This weeks roundtable tackles Senior Night send-offs and predictions for Saturday
The Texas Longhorns came out of Fayetteville with a double-digit win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, yet the fanbase’s reaction seems dour with most of it about Quinn Ewers and the offense. Are their concerns valid?
Daniel Seahorn (@DanielSeahorn) – I think the concerns are valid given how late in the season we are at this point and the fact that the offensive inconsistencies lowers the ceiling for the team moving forward. Steve Sarkisian and Ewers have collectively struggled to figure out the three high safety look and when you add in the fact that the Texas running game has been hit or miss it only heightens the anxiety of the fan base.
Gerald Goodridge (@ghgoodridge) – I think concerns are valid, but I think the concerns are focused on the wrong thing. While I don’t think Quinn Ewers is completely absolved of blame, I do think that some of his struggles can also be pointed at the lack of ground game from Texas. Much of what Ewers does well is when he is in a play-action or in movement (see the absolute dime to Matthew Golden for the insurance touchdown). The way that defenses and defensive backs can play Texas is different because the running game hasn’t been what it has been in recent history.
Cameron Parker (@camerondparker) – Here’s a list of the quarterbacks that have started for Texas in the post-Colt McCoy era. Garrett Gilbert, Case McCoy, David Ash, Tyrone Swoopes, Jerrod Heard, Shane Buechele, Sam Ehlinger, Hudson Card, and Casey Thompson. Do you know Quinn Ewers has that all nine of those don’t have? A conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth. Next question.
Jacob Neidig (@jneidig_2) – Valid but overblown and misdirected. Texas fans are turning ant hills into mountains or whatever the saying is. Ewers hasn’t been perfect but the majority of comments fail to recognize how 3 high safety looks coupled with an underperforming ground attack make a quarterback’s life difficult. Give it a rest.
True or False: Texas can win a National Championship with Quinn Ewers, but they’ll win one because of Quinn Ewers?
Daniel – I am going to say false and I don’t mean that as a knock on Quinn Ewers. At this point in his career, I view him as an above-average college quarterback, but I don’t put him in the game-changer category where guys are able to physically will a team to victory. In 2015, Alabama won it all with Jake Coker under center. That year his production was 3,110 yards with a 21-8 TD-INT ratio. I feel like that is more in line with what Ewers is at this point in his career and I think that would be sufficient enough play for Texas to hoist the trophy.
Gerald – I think yes. We have seen Quinn Ewers come up big in big games multiple times and we know what the ceiling is. Based on the level of consistency we’ve seen from him and the offense this year, I wouldn’t put the kids’ college fund on Texas winning one because of Quinn Ewers, but I do think that peak Quinn Ewers is good enough to win a championship.
Cameron – False. Michigan won the National Championship with J.J. McCarthy under center but they won because they dominated the line of scrimmage and could run the ball. Georgia won with Stetson Bennett because of a defense that dominated. Texas doesn’t have the run offense that the Wolverines had, but they do have the defense that Georgia had. Quinn doesn’t have to play like VY, he just needs to manage the game.
Jacob – True. Quinn Ewers’ ability to manage the offense reaches national championship level. His mental sharpness before the snap allows the offense to move into new plays that have better outcomes. His ability to spread the ball and make the right read once the ball is in his hands put Texas in a position to reach their postseason aspirations.
Saturday is Senior Night for the Texas Longhorns and while we don’t know the entire list of those who will possibly be playing their final game at DKR-TMS, we do know it’ll include super-seniors like Jahdae Barron and Alfred Collins. Which player from the Senior Class will you miss the most?
Daniel – Gerald stole my answer, but I am going to stick with my guns anyway. Jake Majors has been a very underappreciated player for the Longhorns, but I have a feeling he will become more appreciated by Texas fans as soon as 2025. Majors has started 40+ games for the Longhorns at center since arriving on campus and has been a stabilizing presence for Kyle Flood’s offensive line. Having smart, experienced, and reliable players like Majors at center is incredibly valuable, so I will definitely miss having him at the helm moving into next year.
Gerald – My man has taken some heat in the past, but Jake Majors is someone that I will absolutely hate to see Texas lose. You cannot overstate how important it is to have a tenured man running the offensive line and Majors has been solid for the Longhorns for five years now. Stepping in the way he did and adding a level of consistency in the middle of that line is something that we take for granted.
Cameron – Jahdae Barron. He’s the frontrunner for the Thorpe Award and I don’t think many of us saw that a few years ago. He’s been a swiss army knife under Sark and his return to this season is one of the reasons why Texas has the best pass defense in the country.
Jacob – Not to relive my own glory days, but looking at this list makes me reminisce. Being local in Central Texas myself, the guys that stayed in the 512 to don the burnt orange stick out. I played against LBJ, Pflugerville Connally, and Bastrop Cedar Creek in high school so watching guys like Mukuba, Barron, and Collins swap their colors to play at Texas is awesome. I might be most sad to see Alfred Collins leave. My senior year of high school, Collins forced a goalline fumble that secured the win for Cedar Creek and kept my team out of the playoffs. Since that moment, I’ve always rooted hard for him. His development has been slow-burning but exploded this year, something I knew was bound to happen. It’s been nice to see him terrorizing opponents instead of my team.
With Texas A&M looming next week and a Kentucky team that has caused issues against some of the top teams in the SEC, is this a perfect storm for a letdown?
Daniel – I wouldn’t call it a letdown, but it definitely has a potential to be a bit of a trap game if Texas isn’t careful. Kentucky has proven to be scrappy at times this year, but at the same time they are what their record says they are. If Texas has similar offensive struggles this week they could find themselves in a slog like they did last week against Arkansas.
Gerald – Less of a letdown per se., but I would say there is definitely a “body blow” situation that I am worried about. Anyone who watches combat sports knows that the haymakers are what get the highlights, but the body blows are often what decides a match. Texas had to gut out a physical game against Arkansas on the road, now to host another team that wants to play a similar brand of football, so I have a nagging worry that the body blows could be adding up for Texas coming down the home stretch.
Cameron – Forget who Texas plays next week, this is a “letdown” game because of the way Kentucky plays football. It’s not pretty, but it’s gritty and they’ll grind you out. They lost by only one point to Georgia, three points to Ole Miss, and only ten to Tennessee. They have one of the best defenses in the country and Saturday could easily be a 10-3 or 7-3 game going into halftime. The key for Texas is to not panic and play Kentucky’s own game but better.
Jacob – Senior night should have the Longhorns ready to play. The seniors will want to leave DKR with a win and the underclassmen will want to do everything they can to make that happen. All that being said, I think this Kentucky team knows what it takes to beat more talented teams. They will grind this game to a halt and make it ugly. I think Texas finds their footing but could take some time. Either way, Texas just has to find a way to win.
What is your score prediction for Texas (-20.5) versus Kentucky?
Daniel (9-1/4-6 ATS) – I don’t think there will be a bunch of points in this one, but I also don’t think Kentucky will have a lot of luck moving the football on Texas’ defense. Texas 28, Kentucky 10
Gerald (9-1/4-5 ATS) – Part of picking against the spread is whether or not the underdog can score and I just don’t know if Kentucky can put up a ton of points. They’re averaging 21.9 points per game offensively. That being said, they’re giving up just 19 points per game, a number that is floated by a shutout against Southern Miss, and giving up six points each to Ohio and Murray State. Also if this game goes like Texas wants it to, we could see significant garbage time, which skews things. All of that said, I think Texas can get it done. Texas 42, Kentucky 10.
Cameron (9-1/4-6 ATS) – I won’t be surprised if this is a one-score game at halftime. If you’re hoping for Texas to score a million points and make a statement, this is not the game for you. Get a win and get ready for A&M. Texas 24, Kentucky 10
Jacob (9-1/5-5) – Honestly, I could not tell you how this game is going to go. On paper, Texas should handle business but at this point in the season, paper does not matter. Give me Texas by three scores. Texas 35, Kentucky 13