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Who will Steve Sarkisian start at QB vs. Oklahoma: Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning? | Golden

The 5-0 Texas football team will return from their bye next week with the two biggest challenges on their schedule to date when they resume the Red River Rivalry with Oklahoma on Oct. 12 followed by a home showdown on Oct. 19 with Georgia, which has won two of the last three national championships.

Here are five burning questions entering Week 6 of the college football season:

Who will Texas start at quarterback against Oklahoma?

Quinn Ewers.

Ewers will be back. He reportedly took the first-team reps during bye week practice, which is a sure sign that he’s feeling good physically. It’s his team and he has earned the right to lead the show moving forward.

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers missed last week's game against Mississippi State, but he is expected to be back for next week's SEC showdown with Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl. If not, backup Arch Manning would make his third career start.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers missed last week's game against Mississippi State, but he is expected to be back for next week's SEC showdown with Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl. If not, backup Arch Manning would make his third career start.

If anything, Ewers should be motivated to pick up where he left off before his abdominal injury, but he's also auditioning for NFL organizations who may be considering him as a potential first-round pick. We know Arch Manning is capable of leading this offense, but Ewers is more experienced and gives the Longhorns the best chance to win in 2024.

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We’re about to find out a lot about the Longhorns, who will play a fresh Oklahoma team that’s also on a bye. Ewers has had some of his biggest games against the Sooners. The Horns will roll in a week.

Will Texas A&M's drought against ranked teams end Saturday?

No.

I'm taking No. 9 Missouri over No. 21 Texas A&M 31-24. The Tigers have more stability at quarterback with Brady Cook while A&M coach Mike Elko hasn’t revealed if he'll go with Marcel Reed over Conner Weigman, who has been out for three games with a shoulder injury.

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I like what Elko has brought to this defense, but the Aggies have topped 33 points only once against Power Four opponents and have lost five straight games to ranked teams dating back to the 2023 season. They will come up short in this one.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has built the Longhorns into one of college football's most talented rosters on both sides of the ball. The No. 1 Longhorns are off this week but return next week for their Red River Rivalry matchup with Oklahoma.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has built the Longhorns into one of college football's most talented rosters on both sides of the ball. The No. 1 Longhorns are off this week but return next week for their Red River Rivalry matchup with Oklahoma.

Who are the top five teams in the state of Texas?

No. 1 is Texas. Of course. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has assembled Texas' most complete team on both sides of the ball since Mack Brown's 2008 team that should have played Miami for a national title.

No. 2 is Texas A&M. If the Aggies can beat Missouri, they'll start a season 5-1 for the first time since they went 9-1 in 2020. No. 3 is SMU.

The Mustangs are 12th in the nation in scoring, averaging 42.2 points. And watch out for running back Brashard Smith, who's averaging 101.8 rushing yards a game. No. 4 is Texas Tech. Seriously, who had the Red Raiders leading the Big 12 after that 52-51 win over Abilene Christian in Week 1?

And No. 5 is Sam Houston State. The Bearkats are 5-1 and in the middle of a great bounce-back season, their second as an FBS program. (Texas State would have grabbed this spot had it not blown a late lead in a 40-39 loss to the Kats in Week 5.)

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Which Power Four coach is on the hottest seat?

Florida’s Billy Napier, who hasn’t been able to sit down in his office in nearly two years, but I fear that Dave Aranda’s time is nearing an end at Baylor.

Colorado’s Hail Mary pass that forced overtime and led to a loss two weeks ago may have sped up those sands that are falling in the hourglass of Aranda's five-year tenure, and things didn’t get any better last week when the Bears dropped a 34-28 home loss to BYU after falling behind 31-14 at the half.

Since he led the Bears to a 12-2 record, a Big 12 title and a Sugar Bowl win over Ole Miss in 2021, Aranda has gone 11-19 overall and 6-14 in conference play. That includes an 0-3 start in the Big 12 this season.

Aranda is one of the good guys in college football, but it’s a results business and he hasn’t delivered lately.

Who will be the SEC's three earliest NFL draft picks?

LSU left tackle Will Campbell will go in the top five as will his Texas counterpart and local barbecue expert Kelvin Banks Jr. They’re the two best offensive linemen in the country. And Georgia safety Malaki Starks can cover all over the field and brings the heat in the tackling department. He gets the edge over his quarterback teammate Carson Beck.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Golden: Will Texas football go with Ewers or Manning against Oklahoma?