The early-season battle between the Texas Longhorns and the Tennessee Volunteers will do more than just let one fanbase call itself "The Real UT."

This matchup is a table-setter for the remainder of the SEC season, with both teams hopeful to compete for a conference title and a trip to the CFP. Can Tennessee put up a decent enough defense to match its always-explosive offense?

The top two linebackers from last year's defense are both gone, with Anthony Hill, Jr. in the NFL and Liona Lefau at Colorado, so Texas will need to rebuild its corps with a new philosophy.

Do the Longhorns have the personnel to match new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's style, or will there be growing pains?

The Texas Longhorns have had success against their biggest rival over the last few seasons, holding the Oklahoma Sooners without an offensive touchdown and running away with the rivalry. However, this may be the most complete Oklahoma squad we have seen under Brent Venables.

To help us unpack this edition of the Sooners, we bring back friend of the show Kamiar Mehrabian to give his expert opinion.

One of the glaring losses on the Texas Longhorns' schedule a year ago was a frustrating loss to the Florida Gators.

The Longhorns went to the swamp with high hopes for SEC play and walked away with a conference loss, that would eventually keep them out of the playoffs. With a new regime bringing the Gators to Austin, what can we expect from them?

The Texas Longhorns narrowly escaped Starkville with a win a year ago, but this Mississippi State team has a new look.

Replaced coordinators and transferred-in players means that Mississippi State has room to make a statement or put a nail in Jeff Lebby's coffin.

The Texas Longhorns return a ton of defensive production from last year, but have to apply that talent to a new system.

New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp brings a new front and a new mentality to the Forty Acres. What can we expect from the returning talent in a system that may be built for them to shine?

The Texas Longhorns have some turnover in the trenches, but may have leveled up after adding two of the most-coveted linemen from the transfer portal.

Statistics show that Arch Manning's production skyrocketed after the Longhorns got the right grouping up front in 2025. Can the current group keep that trajectory?

The Texas Longhorns landed one of the biggest portal targets this offseason, bringing Cam Coleman to the Forty Acres to give the offense a high-end receiving threat. He's paired with Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley to round out a receiving group that could give Texas its best chance to have an explosive threat heading into a pivotal season.

What do we expect from this group, and how can it propel the Texas offense to its goals in 2026?

The Texas Longhorns lost the top four running backs from last year's team, but have seemingly gone all-in on a pair of runners that they think can take them to the next level.

The duo of Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown were two of the top RBs in the transfer portal, and seemingly come to Texas with hopes to increase their championship potential and NFL Draft stock.

Can their explosive playmaking ability help get Texas over the hump?

As we continue our march toward the season, we continue our reverse-order previews and land on the Missouri Tigers.

After meeting regularly in the Big 12, the two former foes met just one time in the last 10 years, a Texas Bowl win in two previous eras for both teams. The Longhorns are now in the SEC with a new coaching staff and the Tigers are building a lasting threat in the conference.

What can we expect from the Tigers in 2026, with a refreshed core of players and a coaching staff looking to rework itself?