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5 burning college football questions about the Longhorns, Aggies and Pac-6 | Golden

Texas football goes from a top-10 road matchup that captivated the eyes of the nation to a mismatch at home, where the Longhorns are favored by 35½ points.

But that doesn't mean Saturday's game against UTSA will be easy or one to overlook. As those two October midseason tests against Oklahoma and Georgia get closer, there are things Texas will show (or not show) against the Roadrunners that can tell us a lot.

Five questions that are on my mind this week concerning Texas-UTSA and other national matchups:

Will UTSA give Texas a tussle?

Sure, for half of the first quarter, then it will be over. The Longhorns are ascending and, to a man, are aware that upsets happen in college football. There will be no shocker Saturday at DKR. USTA coach Jeff Traylor is correct in his comment that the talent disparity between the two teams is enormous.

The Roadrunners will come in with nothing to lose but will run headfirst into a team that believes it’s just as good as or better than any program in the country. The Horns are 14-2 over their last 16 games for a reason. The 54-10 outcome  could be a lot worse, but Steve Sarkisian will call off the dogs midway through the third quarter.

MORE CED: How Steve Sarkisian has built Texas football through player development | Golden

Which of Texas’ nonstarting receivers will have the biggest game?

This one has Johntay Cook II written all over it. He might not get into the game until the second half, but Cook will catch a couple of long passes from backup Arch Manning. He will finish with five receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. These next three games — UTSA, Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State — will give the Horns ample opportunity to share the wealth because Texas will dominate each game.

Freshman edge rusher Colin Simmons is the only Longhorn with a sack this season. The Horns hope to improve on that number in Saturday's home game against UTSA.
Freshman edge rusher Colin Simmons is the only Longhorn with a sack this season. The Horns hope to improve on that number in Saturday's home game against UTSA.

The Longhorns have only one sack through two games. How many will they notch against the Roadrunners?

Expect the UTSA quarterbacks to get rid of the ball early, but that won’t stop the Horns from registering five sacks, including two from former Roadrunner Trey Moore. Texas has gotten some nice pressures over the first two games, and the pass rushers will get home in this one. Sarkisian doesn’t appear concerned about the lack of sacks, but he will be happy to see quarterbacks on the ground.

More: Trey Moore, known as Texas football's 'J. Cole,' eager to face former team UTSA

Should Texas A&M Aggies be on upset alert on the road against embattled Florida Gators?

Of course, because the Aggies are in the midst of the worst road losing streak in program history. They have lost 10 straight road games dating back to a 35-14 win over Missouri in 2021 when new head coach Mike Elko was the defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher.

Sure, the Billy Napier Watch has started in Gainesville, but this has the feel of a toss-up. We still haven’t seen enough from quarterback Conner Weigman, who threw just 14 passes in what was basically a scrimmage against McNeese.

Florida also has a QB quandary with Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway. Lagway, a freshman five-star recruit from Willis, threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-7 win over hapless Samford.

More: Texas football's Steve Sarkisian: I'm not worried about Heisman hype affecting Quinn Ewers

The Aggies are a 4½-point favorite, but that number seems a bit fat. It will go down to the wire, and the Aggies will win it 27-24 on a last-minute field goal.

Your thoughts on the new-look Pac-12?

It will never be the same, but Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Colorado State joining holdovers Washington State and Oregon State will at least give us a semblance of West Coast football and some late-night viewing options after we get home from a Texas evening game like the one coming up.

The once-billed “Conference of Champions” was mismanaged into near extinction by greed and a poor leadership that failed to secure a media rights deal that would keep the most prominent members, USC and Oregon, happy.

Expect the league to add four more schools, but the days of watching some of the best programs going head-to-head in football and basketball are all but over. The Pac-6 is alive but far from a needle mover.

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Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and his teammates celebrate their 31-12 win over Michigan in Ann Arbor last weekend.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and his teammates celebrate their 31-12 win over Michigan in Ann Arbor last weekend.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Making sense of the Pac-6 and Texas A&M vs. Florida