Despite the anticipation, both teams still have plenty to prove. For Texas, an up-and-down game against UTSA did little to convince the college football world that the Longhorns are now the team to beat. Tennessee, meanwhile, still needs to prove it can compete against tougher competition. The Volunteers’ “best” win of the season came against a 1-2 Georgia Tech squad.
Three Key Storylines Entering the Tennessee Game
Arch Manning returns to his uncle Peyton’s old stomping grounds
On Saturday, Arch will have a chance to redeem himself after what he called a bad game against UTSA. The Texas gunslinger struggled to calibrate his arm against the Roadrunners, overthrowing his receivers on several occasions. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian also said after the game that he wants his quarterback to use his legs less. He believes Manning may be unnecessarily speeding up his reads in the passing game.
Now, Arch gets a chance to win his second game against a ranked opponent this season. If things go well, the matchup could provide another early Heisman moment for the young quarterback. Despite last week’s struggles, his No. 1 target, Cam Coleman, made his presence felt by hauling in both of Arch’s touchdown passes.
If Manning can keep his composure under the pressure of Saturday’s marquee matchup, the Longhorns will put themselves in a strong position.
A “welcome to the show” moment for Faizon Brandon?
So far, Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon has enjoyed a strong start to his college career. Of course, Tennessee has not faced elite competition yet. Still, the freshman has posted a 6-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio and has not needed to air the ball out excessively.
On the other sideline, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will have his hands full preparing his team for Brandon’s dual-threat abilities. The freshman has already tallied three rushing touchdowns as well.
This year’s Volunteers offense looks different without Chris Brazzell, who became a first-round pick in the most recent NFL Draft. However, different isn’t necessarily bad. Tennessee’s offense has looked balanced, which will force Texas’ linebackers to respect both the run and passing games.
Against Ohio State, the Longhorns’ linebackers occasionally struggled in pass coverage. If the Tennessee offense can force Texas to commit to stopping the run, watch out.
Lastly, the Battle for UT
A long-standing, latent rivalry exists between these two fanbases. Over the years, each group of supporters has claimed “UT” for itself.
This weekend, the Longhorns will travel to Knoxville for the first time in program history. With a win, Texas would retain its No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll. With a loss, the Longhorns could drop several spots and would likely hear about it from Tennessee fans.
Either way, true fans of the state of Texas will always have a soft spot for the Volunteers. It was the original Volunteers of Tennessee who helped Texas gain its independence after all.
