Texas’ starting QB Quinn Ewers suffered an oblique injury against UTSA in Week 3, thrusting the top overall recruit in the 2023 class, Arch Manning, onto the field. All he did was account for five touchdowns on 15 touches (three carries and 12 pass attempts).
Even with Ewers missing Week 4’s contest with ULM, Manning has the Longhorns sitting pretty in the CFP National Championship odds.
Texas Is Back, Even With Quinn Ewers Out
Texas is 3-0 for the first time since 2012 and last held the No. 1 spot in the AP poll over three weeks back in 2008. How they got to 3-0 is even more impressive, outscoring opponents 139-19, including a 31-12 win over Michigan in Week 2.
Were it the playoffs, Ewers would likely see the field, as head coach Steve Sarkisian said, “My decision is I’m looking forward to his future as a player, but also the future of the season for us. … And getting him possibly one more week healthier for the long term, I think, is good for us as we’re getting ready for SEC play.”
Nevertheless, Ewers’ absence opens the door for Manning’s first start, and anticipation levels couldn’t be higher.
He’ll feast on a ULM program that ranks 117th in College Football Network’s FBS Power Rankings. And even though the Warhawks have already matched their 2023 win total (2-10) through two games this season, they simply don’t have the talent to make much of a dent in the scoreboard.
According to College Football Network’s all-new College Football Playoff Meter, the Longhorns currently have the highest odds of making the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff (93.5%), and their schedule is relatively “easy” the rest of the way.
The only potential stumbling points are home bouts against ranked conference foes Oklahoma and Georgia.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
While making the CFP hasn’t been a guarantee for Texas (only one appearance — a loss to Washington in the first round last season — since the CFP’s debut in 2014), the expansion makes its inclusion a lock this year.
Thus, the Longhorns’ eyes are on more: the National Championship. The CFN FPM gives them the highest odds of not only making the playoffs but also of making (28.4%) and winning (14.6%) the natty.
We know about the offense: Ewers/Manning under center, true freshman Jerrick Gibson leading the backfield, WR Isaiah Bond and TE Gunnar Helm anchoring a deep pass-catching corps, and OT Kelvin Banks Jr. headlining one of the best offensive lines in the country.
But the defense deserves its flowers: Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins shutting down the run from the interior, Colin Simmons and Trey Moore flying off the edge, Anthony Hill Jr. serving as a heat-seeking missile from the second level, and Malik Muhammad and Jahdae Barron locking up WRs on the outside.
Words can only take you so far, so how about some numbers:
- Tied for fifth in the nation in points allowed per game (6.3)
- 16th in yards allowed per game (245.3)
- 10th in third-down rate (23%)
- Have only faced three red-zone drives, conceding one field goal
With both sides of the ball clicking and a favorable path ahead, the Longhorns aren’t just playoff contenders — they’re in prime position to make a serious run at the National Championship.
Yeah, Texas is back.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.