Nine down, three to go.
The 8-1 Texas Longhorns have three games remaining in the regular season and if they sweep them, they will make the SEC championship game in their debut season.
But first, the No. 3 Horns must get past a familiar rival on the road. Arkansas is out to spoil this run to the postseason.
Here are five burning questions entering the college football weekend.
1. Will Arkansas give Texas problems again in Fayetteville?
Yes. The Hogs will stick around because they’ll be jacked up to play their heated rivals from way back. Expect the Horns to take a few body shots in the early going, but their talent and experience will prove too much for Arkansas to handle.
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Remember, Ole Miss went into Reynolds Stadium just two weeks ago and put up 694 yards of offense in a 63-31 shellacking. The Hogs will put up more of a tussle in this one, but it won’t be enough to stop the Horns from taking a 31-14 win.
2. Who are the two most important Longhorns in this game?
Actually the most important Longhorn on offense is a group. It’s imperative that the offensive line keep quarterback Quinn Ewers clean and avoid the disaster that was the 2021 game in Fayetteville, when the Arkansas defense dominated up front and spent the majority of the evening in the Texas backfield. The Hogs registered nine tackles for loss and made life absolutely miserable for quarterback Hudson Card in his second career start.
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Defensively, it’s middle linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. who will be tasked with keeping athletic Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green under wraps. That is, if Green is starting as expected after a knee injury that occurred on Nov. 2 against Ole Miss.
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I watched tape of the 6-foot-6, 230-pound junior and his body language and skill set — even his throwing motion — remind me of Vince Young. I’m not saying he’s about to do VY-type things, but this wouldn’t be a good time for Texas to play the dishonored guest at his coming out party.
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3. What happens between Georgia and Tennessee?
It’s now or never for the Bulldogs and even with running back Trevor Etienne ruled out with an upper-body injury, Georgia will step up in what’s essentially an elimination game. Quarterback Carson Beck has played himself out of the Heisman Trophy race and possibly out of the first round of the NFL draft. This time last year, he completed 24 of 30 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-10 win in Knoxville. The Bulldogs could use a return to that previous form to keep their title hopes alive.
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4. What top-12 CFP team won’t be there for the final bracket reveal?
No. 7 BYU.
Sure, Steve Sarkisian’s alma mater is 9-0 and 6-0 in the Big 12. The Cougars are favored to beat Kansas at home on Saturday, but an upcoming road game against 7-2 Arizona State is not a gimme. Even if the Cougars run the table over these next three — including a home win over Houston in the regular-season finale — I don’t see them beating Colorado in the Big 12 title game if Deion Sanders can get the Buffs there. A loss there could knock them out of the bracket, even if it’s their first loss.
5. Who are your three current leading Heisman Trophy contenders?
As a Heisman voter, I think Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is the best player in America and he’s on the short list of most well-conditioned college football athletes ever. He played 1,023 snaps split between cornerback and wideout last season and will come close to 1,000 this season. Miami quarterback Cam Ward is second despite the loss to Georgia Tech. He leads the nation in touchdowns (32) and yards (3,494). and then I’ll take Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty by a nose over Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Jeanty leads the country in rushing (1,734 yards) and touchdowns (23) and has an outside shot at breaking the legendary Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards, though he would have to go wild over these next three games and the bowl.
Saturday’s game
No. 3 Texas (8-1, 4-1) at Arkansas (5-4, 3-1), 11 a.m., ABC, 1300, 98.1, 105.3 (Spanish)
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas football tries to avoid another disappointment in Fayetteville
