worthy is No. 41 among top players expected to be taken in April’s NFL Draft. 

Ross went No. 9 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft. Worthy might not be selected that high while competing against other receivers such as Harrison, LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze for who takes WR1 this draft, but his 40-yard dash time will certainly draw interest from NFL teams. 

Worthy finished second in the Big 12 Conference with 1,014 receiving yards and third with 75 receptions. He added five touchdown receptions. 

Could a defensive back make a surprise early selection? 

Every year since the 2020 NFL Draft, a defensive back has been selected within the top 10 picks. 

READ: Texas WR Xavier Worthy breaks 40-yard dash record with 4.21 time at NFL Combine

According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50draft-eligible prospects, the highest ranked defensive back is Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold at No. 9. 

Arnold had a strong combine performance in Indianapolis. He scored a 90 on the production rating to place first among cornerbacks, according to NFL.com. 

Arnold ran a 4.5 40 and leapt to a 10-foot, nine-inch broad jump and 37-inch vertical. He led the Southeastern Conference with 17 passes defended and tied for first with five interceptions last season. 

Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins also impressed with his speed. He ran a 4.28 40, fastest among cornerbacks, but felt a pop in his groin and dealt with injury. 

Among other combine standouts in the secondary were Utah safety Cole Bishop and Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell. Bishop ran a 4.45 40, fifth-fastest among safeties, and Mitchell led with 20 reps on the bench press. 

Each year it seems a defensive back rises the draft board and hears his name called earlier than expected. The 2024 NFL Draft might not be much different for teams looking to upgrade their secondary. 

Which lineman saw his draft value rise most? 

Sometimes, the game is won in the trenches. 

Defensive linemen kicked off the combine on Thursday and offensive linemen wrapped up the event on Sunday. Plenty of players stood out along the line of scrimmage and during on-field workouts, leading to eyebrow-raising evaluations for some. 

Penn State tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Georgia’s Amarius Mims didn’t compete fully due to injuries. Fashanu suffered a right thigh injury, while Mims had a right hamstring injury, according to Stacey Dales of NFL Network. Both are projected to be among the top offensive linemen taken in the draft. 

READ: Alabama WR Jermaine Burton ready to ‘bring the same intensity and energy’ on Saturdays to NFL Combine

Wisconsin center Tanor Bortolini might be one lineman who saw his value rise most. Bortolini ran a 4.94 40, which was the second-fastest time among offensive linemen, and his 99 athleticism score was first among centers according to NFL.com. 

Who might’ve rose most along the defensive line? Well, one wouldn’t have to look much further than the South. 

Florida State’s Braden Fiske and Texas’ Byron Murphy II clamored some of the most buzz on Day 1 of the combine. Both defensive tackles placed among the top-three at their position in the 40, running 4.87 or better, while Fiske led with a 33.5-inch vertical, 9-foot, nine-inch broad jump and 4.37 shuttle run. 

Murphy had top-five finishes in the 10-yard split, vertical and on the bench. The DeSoto, Texas, native had 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks last season. 

For teams looking to take an anchor along the line this draft, they’ll have some viable options to choose from. 

Longhorns likely a strong combine winner 

Perhaps no other college program had a better combine than Texas. 

Murphy opened some eyes during defensive tackle drills, and his teammate and Outland Trophy winner T’Vondre Sweat was expected to lead in his group as well. 

Sweat ran a 5.27 40 with a 1.8-second 10-yard split, and he also jumped 26 inches on the vertical and 8-feet, 2-inches on the broad jump. His production score was fourth among defensive tackles according to NFL.com. 

READ: Arizona WR Jacob Cowing hopes to impress at NFL Combine

In addition to the defensive line standouts was Worthy, who broke the record for fastest 40 time with a 4.21 clock. 

Texas had 11 participants in the combine this year: Murphy, Sweat, Worthy, running backs Jonathon Brooks and Keilan Robinson, wide receivers Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, offensive lineman Christian Jones, linebacker Jaylan Ford and defensive back Ryan Watts. 

The Longhorns went 12-2 last season and won the Big 12, advancing to their first College Football Playoff appearance under third-year head coach Steve Sarkisian. They’ll return quarterback Quinn Ewers for his senior season. 

According to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects, Murphy is the highest projected at No. 22. Mitchell is close behind at No. 33. 

All eyes are on USC’s Caleb Williams and LSU’s Jayden Daniels 

The combine this year didn’t get to see a pair of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks throw on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. 

But the beat goes on. 2022 Heisman winner Williams will have the chance to throw at the Trojans’ Pro Day on March 20, and LSU quarterback and last season’s Heisman recipient Jayden Daniels will throw at his Pro Day on March 27. 

Williams said it was a team decision for him not to take part in measurements and on-field workouts, and Daniels spoke similarly while both met with numerous NFL teams. 

Williams is No. 1 and Daniels is No. 6 — one spot behind North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye at No. 5 — according to Daniel Jeremiah’s top 50 draft-eligible prospects list. 

READ: Oregon State WR Anthony Gould wants to ‘give the scouts a reason to cut up my tape’ at NFL Combine

The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the draft, and they have an interesting situation to address with starter Justin Fields. The Bears have been tied to Williams plenty this draft cycle, while rumors swirl about Daniels being picked as early as No. 2 to the Washington Commanders or No. 3 to the New England Patriots. 

Much is left to be determined between now and the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. Both Williams and Daniels will throw at their pro days and continue to meet with NFL teams. 

But the race for the No. 1 pick is on. 

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The Longhorns announced Jan. 14 that they reached an agreement with Sarkisian on a four-year contract extension keeping him at the helm through 2030.

READ: George Kliavkoff, Pac-12 ‘mutually’ part ways effective Feb. 29

Details of Sarkisian’s contract extension have been revealed, according to multiple sources.

According to Mark Schlabach of ESPN, Sarkisian’s extension “will nearly double his annual compensation to more than $10 million per season through 2030.”

According to Danny Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, Sarkisian will earn $10.3 million during the 2024 season and make $100,000 annual increases through the end of the contract.

The University of Texas System board of regents are scheduled to meet Feb. 21-22 and expected to approve Sarkisian’s extension, according to ESPN.

READ: EA Sports releases ‘College Football 25’ teaser trailer

Among the details the board of regents are expected to consider within Sarkisian’s extension include 20 hours annually of personal use of a private aircraft provided by the university, annual performance incentives that max out at $1.85 million one of which being $300,000 for winning a conference championship, and a one-time payment of $300,000 before April 1, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Sarkisian and the Longhorns will join the Southeastern Conference ahead of the 2024 season thanks to conference realignment. They’ll be joined by fellow Big 12 departure Oklahoma.

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The deal leaves Sarkisian in place through the 2030 season.

“I said it when I came here three years ago, this is a dream job for me. It’s a destination job, and I’m fired up every day to be the head coach at The University of Texas,” Sarkisian stated in a release. “We’re thrilled with what we’ve been able to accomplish and proud of the culture we’ve built and the way our players have grown — on and off the field. But we’re just getting started. I’ve said it all along, we’ve been building this program for long term success. We’re here to chase greatness, win championships, and be one of the best in the nation year in and year out. And we’re so lucky to have an awesome group of players, a great staff, an unbelievably supportive administration, and the power of Longhorn Nation behind us to help us do that. I can’t thank CDC, President (Jay) Hartzell and Chairman (Kevin) Eltife enough for their commitment to our mission from day one, and I’m grateful for their continued support.” 

READ: Alabama hires officially Washington’s Kalen DeBoer as next head coach 

Sarkisian and the Longhorns completed the 2023 season as champions of the Big 12 Conference. It marked the end of the third of an original six-year contract for Sarkisian. 

The season also marked Texas’ first College Football Playoff appearance. The Longhorns finished No. 3 in the CFP rankings and advanced to the Sugar Bowl and played No. 2 Washington. 

READ: Reports: Alabama WR Isaiah Bond enters transfer portal 

Under Sarkisian, the Longhorns have been ranked among the top-25 in The Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association polls for 20-straight weeks. Sarkisian has a 25-14 record at Texas. 

“What Coach Sarkisian has done in building us back into one of the nation’s premier football programs has been awesome to watch,” Texas athletics director Chris Del Conte stated in a release. “Last year was a historic one and a joy to be a part of, but the steadfast commitment he’s made in establishing the foundation of a program built for long-term success is such a critical piece to this. His leadership, ability to develop players, and the way he and his staff get the best out of each and every student-athlete and the entire team is extraordinary.” 

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The top-ranked Buckeyes will hit the road for a second-consecutive week when they travel to face Rutgers, which boasts a 6-2 record on an upward trajectory. The Scarlet Knights have won each of their past two games. 

PODCAST: Lance Leipold is the Exact Opposite of Deion Sanders 

Sticking in the Big Ten Conference, No. 3 Michigan will play host to Purdue as the Boilermakers look to play spoiler to the Wolverines’ undefeated season. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

No. 23 Kansas State at No. 7 Texas 

There are plenty of Big 12 Conference title implications in this one. 

No. 7 Texas will play host to a hot No. 23 Kansas State team entering Austin, Texas, on a three-game winning streak. 

Quinn Ewers continues to deal with a shoulder injury. The Longhorns will have a question mark at quarterback. 

Maalik Murphy quarterbacked the Longhorns for the entirety of the game against BYU. Murphy completed 64% of his passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while the Texas defense terrorized Cougars quarterback Kedon Slovis for two interceptions. 

The Wildcats have outscored their past three opponents 120-24, and they’ve done so with a rolling offense. Kansas State has posted three-consecutive games of at least 394 total yards of offense, peaking at 587 yards recorded against TCU. 

“This is a really hot team right now. They’ve been playing as good as anybody in the country in all three phases for the last two to three weeks,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I think it’s really important that we focus on us and what we need to do, that the details and the level of physicality in which we play the game are at the forefront of what we do. I do believe our best football is still ahead of us, and that part is exciting to me, and we’re going to need to play complimentary football Saturday against a very good, well-coached football team in Kansas State.” 

No. 12 Missouri at No. 2 Georgia 

The No. 2 Bulldogs will face their second ranked opponent of the season on Saturday when No. 12 Missouri comes to town. 

These two teams faced off a season ago in Columbia, Missouri. The Tigers had Georgia’s number for most of the game, getting out to a 13-0 lead that turned into a 16-6 halftime advantage. 

Georgia scored two rushing touchdowns in the final 10 minutes of the game to complete its comeback and win 26-22. 

This season, Missouri’s Brady Cook will get another chance to upend the Bulldogs against first-year starting quarterback Carson Beck, who is second in the Southeastern Conference with 2,462 passing yards. Cook is third with 2,259 passing yards. 

READ: Big Board: Week 10 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said “it helped” trailing last season against Missouri and having to come back from a double-digit deficit. 

“Being down in a game or not playing well maybe because of them playing well and you not playing well, it makes you question yourself,” Smart said. “There was a lot of things they did to help us and a lot of things that we did to help them but at the end of the day, we didn’t play very well until the fourth quarter and a lot of that had to do with them, and give them credit for the way they played. But, yeah, last year’s team, retrospect, it helped build the resiliency of that team.” 

No. 5 Washington at No. 20 USC 

A matchup between last year’s Heisman Trophy winner and this season’s frontrunner is on tap in Southern California on Saturday. 

Caleb Williams and No. 20 USC will host Michael Penix Jr. and the No. 5 Huskies. Washington came out on top 28-14 in their last meeting during the 2019 season — before either head coach Lincoln Riley or Kalen DeBoer took their posts at their respective programs. 

Both USC and Washington are atop the Pac-12 Conference standings at 5-1 and 5-0 in conference play this year, respectively. The Trojans are reeling from having lost two of their past three games but bounced back in a close win against Cal 50-49. 

READ: Ohio State, Georgia lead first CFP rankings 

The Huskies are second in the Pac-12 in total offense behind an average of 501.3 yards per game. They’ve had a couple of relatively close calls the past two weeks against Arizona State and Stanford, winning 15-7 and 42-33 in those games, and is seeking to make another statement win. 

Riley said Washington is “a good football team” that has “done a great job this year.” 

“Their quarterback has obviously played at a high level and does a great job distributing to their playmakers which they’ve got a really good group of playmakers,” Riley said. “Runs the offense really, really well. You can tell obviously he’s got a lot of experience with Kalen and his system, and you can tell, right, that it shows up and he’s played at a high level. They’ve got some really good players defensively as well. It’s a very, very talented roster. You got a number of guys that are projected pretty high NFL draft picks, a couple on both sides of the ball so a good group. A good group, a good challenge, I mean, like it should be here at the end to have two good football teams going at it so it’s going to be great.” 

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There are four ranked matchups this week, headlined by the Red River Rivalry between No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 3 Texas in Dallas. 

PODCAST: 5 Questions Florida Needs to Answer After Loss to Kentucky

No. 1 Georgia will also look to go 6-0 and clinch bowl eligibility against No. 20 Kentucky, which is riding hot off a Top 25 upset of then-No. 22 Florida thanks to a 280-yard rushing performance by running back Ray Davis. 

Here are several games to watch this Saturday. 

No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 3 Texas  

The Red River Rivalry, in Dallas. 

The biggest stage between some of the biggest programs in all of college football is set to host Oklahoma and Texas at noon on ABC. 

“As far as this game, Red River Rivalry, that’s why we’re in college football, right, to be part be part of games like this,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Two undefeated teams, two top-25 teams. The spotlight of college football will be on us. I think that the beauty for us this will be our third top-25 matchup now in six games, and every team we’ve played has got a winning record and is doing good things. So I think that we’ve been exposed to some high level football now through five weeks and naturally we understand the emotions that will come with this game and different things. I think it’s critical for us that we have a great week of preparation, that we take it one day at a time and then we go in with the mindset to execute on Saturday.” 

The Longhorns have already claimed ranked wins at Alabama and against Kansas, and they’ll have another shot to earn a Top 25 victory once again. 

Both Oklahoma and Texas will meet one more time before the two jump from the Big 12 Conference to the Southeastern Conference beginning next year. 

READ: Big Board: Week 6

The Sooners rank ahead of Texas in total offense, averaging 510 yards per game, and the Longhorns are atop the Big 12 in total defense just ahead of Oklahoma at No. 2. 

The quarterback matchup between Quinn Ewers of Texas and Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel should be a fun one. Both gunslingers have over 1,358 passing yards. 

“Going to be again, a wonderful environment against a really talented, hot Texas team that play on paper and on film they play their best when they’re playing really good people,” Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said. “Texas has always risen to the occasion and done so but coming off a really good, strong game last week against Kansas where they had almost 700 yards of offense and really were unstoppable. And they’ve been outstanding in all the areas you peel it back whether that’s rush defense or pass defense or scoring defense or red zone defense. If that’s offensively how efficient that they’ve been. They’ve got incredible weapons at the skill position. They lost some great backs last year and they’ve obviously shown they’ve really recruited well. (Jonathon) Brooks is one of a number of their backs that is running really, really well. (Xavier) Worthy, (Adonai) Mitchell, (Ja’Tavion) Sanders, amongst others are just some really incredibly talented players. Ewers was a true freshman last year, played pretty dang good and he’s playing at a really high level. Obviously against Alabama in Tuscaloosa (he) threw for just south of 350 yards and that was the National Player of the Week. So again, we got a great, great challenge. They’re spearheaded on defense by Jaylan Ford who is as good of a linebacker that’s out there in college football, and special teams have been really strong for them. But again, I like where we’re at as well. I want to see where we’re at. If you want to continue to improve and create change, we’re certainly not where we want to be by in any way shape or form, that doesn’t mean that you’re not thankful for your players and your coaches and the hard work that guys have put in and the success that we’ve had you got to celebrate.” 

No. 13 Washington State at UCLA  

Both Washington State and UCLA are coming off bye weeks, and they’ll meet in the Rose Bowl on Saturday. 

Washington State head coach Jake Dickert said he’s familiar with Chip Kelly’s style of offense. Though, Dickert also said he has “not seen a bigger, longer defense” than UCLA’s “in a long time.”

READ: Quotables: Week 5

“These guys are long and have great length and they’re attacking, and they’re playing tremendously on that side of the ball,” Dickert said. “I mean, it is impressive to watch their physicality, the (Laiatu) Latu kid is a problem. Most people have him in the top half of the first round. And then 53 when the Hawaii contingent was here, they used to talk about this kid. He is physical, he is downhill, he is aggressive. So I think they’re playing with supreme confidence on that side of the ball and it’s showing as one of the best defenses in our league so it presents a big challenge, especially up front and how much they want to blitz. 

Washington State has generated the No. 4 total offense in the Pac-12, averaging 533.8 yards per game. 

In the Cougars’ most recent game, their quarterback Cam Ward threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns. 

Offense has helped lead Washington State to its first 4-0 start since 2017, and Dickert expects this one to come down to a defensive battle. 

“They got a great receiver on the outside, and very unique schemes” Dickert said. “I mean, very unique schemes and week to week changes quite a bit, and I think it’s well documented how hard it is to go down in L.A. and win.” 

No. 2 Michigan at Minnesota  

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has found a rhythm to begin the 2023 season. 

He is No. 5 among passers with a 191.64 passing efficiency rating, and McCarthy is No. 3 behind a 79% completion. 

PODCAST: What we learned coming out of week five

McCarthy’s favorite target is far and away receiver Roman Wilson, who has caught eight of McCarthy’s 10 touchdown passes. 

The Wolverines got out to their 5-0 start without their head coach Jim Harbaugh for the first three games. Since his return in Week 4, Michigan has outscored its two opponents 76-14 allowing two touchdowns. 

Harbaugh said he sees another good defense on the Wolverines’ hands, and the Golden Gophers rank in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten in scoring and total defense. 

“Another really good defense, really stout,” Harbaugh said. “The quarterback has really come along, and they have a tremendous ability to run the ball. Physical team that is going to be, I mean, I love how they play. It’s an emotional, fired up type of team. P.J. (Fleck) does a great job. I mean, you can always tell they’re confident no matter what, no matter what the stakes are, the odds are, you just see it in the way they play. They play hard. It’s all you can ever ask for as a coach from your players is that they play hard. Our guys are doing it. Minnesota’s guys are. It’ll be a football fight like it is every Saturday, and we got to play good.” 

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There are four ranked matchups on the schedule this week. Friday will get the ranked ballgames started when No. 10 Utah travels to No. 19 Oregon State, which suffered its first loss of the season to No. 16 Washington State.

PODCAST: It Was Always Going to End This Way for Mel Tucker

Cougars quarterback Cam Ward earned Pac-12 offensive player of the week honors after a 404-yard performance. Ward added four touchdowns and completed 82.4% of his passes, good for seventh-best in program history. 

Here are several games to watch this week. 

No. 22 Florida at Kentucky 

A matchup between two 4-0 programs is set to take place at Kroger Field on Saturday. 

Defense just might be the name of the game and the key to victory for either team. Neither Florida nor Kentucky rank in the upper half of the Southeastern Conference in total offense, and the Gators are No. 8 while Kentucky is No. 9. 

The Wildcats are entering their first ranked matchup of the season, and it comes two years after they upset No. 10 Florida at home 20-13. The Gators had Kentucky’s number 29-21 during the 2019 season. 

“I mentioned last week when they talked about them beating us in the year before it really doesn’t have any bearing on that game,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said. “If it does for our players, if they come in locked in early in the week then that’s the way I expect our team to be anyway. We’re playing Florida. You know it’s going to take a great effort. We’re playing that home; we should have a great sense of pride. And I think there’s that term that we use a lot in our program is that divine discontent. We know there’s more out there. We know we can play better, and that ought to be our motivation.” 

READ: Big Board: Week 5

Stoops also had positives to say about Florida quarterback Graham Mertz, who considered Kentucky when he entered the transfer portal after last season. 

“He’s been very good with the football,” Stoops said. “I think they have very few turnovers in general. I want to say he only maybe has one, and he’s been very efficient. Very smart getting rid of the football and taking care of the ball and running their offense, and he’s been very efficient. So he’s played very well.” 

No. 24 Kansas at No. 3 Texas 

A Big 12 matchup is set to take place in Austin, Texas, and the two teams between Kansas and Texas have a history. 

The Jayhawks topped Texas in 2021 during what was only their second win of the season Nov. 13, 2021. Kansas finished 2-10 that year, while Texas went 5-7 in Steve Sarkisian’s first year as head coach. 

Texas got back at Kansas last season with a 55-14 blowout at home. The loss left a bad taste in the Jayhawks’ mouths. 

“Old news, it doesn’t matter,” Kansas head coach Lance Leipold said. “Both teams are significantly better. And it doesn’t do you — it’s honestly it’s so far in the past. We got to keep moving. Yeah, it helped this program. It helped our players but we can’t, yeah, that’s about it.”

READ: Quotables: Week 4

And now, Leipold said the athleticism stands out about Texas now. 

“Yeah, and I guess I’ll add to that. I hope it’s the last time I have to answer that question this week honestly, I do,” Leipold said. “I really want to focus on our team now and where we’re going because that’s what’s important. It’s an excellent football team across the board. You can tell for coach Sarkisian, the staff he’s put on it offensively, he’s one of the best playcallers in the country. The movements and shifts and different looks that he gives, how they spread the ball about the playmakers that they have, huge up front and very athletic, well coached offensive line. And then defensively a front that, again, I think that’s a group from if you are going to keep looking at our previous meetings, I think that the defensive line continued improvement for them and consistency, maybe not improvement, but just consistent play and physical, tough kids. Linebackers who are extremely physical and run well. So yeah, it’s definitely to me a different team and a huge challenge for us and one that we’ve got to have our best week of preparation yet.” 

Kansas’ offense is No. 5 in the Big 12 averaging 37.8 points per game, and Texas is right behind at an average of 35 points per outing. 

Both the Jayhawks and Longhorns are in the top-three in their conference in total defense, as Kansas is second allowing 296.8 yards per game and Texas is third giving up 298.5 yards per game. 

No. 13 LSU at No. 20 Ole Miss 

LSU is seeking to reenter itself back into the College Football Playoff mix. 

After suffering a Week 1 upset to No. 5 Florida State, head coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers had to do a bit of soul searching to figure out what kind of team they are. 

Now they go on the road for two games, and the first will be against No. 20 Ole Miss, which lost 30-24 to No. 12 Alabama.

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Quarterback Jayden Daniels has played steadily in 2023. He’s eclipsed 320 passing yards in each of the past two games, and he threw four touchdowns last week against Arkansas. 

One of Daniels’ targets had a breakout game against the Razorbacks, as Malik Nabers became the 13^th player in LSU history to catch over 200 yards. He finished with 239 receiving yards and two touchdowns. 

Ole Miss will bring a defense that ranks No. 61 in total defense, allowing over 351 yards per game. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins is tied for third with three sacks this season. 

Kelly thinks LSU has learned about itself through the first four weeks of the season, and this week he’s hoping to see a complete game with a distinctiveness about the team.  

“I’m seeing that starting to evolve in that identity, and look, I mean, there are times when you play in quality competition that you get a better sense and feel for your team. And especially when you’re down, right?” Kelly said. “We weren’t down against Mississippi State at anytime. We weren’t down at any time against Grambling. And we really didn’t have the right mix of mindset going into the Florida State game. So this was our first chance really to identify who we were when we got down late, and we immediately responded and we came out in the second half and played the kind of football that I expect. Never flinching, knowing that we were going to take some more shots and when we gave up a play, we forgot about it and we got to the next play.” 

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Week 3 presents a slate of games that appears interesting, especially for ranked teams on the road. Eight ranked programs are on the road this week including four of the top-10.  

No. 1 Georgia hosts South Carolina in a Southeastern Conference matchup. The Bulldogs are already 2-0 behind 577 passing yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Carson Beck, while the Gamecocks are led by Spencer Rattler for a second-straight season.  

Here are several games to watch this week.  

No. 3 Florida State at Boston College  

The Seminoles are off to one of the hottest starts in college football propelling themselves to No. 3 in the latest Associated Press Top 25, thanks in large part to their Week 1 victory over then-No. 5 LSU.  

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis has had back-to-back games of at least 175 passing yards and two touchdowns. The sixth-year gunslinger has also had his legs involved on the ground, rushing for at least 20 yards in both outings this season. 

While the Seminoles have an eight-game winning streak which is the longest in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Boston College enters with a 1-1 record. 

Florida State head coach Mike Norvell said the Seminoles can appreciate their surge up to No. 3 in the poll, their highest ranking since 2017, but there is still more work to do in order to truly embrace it all.  

“There is an appreciation for where we’ve come because I watch our players work. I watch what they put into it. I see how hard our coaches coach. I see the program-wide investment to see guys believe, get better and then you obviously respond to the situations that we have found ourselves in,” Norvell said. “Oh, somebody says that we’re highly rated or highly ranked, whatever, or not. None of that matters. It’s about what we are willing to do when we show up and when we go to work. I believe in this team, I believe in this team for what they’ve been through. I believe in this team for the guys that have said yes to come be a part of it and the challenges that are presented to them when they were making that choice.”  

No. 8 Washington at Michigan State 

A matchup between future conference members of the Big Ten is on tap in East Lansing, Michigan, this Saturday. 

The No. 8 Huskies enter 2-0 behind strong quarterback outings from Michael Penix Jr. Penix currently leads the NCAA in total offense with an average of 434 yards per game. 

Washington has outscored its two opponents 99-29 through the first two games. The strengths for the Huskies remain in the passing game, and receiver Rome Odunze leads the team with 239 receiving yards. 

Michigan State will be without head coach Mel Tucker, who is suspended without pay as he is subject of an ongoing sexual harassment investigation. 

“I think the thing that we’ve just focused on, it’s our season theme, is us versus us and just focusing on what we’re in charge of, what we control,” Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “We know we’re going to go out there. It’s going to be a hostile environment and I think anytime there’s strife and things like that it has an effect for teams at times to pull them closer together, and so I think without a doubt in my mind they’re going to come out ready to rip and play well.”  

Wyoming at No. 4 Texas  

It’s all about trust for Texas.  

The Longhorns are one of the several AP Top 10 teams at home this week, and they will do so defending their new positioning in the rankings.  

Quinn Ewers and Texas prevailed over then-No. 3 Alabama last week, besting the Crimson Tide 34-24. Ewers claimed a number of national awards for his performance as he threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns.  

Wyoming enters this week’s bout 2-0 behind quarterback Andrew Peasley. The Cowboys also lead the Mountain West Conference in sacks averaging 3.5 per game. 

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said the Longhorns have “aspirations of being champions this year,” and they’re off to a hot start on their way to possibly claiming a Big 12 title and more. 

“We have an adage, trust equals time plus consistency. And so it takes time to earn trust,” Sarkisian said. “But you also have to be consistent, whether you’re a person, a staff, whatever you are, so that they can feel what it looks like over and over and over. It’s hard to trust somebody when two days you do something one way then the third day, you totally contradict yourself. And so we’ve tried to be really consistent with our messaging, and we knew over time as our program grew that we could earn more trust along the way.” 

The post Preview Thursday: Week 3 appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Associated Press Top 25 Poll has undergone changes to its top-4 each of the past two weeks. While Georgia and Michigan sit firmly at Nos. 1-2, respectively, the teams at Nos. 3-4 have shuffled. 

Florida State rose to No. 3 this week after claiming a second-consecutive victory by a 66-13 margin over Southern Mississippi. 

While Alabama fell to Texas, the Longhorns climbed into playoff territory at No. 4. 

Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 2 to Week 3.   

Phil Jurkovec, Pitt 

Pitt suffered a disappointing home loss to Cincinnati over the weekend, and the home fans made sure to let the Panthers know about it. 

The Panthers trailed by as many as 20 points during the game against the Bearcats. A comeback bid fell short as Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec threw two second-half touchdowns. 

Boos apparently rang through Acrisure Stadium to the disapproval of Jurkovec, who had a strong thought of his own about what he heard. 

“I think if you’re a grown a– man booing in that stadium, then you got to look at things yourself,” Jurkovec said. “I think that’s pathetic, but you know what we didn’t play well enough so we’re going to be better.” 

Nick Saban, Alabama 

The Crimson Tide suffered their first loss of the season to Steve Sarkisian, one of Saban’s former assistant coaches, and the Longhorns last Saturday. 

It marked Saban’s third loss to one of his former assistant coaches, and the win vaulted Texas up to No. 3 in the AP poll. 

One of the messages Saban wanted to make at his postgame press conference was that the Crimson Tide “appreciate the support” of the 100,077 fans in the stands at Bryant-Denny Stadium despite a 34-24 outcome. 

“I do think that there was a great atmosphere out there and our fans that a tremendous job,” Saban said. “We appreciate the support. It was fantastic, and you know, it’s a privilege to play in games like this. It’s a privilege to play at the University of Alabama. It’s a privilege to play where you have such great tradition. It’s a privilege to play where you have such great fan support, so we really appreciate it. Thank you.” 

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado 

The rivalry between Colorado and Nebraska is storied and real. 

This season, the Buffaloes have Deion Sanders and a transformed roster on their side while Matt Rhule took over head coaching duties at Nebraska. Colorado kept its momentum going and moved to 2-0 behind a 36-14 rout of the Cornhuskers. 

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders threw for 393 yards and two touchdowns in his performance one week after breaking the program record for passing yards among others. 

Shedeur Sanders said after the game that the meeting between the Buffaloes and Cornhuskers was “personal” to him, his team and his family. Below is his full quote. 

“It was extremely personal,” Shedeur Sanders said. “We go out there and warm up. You got the coach of the other team trying to stand in the middle of the buff like it’s OK. If like a couple players do it it’s fine. Like just enjoy the scenery but when you got the whole team trying to disrespect it, I’m not going for that at all so I went in there and disrupted it so they knew I was repping, like no. The Buffaloes mean a lot to me. And personally, that’s what I was seeing pregame and that’s when I knew it was just extreme disrespect and that’s why. The coach said a lot of things about my pops, about the program but now that he wants to act nice I don’t respect that because you’re hating on another man. You shouldn’t do that. So it was just all respect was gone for them and their program. Now I like playing against their DC. I like playing against him but the respect level, it ain’t there because you disrespected us first.” 

The post Quotables: Week 2 appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Quinn Ewers led the No. 3 Longhorns Saturday night when Texas and the No. 3 Crimson Tide met on the football field. Ewers threw three touchdowns and 349 yards, and he put Texas on his back in the second half. 

The Longhorns already commanded a 13-6 halftime lead after two quarters. What happened next was out of a 12-round boxing match. 

Alabama scored 10 unanswered points to start the third quarter thanks largely in part to a 49-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe to Jermaine Burton. 

Leading 16-13, the Crimson Tide then surrendered a touchdown pass of their own, as Ewers found Adonai Mitchell from seven yards out for the go-ahead score. It flipped the scoreboard in favor of Texas, and the Longhorns held on to a 34-24 victory.

Milroe threw an interception as the Crimson Tide tried to answer Texas’ game-winning score. Jonathon Brooks followed by running in a 4-yard touchdown to give Texas a lead of as much as 27-16 with 13:50 left to play in the fourth quarter. 

Milroe later made up for his interception on a 39-yard touchdown pass to Amari Niblack with just over 11 minutes to play in the final quarter. Milroe finished with 255 passing yards and two touchdowns and interceptions apiece. 

It marked the possible final meeting between Texas and Alabama before the two programs compete against one another in conference play in the Southeastern Conference. It also was the first time the two teams met in Tuscaloosa since 1902, and it snapped Alabama’s 43-game winning streak in nonconference matchups and 21-game home win streak. 

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Entering his first season as starting quarterback and succeeding former Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, Milroe said the Crimson Tide want to “let a naysayer know” this year. 

“We came as one unit to try to think of something, a motto, that’ll our push our team,” Milroe said. “There was a lot of doubt that took place throughout the offseason, and just a lot of things that took place in, so that was one thing. We came together as one group, one unit, to try to think of a motto, so that’s one of our mottos this year.” 

Alabama looks to get back to the College Football Playoff after missing it for the first time in three seasons. If the Crimson Tide want to return to the Playoff, Milroe will be one of the key reasons why. 

Milroe said he thought his performance in the season-opener last Saturday against Middle Tennessee “was a start.” He was involved in five touchdowns — throwing for three and running for two. 

“There’s a start for everything, and the one thing I want to do is just improve,” Milroe said. “That’s one thing that I wanted to do was appreciate the win number one, but also look in the mirror and try to look at, ‘Hey, how can I be a better leader? How can I be a better passer? How could I be more efficient?’ So just overall, just trying to improve.” 

All of those skills and intangibles are things Milroe has been working on. 

Milroe backed up Young the past two seasons, exiting the high school ranks as a four-star recruit in the class of 2021. 

Milroe threw for 194 yards during his first start last Saturday. It wasn’t near his first game experience as he appeared in eight games a season ago, something that helped him remain ready against the Blue Raiders. 

“I think nervousness comes from lack of preparation,” Milroe said. “I think how I prepared throughout the week allows confidence on Saturdays. And also just trying to that hunger. That hunger to improve, just the meeting with the offensive staff, coach Reese, and just speaking our game plan. I think that’s key just trying to be the most prepared as possible and just approach everyday trying to get 1% better.” 

Getting 1% better is something Milroe strives for, and it’s something his head coach will continue to look for as he turns the quarterbacking reins over to Milroe. 

“I think he’s more confident doing a good job in the passing game. His athleticism helps him,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “I think as he continues to develop and gain experience he’s going to play better and better.” 

This week, Milroe and Alabama will play against No. 11 Texas, a team that the Crimson Tide defeated a year ago thanks to a go-ahead field goal in the final minute of the fourth quarter. 

Milroe knows the challenge ahead of him, and so does Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. 

“Jalen is a fantastic player,” Sarkisian said. “He’s got a dynamic arm. He can make every throw in the book: off platform, on the run, doesn’t matter. He’s a tremendous runner. He’s an elite runner with the ball on his hand with his speed and his physicality, and he’s highly competitive. He’s a really good leader.” 

Sarkisian recalled recruiting Milroe when he was with the Alabama coaching staff before he took over at Texas in 2021. 

“We had Jalen in camp, and I was really impressed by him in camp. I loved his parents, the military background, the work ethic that he had, the leadership that he possessed,” Sarkisian said. “The physical ability that he had, the arm talent, the legs, the leadership, and he ended up committing to us at the University of Alabama and I think it might have been a couple months later I get the job here at the University of Texas so I was kind of kicking myself a little bit, but that’s part of it.” 

Milroe offers a dynamic athletic package in that he stands 6-foot-2 and can make plays with his arm or legs. He rushed for a team-high 48 yards in the opener. 

Milroe said he thinks the key is “just trusting the process” in order to become the best quarterback he can be. 

“Trusting every moment no matter if it’s a good day or a bad day, just learning,” Milroe said. “Learning and growing. That’s key to any person that’s trying to develop, and that’s the biggest thing I want to do is constantly try to improve, try to be the best version I can while I wear the Crimson and White.” 

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