Photo by Sara Diggins, Austin American-Statesman
No. 1 Texas Longhorns 20, No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers 17
The Longhorns are No. 1 in both polls and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference after escaping Knoxville with a hard fought win and averting near disaster at the end of the game (including overcoming a blown call on the onside kick). It was an old school defensive war, with the teams combining for just 483 yards of offense (and 647 yards of punts). Texas recorded 10 sacks (12 TFL), and Tennessee had 6 sacks (10 TFL). Colin Simmons set a program record with 5.5 sacks. A remarkable day in Neyland for No. 1.
Very appropriate to say that the Texas defense won the game for the Longhorns. Kudos to Will Muschamp and his guys for a fantastic game plan and to the players for their execution and intensity. Arch Manning led the Longhorns to another win over a ranked opponent. The offense wasn’t much to enjoy after the opening drive until deep into the fourth quarter, but when it clicked it was good. Review of the game below, and a little Good, Bad, and Ugly.
Seven teams in the Southeastern Conference played road games last week. Only one won. That’d be us.
The Recap 🎥
https://x.com/TexasFootball/status/2105089243668226331?s=20
Monday Morning Highlights.
https://x.com/texasfootball/status/2104555531742670865?s=43
Very bummed – no Longhorns en Español this week.
Hero Kanu on The Jim Rome Show. Great interview. Kanu’s segment starts at the 1:10 mark, I skipped a little bit with the link below. Interesting stuff, Jim Rome is still Jim Rome.
Chris Del Conte
In his weekly “Forty Acres Insider”, the Vice President and Lois and Richard Folger Athletics Director of The University of Texas at Austin, opened with the Colin Simmons and Raleek Brown embarrassments in Knoxville.
We can all agree it was a heck of a game and an incredible performance on the field, but I also know we had some major issues to address with inappropriate celebrations from our players. I’m not happy about that, I know none of us are, and it was embarrassing to our proud and widely respected football team, athletics program and university. It certainly raised very warranted concerns that many of you shared with me, drew a lot of attention, and I understand why. Rest assured, Coach Sark has addressed both situations with the players individually and with the team, and he discussed them after the game and again in Monday’s press conference. As he said, it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The message is clear – the players conduct did not reflect the values of Texas Athletics or our university and cannot happen again. I also want to add my apology to our Longhorn community and everyone who expects better from Texas. We should represent this university with class, dignity and respect at all times, and in those moments, we fell short. I do recognize that these are young men who made mistakes, and this is a meaningful learning experience. They have owned their mistakes, and those actions are not reflective of who they are. They are good people who made poor choices – they know it, we know it, and they, along with our entire team, will grow from this. What matters now is that they do just that and that our entire team understands the responsibility that comes with representing The University of Texas. We are proud of the team and what it accomplished Saturday and thus far this season, and we will continue to hold ourselves to the standard that all of you rightly expect from Texas. Thank you for your passion, your candor and your unwavering support of our Longhorns.
CDC is the man. We are fortunate to have him at the helm. The reckoning of which he often speaks is wrought in large part by his leadership and vision.
From a sportsmanship perspective, this was up there with the bottle-throwing incident in the Georgia game a few years ago. Intolerable. I heard almost universal reports of how nice the Tennessee fans were, how welcome Longhorns felt, and overall how great the experience was in Knoxville and Neyland Stadium. The framers of the Texas Constitution of 1876, in Article VII, mandated that “The Legislature shall as soon as practicable, establish, organize, and provide for the maintenance, support, and direction of a university of the first class” and provided for its funding (1,000,000 acres worked out pretty good). We all know and understand that the mandate was to establish a great institution of higher learning. But by extension all Longhorns – and especially our athletes, as among the most visible representatives of The University – should strive to enhance and strengthen that character as a university of the first class by how we behave and treat others. Throwing bottles and disgusting on field celebrations obviously do the opposite. Texas Athletics has a trademarked motto –“Winning with Integrity”. I would suggest expanding that to “Winning with Integrity and Class”. As Darrell K Royal said “When you get to the end zone, act like you’ve been there before.”
College Football This Weekend
The Longhorns’ off week offers the chance to watch college football without the stress of a Texas game. Looking forward to some good couch time. A few of the highlights, and the rest of the lineup preview below.
- 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State, 11:00 a.m. on ABC. Both teams undefeated, and a good chance to watch Kamario Taylor and the Bulldogs (who will be here trick-or-treating for Halloween).
- 3 Notre Dame at North Carolina, 11:00 a.m. on ESPN.
- 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa, 2:30 p.m. on CBS.
- 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri, 2:30 p.m. on ABC. Two of the ranked teams remaining on the Texas schedule.
Not big on looking ahead, but Week 7 (Florida here) is going to be nuts.
College Football Last Weekend
That was a wild weekend.
- The Gators took Ole Miss to the woodshed, 52-28. Heck of a win for first year head coach Jon Sumrall and Florida. Peter, you are right about the Florida game – October 17 is looming large as a Top 10 showdown.
- Texas Agricultural & Mechanical 6, Louisiana State 35. Aggies never found the end zone. Some Tigers did, along with finding the yell leaders.
- Iowa 20, Michigan 19, in about as thrilling of a finish as one can script (just glad it happened in Ann Arbor and not Knoxville). Highlights, you can skip to about the 2:30 mark and watch the last couple of plays.
- Oregon surprised Lincoln Riley and the Southern Cal Trojans with a 41-27 thumping. A loss further marred by the late hit on Dante Moore. Desman Stephens, the Trojan who leveled Moore, was on the sidelines laughing afterwards. One game suspension.
Photo by Sara Diggins, Austin American-Statesman
No. 1 Texas Longhorns 20, No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers 17
I have taken different approaches to looking back at our games. Sometimes a lot of detail, almost play by play. Others, key drives and key plays. This game presented an interesting challenge because of the 25 offensive possessions, 14 ended with punts and 2 ended with turnover on downs (both by the Vols). Of those 14 series that ended in punts, 8 were 3 & outs (6 by Texas, and all of those were series where the offense gained less than 5 yards). So, a look at a few series and a few plays.
Texas got the ball to start the game, and the Longhorns did exactly what they needed to do in an SEC road game in very loud and charged-up atmosphere: Manning and Texas drove the field for a touchdown. No big surprise, the first play was a short (forward!) pass to Wingo who gained 8 yards. A couple of short runs, then Arch connected with Emmett Mosley V on a 43 yard pass to set the Horns up at the Tennessee 22. Three plays later, Brown punched it in from the 9 yard line on a good run through a nicely blocked hole to give Texas a 7-0 lead.
Tennessee’s first possession was sparked by a roughing the passer call on Lance Jackson, the 15 yards was tacked on an 11-yard gain, and in one play the Vols were at the Texas 49. Two plays later, Mascoe is called for DPI, and Tennessee was at the 30. Texas defense stiffened, got good pressure on Brandon, and didn’t get flagged again, thus halting the Volunteers’ advance at the Texas 15. Tennessee’s field goal was good. 7-3.
Texas’s next series featured a sack and an illegal forward pass penalty, thus netting minus 6 yards. Tennessee’s ended with a big Colin Simmons sack, netting minus 9 yards.
The Longhorns’ next series was pretty good: 62 yards on 10 plays, ending with a field goal. Manning completed a 15 yard pass to Wingo, a 14 yard pass to Wingo (great run after the catch), and a beautiful 29 yard pass to Jermaine Bishop, which set the Horns up with first and goal at the Tennessee 5 yard line. But Arch’s pass to Coleman (which would have been a score) was broken up, then Arch got sacked, and on third and goal from the Tennessee 7, we ran the behind the LOS screen to Brown, and Texas had to settle for 3. 10-3 Texas.
Texas forced a 3 and out, and on the next possession, Manning took a deep shot to Coleman in double coverage. Intercepted at the Tennessee 4. The teams traded punts (this was when Brandon was out with the injury), but the Texas punt was a beauty and put Tennessee back at their own 8 yard line with 8:29 to play before halftime. I really thought that the way our defense was playing, the Horns would take advantage of the field position and get the ball back quickly. Instead, Brandon led the Volunteers on a 58 yard drive. Made it happen with his arm and especially his feet. Then on third and 13, the defense got a huge push and Simmons sacked Brandon for what should have been a 16 yard loss (and the ball coming back to the Longhorns with great field position). Instead, Colin decided to play water sprinkler, and the 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty gave Tennessee a first down at the 27. I hated re-watching it. “Absolute idiotic move” – Herbstreit. Agree. The Volunteers moved the ball and had a first down at the Texas 37. Littleton did a great job in coverage and fortunately didn’t get called for pass interference. Turn over on downs. Texas moved the ball a little, but another illegal forward pass penalty effectively killed the drive and any hope of more points before halftime.
Tennessee got the ball to start the second half. I thought Texas’ ability to come out and overcome another pass interference penalty to stop the Volunteers was key. Unfortunately, complementary football was still in the locker room, and Texas went 3 and out after Manning was sacked (again) on third down. So no capitalization on the good defense to build momentum, and Texas punted.
That didn’t go well. In fact, you probably couldn’t have scripted a worse turn of events, and Banks’ special teams miscue bit us. 🐒 It was a great punt return and took advantage of poor coverage. Tied at 10.
Sark smartly responded with an attack. On the second play, Arch went deep to Coleman, who made a great catch. Tennessee got called for roughing Manning, and Texas got first and 10 at the Volunteer 30. The Horns could not take advantage of the great play, although Arch and Bishop nearly connected on a great play that would have been a first down right at the goal line. Spetic nailed the 44 yard field goal to get Texas back on top 13-10.
Brandon started moving the Vols, but Texas intensified the pressure, and back-to-back sacks by Simmons put Tennessee at 4th and 27, forcing the punt. Texas went 3 and out. The Vols picked up a first down, but punted after an OPI call killed the Tennessee drive (a bit of a theme).
Texas eked out 13 yards on 6 plays, a drive that was effectively squelched with a holding call on Robertson. Brandon tried to get the Vols moving, and Heupel showed some cojones going for it on fourth and 1 at the Tennessee 29. Credit the Vols for getting that one yard. Shortly after Kanu and Simmons added to the sack tally, and Tennessee ended up punting from its own 16 yard line on fourth and 24. Texas got the ball at the Real UT 40.
Texas got out of their offensive funk with this series, although it started with an 8 yard sack. Brown picked up 10, and then Manning connected with Wingo on a heater across the middle for an 18 yard gain to the Tennessee 40. Really good catch by Ryan. Manning went back to Wingo for 14 yards and a first down at the 26, then Cooper with a nice 9 yard run, thanks in part to some better blocking. Cooper picked up the first down, and on the next play Raleek Brown with a solid 10 yard gain as he broke it outside, to the Volunteer 4. Brown rolled into end zone to give Texas a 10 point lead with 5:41 to play. Glad he didn’t draw a flag in his unnecessary celebration.
Defense kept the momentum, forcing a turnover on downs when January sacked Brandon, giving Manning the ball at the Tennessee 41. 4:50 to play, and what we needed was to run some clock and get a couple of first downs. Instead, Heupel used his timeouts after each play, and Cooper couldn’t get any yards. Manning was sacked on third down, and after a 43 second possession and punt, Tennessee got the ball back at its 20 yard line with 3:56 to play.
Heupel and his young quarterback put together a touchdown drive. Using his arm and his legs, Brandon attacked what looked like a prevent defense, and in 165 seconds, Tennessee was in the end zone and within a field goal of tying the game.
Tennessee lined up for the onside kick, Sark called a timeout right as they were executing a drop-kick. So Banks knew what they were going to do, they did it again, and we still let the Volunteers get the ball at midfield with 72 seconds on the clock.
A stressful and ugly series. A review saved Texas some yards and cost Tennessee 10 seconds, after a first down was reversed. Then Texas blitzed and Biles sacked Brandon; no timeouts, but a Volunteer was injured to stop the clock. Brandon’s scramble was erased by a Tennessee hold, then Texas returned the favor with a face-mask penalty. So first down at the Texas 45 with 21 seconds to play. Tennessee jumped, and a short pass got the clock running. Brandon had to scramble and throw a Hail Mary, and he heaved it to the end zone. Somehow, someway, Jelani McDonald streaked across the end zone to swat away what would have been a game winning touchdown with no time on the clock. Sark said they practice it. Thank God. A wild ending to a weird game.
Kudos to the Texas defense, who held Tennessee to 70 yards rushing. Bishop managed 34 on 11 carries, just 3.1 ypc. Morris was 9 for 33 yards. The Tennessee offense was contained – one play over 25 yards, I think. That’s good.
Arch didn’t have great numbers – 14/19 for 201 yards, 1 pick. He did find his receivers downfield, and he had the stat that matters: a W. Pretty amazing we won that game without Hollywood Smothers and with Coleman only having one catch, albeit a big one for 30 yards.
Biles was the defensive leader, with 13 tackles and a sack. Cryer and Simmons each had 9 tackles.
Photo by Sara Diggins, Austin American-Statesman
Highlights from ESPN College Football, about 31 minutes.
Highlights from the SEC, less than 8 minutes
Condensed game from the SEC, 20 minutes
Every play from Texas Clips – 59 minutes
Good, Bad, and Ugly. I can’t remember which writer used to do this all the time, maybe still does. But this game had plenty of all three.
Good. The Texas defense. 10 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries (one each for Biles, Simmons, Watson, Umeozulu, Kanu, and Geffrard). The line and linebackers spent the afternoon in the Tennessee backfield.
Good. Texas receivers, a deep bench deep quality. Really like how Jermaine Bishop is coming on.
Bad. 3 for 12 on third down. Gave up 6 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. .
Bad. Punt returned against us for a touchdown and allowing the successful on-side kick.
Ugly. “simulating using the restroom” and taint whiffing.
Ugly: 11 penalties for 115 yards. Some were very inopportune.
Recap
I looked back at the keys to the game. Arch played better, but he just didn’t have time to play well. Why? We were behind the chains the whole game. We averaged 9.21 yards to go on second down. We had at least 6 first down plays that lost yards, including big ones that had Texas in 2nd with these kinds of numbers: 18, 13, 22, 15, 14, and 18 yards to go. Sark’s offense works best when the running game clicks, and you can’t get the running game going with that kind of stuff. That Texas won an SEC game on the road with only 61 yards rushing, and averaging a miserable 1.7 yards per rush, is a miracle. Oh, and Texas is now ranked 131st in the nation in tackles for loss allowed, tied with Ball State and Sam Houston State.
I said that “Texas has to get the pass rush going” and that Colin “needs to be on the ground with Faizon Brandon in his arms a lot.” Sure as hell did that. I also expected Biles to have a big game, and he did.
Texas run defense was great.
We didn’t play clean football. After just 4 for 35 against Texas State and 2 for 12 against Ohio State, the Horns have regressed: 8 for 88 yards against UTSA and a wicked bad 11 for 115 against Tennessee.
Going into the game, Heupel was 1-11 when Tennessee scored less than 21 points. He is now 1-12. Tennessee is now 2-18 in games against No. 1.
Sara Diggins
You hopefully have noticed that the last couple of years, most of the great photos from Texas games have been shot by Sara Diggins with the Statesman. She has really impressed me, and if you are on Instagram, I recommend a follow. She is an excellent photographer.
https://www.instagram.com/sara_digginsphoto
Also, here is a reel she did of her photos from the Tennessee game.
https://www.instagram.com/reels/Ddyhx0FRn1e/
Stuff
I collect an expansive array of information and factoids each week, few of which make it in to the Dispatch. Various reasons. Part of my personality, but as I insist with Kathy and my daughter Claudia, I am NOT a hoarder, I am a selective collector with broad interests. Here’s some stuff I am watching.
- There were meetings in Chicago this week to discuss expansion to a 24 team playoff. Per On3, “ACC, Big 12 and Notre Dame supporting it and the SEC open to it.” I have been a proponent of the 12-team format for a long time, because I think you must reward the regular season top performers. Query whether that bye for the top seeds is in fact a reward.
- Arch went with his dad Cooper to the Hill Country Middle School 7th grade football game this week. Pretty cool.
- Hypocrisy can be bad karma. Wouldn’t bother me for some of it to bite Urban on the butt.
- From my buddy @NashTalksTexas: No active FBS quarterback not named Arch Manning has 4 wins over top 10 opponents since 2025
- Texas has five road wins over ranked opponents since 2023, most in FBS (h/t John Bianco 🐐)
- Lastly, this post from CFB on FOX that caught my eye and demanded my attention:
Where were The Fightin’ Texas Aggies? Tenth place (probably accurate in more ways than one). This was information from the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database. Proud of the Burnt Orange Nation!
Week Five in the Southeastern Conference
No. 8 Alabama (4-0, 2-0) at No. 16 Mississippi State (4-0, 2-0), 11:00 a.m. on ABC from Davis Wade Stadium in StarkVegas. Kamario Taylor is 2nd in the SEC with 298 ypg (14 TDs) and Keelon Russell is 3rd with 282.3 ypg (8 TDs). Crimson Tide favored by 6, over/under is 60.5. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Alabama | Mississippi State | .743 | 9.6 | 33.9 | 24.3 | 58.2 |
Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-1) at No. 2 Georgia (4-0, 2-0), 11:45 a.m. on the SEC Network from Sanford Stadium in Athens. Commodores are in for a rough one. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the Dawgs a 95.6% chance of winning. Bulldogs favored by 25.5, over/under is 50.5. Georgia to win and cover. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Georgia | Vanderbilt | .990 | 28.0 | 41.6 | 13.7 | 55.3 |
No. 8 Florida (4-0, 2-0) at No. 25 Missouri (3-1, 0-1), 2:30 p.m. on ABC from Memorial Stadium in Columbia. Jadan Baugh leads the SEC with 150 yards per game and with 11 touchdowns. Missouri’s Jamal Roberts is third with 98.75 yards per game. Rush defense, Missouri is 6th (100.25 ypg) and Florida is 7th (103 ypg). Interesting game to watch. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives Florida a 70.2% chance of winning. Gators favored by 5.5, total is 57.5. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Florida | Missouri | .586 | 3.1 | 28.0 | 24.9 | 53.0 |
Auburn (3-1, 1-1) at No. 17 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1), 2:30 p.m. on ESPN from Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers look to rebound after a great battle with the Longhorns. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the Volunteers a 71% chance of winning. Tennessee favored by 7, over/under is 53.5. I will take the Vols to win, Tigers to cover. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Tennessee | Auburn | .745 | 9.7 | 29.9 | 20.1 | 50.0 |
No. 24 Kentucky (3-1, 1-1) at South Carolina (2-2, 0-2), 3:15 p.m. on the SEC Network from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. The Wildcats are ranked for the first time since October 2023. Might be short-lived, as this is kind of becoming a must-win for SC coach Shane Beamer. His quarterback LaNorris Sellers has been underwhelming (and is statistically below Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey), with 833 yards and 6 scores with 4 interceptions. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the Gamecocks a 57.9% chance of winning. South Carolina favored by 3, over/under is 54.5.
Arkansas (2-2, 0-1) at Texas Agricultural & Mechanical (2-2, 0-2), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN2 from Kyle Field in College Station. A game where I will enjoy schadenfreude regardless of the final score, but I will be pulling for those Fightin’ Texas Aggies. Upside is, a lot of the pressure should be off the Ags (other than to try and finish better than 8-4). Texas Agricultural & Mechanical favored by 14, over/under is 50.5. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Texas A. and M. | Arkansas | .814 | 13.2 | 33.7 | 20.5 | 54.2 |
McNeese State (2-3) at No. 11 Louisiana State (3-1), 6:45 p.m. on the SEC Network from Death Valley. Cowboys will at least not have a long bus ride home, only a couple of hours to get back to Lake Charles. No line on Tuesday night. Bet you could figure out a way to wager at the Golden Nugget. ESPN Matchup Predictor has Tigers at 99%.
Week Five – Service Academies
Navy (1-2) at Air Force (2-1), 11:00 a.m. on CBS from Falcon Stadium. First CIC Trophy game of the season, and if you like old school football, tune in. Kudos to CBS for giving this game a good time slot on the main broadcast channel. Navy and Air Force tied at No. 2 with 1,001 yards rushing in 3 games (333.67 ypg average). Navy’s rush defense is ranked No. 8, allowing just 65.67 ypg, Air Force is 70th, 129 ypg. Passing you ask? Air Force 134th, 96.7 ypg, Navy 135, 90.7 ypg. Falcons favored by 3.5, over/under is 48.5. Air Force to win. BCF, and I am really surprised by the total. I would have bet the under.
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Air Force | Navy | .510 | 0.3 | 30.4 | 30.1 | 60.5 |
Army (2-1) at Louisiana Tech (1-2), 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+ from Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston. The Black Knights lead the nation in rushing offense, averaging 355.67 yards per game, and next to last in passing (137th, 81 ypg). Army favored by 1.5 points, over/under is 47.5. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Army 51%. Black Knights to win.
Top 25 – Week Five
No. 3 Notre Dame (4-0) at North Carolina (2-1), 11:00 a.m. on ESPN from Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill. Fighting Irish are favored by 21½, and the over/under is 46.5. Money lines: Irish minus 1800, Tarheels plus 1000. Big. Notre Dame to win and cover. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Notre Dame | North Carolina | .990 | 30.1 | 39.6 | 9.4 | 49.0 |
Central Florida (3-1) at No. 20 Houston (3-1), 11:00 a.m., ESPN2, TDECU Stadium. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Cougars 72.2%. Houston is favored by 11.5, the over/under is 50.5. Joe, I hope the early kick means you can watch this one.
Boston College (2-2) at No. 21 Southern Methodist (3-1), 11:00 a.m. on the CW from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park. Pony QB Kevin Jennings leads the nation with 363.3 ypg. 12 touchdowns, but 5 interceptions. ESPN Matchup Predictor: Southern Methodist 89.6%. Mustangs are favored by 21.5, the over/under is 55.5.
No. 5 Ohio State (3-1) at No. 14 Iowa (4-0), 2:30 p.m. on CBS from Kinnick Stadium. ESPN Matchup Predictor has Ohio State at 82.9%. Will try and watch the Hawkeye Wave at the end of the first quarter. One of the cooler traditions in college football. Buckeyes are favored by 14.5, the over/under is 45.5.
No. 10 Brigham Young (3-0, 1-0) at Texas Christian (2-2, 0-1), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN from Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth. Big game for the Horned Frogs. A chance to take down a top 10 team. TCU’s Jaden Craig is 5th nationally averaging 303.3 ypg. Ed Small is 20th in the nation in receiving, 92.8 ypg. BYU is favored by 6.5, the over/under is 47.5. Big game for Sonny, and an upset by the Horned Frogs could have a big impact on the Big XII Race. Safe travels Allison and Clint and Go Frogs. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Brigham Young | Texas Christian | .724 | 8.7 | 29.2 | 20.4 | 50.1 |
No. 4 Miami (FL) (4-0) at Clemson (3-1), 6:30 p.m. on ABC from Memorial Stadium in Pickens County. If there is one upset I am hoping for this weekend, this is it. Go Tigers. ESPN Matchup Predictor has Miami (FL) at 87.4%. Hurricanes favored by 16.5, the over/under is 47.5. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Miami (FL) | Clemson | .883 | 17.2 | 32.4 | 15.2 | 47.6 |
No. 12 Texas Tech (4-0) at Colorado (2-2), 6:30 p.m. on FOX from Folsom Field in Boulder. ESPN Matchup Predictor has Texas Technical at 87% probability to win. Sand Aggies are favored by 13.5, the over/under is 50.5. Tech to win and cover.
Washington (3-1) at No. 18 Southern Cal (4-1), 6:30 p.m. on NBC from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. ESPN Matchup Predictor has Southern Cal at 83.8%. Trojans are favored by 8.5, the over/under is 58. Huskies to cover, because Lincoln Riley’s defense is easier to beat than his brisket. BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Southern Cal | Washington | .738 | 9.4 | 34.6 | 25.2 | 59.8 |
Utah State (1-3) at No. 22 Boise State (3-1), 6:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network from the Smurf Turf of Albertsons Stadium. Joel Klatt’s CFP projections this week have Texas at No. 5 hosting Boise State (as the Group of 5 entry and 12 seed) in the first round. Broncos are favored by 18.5, the over/under is 51.5.
No. 6 Indiana (4-0) at Rutgers (1-3), 7:00 p.m., Big Ten Network, SHI Stadium. Hoosiers are favored by 24.5, the over/under is 56.5.
Week Five – Other Games of Interest
Leland Stanford Junior University (2-2) at Wake Forest (1-1), 11:00 a.m. on the ACC Network from Winston-Salem. The Cardinal with a win over Georgia Tech last week, the Demon Deacons coming off the big road win at Louisville. Wake favored by 14, over/under is 53.5.
Virginia (3-1) at Florida State (2-2), 2:30 p.m. on ESPN2, Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium. Cavaliers are favored by 2.5, the over/under is 51.5. Go Hoos! BCF:
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Florida State | Virginia | .604 | 3.8 | 29.7 | 25.9 | 55.6 |
Bowling Green (0-4) at Miami (2-2) at, 2:30 pm on ESPN+ from Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio. ESPN Matchup Predictor has the RedHawks at 87.4% chance of winning. Miami favored by 3.5 points, total is 51.5. Why Miami? Well, I always knew a little about it, because it is a very good school. Then 19 years ago, Jim Urhausen, an alum of Miami University, moved in across the street, and we became good friends, particularly because he’s a Chicago guy and Cubs fan, likes great whiskey, and his mom cooked some awesome Italian Food. We talked football often, and I started following the RedHawks and including them mostly regularly in the Dispatch. Lots of games of interest are like that. Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, was founded (1809) before Florida was a state (1845). Miami University is known as the Cradle of Coaches, and a pretty cool documentary is out. Here’s the trailer.
Maryland (2-2) at Nebraska (4-0), 3:00 p.m. on FS1 from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. ESPN Matchup Predictor has the Cornhuskers at 92.7%. Nebraska favored by 14.5, over/under is 52.5. GBR.
UTEP (1-3) at New Mexico (3-1), 3:00 p.m. on MW+ from University Stadium in Albuquerque (I still always think of Bugs Bunny). New Mexico is favored by 22.5, the over/under is 47.5. Good luck Miners.
Gannon (0-4) at Slippery Rock (4-0), 5:00 p.m. from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium, the game will be streamed on Rock Athletics Digital Network.
U.T. Rio Grande Valley (2-2) at East Texas A&M (1-4), 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+, Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium in Commerce.
U.T. San Antonio (3-1) at Rice (1-3). 6:00 p.m. on ESPN+ from historic Rice Stadium. Roadrunners favored by 12.5, total is 55.5. UTSA to win and cover. Birds Up!
Gordon, here is the lineup of games for the Ivy League this weekend. You can stream the Harvard game with Colgate on ESPN+ (6:00 p.m.). I think the Princeton at Columbia game at 11:00 a.m. on ESPN+ might be more entertaining. Go Tigers.
Honors
Despite being snubbed for SEC Player of the Week after his record-setting day in Knoxville, Colin Simmons hit the trifecta the national level. One might argue that he deserved such great recognition for his performance on the field. Well, it was quite a performance.
Anyway, our Number 1 did kick ass, and he was the National Player of the Week: Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Walter Camp Award. Strong stuff. Might make you faint.
Week Four in the Southeastern Conference
Oklahoma 13, Georgia 41. Cue Charlie Daniels Band. No surprise that Georgia won. What is surprising is that Georgia beat the Land Thieves by four touchdowns with just 306 yards of offense and 12 first downs. Georgia led 28-0 at half. Mateer fumbled twice, and one of them was picked up and taken the other way 85 yards for a touchdown. Land Thieves are in fact 2-2 heading to Dallas. “Dawgs favored by 13.5, over/under is 44.5. Load up.” ü
Texas Agricultural & Mechanical 6, Louisiana State 35. The Aggies are now 9-25-1 in Baton Rouge. .271 is a decent batting average. Marcel Reed had a miserable night – 10/26 for 106 yards and an interception, minus 13 on the ground. Meanwhile Sam Leavitt threw for 312 yards and two scores. The Wrecking Crew gave up 506 yards and 20 first downs. Tigers win and cover. I was kind of thinking the Aggies might cover.
Fremeau’s model (although ESPN gave LSU 62.8% chance to win).
| Projected Winner | Projected Loser | PW | PM | PF | PA | PT |
| Texas A. and M. | LSU | .502 | 0.1 | 24.4 | 24.4 | 48.8 |
Ole Miss 28, Florida 52. Didn’t see that coming. Trinidad Chambliss was decent – 25/34 for 298 yards and a score, 1 pick. Problem was, he led the Rebels with 44 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, while the Gators rushed for 302 yards – Jadan Baugh 29 carries, 142 yards, 3 touchdowns; Duke Clark 12 carries for 126 yards and a score. Florida wins and covers. October 17 is looking big.
Kentucky 45-21 over South Alabama. The Wildcats ran all over the Jaguars, led by CJ Baxter who had 149 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Jason Patterson had 137 yards and 3 touchdowns on 12 carries, and Jovantae Barnes had 100 yards and a score. 390 yards on the ground. Impressive.
South Carolina 18, Alabama 49. Crimson Tide’s Keelon Russell had a big day – 365 yards and 4 touchdowns, rushed for another 35 and a score; QBR of 98.3. Gamecocks had some offense – 203 yards passing, 216 yards rushing, they just didn’t get to the end zone. Crimson Tide wins and covers.
Vanderbilt 15, Auburn 21. Tigers win.
Missouri 24, 3-0, Mississippi State 31. Kamario Taylor (no relation) passed for 360 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bulldog Fluff Bothwell pounded out 122 yards and a score on 25 carries. State finished with 499 yards of offense, Missouri 414. 50 first downs in the game.
Tulsa 6, Arkansas 34. Pigs blanketed the 7 point line. Arkansas > Tulsa > Oklahoma State > Oregon > Southern Cal.
Week Four – Service Academies
Army 21, Temple 17. Black Knights had 315 yards of offense (279 rushing), to Temple’s 459 yards. TOP favored Army and their ground assault – 38 minutes.
Navy 20, UAB 24. Midshipmen were favored by 7 and ESPN Matchup Predictor was Navy 73.3%. I whiffed.
Air Force 36, Nevada 33, in double overtime. Very entertaining.
Top 25 – Week Four
Northwestern 23, No. 5 Indiana 29. The Wildcats are a decent football team. Indiana was favored by 21. X
Illinois 19, No. 7 Ohio State 42. Jeremiah Smith had 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns. Ohio State was favored by 27½. “Buckeyes to win, Illini to cover.”
Sam Houston State 14, No. 11 Texas Tech 49. Sand Aggies were favored by 34.5. Man the bookies are good. “Tech to win and cover.”
Wake Forest 30, No. 16 Louisville 27. Louisvile was favored by 13.5 and lost. My favorite loss of the weekend that wasn’t in a game played in the South.
No. 3 Notre Dame 49, Purdue 10. Fighting Irish were favored by 27½. “Notre Dame to win big and cover.”
No. 15 Utah 31, Iowa State 17.
No. 17 Iowa 20, No. 18 Michigan 19. Michigan was favored by 5½ over the Hawkeyes, and the over/under was 38½. “Wolverines to win, Iowa to cover, take the under.” 1 out of 3, but what a game.
No. 25 Houston 42, Georgia Southern 28. Cougars were favored by 18.5. X
Wisconsin 24, No. 13 Penn State 20. PSU was favored by 10 and their alleged unobstructed glide path to the CFP was a false narrative. Not uncommon there.
Central Michigan 3, No. 6 Miami (FL) 52. Miami was favored by 41.5, and the over/under was 54.5 (!!). “Canes to win, Chippewas to cover” X
No. 21 Oregon 41, No. 12 Southern Cal 27. Ducks were favored by 3. X
Missouri State 24, No. 22 Southern Methodist 34. The Ponies were favored by 34½. They barely scored over the line. “Mustangs to win and cover.” X
Week Four – Other Games of Interest
Friday
Clemson 24, Cal Berkeley 10. It was a good late night watch after a large night at Matt’s.
Saturday
Colorado State 45, UTSA Roadrunners 59. UTSA to win. ü
Oklahoma State 41, West Virginia 24. The aforementioned Joel Klatt CFP projection has the Cowboys in the CFP. That would be awesome. Mestemaker 20/27 for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns (1 pick). A 17 point win, and the Mountaineers rushed for 335 yards. 🤯
Connecticut 21, Miami 24. RedHawks were favored by 3.5 points. Good but not great, right JNU?
Texas Christian 13, Central Florida 21. Horned Frogs were favored by 3. X
Delaware 3, Virginia 42. Cavaliers cover.
Arizona 34, Washington State 24. Nice win for the Cats.
Rice 24, Fresno State 38.
Washington & Lee University
The Generals face the Averett Cougars on Saturday at Wilson Field. Kickoff is at four o’clock in the afternoon, Shenandoah Valley time. W&L leads the series 7-3 and has won the last five, including last year’s 61-21 shellacking. It is Parents Weekend – have fun Jacy and John!
The Polls
ESPN’s FPI
Bill Connelly’s SP+
Massey Rating & Composite
Statistician Kenneth Massey uses “the mathematical theory of least squares to solve a massive system of equations that processes all game outcomes simultaneously. Rather than looking at box score statistics like rushing yards or turnovers, it only tracks three raw inputs: the final score, the game location, and the date.” The three pillars are Outcome, Margin of Victory, and Strength of Schedule.
Massey Rating: Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio State, Utah, Miami (Florida), Iowa, Florida.
| Team | Rec | Rat | Pwr | Off | Def | HFA | SoS | SSF | EW | EL | ||||||||||||||||||
| Texas | 4-0 | 1 | 9.15 | 7 | 80.07 | 14 | 64.66 | 2 | 43.29 | 2.31 | 1 | 69.51 | 2 | 69.53 | 6.06 | 1.94 |
Rat: Rating overall strength Pwr: Power rating Off: Offensive power to score Def: Defensive power to prevent opponent from scoring HFA: Home Field Advantage SoS: Strength of Schedule - played games only SSF: Strength of Schedule - including future games EW: Expected Wins for remainder of schedule EL: Expected Losses for remainder of schedule
Massey Composite: Notre Dame, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Miami (FL), Ohio State, Indiana, Florida, Utah, Louisiana State
PFF
Power Rankings:
PEAR Ratings
Those of you who were in the Beta test group for the Texas Baseball version of the Dispatch this past spring may recall the PEAR Ratings. I found them interesting and insightful. The guy who does this actually started with college football. Going to start including his information each week, mostly with links to his stats and analytics.
Ratings:
FBS Football Ratings | PEARatings
Stats: FBS Football Statistics | PEARatings
CFP Resume Rankings
This guy does CFP resume rankings. You have to look closely, as Texas is in the very top right hand corner. Home | Cfpresumerankings
Bat Conservation International
I like bats. Great part of our ecosystem, we share a common enemy (mosquitoes), and they are critical to something very important to most of us: agave plants. Bats are the prime pollinator of the agave. No agave, no tequila. I have been supporting Bat Conservation International since it was founded (thanks to Don Carnes, my first mentor, who somehow knew Merlin Tuttle, founder of BCI). Please consider a donation. We need these little friends.
Bat Conservation International | Protecting Bats Worldwide
Music
Just a few of my all-time favorites. September reminds me of fall at W&L and that meant lots of fun parties and Juke music.
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. My favorite version of maybe my very favorite song.
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, with Teddy Pendergrass, Bad Luck. (Official Soul Train Video)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, with Teddy Pendergrass, The Love I Lost. A top 10 song.
The Intruders, I’ll Always Love My Mama. (Official Soul Train Video)
Jim Nicar
1969: Texas vs Oklahoma program cover. 🤘
October is here! It’s the month when U.T. Austin Longhorns look to the north with a glare of disdain and constantly ask each other, “What time is it?”
From Jim’s October 1, 2026 post on X. Texas beat the No. 8 Land Thieves 27-17 on their way to a national championship behind James Street and the Wishbone.
Picture of the Week
From JType’s August 28, 2026 post on Instagram.
On X: @tctayloratx
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You can contact me by mail:
Tim Taylor P.O. Box 5371 Austin, Texas 78763-5371