Texas at The Voice of College Football

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Texas at The Voice of College Football episodes

October 09Texas-Oklahoma Best Bets/ Call-In Show LIVE 5
Texas–Oklahoma Best Bets / Call-In Show LIVE (TexasVOCFB), hosts Matthew Miller and Thomas Bresee, FanDuel-sponsored. Roughly 31 minutes. Core focus is Red River Showdown props and sides, then caller segments on Cam Coleman, Arch Manning, and Michigan, then quick takes on Alabama–Georgia and Oregon–UCLA.
Best bets (Tommy on screen; Matt mostly aligned)
Texas -7.5, parlayed with the first-half line. Tommy’s case: outside a defensive or special-teams score (the Tennessee issue he expects cleaned up), Oklahoma does not score more than 13. Last year’s offensive output vs. OU was Texas’s worst under Sark; he sees a better line, receivers, and back, plus more explosives. Texas scores at least 21 and wins by at least 8. OU cannot sustain drives unless Texas gifts short fields. First half: they find rhythm quicker than the Tennessee script (two brilliant opening drives, then the Arch pick and a collapse). Bye week, Sark’s best game plan of the season, and Arch trusting the line earlier. Expect up 5–10 at the half. Matt agrees. He does not have the full-game spread on his card but his score prediction matches it. He allows OU could punch first and Texas might miss a 4.5 first-half number, then still cover the game.
Hollywood Smothers over 47.5 rushing yards (both). The team that runs it best usually wins this rivalry. Smothers dressed as an emergency back vs. Tennessee, so he was already ~80–90% and should be full after extra weeks. Tommy: if he does not clear 47.5, Texas can lose. Matt: Sark-era Texas RB1 low in this game is 94 yards (Tre Wisner, 2025). Wisner went over 100 in 2024; Jonathan Brooks had a big day earlier. OU has never fully solved Sark’s wide zone the way Georgia has. Expect two explosives (15–20+ yards) and a path to 50, maybe 100. Smothers was not needed late vs. Tennessee once Texas was up 10 and CJ Baxter / the relief back was rolling.
Emmett Mosley over 31.5 receiving yards (both). Matt: he has cleared this easily in the big games (Ohio State; only one catch vs. Tennessee and still relevant). Forgotten behind Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman. Matt is done betting Coleman yards the rest of the year; yards go to Mosley and Wingo, touchdowns can still be Coleman. Tommy: under Sark, the slot or tight end has led Texas in receiving in every Red River game (DeAndre Moore, Gunnar Helm, Jordan Whittington). Sark opens the unexpected guy over the middle while safeties chase the outside threats. Mosley’s coming-out party was this game a year ago; the Ohio State over-the-middle shot is the template.
Cam Coleman anytime touchdown (Tommy only). They have hunted the same shot every week: Wingo on a mesh or deep over, Coleman on the post, trying to pull the safety. Ohio State: Arch overthrew it, possible trip, pick. Tennessee: overthrow, Coleman did not play the ball, Keon Lee pick. UTSA: Coleman free over the middle, Arch did not pull the trigger. Tommy expects them to hunt it early (screen or run to a 2nd-and-short, then the post) to take half the Cotton Bowl out of it. Matt does not have it on his card but sees the logic. He wants the Wingo screen to open the game (effective late last year, scarce this year) and the outside zone back specifically for OU and A&M, who slant late and lose gap integrity.
Shared lean: Texas is the far superior team. It would take a lot of self-inflicted damage for OU to steal it. Both want 10–12 play drives and some Arch run-game involvement (including the Ohio State opening-play concept from last year).
Caller: Burks
Opens as a Michigan fan calling his program a dumpster fire; hosts note Texas lived that stretch.

Longhorn Network: SEC Network absorbed it after the conference move. Residual content runs through On Texas Football / YouTube; the app is still where Matt watches Sark pressers because Texas does not post them on YouTube.

Brand argument: Burks says Texas is the biggest brand (own network, ~$2.5B valuation gap, population, merch peak in the mid-2010s). Hosts put Texas top three worldwide, with Notre Dame and USC in the conversation, and note Texas stays in the news year-round across football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, and Olympic diving (long conference streak).

Cam Coleman: Burks is disappointed; mocks have him out of round one. Tommy: traits still get him drafted (George Pickens comp); he may simply be better in the NFL and should find a late-season rhythm. Matt: most impactful play so far is a fumble recovery through five or six weeks; he has not won the 50/50s (Tennessee ball was catchable). Still a first-round traits pick, now more like 18–26 than top 10, and he still leaves for the money.

Arch Manning return rumors: both expect Dia Bell as the 2027 starter if Arch leaves (KJ Lacey the fallback). Tommy thinks Arch plays well enough over the next ~8 games to land in the top 10 or so; a return would signal he did not light it up or win a title, but money is not the issue and Mannings have used their college time. Matt always thought a three-year start was more likely than a one-and-done, expected this to be the leave year, and would not be shocked by a return. Dia Bell (Elite 11, NBA dad, “trust the process”) told Cover 3 he was fine sitting year one and another if needed. Matt: no other QB in the class pairs Arch’s measurables with strong play; Dante Moore is hurt and was not playing well; Trinidad Chambliss is the eye-test No. 1 but short; Todd McShay still has Arch No. 1 overall. Destination risk: Eli/Chargers history; hosts downplay a Jets/Browns block (Haslam relationship, possible Jets coaching change) but doubt the Mannings take a Chargers call if that pick is No. 1.

Burks on 2027 Michigan–Texas: easy Texas win if Kyle Whittingham is still coach. He says Whittingham is trying to make Michigan into Utah, Underwood could leave at 5–7 or 6–6 or after a benching, Jason Beck likely gone, Devin Hamp is not portaling, and Michigan will not fire Whittingham after one year. Michigan has never beaten Texas; Burks will not convert if they lose again. He also calls OU as bad as or worse than Michigan, so Red River should be an easy Texas win at the Cotton Bowl despite rivalry noise.
Dia Bell vs. KJ Lacey (after a dropped Caden caller)
Hosts land on Dia Bell. Tommy: a little more horsepower, CJ Stroud / Dante Moore type, more of the NFL arm traits. Matt: Lacey is more athletic, but Sark will not let him run if he will not let Arch run, and Lacey is smaller. If Arch leaves, Sark still keeps Lacey as the 2027 backup because the play-calling transfers. Long term, Dia Bell can be a top-10 pick; Lacey probably cannot.
Other games
Alabama–Georgia (if it is played). Tommy leans Alabama. Kirby still has not beaten them in the regular season. Tuscaloosa mystique matters. Winner of Keelon Russell vs. Gunner Stockton becomes the No. 2 Heisman name Monday behind Jeremiah Smith. Weather/ground-and-pound would help Georgia. He does not buy the “DeBoer quits up 14” read; this offense looks more like the Dylan Johnson Washington version. He is picking against his alma mater. Matt takes Georgia: Russell makes too many mistakes; rain could turn it into a footing game.
Oregon–UCLA. Comp to last year’s playoff JMU win is only partial. Oregon’s defense looks undisciplined (eyes, linebackers), similar to early Raheem Biles worries at Texas, and UCLA’s run game can mess with that and shorten it to four quarters. Oregon still wins after the Oklahoma State wake-up and the USC win for Dylan Raiola’s confidence. Matt: competitive, UCLA loses by about 13–17, maybe a late Oregon score stretches it. A couple of UCLA names become known after this one.
Close / schedule
Like and subscribe. Postgame Saturday ~7 p.m. ET, grades video Sunday, Monday 7 p.m. ET with the Florida VOCFB crew. Sign-off: “hook ’em.”

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31 min
October 06Red River Smack Down? / Texas Longhorns LIVE 122
Texas Longhorns LIVE 122 (TexasVOCFB) — Red River preview with Matthew Miller and Thomas Bresee. Sponsored by FanDuel. About 44 minutes.
Show frame: No. 1 Texas is a 7.5-point favorite over unranked, 2-2 Oklahoma (opened 9.5, down two; up three from the offseason). Over/under 39.5, down sharply since open. Both hosts land Texas in the mid-20s, Oklahoma with one touchdown.
Red River keys (0:00–15:50)
Line and setup (0:17–1:30)
Tommy has the spread in the 7.5–9.5 range and finds the total more interesting than the side. Market is pricing a Tennessee-style defensive game, with Texas having a little more offense but neither side expected to pull away. Matthew thinks Texas has the capability to blow Oklahoma out — they did last year without playing especially well — and can cover.
How the game plays (1:37–3:30)
Tommy frames it like Tennessee: Texas has the paper advantages on offense, defense, and overall profile. The job is focus and not self-inflicting extra chances. Biggest key is jumping in front early. Oklahoma’s fan base is 2-2 and licking wounds; a 10–14 point lead can quiet the Cotton Bowl fast, the way Texas fans have felt when roles were reversed. Bad teams have won this game before. Oklahoma would not be the worst team to do it.
John Mateer plan (3:33–7:23)
Matthew does not want edge rushers flying upfield. Goal is to make Mateer a pocket passer: he struggles reading defenses, gets sporadic, pats the ball with time, and double-clutched into a fumble at Georgia with a man open. Sacks are secondary. If Mateer throws 30 times from the pocket, Texas wins easily. Paths for Oklahoma are few. The worry is Texas shooting itself in the foot. One turnover is survivable; a 3–0 turnover loss probably is not, and it would still be close because the Oklahoma offense is anemic.
Tommy agrees: keep him in the pocket and make him beat you as an NFL passer. Expect overthrows and safety picks. Two things that can kill Texas are Mateer’s legs and Isaiah Sategna after the catch. Collapse the pocket everywhere except Michael Fasusi, similar to Tennessee’s line outside David Sanders. Rush lanes matter — no over-pursuit, no missed tackles. Early sacks or a pick and Oklahoma fans start chanting for the backup, which adds another layer. Do not hand them answers. Poke holes early at quarterback, line, and the offense as a whole.
Oklahoma weapons (7:24–9:01)
Only real threats: Sategna and tight end Rocky Beers. Beers is the best tight end Texas has faced (Tennessee’s tight end is hurt; Ohio State, UTSA, and Texas State did not test that matchup). Linebacker/safety coverage is a real question. Oklahoma’s run game has been poor since Lincoln Riley left. Lloyd Avant and Xavier Robinson are Trey Weiner-type backs — fine, not scary. Clean game (turnover-free, penalty-light) and Texas wins by 10-plus. Better team in every sense unless Oklahoma’s line plays at a peak and Beers/Sategna hit one or two explosives. That path shows up maybe once in 100 simulations.
Rivalry history and Sark vs. this defense (9:02–11:45)
When Texas is the underdog it usually overperforms; Oklahoma as a legitimate underdog has beaten Texas once in Matthew’s lifetime (the Dillon Gabriel year, about a 4.5-point dog). Tommy cites a stat that this is one of three times the No. 1 team has been less than a 10-point favorite over an unranked team; the other two favorites covered comfortably.
Sark has scored on this defense: last year was the worst offensive day and Texas was still efficient enough (Arch accurate, ran it enough); 30 in a loss, 49 in a blowout, 34–3. Offensive line is veteran and should hold up better against David Stone than against a twitchier Xavier Gilliam type. Do not give anything in special teams — that is what put last year’s game away, and Sategna can flip it. Tennessee special teams were the worst unit in that game. Oklahoma’s run defense is around 40th, lower than usual, with more openings.
What Matthew wants schematically (11:46–13:08)
More outside zone. A&M and Oklahoma struggle with it because they slant the line late. Texas has lived in duo and inside runs this year. He wants Sark more versatile week to week, not locked into an offseason run menu. Up-tempo early to help Arch. Ryan Wingo screens two or three times — used late last year, barely this year, one nice gain on the final Tennessee drive. Oklahoma is still a legitimate top-12 defense. Expectation is a Texas win in a weird game.
Predictions (13:09–15:50)
Tommy: 27–10. Oklahoma finds the end zone once. Arch needs a swagger moment — deep ball (Mississippi State to Wingo last year) or a sideline run like the one he slid and waved on a year ago. Ohio State comeback had the Wingo touchdown but no massive throw or run. Curious whether Sark alters the plan because Arch may not be the pure pocket executor every down. Comfortable win, more confidence in the offense leaving than arriving.

Matthew: 24–13. Hopes the Oklahoma touchdown comes late so the “quarters without a TD” streak can stretch. When Texas is the better team, they usually win.
Clip window: early lead kills the Cotton Bowl (2:27–3:29); contain Mateer, don’t hunt sacks (4:00–4:38); Sategna and Beers are the only real threats (7:26–7:57).
October and future opponents (16:08–24:15)
Tommy’s month theme: stop the run (16:15–17:17)
Oklahoma should be stoppable. Then Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri. Put the game on the quarterbacks. Trinidad Chambliss can handle it. Kamario Taylor and Austin Simmons will make plays. If the run isn’t slowed: Jaden Baugh eats, Kewan Lacy has a day, Mississippi State’s wide offense hits explosives, Missouri’s run game is a nightmare. Stop the run for five or six weeks and Texas can be on a six-game streak toward 12–0.
Matthew: score on bad defenses (17:19–19:38)
None of the next defenses are top-25 units in his view. Florida’s front four is good, secondary is not. Ole Miss has one real difference-maker (Will Echols); take him out and there is little else. Missouri has not had defensive talent since the Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State. LSU is the best of the group and only fine, maybe top 20. After Oklahoma, one top-20 defense in the next six or seven games. This roster should be a top-10 offense. Thirty points a game plus this defense wins all of them. Kamario is scary only if he is perfect — Alabama showed the defense is horrid. Texas can hit 40 on Mississippi State (did last year, in OT; defense is the same level, offense better but not worlds better). No remaining team is flat-out better except a possible LSU debate later. Missouri shutting down Baugh and boat-racing Florida proved the point: take Baugh out and Buster Faulkner’s offense loses the gimmicks.
How those defenses will play Arch (19:39–21:14)
Florida and Ole Miss will not be good on the back end. Front-seven athletes (Echols, Suntarine Perkins; Jaden Woods and Florida’s front) will heat Arch for four quarters and force quick, accurate throws and yards after catch. Six-man pressures leave five on the back end. It comes down to Arch getting the ball out faster and taking what is there. All of these defenses are attackable.
Road form (21:15–22:03)
Trips to A&M, LSU, and Missouri. Two of three should be top-20 when Texas arrives. Road results have not been good (Tennessee this year, Ohio State and other SEC trips last year). Hardest games other than LSU are at home, which helps. He would not want the Swamp or Ole Miss on the road this year.
Austin Simmons (22:04–24:15)
Missouri’s loss this weekend changed the framing. A path existed for No. 5 vs. an unranked, wounded Missouri. Now it can be a program game that sends Missouri toward the CFP. Jamal Roberts and the run game are real, and Simmons can beat you if he stands in and works through reads — unlike Boo Carter a year ago. Chambliss can beat you alone. Kamario can do incredible things with time. Simmons is the one getting too little credit. Matthew ranks him as the third-best quarterback left on the schedule behind the two Mississippi quarterbacks, and the one he worries about most because Missouri’s line is much better. Pure athlete scare ranking: Chambliss, then Kamario (40 on you any Saturday if you give him time). Kamario may have been nursing turf toe; Mississippi State gets a bye.
Confidence check-in, rest of schedule (24:26–37:45)
Scale is confidence Texas wins. Matthew corrects his Ole Miss number on air (he had said 7, meant 5.5).
Game
Matthew
Tommy
Why
Oklahoma
7.5
7
Better everywhere except maybe Tate Sandell at kicker. D-line debatable; Colin Simmons tips it. Energy of the game caps it. Avoid mistakes, stay ahead of the chains.
Florida (home)
6
6.5
Dominated by Missouri; Swamp would be lower. Win path is taking Baugh out of the game the way Missouri did (12 carries). Not just stopping the run — forcing them to stop handing it to him by getting up 14–21.
Ole Miss
5.5
6.5
Harder than Florida. Average SEC QB and this drops to 3–4. Chambliss plus a healthy Lacy is the scariest QB-RB tandem in the country. Guy-for-guy Florida may be better outside those two. Tommy: you will not hold Chambliss for four quarters; need 28–34. He got them going down 10 at Florida without Lacy.
Mississippi State
8.5
7.5
Defense is abysmal. Kamario has to be perfect and healthy, and that still may not be enough. Bothwell hurt for this game. Tommy puts the offense next to Tennessee’s. Keep Kamario uncomfortable; score 28–30.
Missouri (road)
6
6
Road, likely night, first trip since old Big 12 days. Simmons can get hot; their defense can bother Arch. Hardy’s status unknown; Roberts is enough. They just shut down Florida’s run game, and Texas does not run it better than Florida. If Florida had won there, confidence would be higher.
LSU (road)
5
~5, preseason loss still stands
Lowest mark. Hardest place to play, packed if LSU is in the CFP race. Sam Leavitt is a bad passer — “revved-up Mateer” — but more elusive, more weapons, better head coach, pretty good defense. Blake Baker will pressure and force tight windows. Coverage corners can make plays. Leavitt neutralizes rushes with his legs.
Arkansas (home)
9.9
Dominate
Worst team in the SEC, maybe worst Power 4. Only lower if it were in Fayetteville with free alcohol. Quincy Rhodes and Chris Marshall are the only players who would change a Texas rotation. Georgia was running 15–20 yards past their athletes. Screen game should be automatic. A competitive game means something is badly wrong before A&M.
A&M (road)
8.5
8
Defense not good. Marcel Reed is a bad quarterback in Matthew’s view; receivers are fine if the ball gets there. Only player he’d take is Mario Craver. Texas has won there against a better A&M team and beat last year’s better version at home. Self-inflicted loss only, 10-plus if they just execute. Tommy: they didn’t help Reed enough — SEC backup linemen, no elite production on the D-line except a rising player. Should be 10–1 walking in, 11–1 walking out.
Clip window: Arkansas 9.9 / “a bomb hit the stadium” (33:28–33:40); LSU at 5 because Leavitt can’t pass (32:06–32:20).
Comments (37:59–44:10)
David Keith Williams — short, quick, and let Arch run. Both agree. Designed quarterback runs 3–5 times from here. Sark has to marry his offense to what Arch does; pure “my offense” will not work. Presser line about playing to personnel applies. Tommy: Sark is building a 10–15 year NFL pocket passer, but right now Arch has to win Texas games. Legs build the swagger (45-yard run, break tackles, celebrate). NFL will design runs for his size and athleticism anyway — Drake Maye / Josh Allen template. Call Joe Brady and Josh McDaniels. Not using it in college is a disservice.
Raheem Biles spying Leavitt. Possible, and it lowers the LSU worry if the rush doesn’t overcommit and Leavitt escapes backward instead of through the pocket. Not a Chris Cole-level closer, but he can take the quarterback run game out. Caveat: Lane Kiffin is the second-best offensive mind in the country behind Lincoln Riley and will scheme things Texas is not expecting.
Cole Hutson. Ruled eligible; they have treated him as eligible since Tennessee. Not better than the current options. Dylan Sikorski is better. Lawrence Seymour is becoming a better option. Jaden Chapman’s summer in the program helped. Great locker-room and fail-safe piece, not a must-play. Debate exists on Hutson vs. Connor Robertson, or Sikorski to center with Hutson or Seymour at guard. Worth a look in rotation if Texas gets up. Tommy was nervous about how fast this line would jell; he still thinks the current group makes the strides down the stretch.
Tennessee: six sacks, why no quick game inside 10 yards. Same issue as Florida — Sark fell in love with the deep ball because space was there. Space 20 yards downfield does not matter if the quarterback is getting hit. Started well, so it was easy to stay married to it. Arch still has scar tissue from last year: happy feet, eyes down when the pocket collapses. Both need the middle ground.
Close: Back after the game Saturday around 7 p.m. ET. Next Tuesday, Florida guests, 7 p.m. ET.
Social / titles
Texas is a 7.5-point favorite in the Cotton Bowl. Miller and Bresee both have the Horns in the mid-20s — and both think the only real upset path is self-inflicted.

Mateer plan: do not hunt sacks. Contain him, make him throw 30 times from the pocket.

Remaining confidence: Arkansas 9.9, A&M and Mississippi State 8-plus, LSU a 5. October thesis is stop the run, then score on defenses that are not top-25.

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45 min
September 30Grades Heading Into The Bye Week/ Texas Longhorns LIVE 121
Texas Longhorns LIVE 121 — Grades Heading Into the Bye Week
Hosts: Matthew Miller & Tommy (Thomas Bresee) | TexasVOCFB
Sponsor: FanDuel
0:00–1:22 — Intro & Texas–Oklahoma line
Texas –9.5 vs Oklahoma (opened ~4.5 in the offseason; jumped five points).

Tommy: Fair. OU defense is good enough that you can’t hang a huge number on them. Georgia needed John Mateer mistakes to cover; take those away and it’s closer to a 14-point game, which matches the old line. Rivalry tax applies.

Miller: Georgia was ~13-point favorite on a neutral. Neutral-field Texas ≈ that Georgia number. Line checks out.
1:22–5:13 — Tennessee recap (Texas 20, Tennessee 17 at Neyland)
Messy, both D-lines ate the O-lines. Should have been controlled by half; penalties and miscues kept it close.

OL worst game of the year. Left too much on Arch; he started 9-of-10, 127 yards, then the INT and it unraveled (indecision/hesitation that disappeared late last year is back).

Bottom line they repeat: winning in Neyland is hard. Tennessee fans called the atmosphere one of the weaker ones they’ve seen and Texas still found a way.

Toughest September slate in CFB; two massive wins (Ohio State + Neyland). Not pretty, but the W is the W.

This bye is the last real jump. If they don’t look better coming out of it, fan concerns are validated — the product vs OU will look a lot like the rest of the year.
5:13–10:00 — Sark has to play to Arch, not the other way around
Miller wants more designed QB runs (they’ve basically had one true designed run all year; the rest are Arch calling his own number). Arch likes it and is good at it.

Team is not built for 20 dropbacks and 10–12 long-developing routes. Need more short game + Arch in the run game. Ego has to go; Sark’s “Mac Jones / exact scheme” QB is the third-stringer (D’Abel ≈ Bryce Young face-value).

Sark’s job is win games at Texas, not maximize Arch’s NFL starter window. Let him color outside the lines like late last season (Michigan, A&M). Add Cam Coleman, Relique Brown, Hollywood Smothers, a slightly better OL and you have last year’s late-season offense.

Bye week is the window to flip it, then blend schemes once Arch gets confidence. Upcoming Florida / Ole Miss / Mississippi State stretch will force them to outscore people; Florida’s offense is “impossible to fully defend.”

September was about setting up the season (4-0 = great shape). October is about taking a stranglehold (4-0 in the next four and November looks manageable except LSU).
10:00–14:47 — Defense is elite; SEC pecking order
Defense is “downright awesome.” Not tiptoeing: this can be a top-5 unit. Best defenses in the country right now live in Austin and Athens.

From Ohio State halftime onward they’ve been nearly flawless except one late Tennessee drive. Muschamp’s calls have worked.

Chat (Artistically Incredible): Texas top-3 SEC? Florida, Georgia, Alabama look better. Hosts: Alabama/Florida haven’t played real defenses. Texas would likely beat Alabama; Keelan Russell is more capable than Faison Brandon of carrying it. Florida offense is top-10 but can they score 30 on this Texas D?

Georgia is the only team they haven’t seen play bad football. Perception vs reality: early-season narratives overrate the teams that “look good” and underrate the 4-0 team that doesn’t look like a No. 1. Worst case Texas is 4th in the SEC and still in the CFP; best case they’re the best team in the league.

Most impressive two-win résumé in the country right now: 1-point win over Ohio State + road win at Neyland.
14:47–22:23 — Execution vs scheme; WR usage
Struggles have largely been player execution, not Sark being a bad play-caller (he’s still top 5–6 in the country). If you want a new OC you’d better hire one of the four best.

Counter: maybe they can’t execute this offense. Sark adapted late last year; he has to again.

Simplify: Ryan Wingo short/intermediate, Cam Coleman deep. Cam has 20 targets, 208 yards, 4 TDs — all vs bad teams; zero TDs vs Ohio State/Tennessee. He’s roughly where AD Mitchell was at this point of that year but hasn’t had the statement game yet.

Arch has to throw the post when the safety sits in the box; the INT was a great play by the DB, not a “throwing into double coverage every time” problem.

Emmanuel Acho point they endorse: a lot of guys have to play up to reputation — Arch, Cam, both tackles.

Suggestion from chat/hosts: 5–7 rollouts a game (Bo Nix-style, get him moving right). Easy to install.
22:23–26:36 — GRADES heading into the bye
They grade units only (not individual positions).
Offense: C-
Arch: 7 TD, 3 INT, 63.5% (completion % close to what they want; on-target % is fine once you add drops). Zero rushing TDs in the official line because they won’t design runs.

Cam Coleman underused vs good teams. Ryan Wingo leading the team in receiving — expected, most consistent WR. Emmitt Mosley 1 catch for 43. Tight end room has no receiving threat until Nick Townsend is back.

Need more Relique Brown / Hollywood Smothers in the passing game out of the backfield.
Defense: A-range / “awesome” (they don’t put a letter on it the same way because they’re not nitpicking as hard). Top-5 potential. Secondary can still tighten.
Coaching: Mixed. Sark still a top play-caller, but has to adapt to personnel this week. Muschamp side is rolling.
26:36–end of grades section / into concerns — OL & center
Center job should be up for discussion now that Cole Hudson is eligible. If he’s even 10% better, play him. Dylan Sikorski has been the surprise second-best OL and has center experience; could slide him and play Hudson or Warren Seymour at guard. Seymour has been the biggest bright spot among offensive transfers.
41:34–54:14 — Biggest concerns the rest of the way
Penalties — Miller’s No. 1. 124th in offensive penalty yards (bottom 15). Theme of the entire Sark era; hasn’t improved. You can out-talent three of four CFP opponents and then a back-breaking penalty costs the title. OL penalties are actually way down (3 this year, 1 on a starter vs 43 last year) — that’s a win. The dumb ones are PIs, special teams, and one of the dumber penalties they’ve ever seen. Sark already talked to Colin Simmons and Relique Brown.

Rushing: 3.6 YPC, 89th. Backs are getting extra yards after contact vs what Baxter/Wiseman would have gotten, but no explosives because the OL isn’t creating holes. Too much duo/inside zone; maybe go back to more outside zone. Need designed Arch runs to freeze LBs and open lanes. Explosive-play margin matters more than turnover margin for winning games.

5.1 yards per play, 83rd. Live in the 30–60 range, not 80+. Explosives + Arch playing free fixes this.

Third-down defense (39th) — Tommy nitpicking. They give up some long third downs (Ohio State started 5-of-first-8 with 8.5 to go). 10% better and it’s a top-10 D. Looked better vs Tennessee.

OL “good but misses too much.” Will be a good unit, not a “they whiffed again” unit — but you may have to face Miami/Georgia/Notre Dame in a row in a title run. Have to be elite down the stretch.

Is the pass rush bailing out the secondary? If Colin Simmons doesn’t get home vs a sturdy OL (Florida is the one they name), are there more holes in coverage than we think? Coverage should improve; may not be an issue by the time it matters.

Special-teams mistakes / penalties putting them behind the chains in a one-score CFP game.
Overarching theme they keep returning to: Sark is trying to make Arch the 12-year NFL pocket passer. Right now Arch is “a golden retriever in a 750-square-foot apartment.” Play to the player you have for this season.
54:14–1:06:05 — Arch, historical comps, closing message
Arch played through a foot that later needed surgery last year (which foot is still secret; they guess right foot from mechanics). Fully healthy now.

They never thought Arch was Sark’s perfect scheme QB; D’Abel is. Manning name made people assume Mac Jones processing would appear immediately. He’s still going to be a long-time NFL starter; he’s just not that guy for this exact offense yet.

Fun comps: Quinn Ewers 20 yards and in + Arch’s deep ball = the QB they want. Shane Buechele would have ripped this offense. Vince Young would have transferred. Sam Ehlinger understood it but couldn’t make the throws.

Message they want people to leave with: You’re 4-0. Almost nobody else who played Ohio State and Tennessee is. This was probably the worst month of offense you’ll see. Sark is too smart not to go back to what worked late last year. You shouldn’t have to score a ton this year because of the defense.

Guaranteed points exercise: Miller 31, Tommy 28. Florida is the one offense that might push 30.

Playoff: Win OU and they’re a lock in their minds (don’t see 4-3 in the last seven). SEC could put 6–8 in. Georgia looks like No. 1 on the eye test until they play somebody good.

Florida under the new staff is a “Nick Saban / Kirby Smart-level psychopath” situation — terrifying and a playoff team with a friendly remaining schedule. Proof Billy Napier was the problem.

Sark tightrope: 90% of what he’s done since he got the job has been excellent. Calling plays and being HC is a lot (last guy to walk that rope had Jameis Winston). If there’s no title, the “just hire an OC” call will come.
Sign-off: Like/subscribe. Possible Thursday 6:30 p.m. ET show (no game, so no best bets); otherwise next Tuesday.

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1 hr 7 min
September 28Grading Texas' Win Over Tennessee
TexasVOCFB — Grading Texas’ Win Over Tennessee
Hosts: Matthew Miller & Thomas Bresee
Special edition / postgame grades
Texas 4-0 after a road win at Neyland Stadium
Intro (0:00–0:10)
Welcome to a special grading show on Texas’ win over Tennessee. Like/subscribe plug, then they jump straight into unit grades.
Quarterback — Arch Manning
Grades: C+ / C+
Same grade as last week; that’s the season-long grade for Manning so far.

Good enough to beat Tennessee and similar remaining teams; not good enough to win elite games consistently.

Pocket presence still needs work — that was the one off day. Accuracy was solid; almost no complete misses.

Two plays where he crossed the line of scrimmage and still threw (indecision). Cleaned it up later.

First drive is the template they want most of the time, especially once the OL has more cohesion in November.

A lot of the night was out of his hands. Not terrible, but he has to be better going forward.
Running Backs
Grades: B- / B-
Hardest unit to grade — they didn’t get many lanes.

Relique Brown was the main guy. Ran hard. One highlight: hopped, spun, dodged a tackle for 7–8 yards (would have been 1–2 last year) and helped set up a first down later.

Ugly 3–4 yard runs when needed. Hollywood Smothers would have helped find extra yards; he’s out.

Derek Cooper still a bit banged up as a freshman. Poor blocking around them. Performed pretty well down the stretch given the circumstances.
Wide Receivers
Grades: C+ / B-
No dropped passes. Cam Coleman one really good catch. Ryan Wingo a couple of late plays. Emmitt Mosley one early catch, then nothing.

Host 1: same C+ as Manning — solid, doing their jobs, nothing special. Explosive plays have to start showing up if Texas is going to jump.

Host 2: bumps to B- because Wingo was exceptional — YAC, screen where he made guys miss and fought for a first down, plus a great block on Relique Brown’s first TD. Coleman’s one big play; wanted more on the deep ball (looked like he got tripped). Need more volume from Coleman on that type of play.
Tight Ends
Grades: C / C
Almost an incomplete — one catch, barely involved. Blocking wasn’t as good as usual, but hard to isolate when the OL struggled.

Nothing they did prevented good things; they were part of the same non-rhythm as the rest of the offense.

Worst blocking performance of the season. Nick Townsend’s absence is felt — most complete player in the room. Amari Winston is talented but not the same blocker or as comfortable in the offense yet. Group is still talented; Townsend makes it whole.
Offensive Line
Grades: D- / C- (worst of the year)
Host 1’s worst grade of the night. Connor Robertson and Brandon Baker had many bad plays. Robertson is a liability vs. athletic interior guys (same issue vs. Ohio State’s Kerry Wilder / Gilliam types). Baker: assignment/communication issues — one play he stood between two defenders and blocked neither, nearly got Manning killed.

If grading individuals: Robertson and Baker F, rest maybe C+. Unit as a whole D-.

Host 2: C- (initially said C+). Worst performance of the year by a comfortable margin. Fourth-quarter drive when they had to just run it was decent. Putting Jackson Christian in doesn’t fix the athleticism problem. Baker getting more confident and communicating better at guard is the more realistic fix.

Still working out how they play together, especially on the road. Not overly worried long-term, but this can’t happen vs. Ole Miss or LSU. Tennessee’s DL is better than average on the remaining schedule (Oklahoma better if David Stone is healthy; Florida another tough one). Bye week to get communication and plan right. 4-0 now; can figure it out.
Defensive Line
Grades: A+ / A+ (better than A+)
10 sacks and they stopped the run. Nothing else to discuss.

Every player was incredible. Murad Watson awesome. Zeno Mozilo didn’t show up much on the stat sheet but was great. Lance Jackson no sack but felt like three. Alex January and Hiro Kanu both in on sacks.

No Justice Terry and they still did this. Terry is the highest-ceiling DT; this is what the unit can be — take over games even when offense and other units have issues.

Colin Simmons: already 8 (or 9) sacks on the season. Preseason over/under was 4.5. Quick start this year vs. last year’s late surge. UTSA and Texas State already changed game plans because of him. Teams will keep doing that. Penalty (fake Johnson celebration) — if you get five sacks you should be allowed to do whatever as long as you don’t touch anyone. He understood it was wrong, put it behind him, and kept playing. No one has to police him.
Linebackers
Grades: A / A
Justin Krier a little quiet. Raheem Biles not quiet — insane closing speed when spying Faison Brandon, sack, a couple TFLs. Fun player.

Richie Miles: 13 tackles + late sack (huge). Krier second with 9 tackles + late PBU that was almost a pick.

Unit they were worried about coming into the year. Depth still a question, but Kosiak-Paula made special-teams plays. Brad Spence is B+ or better whenever he’s on the field. Younger guys should get more run later.
Secondary
Grades: B- / B+
Tricky. Good at times, picked on at others. A couple PIs. Weird TD where Bo Masco didn’t realize what was happening.

Front was so disruptive that Brandon didn’t see a lot of open guys.

Host 2: B+ because of how much that offense spreads the secondary and puts guys on islands. Masco didn’t look like the veteran. Grayson Littleton one of the best players on the team. Cade Phillips still improving. Jelani McDonald all over the field and made the play that sealed it.

Kobe Black played (3 tackles) but Derek Williams Jr. was more visible (5 tackles) and is playing better football. Black may still be limited.
Coaching
Grades: B / B-
Sark a little robotic on first down (too many handoffs). Play-calling overall good when the OL held up. Defense excellent. Special teams good. Execution lagged behind some of the calls.

Penalties fall on coaches (Simmons one they let him wear). Have to clean them up a bit even if SEC play won’t be perfect.

First drive worked; then OL collapsed and they had to adjust on the fly — not easy. Give Sark some leeway.

Will Muschamp is a top-5 defensive mind right now; the change from Pete Kwiatkowski to Muschamp is paying off.

One complaint: don’t go prevent when you’re dominating and up multiple scores. Let the guys pin their ears back and make the freshman QB more uncomfortable. This team is better when it attacks (same lesson as first half vs. Ohio State last year). Conservative isn’t their personality.
Big-picture / looking ahead
Walked into what they consider the second-toughest place to play in the country. Neyland was packed from the jump. Found a way to win, now 4-0 heading into the bye, then a 2-2 Oklahoma team that’s reeling.

Feels like the reverse of last year (Texas undefeated, Oklahoma 2-2 then). Don’t do what they did today (shoot themselves in the foot with OL/penalties) and Oklahoma probably can’t beat them.

Same game plan next week: make John Mateer beat you. Don’t think he’s capable. Oklahoma OL is also attackable.

Manning feels closer to being in a groove; pieces are starting to come together. Needs the OL to get there so he can play full-time clean football.

Tuesday 7 p.m. ET: one-third-of-the-season recap, look-ahead, Oklahoma talk, any breaking news.
Quick grade card (both hosts)
Unit
Host 1
Host 2
QB
C+
C+
RBs
B-
B-
WRs
C+
B-
TEs
C
C
OL
D-
C-
DL
A+
A+
LBs
A
A
Secondary
B-
B+
Coaching
B
B-

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21 min
September 27TEXAS-Tennessee Postgame LIVE
TexasVOCFB Postgame LIVE — Texas 20, Tennessee 17
Hosts: Matthew Miller & Thomas Bresee
Presented by FanDuel
Open / Vibe of the game (0:00–2:07)
Weird, frustrating win. Texas “survives” a game that felt like it should have been 21-3 at half. Tennessee had ~130 yards of offense and one field goal until the late flurry.

Final: 20-17. Texas never trailed after taking the lead back.

Tommy: Mental toughness is real (same trait as Ohio State). They answered the punt-return TD, got the Cam Coleman chunk, kicked the FG, and didn’t give the lead back.

Matthew: Never apologize for a road SEC win. Defense has been fine since the Washington game. Offense is the problem.
Arch Manning (2:32–6:29)
14-of-19, 201 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, sacked 6 times.

Matthew: 4–5 sacks on the OL, 1–2 on Arch holding it. First half and late fourth were solid; second/third quarters muddy.

INT to Cam Coleman: not a great throw or decision; Coleman also mistimed the jump.

Tommy: Started 7-of-8 and was ripping it. Throw to Jermaine Bishop may be his best of the year. Aggressive deep shot that Keon Lee picked — Tommy not furious at the decision (similar missed post last week). Line-of-scrimmage awareness is a recurring issue (three times in two weeks).

Both: Hard to blame Arch when Arian Carter is in his face in two seconds. Protection and first-down play-calling were the bigger issues. Accuracy (~70%) was a positive.
Run game & Relique Brown / Hollywood Smothers (3:43–4:28, 22:56–24:15)
Relique Brown: 17 carries, 67 yards (3.9 YPC), 2 TDs. Turned it on in the second half.

Hollywood Smothers fully padded, moving pregame, “good to go,” then never played. Tyler Horka tweeted he looked gimpy at the end of warm-ups. Hosts puzzled why he stayed in jersey if he wasn’t going to play.

First-down runs were a disaster — constantly minus-2/minus-3 against Tennessee blitzes, creating 3rd-and-11+ (first seven third downs averaged 11.8 yards to go). Same pattern as Ohio State.

Late-game push was better. Both expect a “lean-on-it-late” run game, not an elite one. Need more explosives through the air.
Offensive line (8:11–11:05, 16:54–18:43)
Dominated by Jim Knowles packages. Communication breakdowns (Brandon Baker twist/blitz — didn’t touch anyone). Connor Robertson is who he is vs. athletic DTs/DEs.

Tommy: Line is still new. Ohio State game wasn’t a fluke of OSU playing poorly; they can be a good pass-protection unit with time. Bye week to clean communication before Oklahoma, then Ole Miss/Florida/LSU.

Matthew: Upcoming schedule (OU, Ole Miss/Will Echols, Florida, LSU) will punish this if it doesn’t improve. Still found enough late to win — unlike last year on the road.
Receivers (3:03–3:42, 20:54–22:12)
Cam Coleman underwhelming relative to NIL/preseason ranking (3rd-best WR on the team some weeks).

Jermaine Bishop: 2-33, nice 29-yard sideline catch. One play drawn up for him. Hosts excited about the talent; don’t expect a huge year (maybe 250 yards?).

Ryan Wingo / others mentioned in passing.
Defense — the bright spot (2:19–2:30, 11:35–17:16)
No real concerns. Linebackers played well. Coverage unit (Grayson Littleton especially) held up vs. Tennessee’s 50-50 balls.

Colin Simmons: all-time performance. 5 sacks (possibly 5.5 after regrade — would be a Texas record). Used as overhang/Jalen Walker-style rusher by Will Muschamp. One dumb personal foul (the “machine-gun” moment everyone on the sideline knew was a flag). He knew immediately and responded.

Lance Jackson: best game of his career. If he plays at 80% of this going forward, Texas may have the best edge duo in the country.

10 sacks, 12 TFLs as a defense.

Bo Masco PI flags: Tommy not overly concerned given Tennessee’s scheme and receivers (Mike Matthews, Darius Jackson). SEC refs liberal.
Penalties (11:35–15:00)
115 penalty yards. Hosts expect this team to live in the 60–80 range under Sarkisian — that’s who they are (ranked ~50th the last two years).

Can’t have back-breakers like the Simmons flag (gave Tennessee a first down with a chance to put the game away). Holding/false starts are livable.

Some flags (especially DPI) are Tennessee putting you in bad spots + SEC officiating.
Special teams (18:46–20:09, 25:10–25:55)
Onside kick / drop-kick: Wingo isolated. Hosts would rather have Emmett Mosley, Dalen McCutcheon, Bishop, or even Relique Brown back there. Alignment issues. Not expected to be a recurring problem.

Quay Moss punt return: four guys aligned to the return side.

Fake-fair-catch / gunner-to-returner trick with Niblett/Bishop — creative from Jeff Banks, but the flag on the other punt return is more on the player (Niblett) than coaching.
Big-picture takeaways (6:29–8:11, 24:16–25:10)
Team is talented and mentally tough but frustrating. Should have won this (and Ohio State) by more. Question hanging: can they play this sloppy and still win a title? That would still feel like unfulfilled potential.

Offense has to find explosives. Arch will hunt them.

Defense and toughness can carry them through September undefeated on the road in the SEC — something they didn’t do last year.

Bye week, then Oklahoma. Line and first-down identity are the next boxes to check.
Close / upcoming content (25:56–end)
Grades video dropping Sunday before noon.

Tuesday 7 p.m. ET show: season-so-far recap + this game + look-ahead.

Hook Em

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27 min
September 23Battle OF The UT's / Texas Longhorns LIVE 120
Texas Longhorns LIVE 120 — Battle of the UTs
Hosts: Matthew Miller & Tommy Bresee | Guest: Tucker Harlin (TennesseeVOCFB / Vols Wire / CFB HQ on SI / VOCFB 365)
Texas vs. Tennessee preview + UTSA recap | Neyland Stadium, noon kickoff
Intro & setup (0:00–1:54)
Tommy opens Texas Longhorns Live #120. Matt joining shortly. Special guest Tucker Harlin from the Tennessee channel for the first Texas-Tennessee meeting in 57 years and first at either home venue. Noon game at Neyland (not a typical night environment). Tucker will be there in person. Discussion of scheduling quirks (LSU-A&M night slot, potential Alabama-Mississippi State noon + College GameDay the following week).
Tucker interview: What we know about Tennessee after 3 weeks (1:54–6:00)
Tennessee has faced two relative layups plus Georgia Tech. Defense looks better than last year and more like a competent SEC unit. Offense remains a mystery — they have not had to open the playbook much and have leaned heavily on the run when they have a clear line advantage.
Preseason expectation: 8–9 wins and building toward 2027 with true freshman QB Faison Brandon. Still attainable. Circled games: Texas, Texas A&M (now looking more winnable), Alabama, LSU, and South Carolina on the road (bad history). Eight or nine wins plus a sneak-in CFP path remains possible.
Ethan Davis injury & tight end room (6:00–8:10)
Ethan Davis (converted WR) went down in the Georgia Tech game (limped off in the fourth). Big loss in the receiving game. DeSean Brame is now the primary receiving threat at TE. Blocking-oriented options remain (Trent Thomas, Drake Martinez). Room has talent but is unproven. Miles Kitzelman was more of a locker-room guy last year; Davis was supposed to be the upgrade.
Tennessee defense & confidence vs Texas (8:10–10:20)
Tucker feels better about the defense than the offense. DL more aggressive than expected. Linebackers (Arion Carter, Jeremiah T. Lander) rotating to edge. Secondary has not given up many big plays (Dajon Lane pick-six vs Georgia Tech). Has not faced a high-upside QB like Arch Manning yet. Secondary was poor vs UAB last year. Baptism-by-fire SEC opener for Brandon.
Tennessee offensive line (10:20–13:00)
Right side is the concern (right guard rotation between Donovan Haslam and Shane Mumarov). Jesse Perry (moved to RT) has graded well and was a bright spot last year. Left side more settled: Wendell Moy (when healthy) and David Sanders Jr. Tucker calls Sanders Tennessee’s best OL since Trey Smith — strong tape even against lesser DLs. Colin Simmons’ health is a major Texas concern; if limited, pass rush drops off (Zina Umeozulu next man up).
Faison Brandon’s legs & RB room (13:00–16:40)
Tennessee is less RPO-heavy than Texas and closer to its veer-and-shoot roots, but they have schemed more designed QB runs. Brandon is a natural runner (“runs like a deer”) and the best since Josh Dobbs. Expect some improv scrambles if the OL is challenged. Designed runs may be limited.
RB room: DeShaun Bishop is the known name; DeJuan Morris has emerged. Javon Gordon another piece (held out last week). Tennessee ran 45 times for 299 yards vs Georgia Tech and did not want to throw. Confidence if Texas takes the run away and puts it on Brandon is an unknown — Saturday will reveal it.
Fill-in-the-blank: Tennessee wins/loses if… (16:40–19:20)
Loses if they let Arch Manning get in rhythm (run or pass). Tennessee has historically struggled with dual-threat QBs (Diego Pavia last year). Need to throw him off balance.

Wins if they win the interior DL battle (Xavier Gilliam athletic, David Hobbs mobile) vs Texas center Connor Robertson and confuse Manning. Heupel’s offense is built to make life easy for the QB (screens, quick game, downhill run). Defense could make or break the game.
Names Texas fans may not know (19:20–21:00)
Defense: Xavier Gilliam (interior DL).
Offense: Radarius Jackson (emerging WR3 with a few nice deep catches). Other weapons (Bishop, Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley) are already known.
Predictions (21:00–22:20)
Tucker: Competitive but Texas wins 27-21 (does not cover). Do not let the loss spiral like after Georgia last year.
Tommy: 27-20 Texas. Four-quarter battle decided by a couple of late plays; leans Arch over Brandon.
Matthew: 24-20 Texas.
Tucker plugs & history notes (22:20–25:00)
@TuckerHarlan on X (posted Texas-Tennessee history). General Neyland was a Texan (Aggie). Rick Barnes departure helped Tennessee basketball. YouTube: Mondays 8 ET with Jordan Binkley on Tennessee VOCFB; Tuesdays with Tyler Natuno; SEC show with Jackson Johnson & Andrew Miller. Vols Wire recruiting coverage; CFPHQ on SI. Hosting visitors this weekend.
UTSA recap & Arch Manning discussion (25:00–32:40)
Focus on Arch: Is he okay? Panic is understandable after pressure and some old habits returned when the OL got beat. Tommy’s view: last year’s poor OL forced bad habits; he reverted when he saw pressure Saturday. Trust the process — better OL and WRs around him. He made big progress last year; expect more this year. Not expecting lights-out vs Tennessee but a relatively clean, confidence-building road SEC game.
Matthew: Close to the 8–23 game “who he is” line for young QBs (Burrow/Luck/Young comps). Next 1–3 games (Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida) will tell a lot. Still thinks a national title is possible even without a massive leap if pieces around him help. Drops (Ryan Wingo, Cam Coleman, Emmett Mosley) must be cleaned up. Colin Simmons health critical for pass rush. Derek Williams filled in well at CB.
Positive for Arch vs Tennessee: Jim Knowles likes three-high safety looks that give cushion. Decisive QBs who get the ball out beat that defense. If Arch hits the back of his drop and delivers, it could be a turning-point game.
Keys to beating Tennessee on the road (32:40–end)
Tommy
Take the crowd out early. Neyland is one of the best environments; noon helps but explosives and turnovers will wake it up. Start fast (team superpower). No huge sacks or momentum plays.

Run the ball: 30 carries, 3.5 YPC (~105–115 yards). Stick with 3–4 yard gains; set up play-action and keep Tennessee’s offense on the sideline. Exploit athletic but not massive DT group with gap schemes.

Force Faison Brandon to beat you. Load the box, stop the run, keep him in the pocket. Make him complete 7–10 passes on multiple drives. Elite man coverage on wide-split WRs (Bo Masco, Grayson Littleton, Kate Phillips). Tackle well in space.

DT dominance vs Tennessee’s interior (especially RG). Justice Terry or Nick Townsend if available. Slide Colin Simmons inside on obvious passing downs. Move numbers around pre-snap to confuse the freshman.
Matthew
Capitalize on likely Tennessee turnovers (young QB + questionable OL). Score TDs, not FGs.

Same run-game and “make Brandon beat you with his arm” emphasis. Not at the point in his career where you respect the passing game first.

Trust the process for Arch: OL (Dylan Sikorski leap), Sarkisian getting WRs open, get the ball out. Personal comfort (Holly Rowe covering the game) mentioned as a possible off-field help.
Overall lean: Texas defense (Pete Kwiatkowski) should play championship-level football against a true freshman in a loud but noon environment. Championship-caliber unit, not just a big-game winner.
Show close: Live Tuesdays 7 ET (this one earlier for Tucker). Best bets Thursday. Postgame after Tennessee ~3:15–3:30 ET. Hook ’em.

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48 min
September 20TEXAS-UTSA Postgame | Texas VOCFB
Texas-UTSA Postgame | Texas VOCFB
Hosts: Matthew Miller & Thomas Bresee
Final: Texas 30, UTSA 6
Sponsored open, like/subscribe ask. Texas wins an ugly one. Scoreboard looks like most good teams around the country on this Saturday. Offense struggled. Defense was excellent.
Defense sets the floor (0:25–2:00)
Defense held UTSA to 138 total yards. After UTSA’s first-quarter field goal: 24 yards on 34 plays, 0.7 yards per play (C.J. Vogel stat). Unit was “downright incredible” the rest of the way.
Compared to last year vs. UTSA, the fourth-quarter close-out via the run game was encouraging. Hosts believe this defense can win games in the SEC against good teams. Frustration with the overall product is real but “very explainable.”
Ugly Saturday context (2:00–2:30)
A&M lost. Oklahoma beat New Mexico by 8. Miami was pedestrian in the second half Friday. LSU and Ole Miss traded halves. College football is fickle. A 24-point win still leaves confidence in the run game and defense.
Arch Manning and the offense (2:30–6:40)
Vs. any real SEC team, this offensive performance loses. Arch barely completed 50%. Missed throws he has to hit:
Airmailed Emmitt Mosley in the end zone by ~5 yards (wide open).

Ryan Wingo corner-of-the-end-zone ball needed better placement.
Hosts hold Arch to a high standard because they see other QBs hitting those throws (Sam Leavitt dime to Watkins cited). Arch has not made that type of throw this year. He will have highs and lows; he is a roller coaster.
Pass protection struggled with delayed linebacker blitzes. Tennessee/Jim Knowles will copy it. Offensive line was the first unit to disappoint this season. Misses are now more predictable (overthrows) than last year’s dirt-then-10-feet-over-the-head pattern. Fixable, but he has to be better in Neyland.
Sark appeared to force the issue with Arch early, then leaned on the run to put the game away.
Run game and supporting pieces (6:40–9:00)
Five rushers over 39 yards. Derek Cooper returned after the Ohio State ankle/boot situation and led the team in carries — surprising. Michael Terry also got work. Run blocking was better than pass protection. Hosts can live with one off game after an emotional Ohio State week.
Kentucky-last-year vibes if this were a better opponent. Other than Arkansas, almost no one left on the schedule lets you play like this. Upcoming QBs (Faison Brandon, Kamario Taylor, Trinidad Chambliss) will make plays; Texas cannot box every offense for 60 minutes. Team will lean on defense + run game. It still comes back to Arch.
Cam Coleman: 4 TDs through 3 games. Wingo had the early splash. Mosley remains the big-catch guy. Never looked as out-of-sync as UTEP last year or the worst of Kentucky. Run game is the fail-safe.
Schedule and stakes (9:00–12:10)
Win at Tennessee and Texas is in great September shape, then a road stretch until Florida at home Oct. 17. Next two games (Tennessee, Oklahoma/Red River) are essentially playoff games. 5-0 makes 9-3 still a strong playoff path. Red River could be a 9-6 type game given both offenses right now.
Why Arch looked better as a sophomore / mechanics (12:10–15:20)
Limited sample vs. a bad/vanilla Mississippi State defense. Foot injury last year affected mechanics and comfort. Offensive-line scar tissue: feet parallel to the LOS is a “death sentence.” Needs cleaner pockets more consistently. Spencer Shannon drop noted. Pieces around him have to meet him halfway. Started 9-of-12 but the three early misses lingered. Playing more snaps this year; surrounding pieces less clean than 2024. He still has to be the guy who makes it good. How much he improves could decide a title.
Arch fifth-year talk (15:20–19:00)
Higher chance than most think. Manning family values foundation over money (Peyton/Eli senior years cited). D’Eriq King/Treyveon Henderson-type comments from Cover 3 last year: willing to sit another year if Arch returns. Depends who else comes back (Mosley, Siani, Brandon Baker). Title + No. 1 pick almost certainly sends him to the NFL. Incomplete season opens the conversation. Hosts still expect him to be a top-10 pick and a good NFL QB. Trinidad Chambliss (height be damned, elite in/out of pocket) is the other name they would take first; Baker Mayfield precedent mentioned. A 300-yard, 3-TD game at Tennessee puts Arch back in the No. 1 conversation. Browns/Jets at 1-2 would change the calculus. Dolphins or Cardinals would be cleaner landing spots.
Pass rush / Colin Simmons (19:50–21:30)
Only one sack. Not concerned in this specific game: after the first drive McCown rarely held the ball more than 2.5 seconds. UTSA took its foot off the gas. Will Henderson speed sweeps were the only real answers. Colin Simmons was on the sideline in a boot late — potential issue heading to a tough environment vs. a young QB. Justice Terry returning would change the pass rush. Tennessee will actually try to win, unlike UTSA playing not to get blown out.
Sark / “fire the OC” talk (21:30–24:30)
Jeff Brohm talk dismissed (Lincoln Riley-lite, all offense, no defense). Only Curt Cignetti turns B talent into A; everyone else (Day, Smart, Sark included) needs elite talent. Tonight was players not executing, not scheme. Arch must hit the layups. Every loss will bring “bench Arch” and “hire an OC” noise. Neither is the actual problem. KJ Lacey or a new OC does not fix what showed up. Hosts were not expecting domination or treating a sloppy win as sky-is-falling. Win at Tennessee and the season is back on track.
Close (24:30–end)
A&M, Oklahoma, and Alabama also had sloppy or poor performances. Getting wins is harder than ever. Coming off the Ohio State high, a messy home win is not shocking. Dust off and beat a good Tennessee team in the second-best environment in the country. “Battle of the UTs.”
Grades video dropping Sunday morning. Cross-content with the Tennessee channel this week. Back live Tuesday. Like and subscribe.
Core takeaways the hosts kept returning to
Defense and run game are real and transferable.

Arch’s inconsistency (especially overthrows and missed layups) is the variable that will decide whether this team wins a title.

Tennessee film already has delayed blitzes and a blueprint; Neyland will punish sloppiness.

Next two games are the real measuring stick.

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26 min
September 18Best Bets For Texas Vs UTSA/ Best Bets 3 LIVE CALL IN SHOW
TexasVOCFB Best Bets Live: Texas vs. UTSA
Hosts: Matthew Miller & Tommy Bresee
Sponsored by Fanduel
Format: Live call-in show (Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Intro (0:00–0:24)
Welcome to another live Best Bets. This is UTSA week after the Ohio State win. Sponsor plug for Fandle; all lines presented by them. Ask for likes and subs.
Host Bets — Texas vs. UTSA
Emmett Mosley anytime TD (plus money) — Matthew (0:24–0:56)
Mosley was the leading receiver last week. Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, and the RBs already have TDs. Texas should reward him. “He’s got to score at some point… I think Texas will reward him with a touchdown.”
Tommy agrees: the offense was chaotic last week; Mosley came up big in the fourth. Dial one up (screen-and-go or similar) and let him get in the end zone.
Texas –30.5 — Tommy (1:39–2:31)
“Clean the slate” game after a noisy week. Texas should run all over UTSA and find openings in the passing game. Watch turnovers (UTSA has forced some). Owen McCown is not Arch Manning; expect sacks. Tommy’s score: 52-13. Matthew: 45-10. Both see a comfortable cover.
Matthew adds: Texas should dominate both lines. UTSA has one sack on the year. Bigger line than Texas State because UTSA played a closer game last week.
Cam Coleman over 66.5 receiving yards — Matthew (3:09–3:38)
Wingo popped in Week 1; Coleman was quieter last week. Expect a Wingo-style game (7-121-1 type). A couple of big plays should get him there and “cement himself as a Texas Longhorn.”
Tommy: Similar approach to Texas State—fewer passes overall, but when they take shots they put receivers 1-on-1. Coleman could get the number on one play.
Texas team total over 43.5 — Tommy (4:17–5:16)
Texas should roll out of bed and score 24–28 most weeks. Hit the easy ones in the first half, then control clock with the run game. Want a confidence-builder before the road trip to Neyland. Possible 52-10 or 52-7 type of night.
Matthew: If you take the big spread you basically have to take the team total unless you think they pitch a shutout. He sees UTSA scoring 6–13; Texas has a real shot at 50.
Texas –17.5 first half — Matthew (4:42–6:05)
Least confident of his tickets—they could come out sleepy. Even a C-game should produce two TDs + two FGs. “Two touchdowns and two field goals to me is doable even sleepwalking.”
Tommy: After a sloppy first half vs. Ohio State, they should come out attacking. Possible 24-3 at half, then peek toward Tennessee in the fourth.
Amari Winston over 2.5 receptions — Tommy (7:01–8:15)
Nick Townsend is out (Sark said so today). Winston has been the reliable target in big moments (LSU, etc.). Give him a Gunnar Helm / Ja’Tavion Sanders-type usage before SEC play—target him 7–8 times. He earned it.
Matthew: Winston had a two-catch stretch that could have been four if not for drops. Expect 4–5 targets; three catches is realistic. He’s the main receiving threat among TEs with Townsend out. Spencer Shannon is more of a blocker; Michael Masunis is TE4 right now. Best blocking TE room Sark has had.
Relique Brown over 63.5 rushing yards — Matthew (9:23–9:53)
Reverse of Week 1: Hollywood Smothers popped then, Relique popped last week. Expect a big run similar to Smothers’ Week 1 explosion.
Texas over 196 rushing yards — Tommy (9:54–10:23)
UTSA gave up 177 to UTRGV and 289 last week. Dominate on the ground, get the OL and RB room confidence before SEC play. Could go for 220.
Relique Brown anytime TD — Tommy (10:25–10:46)
He ran tough outside one early mistake. All three backs (Brown, Smothers, Derek Cooper) could score; Tommy takes Brown.
Caller: Burks (Michigan fan) (10:48–23:31)
Congratulates Texas on beating Ohio State. Says Sark needed a win over a ranked non-SEC team. Ohio State fans making excuses; Texas defense gassed OSU and executed three long late drives (15, 13, 12 plays).

Hosts: Both teams made mistakes; Texas early, OSU late. Score was about what you’d expect. Fourth quarter was Texas grinding them down, not luck.

NIL / recruiting discussion (New York Times report). Ohio State listed #1 but Texas is close. Texas treats the portal like an uncapped pro league—pay 20% more to get a 30–40% better player. Not a high-volume portal team, but high-end portal additions. Push leftover money to premium positions (LT Ishmael Kamara, Easton Royal, etc.). Take ~10% off publicly reported NIL budgets; Texas probably $39–45M range, not the $48–55M floating around. Agents inflate numbers.

Michigan tied with Indiana in the report. Burks salty about Michigan’s NIL vs. Texas. Hosts: Larry Ellison is ROI-minded; Texas has more “irrational” oil-money donors who just want to win. Michael Dell is one piece; a lot of unnamed oil money. Need donors who stay out of day-to-day business (has been a Texas problem before).

Michigan–Texas comparison: similar public-school athletic departments. Texas is “the Michigan of the South.” Next year’s game in Austin could be huge depending on how both seasons finish (possible Arch/Manning or Kamario Taylor vs. Bryce Underwood). Night vs. day game TBD (CBS/ESPN rights).
Other Games They Flagged (23:37–end)
South Carolina vs. Mississippi State
Tommy’s favorite “barn burner” candidate. Camario Taylor vs. LaNorris Sellers—“the most athletic quarterback battle we’ve ever had.” Turning-point game: one team becomes a dangerous 5–7, the other a 7–8 win surprise. Could decide Shane Beamer’s trajectory. Historical comps floated: Charlie Ward, Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson vs. Deshaun Watson, Cam Newton (none quite match the dual-athlete tools). Mississippi State 3-0 and looking the part; over 4.5 wins already in play if they win this one. Makes Texas’s SEC slate tougher if State is 7–5 or 8–4.
Florida vs. Auburn
Must-win for Florida if they want a playoff path (Matthew picked them in). Offense/skill and OC are good; defense is the question. Hold teams to 21 and they can ride Jaden Baugh. Both fan bases are looking for a reason not to believe in the current coaches.
Ole Miss vs. LSU (night game in Oxford)
The marquee. Everything you want in a CFB game. Tommy leaning LSU defense but respects Trinidad Chambliss in big moments. Sam Leavitt injury talk treated as possible Kiffin mind games (last year he put 20–30 guys on the report and most played). Landon Clark is fun but not Chambliss’s twitch. Question Leavitt’s downfield throwing. Texas will see a lot of high-paid QBs this year (Chambliss, Taylor, Leavitt, Jackson, McCown, etc.)—one reason 10-2 is a reasonable landing spot.
Housekeeping / Outro
Live every Thursday 6:30 p.m. ET (Best Bets + calls).

Tuesdays 7 p.m. ET (recap + next-week preview).

Postgame show after UTSA, likely 11–11:15 p.m.

Like, subscribe, Hook ’em.

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32 min
September 16How Does Texas Respond? / Texas Longhorns LIVE 119
Texas Longhorns LIVE 119 — How Does Texas Respond?
Hosts: Matthew Miller & Thomas “Tommy” Bresee
Show: TexasVOCFB / Voice of College Football
Sponsor: FanDuel
Length: ~45 min
0:00–0:36 — Open
Welcome to Texas Longhorns LIVE, episode 119.

Like/subscribe. Brought to you by FanDuel.

Hook: Texas beat Ohio State on a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback. “Needed every single one of them.”
0:36–8:33 — Ohio State recap: mental makeup, Arch, cleanliness
Tommy’s main takeaway
Different team mentally than the last couple of years.

Not that past Sark teams were weak, but this one can play poorly for 2½ quarters and still pull itself back up.

Arch Manning is the catalyst — “galvanizing player,” “heartbeat.” When he gets going and the emotion shows, the sideline feels it.

Compared the first 2½ quarters to recent Oklahoma and Georgia losses that were effectively over before the fourth. This time they got out of it.
Matthew
Arch was pressing early — trying to make up for last year’s Ohio State game, carrying extra pressure. Pattern: press, then flip to “I just don’t give a shit” and play free. That second mode is the one they need going forward.

Cannot put themselves in 10–0 holes on the road at Tennessee or A&M. LSU may be the only remaining team at Ohio State’s level.

Ball security was the Sark talking point and the real issue: drops + balls on the turf + fumbles = 7 times the ball hit the ground when it shouldn’t have. Lucky to win; Ohio State helped them by building too big a lead and then giving it back.

Tale of two halves. Now they know what they’re capable of. Can they string the second-half version together for four quarters?
Talent vs. self-inflicted wounds
Offseason thesis: if they don’t hurt themselves, they’re remarkably hard to beat.

OL: best pass-blocking unit in the country right now (PFF). That unit should be there the rest of the year.

Season stats cited: 8 drops (lead SEC), 4 fumbles (only 1 lost).

Arch’s box score looks good but he left 80–100 yards on tape by not ripping open throws. Sark “outdid Matt Patricia” most of the night; Arch didn’t execute what was there.

Question hanging: does Sark need to incorporate more QB run to get Arch into games?
Physical identity
Most physical Texas team under Sark. That’s the biggest long-term positive from the win.

Biggest win in 15+ years — maybe since walking off the field vs. USC in the Rose Bowl national title game. “Never take that back. Not many people get to beat Ohio State.”

One remaining “demon” is Georgia (possible SEC title).
Psyche / proof of concept
Ohio State may have needed the win more for CFP math (tougher remaining 10). Texas needed it for psyche.

After this, no opponent on the other sideline feels unbeatable — Ohio State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami.

Goal-line confidence (Washington + Ohio State) is something you only get by doing it.

Will Muschamp hire validated on both sides. Penalties: 47 yards on 6 flags all season, tied for 4th-fewest in the country — a multi-year problem that looks fixed.

Team feels aligned, playing for each other, focused on little things. Proof they can win these games even when down in the fourth; one or two Arch plays can flip a night.
8:33–9:14 — Injuries
Nick Townsend: knee, sounds like bone bruise. Status TBD (swelling). Confident he’s ready for Red River; likely avoids the worst-case.

Compared to Trevor Goosby timeline.

Justice Terry: turf toe, injured pregame vs. Ohio State. Unique talent; injury history is a concern. NIL discussion if he only plays a couple games a year.
9:14–12:09 — Rankings / national picture
Viewer: “Ohio State wasn’t No. 1.”

Hosts: you still have to pick someone. Only real argument over Texas is Georgia (looks completely dominant).

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin and Indiana vs. North Texas did not look like No. 1 material. North Texas outgained Indiana.

Texas has the best résumé right now. Early rankings are goofy.

LSU argument exists but Clemson looks like a 6–6 team (already replaced QB).

Matthew’s personal board: LSU 5, Ohio State 3 — did not drop Ohio State far. AP dropping them to 6 is aggressive. Still one of the best teams in the country once pieces around Jeremiah Smith settle.

Ohio State young skill (Kari Wilder, Chris Henry Jr., Legend Bay, Brock Boyd) — fans want more snaps. Mental mistakes come with youth; 10–15% more usage makes sense, not a full dive.

Ohio State’s next real stress test is USC (Iowa first; Iowa offense likely capped around 13).
12:09–31:00 — Knowns and unknowns after Ohio State
KNOWNS
Will Muschamp was the right DC hire
Offseason worry: guy who hadn’t called plays in a while, possibly outdated / too aggressive.

Ohio State guys on a previous show: “You cannot play man vs. this offense.” Muschamp did the opposite in the second half — doubled down on man after zone got torched.

“That’s who I am. If zone isn’t working, fuck it.”

Multiplier for physical players and mental discipline. Front played with an edge after the half. If they play second-half defense all year → top-5 unit.

Personnel for man: Grayson Littleton and Bo Masko are NFL-caliber (12-year careers). Cade Phillips is teetering (got cooked by Brock Boyd). Warren Roberson mixed. Two of three CBs + good safeties = you can play man vs. almost the rest of the schedule. Only real man-beaters left: A&M (Horton/Craver if hot) and LSU (Kiffin scheme more than personnel; Levitt’s throwing has been poor).

Portal running backs are the real thing
~31 carries, ~126 yards vs. Ohio State — a little over 4.0 YPC. That’s all you need.

Vs. Georgia in recent years they averaged ~1.8 YPC. If they get 4.0 vs. Georgia they win those games.

Hollywood Smothers: 3–5 yards is his birthright; falls forward.

Relique Brown: change of pace; 3.1 yards after contact vs. Ohio State as a smaller back. Want more of him out of the backfield.

Night-and-day vs. last year’s Wisner/Baxter group. Last year’s backs weren’t good; this is what good looks like. Changes the offense.

Add healthy Derek Cooper soon → title-level backfield. Path exists to be a run-first, defense-first team with Arch as facilitator.

Sark is all the way back
Dominated Patricia. Receivers wide open all night (Brooks Austin film). First play: if Emmitt Mosley holds the block, Relique is 1-on-1 with Earl Little.

Last year Sark had to pour energy into defense. With Muschamp hired, energy is back on offense.

Scheme change: no longer purely outside zone (Georgia used to just put big bodies on the edges and dare them). Variety is there.

Very few people call better offense. If Arch sees it and executes, “genuinely can’t be stopped.”

Offensive line can hold up
Two first-round tackles + decent interior.

Pass pro: A-minus. Run blocking: B-minus. That’s enough.

Connor Robertson is the weak link (Kari Wilder beat him 2 of 5 snaps). Indiana’s DL is the one remaining unit that could really stress the interior.

Eyes in the right place this year (Landon Tangwell point). No first-team penalties through two weeks — huge vs. recent years.

Not a façade. Lean into this group instead of game-planning around it.
Hope / in-between (Tommy): Arch will get better at playing the position. Elite athlete who will start in the NFL because of physical tools, but he has to beat teams from the pocket. Josh Allen comp: the running is the cherry, not the cake. Want athleticism as an add-on by year’s end, not the thing he needs to get going every week.
UNKNOWNS
Arch Manning’s college ceiling
We know who he is. Unknown is whether he reaches the ceiling in college (might take an NFL sit year).

Frustrating tape: sees the open guy, doesn’t rip it. Will throw into double coverage downfield with total trust, then miss a wide-open crosser. Brooks Austin clip: early Mosley miss by 3 yards with a clean pocket; late Mosley hit in a tighter window while getting hit.

~16–18 starts is usually “who you are” in college. Consistency by Oklahoma (or the game after) is the checkpoint. If it’s not there, this is the version they live with.

Can win a national title with end-of-2025 Arch. Can be an all-time team if he hits college ceiling.

Prescription vs. UTSA: tell him to rip it. Even if it produces a turnover, get him trusting his eyes from the pocket.

WR hands
Ryan Wingo: written off as an elite guy. Will drop TDs; 3–4 last year, already 1 this year. Good player, not that player.

Cam Coleman: Auburn drop issues followed him. Ohio State drop was a hard ball (70% Arch / 30% Coleman), but NFL guys make harder ones. He’s paid to bail his QB out.

You can win a title with 1–2 drops a game if they aren’t in must-have moments. Offense around them is better now so they can recover. Expect “good enough,” not elite hands.

Self-inflicted wounds
3 turnovers (could have been more) vs. Ohio State, 4 fumbles on the year (1 lost), 8 drops. Penalties are fixed. If drops and fumbles go away they’re a nightmare.

Depth pieces
Freshman LBs (Tyler Atkinson, Kosiak Paula, Rocky Cummings) need 10–20 snaps in mid-tier SEC games (Florida, Mississippi State, even Tennessee) because Cryer and Biles can’t play 60+ elite snaps every week.

Jonah Williams didn’t play Saturday; will need him later.

Safeties / two-deep development. Don’t need them to win a title, but they open the CFP/SEC title snap count.
31:00–34:29 — Viewer comments (mid-show)
Colton Vosick: 5–10% of snaps, neither host remembers seeing him. Expect this is his last year at Texas (transfer). Possible SAM usage in 12-personnel / Ohio State-type games while they develop younger guys.

“At least Texas schedules primetime games.” Hosts want the committee to reward teams that play these games.

Melvin Siani + Brandon Baker: both likely top-100 in 2027 if they declare. Siani late 1st/early 2nd; Baker mid-2nd/3rd (guard). Both making $1M+; should come back unless they’re top-10 picks. Good problem if a bunch of fringe guys vault (Byron Murphy, Rod Watson, Alex January examples). DT room is deep even if January/Watson leave.
34:29–43:04 — UTSA preview
Line: Texas −30.5 (FanDuel). One point higher than Texas State was. Tommy: fair, maybe even cover. Vegas scuttlebutt that Sark wants to lay it on early.
UTSA snapshot (2–0)
QB Owen McCown — surprising he’s still there; looked like a lower-P4 transfer candidate a couple years ago.

RB Marion Peterson: 10 carries, 100 yards (10.0 YPC).

WRs DJ Allen, AJ Wilson, McKay Anderson — all with a TD, all over 120 yards.

Defense: LB Brandon Tucker Jr. (18 tackles) is a player. One team sack all year. Texas cannot allow a sack.

UTSA beat Texas State 31–26. Gave up 177 rush yards to UT Rio Grande Valley and 289 to Texas State. Run game should feast.
What Texas needs to show (mental test)
After the Ohio State high + off-field noise (Sark/Holly Rose, Arch/Holly Rose — “done and over with”), this is a business trip.

Wyoming-after-Alabama 2023 is the cautionary tale: emotional road win, then tied 10–10 in the fourth vs. a team they should handle.

Championship teams handle 11 of 12 of these. Don’t mess around with UTSA; mess around with Mississippi State or home Florida if you’re going to mess around.

Goal: 21-point first quarter and walk from there.

Clean: no turf (drops/fumbles). Ryan Niblett muff that hit him in the facemask cannot happen. UTSA has 4 INTs and some forced fumbles — that’s how they stay upright.

Get young guys live reps: Tyler Atkinson, Rocky Cummings, Jermaine Bishop (3–5 touches — they’ve been trying to get him the ball in space; PI on the deep post vs. OSU, hot screen week 1). Michael Terry in short yardage (Cooper likely held until Oklahoma/Tennessee). D’Abel if available.

Jermaine Bishop Jr. and Tyler Atkinson are the two specific “watch” names. Atkinson a little behind on processing/speed; once it clicks he should be a high-level LB.
Predictions
Tommy: 52–13 Texas. Cover. Lean into OL/run game and man coverage. McCown is not Brad Jackson (legs were the problem vs. Texas State). No turnovers, no big penalties, no massive drops → feel great heading to Tennessee.

Matthew: 45–10 Texas. Also covers.

Stay healthy. Tennessee will force a lot of running; defense may play 65–70 snaps Saturday. Need the full roster for Neyland.
43:04–end — Closing comments / recruiting class / outro
Viewer on the recruiting class foundation: Grayson Littleton, Cade Phillips, Lance Jackson, Justice Terry, Jonah Williams, KJ Lacey, Nick Townsend, Emery Winston — starters or two-deep. Others developing into difference-makers by year’s end. Hosts agree.

Modern roster construction: veteran top line (juniors/seniors/portal) + advanced sophomores/freshmen in the two-deep. Texas’s young tight ends and Townsend/Winston look further along than most.

Show notes: Tuesday 7 p.m. ET weekly. Betting show Thursday 6:30 p.m. ET. Saturday postgame ~11–11:15 p.m. ET after UTSA.

Like, subscribe, Hook ’em. FanDuel.

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46 min
September 14Grading Texas' Dramatic Win Over Ohio State
Video notes: Grading Texas’ dramatic win over Ohio State
TexasVOCFB | Hosts: Matthew Miller & Thomas “Tommy” Bresee
Sponsored by Fandle
Historic comeback win. Position-by-position grades after the game.
Intro
0:00–0:18
Welcome to grading the Texas Longhorns. Historic comeback. Straight to QB.
Quarterback — Arch Manning
Grades: Tommy B+ | Matthew C+
Range they land on: C+ to B+
0:18–3:42
Tommy (B+): Incredible down the stretch. Deserves all the respect. Take the drops away and you’re looking at ~270 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. Could have been 350–370 with how many guys were wide open. Sark scheme got people open consistently. Missed Spencer Shannon (scrambled instead), Ryan Wingo over the middle, Emmett Mosley over the middle. Film room with Sark and A.J. Millwee won’t be kind on accuracy. Adjusted completion % around 68% after drops. Numbers are fine; leftover tape issues.
Matthew (C+): Tale of two halves. First half pretty bad. Down-to-down play still an issue. Explosive throws he will hit — Cam Coleman catch (Coleman should have just run under it instead of the weird almost-dive; it was a C throw). Wingo drop would have been another explosive. Trouble reading the middle of the field; outside is easy, checkdowns come quick. Has to rip the middle more.
Fourth quarter: A++. Best fourth quarter by a Texas QB since Vince Young. Better than any Colt McCoy fourth quarter they remember.
Big-play guy who can make all the throws, but the “boring QB stuff” isn’t all the way there yet. If supporting cast doesn’t drop balls, the conversation is glowing with only nitpicks.
Running backs
Grades: Matthew B- | Tommy B+
3:42–5:22
Matthew (B-): Really good three quarters. First quarter rough because of Relique Brown fumble. Can’t give the ball away in a game like that. Lucky to lose the turnover battle and still win. Without the fumble it’s A-. Hollywood Smothers and Relique Brown really good down the stretch. Relique’s physicality in the second half — running people over — was fun. Reminiscent of Super Bowl snap-over-the-head moment; demons exercised.
Tommy (B+): Two big mistakes — Relique running out of bounds on 3rd down (should have put his head down for the extra yard and avoided 4th down) and the fumble. Outside of that, lights out. Smothers consistent all day. Relique’s physical runs late. Duo they went out and got in the offseason made the difference.
Wide receivers
Grade: Both C+ (Matthew could have gone C-)
5:22–7:50
Lowest unit grade of the game. Did not help Arch enough.
Cam Coleman: Has to run under the ball or the play cannot end in an INT (one-in-a-billion play, but still). Made three big catches down the stretch.

Ryan Wingo: Ball hits him in the hands. Always drops the 40–50 yard / TD plays, never the 2–3 yarders. Had the TD catch later.

Emmett Mosley: Face ran through on the Relique fumble (60/40 Relique’s fault, but Timmons in his face immediately). Biggest WR down the stretch.
All three of the “big three” had a massive mistake. They bounced back enough. Unit going forward is still elite if they clean up the small stuff. Ohio State took Coleman and Wingo away at times.
Tight ends
Grades: Matthew A | Tommy A-
7:50–10:09
Best unit on the team.
Matthew (A): Blocked really well. Emery Winston second-leading receiver + the biggest 4th-down conversion of the game (biggest play of the game). Needs to lose 10–15 lbs to become a real receiving threat, but he’s a good player and will play a lot. Spencer Shannon one drop (6-7 guy has to catch it when he’s going to get hit). Nick Townsend injury sucks — he would have taken some of Winston’s snaps. Georgia-level blocking. Receiving can improve but they don’t need it.
Tommy (A- only because of Townsend injury): Three guys who can block at an incredibly high level. If Winston is 40 yards a game that’s plenty. Will need TEs more as teams key Coleman/Wingo. Worst-case Saturday: elite blocking, not a ton of receiving — liveable with the weapons around them.
Offensive line
Grades: Matthew A- | Tommy A
10:09–12:02
Matthew (A-): Only negative is first-half interior push. After that, good. Pass pro amazing — two sacks (one on OL, one 100% on Arch getting flustered). Fine vs Ohio State. Will face better DLs (LSU, others) but they’ll have more reps.
Tommy (A, on a curve): Didn’t think they would push Ohio State off the ball at any point. They did in the fourth quarter. Drives of 15, 13, and 12 plays don’t happen without interior push. 3.4 YPC including sack yardage. Pass pro very good against a group that can create problems even if not elite. Two weeks in, as good as they could feel about this unit. Solid OL is all they asked for in the offseason to win a title.
Defensive line
Grades: Matthew B+ | Tommy B
12:02–14:42
Matthew (B+): Good, not great. Driven off the ball for a quarter and a half, then turned it around. Colin Simmons a lot of pressures + caused the hold that essentially ended the game. Several uncalled holds (Ian Jafar on Sayin, another on the broken play). Run-fit and tackling concerns at times.
Tommy (B): Group that can take over games. Simmons sack + 2 TFLs + ton of pressures. Hero Kanua and Maraud Watson lived in the backfield in the second half. Occasional run-game spurts because Muschamp plays light boxes. A+ performance is six sacks and taking over a game — maybe next week at Tennessee vs a young QB. Lance Jackson quiet except one sack; need a second-side guy besides Biles looping up. Expectations for a 5-star second-year guy were 6–8 sacks and flashes; hasn’t shown that yet. Ethan Burke-level is acceptable, but Jackson has a higher ceiling.
Linebackers
Grades: Matthew A | Tommy A-
14:42–17:00
Matthew (A): Justin Cryer and Raheem Biles really good. Cryer good on blitzes, getting to the QB, everything. Coverage vs RBs (hip flip) will be interesting later. Great portal find from FSU tape that didn’t scream star.
Tommy (A-): Cryer the best defensive player on the field. Communication late after all the halftime adjustments. Three or four plays in a row in Sayin’s face — throwaways and dirted balls. Creative with LBs in pass rush. Biles quieter but no insane mistakes. Brad Spence flash plays. Freshmen not ready for this moment; the three who played were high-level. Weakest group on paper in the offseason, best of the three levels vs Ohio State. Should get better as Atkinson and freshmen get comfortable (Atkinson on the field at LSU).
Secondary
Grades: Tommy B- | Matthew C+
17:00–22:00
Tommy (B-): Playing Jeremiah Smith is the hardest calculus course in college — every test is curved. One of the 10 best WRs who will ever play. Dominated by Smith. Arthur Smith moved him to the slot a lot (hard to double without taking a safety out of the middle). Other OSU WRs: 2 catches, 24 yards. That’s enough. Devin McEwen, Brandon Ennis, Chris Henry Jr. are high-level but not Cornell Tate / Mecca Bucca. Alignment issues + young guys (Warren Roberson, Cade Phillips) making mistakes. Bo Masco didn’t give up a catch. Feel pretty good given the caliber of WR they faced.
Matthew (C+): Early Muschamp feeling it out with different man coverages — didn’t work. Cade Phillips got beat the most. Bo Masco best of the group. Warren Roberson: physical tools, but he is who he is — penalties, biting on routes. Third-and-long double move by Smith before the sticks; Roberson bites, lucky he only made the tackle by kicking Smith’s legs (could have been a flag). “I’ve seen enough. Need freshmen/sophomores instead.” Jelani McDonald insanely quiet (second-leading tackler but not involved in coverage). Second half better; started putting a safety over the top of Smith. Next time: let Smith get his and shut everyone else down (McEwen is a 3rd/4th-round talent). Indiana will probably do exactly that with their man coverage.
Coaching
Overall staff: Tommy B+
Jeff Banks A | Kyle Flood B/B+ | Muschamp B-/C+ | Sark same range as Muschamp
22:00–28:09
Matthew: Banks’ position groups (TEs + ST) great. Flood solid. Muschamp first-half adjustments too slow, second half good. Sark: run Arch early. Get him hit, get him out of the pocket. He loves it and he’s great at it. 3–5 designed “just go do what you want” plays in the first half. Michigan game last year — once he said “fuck it” and stopped trying to be something he’s not, he was great. Vince Young documentary parallel: they incorporated what he liked instead of forcing him to be something else and won a title.
Tommy (B+ staff): Second-half adjustments boxed a really good Ohio State staff. Fourth-down call and early Smith plan were issues (everyone has the Smith problem). Biggest piece moving forward: balance between letting Arch be Arch and running the offense. Arch missed open guys that would have made Sark look better. Give him the middle ground early so he’s comfortable, then the offense can take over. Best version of the offense is the clean pocket version Sark wants — that’s not the QB they have right now. By Game 12 it might be. Third-string QB is probably the closest thing to the point-guard / Mac Jones type Sark’s offense wants. Arch missed spring; reps will help both the spectacular and mundane.
Outro / plugs
28:09–end
Like, subscribe, drop your grades. Back Tuesday 7 p.m. ET and Thursday 6:30 p.m. ET. National Live 365 show tonight 8 p.m. ET (they’ll let others recap this game and talk the insane weekend). Hook ’em.
Unit
Matthew
Tommy
QB
C+
B+
RBs
B-
B+
WRs
C+
C+
TEs
A
A-
OL
A-
A
DL
B+
B
LBs
A
A-
Secondary
C+
B-
Coaching
mixed
B+ overall

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29 min

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