First and 10: Texas got its welcome to the SEC moment and now faces CFP fears and quarterback controversy

1. Texas: A Bevo-sized mess

He made the statement so matter of factly, there was an odd sense of inevitability to it all.

“Hopefully,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said, “We get another crack at them.”

I don’t want to be the guy who has to state the obvious, but here goes: Texas has played three games in its new conference, and the Longhorns aren’t close to experiencing the weekly meat grinder that is the Ess Eee See, son.

Texas played the best team in the SEC at home last weekend and lost to Georgia by 15. The Longhorns have also played the worst team (Mississippi State), and the second-worst team (Oklahoma) in the SEC.

Let’s just say Texas has run out of tomato cans to play. It's time for big boy football ― with a looming quarterback controversy, no less.

Hey, you wanted to be part of this SEC menagerie, where every week is life and death and no one gives a flip if you’re Texas. Where every road trip – there are still three remaining for the Longhorns – is a white knuckle ride of unkind uncertainty.

Where you can’t just throw a tantrum and get what you want like the good ol’ days in the Big 12. Well, you can, but you’ll get fined $250,000 by the league office and land on double secret probation — after a call on the field was blown not once (the initial call of pass interference on Texas), but twice (the never before seen magical reversal).

At some point, you’ve got to go on the road and deal with it. We’ve reached the fourth week of October, and Texas finally gets its first true SEC road game -- against former lightweight Vanderbilt. An incredibly advantageous (and coincidental, I'm sure) scheduling move by the league office.

Doesn’t mean the Longhorns can’t or won’t win out. It just means there’s more beef to the inevitable “another crack at them.”

2. The QB controversy

Sarkisian made a mistake when he pulled starting quarterback Quinn Ewers against Georgia, and no amount of “there is no controversy" can hide the fact that there absolutely is one.

Self-created, no less.

Look, no one – and I mean, no one – was going to play well against the fierce Georgia pass rush. Once that defense zeroes in, once Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart convinces his group that it’s the most talented, nasty defense in college football against the world, the quarterback on the other side is usually in big, big trouble.

Ewers didn’t play well, and I know this is going to shock everyone (sarcasm, people), neither did Manning. But here’s the key: by benching Ewers when he’s struggling, Sarkisian made it clear that he’ll do it.

That’s as damaging as the benching itself.

Because now Ewers knows one bad quarter on the road in the SEC – where, odds are, it’s going to happen – and he could be sitting and watching Manning. No matter what Sarkisian said after the fact.

Ewers has gone from playing loose and free and knowing the team (and the position) is his, to one bad series away from losing it again. The quarterback who was one throw away in 2023 from leading the Longhorns to the national title game, is now constantly feeling the pressure of, and looking for, the hook.

That’s a bad way to play football.

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3. A 10-gallon problem, The Epilogue

The margin for error is gone for Texas. Of all the fallout from that humbling pummeling at the hands of Georgia, nothing is more important.

The further we get from last month’s gold standard non-conference win at Michigan, the closer we get to Illinois beating Michigan ― If you know what I mean.

So in the spirit of the annual transitive property argument of college football, I give you this: who has Texas beaten? The Longhorns looked like they didn’t belong on the field in their only game of significance ― which isn’t the first time Georgia has done that to every team not named Alabama.

Texas may not be able to afford another loss against a schedule of at Vanderbilt (not a gimme putt), Florida, at Arkansas (former Southwest Conference rival), Kentucky and at bitter rival Texas A&M — which has waited more than a decade to get another shot at Texas.

The road to “get another crack at them” is about as sure as “there is no quarterback controversy.”

4. Oklahoma: No boom, all bust

Meanwhile, there’s Oklahoma, the other heralded addition to the SEC. Let’s just say, it isn’t going well.

The Sooners began last weekend – long before Texas was exposed by Georgia – losing by 26 points at home to South Carolina. I don’t think I’m breaking any news here when I say if you lose by 26 at home to South Carolina, someone is getting fired.

That someone: first-year offensive coordinator Seth Littrell.

Someone has to pay for the regression of former five-star quarterback recruit Jackson Arnold, even though the top five receivers are out with injuries and the offensive line leads the SEC in sacks allowed (28). Arnold looked lost from Week 1, and the Sooners’ offense never really clicked with he or backup Michael Hawkins Jr.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables elevated assistant Joe Jon Finley to play caller and co-coordinator, but the significant move is Kevin Johns, the former offensive assistant who is now quarterbacks coach and co-coordinator.

Johns last worked with Riley Leonard at Duke, and helped him develop from raw dual-threat into high-level thrower. Oklahoma is last in the SEC in nearly every offensive metric, and sometimes a different voice and a scaled down offense resonates with struggling quarterbacks.

It better, because the schedule is unforgiving: road games at Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU, sandwiched around home games against Alabama and Championship Subdivision opponent Maine.

The league office made that schedule, too, just in case you're interested in conspiracy.

5. The Weekly Five

Five reasons we’ve all forgotten about one-loss Notre Dame, despite a win at the team everyone now loves (Texas A&M).

1. The Northern Illinois loss. Unforgivable.

2. The Irish are about as exciting as an enema.

3. ND wins after the NIU loss: Purdue, Miami (Ohio), Louisville, Stanford, Georgia Tech — a combined record of 14-15.

4. New Irish offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has turned Leonard into a heckuva runner (456 yards, 10 TDs) as a thrower.

5. Did I say NIU? Huskies have lost to Buffalo, North Carolina State and Toledo since winning in South Bend, Indiana.

6. NFL scout's take on Syracuse TE Oronde Gadsen II

An NFL scout analyzes a draft eligible player. The scout requested anonymity to protect the team’s draft preparation.

“Crazy athleticism, and huge upside. He’s about 230-235 pounds, and if you can get him a little heavier he has some Kyle Pitts-type ability. He’s not going to be a heavy in-line blocker, but he’s going to cause matchup problems and put a defense in conflict. He has some injury history, and that specific injury (Lisfranc, 2023) is one that can be troublesome down the road. There’s a lot to like about what he can be.”

7. Power Play: Tennessee makes a statement

This week’s College Football Playoff Power Poll, and one big thing.

1. Georgia: Back in the comfortable saddle at the head of the pack, taking on all comers.

2. Oregon: This team needed punt and kick returns for touchdowns, and a last-second field goal, to beat Boise State in Eugene.

3. Miami: The only drama left in a weak schedule is how badly Miami will beat bitter rival Florida State this weekend.

4. Brigham Young: Central Florida should’ve beaten Iowa State, and now gets BYU in Orlando. A dangerous spot for the Cougars.

5. Ohio State: A tuneup against Nebraska before traveling to Penn State in a game that suddenly has become of critical need for one-loss Buckeyes.

6. Texas: Georgia (and Trevor Etienne) showed you can run on the Texas defense. Texas A&M and Arkansas are two of the top four rushing teams in the SEC.

7. Penn State: Texas and Penn State are the same team, each using the anchor of a win against a struggling blueblood program to bolster a weak resume.

8. Tennessee: Playoff run could come down to who looks better in a loss to Georgia: Texas or Tennessee?

9. LSU: Forget about the comeback at South Carolina, or the Ole Miss win. Rout at Arkansas was most impressive game of the season.

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10. Kansas State: Defense has turned a corner since the blowout loss to BYU, giving up an average of 22 ppg.

11. Indiana: QB Kurtis Rourke is out indefinitely, and former Tennessee transfer Tayven Jackson is next up.

12. Boise State: Broncos can’t let the season be all about Ashton Jeanty chasing history.

13. Clemson: Tigers look good on six-game win streak, but combined opponent record is 16-26.

14. Iowa State: Not feeling it. Why? The schedule is ridiculously easy.

15. Texas A&M: We’re about to find out if the Aggies are for real this weekend against LSU.

16. Army: If Vanderbilt can beat Alabama, you better believe Army can, too. 

8. Mail bonding: ACC and Big 12 races

Matt: Why no love for Pitt in your weekly CFP poll? You’re going to get on the bandwagon too late. — Gerald Conners, Pittsburgh.

Gerald:

I respect what Pittsburgh has accomplished with a new quarterback (Eli Holstein) and another defense that pressures the quarterback (18 sacks). But it’s the way they’ve won against less-than-stellar competition that, at least, leads to pause.

But that’s no different than any number of teams in the ACC and Big 12, where we’re closing in on November, and there are few (if any) marquee wins. Clemson, Miami, SMU and Pitt are all unbeaten in ACC play, and none have a signature win.

BYU and Iowa State are unbeaten in the Big 12, and only BYU (over Kansas State) has a win of significance. There are four Big 12 teams with one loss, and none have a win (or even a loss) of significance.

Iowa State could be unbeaten in the regular season final against Kansas State, and not have a win against a currently ranked team. Miami could be 12-0 and not have beaten a currently ranked team.

9. Numbers game: Indiana and the Top 10

Just in case seven consecutive wins to begin the season, and an average margin of victory of 35 doesn’t convince you of Indiana’s bona fides, consider these national top 10 rankings:

Scoring offense (1st), scoring defense (7th).

Total offense (5th), total defense (7th).

Long scrimmage plays (3rd), opponent long scrimmage plays (9th).

First downs (2nd), opponent first downs (10th).

Rush defense (4th).

Third-down conversions (5th).

Rourke, in his sixth season after playing five at Ohio, leads the nation in passing efficiency. How Jackson plays until Rourke returns from a thumb injury will be critical to Indiana’s magical season.  

10. The last word: Colorado and the CFP

Before we go further, the Buffs are going to need help. More than likely, a lot of help.

But pressure affects teams differently, especially November games when the push to the CFP begins. Maybe the help arrives, and maybe, just maybe, a suddenly surging Colorado deals with a manageable schedule (Cincinnati, at Texas Tech, Utah, at Kansas, Oklahoma State) and finishes with 10 wins and a spot in the Big 12 championship game — against, does it really matter?

Imagine the circus of championship week with Colorado and Coach Prime one win away from the CFP and a first-round bye.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X @MattHayesCFB.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas got SEC baptism and CFP hopes are in doubt. How will it respond?