Media/$9.95-er postgame analysis articles (Week 2)

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Collecting post-game $9.95-er articles from the Michigan game here:

(Gerald Goodridge) No. 3 Texas rolls No. 9 Michigan, 31-12: Three things we learned

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The No. 3 Texas Longhorns came into the Big House, coming away with a lopsided victory over a top-10 opponent to keep their momentum going, beating the No. 9 Michigan Wolverines 31-12 in a game that wasn’t even as close as the final score.

Knocking off the defending national champions on their home field turned out to be less dramatic than the lead-up to the game would indicate even as the Longhorns ended the nation’s longest winning streak and a 23-game home winning streak by the Wolverines. Texas wanted to prove that last week’s lopsided victory over Colorado State was not a fluke and indicative of what the rest of the season will be.

Texas QB Quinn Ewers is already in midseason form

If not for an ill-timed holding call, Ewers would have thrown his fourth touchdown pass of the season on the Longhorns’ opening drive. Following the touchdown that wasn’t, Ewers completed his next seven passes, including a 21-yard strike to tight end Gunnar Helm to take a 7-0 lead, and never looked back.

Ewers finished the game 24-of-36 passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns and navigated the offense confidently despite the vaunted Michigan pass rush and even though Texas largely throttled down in the second half. The Wolverines finished with five quarterback hurries, but couldn't bring him down for a sack as Ewers spread the ball around with relative ease, finding six different targets for multiple receptions — including Helm who was two yards shy of 100 receiving yards.

The Longhorns can play championship-level defense

In a display of complementary football, after the Longhorns missed the field goal on the opening drive, the defense responded with an efficient three-and-out that took little more than 90 seconds off the clock. Michigan managed just one sustained drive in the first half of the game, a nine-play, 55-yard drive that resulted in only three points for the home team. The subsequent drives ended with an interception and a fumble while the Texas offense scored 24 points.

The Longhorns kept the Wolverines out of the end zone for the vast majority of the game, including a fourth-quarter, fourth-down stop that effectively ended the game. Michigan managed to find the end zone with just two minutes left on the clock with Texas comfortably leading 31-6 and multiple backups on the field.

Running back-by-committee will work

It was a concerning sight when running back Jaydon Blue hobbled off of the field in the first half, but running back Quintrevion Wisner came in and carried water for Texas. He averaged 3.8 yards per carry on eight carries, rotating with freshman Jerrick Gibson, who toted the rock 10 times for 36 yards and three touchdowns. It may not be what we’ve seen for the last three seasons for Texas, with a featured back rushing for 1,000 or more yards, but there's enough talent left in the room for Texas to stay balanced — Blue came back in the game and finished with nine touches, but also managed to haul in six catches for 37 yards and a touchdown.

Sam Khan Jr.: Texas proved it’s a national title contender at Michigan. Can the Wolverines recover?

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Texas solidified its status as a national title contender by going to Michigan and dominating last year’s champion 31-12 behind three takeaways from the defense and a strong performance from quarterback Quinn Ewers. The No. 3 Longhorns ended the No. 10 Wolverines’ 23-game home winning streak, which dated back to November 2020, and it was Michigan’s first regular-season loss since October 2021. Texas pulled ahead 24-3 in the first half and didn’t look back, as Michigan didn’t score a touchdown until the final two minutes. What did the result mean and what’s next?

Texas is a legitimate national title threat

The Longhorns came into the season with plenty of preseason hype and a top-five ranking in the polls, but some remaining skeptics wondered whether Texas would be a one-hit wonder after going to the College Football Playoff last year. Saturday made it clear that Texas is for real.

Ewers gave his 2024 Heisman Trophy campaign a big boost by masterfully managing the game. He was nails on third down, he was accurate and he took care of the ball. He hit big plays downfield when the Longhorns needed it and looks like the leader the Longhorns said he was turning into this offseason. He finished 24-of-36 for 246 yards and three touchdowns with zero turnovers.

But there’s so much else to like about these Longhorns. The skill position talent around Ewers is plentiful and dynamic. The defense is still one of the best in the country. Steve Sarkisian, known as one of the sport’s best play callers, excelled in calling Saturday’s game. Texas’ dominance may say as much about how down Michigan is as it does about how good the Longhorns are. But there’s no doubt that this UT squad will be a force moving forward as it enters its first season in the SEC. — Khan

What does Texas’ path to the Playoff look like?

Passing their first big test in dominating the defending national champions, the Longhorns have positioned themselves well for a run to a 12-team CFP, especially given the extra margin for error. Texas entered Saturday with an 80 percent chance to make the CFP, per The Athletic’s model, and now it owns a marquee road win. The Longhorns will get a reprieve the next few weeks with UTSA and ULM at home, followed by Mississippi State in Austin as well.

They get a key idle week before the big two-game stretch with the Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma in Dallas followed by a home game against Georgia in mid-October. Trips to Arkansas and Texas A&M in November will produce hostile environments, but with a quarterback in Ewers who’s now won at Alabama and at Michigan in his career, Texas is feeling good about its CFP chances before it even gets into its first season of SEC play. — Vannini

Michigan’s problems are worse than expected

A step back was inevitable after last season, but hardly anyone expected Michigan to fall this far, this fast. Give credit to Texas, one of the best teams in college football. There’s no shame in losing to a top-five opponent as talented as the Longhorns, but to get run off of its home field in this way shows just how far Michigan has to go under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore.

Even without Jim Harbaugh plus J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum and other stars from last year, the Wolverines believed they had the pieces to contend for a bid in the expanded 12-team Playoff, especially on defense. That supposedly fearsome defense got defanged by Texas. The Longhorns found the weak spots and attacked, exploiting Michigan’s new starters at linebacker and cornerback. The offensive struggles were predictable, but if the Wolverines can’t count on their defense, what can they count on?

Based on what we saw Saturday, it’s hard to envision this Michigan team seriously contending for a CFP bid. The Wolverines have a tough schedule and could struggle to win eight games unless they can make some quick adjustments. — Meek

How Texas reloaded

One of the reasons to take a wait-and-see approach to this year’s Longhorns was the sheer amount of elite talent they lost: 11 players from the 2023 roster were chosen in the NFL Draft. But Saturday showcased how well Sarkisian and his staff have recruited and developed players as well as how smartly the Longhorns have used the transfer portal.

Need to replace three starting receivers? Texas got Isaiah Bond (Alabama transfer), Matthew Golden (Houston), Silas Bolden (Oregon State) and signed five-star recruit Ryan Wingo. Bond, Golden and Wingo all made key plays on Saturday and Bolden serves as the primary return option on special teams.

At tight end, where Texas lost electric tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders to the draft, senior Gunnar Helm showed how his patience has paid off. Mostly a role player in his first two years on campus, Helm has gradually developed into a more prominent role and was Ewers’ security blanket on Saturday, catching a team-high seven passes for 98 yards. Four of Helm’s receptions resulted in a first down, including one that was a touchdown.

Running back Jonathon Brooks was another tough loss, made even tougher when sophomore starter CJ Baxter and freshman Christian Clark were lost in training camp to season-ending injuries. And Jaydon Blue, who started the first two games at running back, got banged up and left briefly in the first half Saturday. No problem for Texas, which turned to Tre Wisner and Jerrick Gibson to fill the void.

The biggest question coming into the season for Texas was replacing the stout defensive line duo of T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy. Texas had experienced options to turn to in Vernon Broughton and Alfred Collins, who have been consistent rotational players in recent years, and Sarkisian also signed several defensive linemen in the portal, like Jermayne Lole, Tiaoalii Savea and Bill Norton to fortify depth. Broughton plugged up the middle effectively in the run game on Saturday and so far, it doesn’t seem like there has been a huge drop off in Texas’ run defense. That’s an encouraging sign for what will be the most important position group in SEC play.

Beyond those key spots, one thing is clear: Texas is big and fast just about everywhere. — Khan

O-line was Longhorns’ unsung hero

Much was made about how the Texas offensive line would handle Michigan’s front, particularly Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, but the Longhorns neutralized them. Texas ran the ball effectively and protected Ewers, who wasn’t sacked and didn’t face consistent pressure. Senior center Jake Majors did an impeccable job of managing the calls in a noisy, tough road environment.

It wasn’t perfect — right tackle Cam Williams had a holding penalty that negated Ewers touchdown pass on the first possession and there were a few false start penalties — but the O-line was otherwise impressive. That unit went from one of the team’s weak links when Sarkisian took over in 2021 to gradually better each year and one of the team’s real strengths now. — Khan

Kirk Bohls: Strong first half powers Longhorns past Wolverines

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Buffeted by a spectacular first half, No. 3 Texas overwhelmed No. 9 Michigan 31-12 behind Quinn Ewers’ three touchdown passes and a stingy defense to make a strong case for its rise in the polls. Texas came out almost in a rage, dominating Michigan from the outset and charging to a 24-3 halftime lead because it scored on four of its first five possessions in the first half and thought it had a touchdown on all five.

But a questionable holding call against Longhorns tackle Cam Williams negated a 24-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore, followed by a rare missed field goal by Bert Auburn. That said, everything else Texas did worked on a chilly, cloudy Saturday afternoon as the (2-0) Longhorns bludgeoned the defending national champion Wolverines (1-1) at Michigan Stadium in one of the worst home showings in ages.

Michigan, which lost 13 players to the NFL in the draft and lost nine offensive starters, struggled with Fresno State last week and was pummeled by Texas. Ewers threw two touchdown passes in the opening half with a 21-yarder to tight end Gunnar Helm splitting a Michigan zone defense and a 5-yarder to wide receiver Matthew Golden on a rollout just before intermission.

In between, true freshman Jerrick Gibson followed two pulling linemen into the end zone from 7 yards out for an easy touchdown, and Auburn kicked a 26-yard field goal.

Michigan helped create its own mess by coughing up two turnovers that Texas turned into 10 points late in the half and another in the third quarter. Andrew Mukuba, the three-year starting safety at Clemson before transferring, picked off a pass that ricocheted off a Wolverines receiver, and cornerback Jahdae Barron recovered a fumble by tight end Colston Loveland. Both set up short fields for Texas.

Texas had a third takeaway in the game on an interception by safety Derek Williams in the third quarter. Starting tailback Jaydon Blue limped off the field in the opening quarter, only to return and score a touchdown on a swing pass from Ewers to up the Longhorn lead to 31-6. This was the first-ever regular-season meeting between these two programs that among the top five winningest in college football and the second only after Texas’ Rose Bowl win over Michigan in the 2004 season.

Trevor Woods: Takeaways from Michigan’s loss to Texas

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A lot of celebrities were in town for the Michigan vs. Texas matchup. Matthew McConaughey, Michael Phelps, Derek Jeter, and Will Ferrel. These celebs and the rest of the fans in the stands saw a dominating 31-12 win from No. 3 Texas over No. 10 Michigan. Here are key takeaways from the game.

Bad turnovers on offense and below-average quarterback play

Quarterback Davis Warren made his first career start a week ago, throwing for just 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Things go worse for Warren and the Michigan offense against Texas. The Wolverines were just 3-of-12 on third down and Warren was 22-of-33 for 204 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, although on one of the picks tight end Colston Loveland took responsibility for running the wrong route. That aside, some of Warren’s incompletions were well off the mark and Warren’s numbers would have looked worse if not for a garbage-time touchdown to make it 31-12.

Warren deserves some grace and patience from fans, he wasn’t Michigan’s only problem on offense, but much better quarterback play is needed and if he doesn’t make a leap in the near future, true freshman Jadyn Davis should receive more playing time, as should seventh-year Jack Tuttle when he recovers from an injury. Warren wasn’t the only player to turn the ball over, Colston Loveland also fumbled in the open field with under two minutes in the first half. In all, Texas scored ten points off Michigan turnovers.

The Alex Orji experiment must end in its current form

Quarterback Alex Orji continued to see the field against Texas, and his snaps against the Longhorns stalled two drives.

    First Quarter - 3rd & 3 on Texas 19: Rush by Orji for no gain. Michigan had to settle for a 37-yard Dominic Zvada field goal.
    Third Quarter: 3rd & 5 on Texas 33: Rush by Orji for -1. Michigan settled for another Zvada field goal

Opposing defenses realize that Orji is way more likely to run with the ball than throw, thus they stack the box heavily and make it darn near impossible to gain positive yardage against good defenses. Inserting Orji in these instances when Michigan’s offense was actually having productive drives threw a wrench into the rhythm Davis Warren was starting to attain. If Orji isn’t able to throw the ball at a near 50/50 clip to his rushing carries, he should remain on the sideline.

Michigan’s defense has a rough day

Michigan’s defense has been one of the best units in college football since 2021, but they looked quite vulnerable against the Longhorns, allowing 389 total yards. Michigan missed a plethora of tackles, they couldn’t contain the edge, they didn’t cover well, they rarely had an effective pass rush, they gave up chunk plays in the run game, they didn’t communicate well, and they couldn’t keep Texas from converting on third downs as Texas went 10-of-16. The Wolverines, who have been touted as being one of the most physical and well-conditioned teams in the nation didn’t win in these facets of the game either.

For those hoping this would be a statement game from the unit and new defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, this performance didn’t even come close to reaching expectations. It must be back to the basics for the defense — and that falls on the coaches and players alike.

Receivers must start producing at a higher clip

For the second consecutive week tight end Colston Loveland far outpaced the production of any Michigan receiver. Loveland had eight receptions for 70 yards, but the highest totals for a wideout was Semaj Morgan with five receptions for 45 yards with 31 of those yards coming on a garbage-time interception. The only other receiver with more than one reception was Tyler Morris, but he just had 17 receiving yards. While Davis Warren didn’t have a banner day and was often inaccurate, receivers didn’t consistently gain separation or haul in contested catches that hit their hands.

The loss isn’t fatal, even if it feels like it right now

It’s still early in the season. Yes, it was a tough loss for Michigan but they have a lot of time to improve. With the playoffs expanding to 12 teams Michigan can get into the playoffs with two or potentially three losses. This loss was a major wake-up call. Players and coaches need to get back in the building, dig down, and do whatever it takes to make sure they don’t get embarrassed again this season.

 

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Reactions from former players:

 

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Updated playoff bracket predictions from The Athletic.

 

Edited September 8 by satyanash

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Chris Vannini: Texas’ Quinn Ewers stakes his claim as the top quarterback in the nation

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Before the question was finished, Steve Sarkisian assigned the media some quick homework. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has won starts at Alabama and now at Michigan over the past two seasons, after Saturday’s 31-12 statement win. “I’d love you guys to research that for me,” the Texas head coach said, wondering who else had accomplished that feat. “Just Google real quick and you’ll give me an answer in 30 seconds.”

Google and other historical databases checked later couldn’t find an answer. Notre Dame accomplished it in 1979 and 1980 but with different quarterbacks. Ewers is likely the first QB in the sport’s 150-year-plus history to win at the two winningest programs in consecutive years. In those two games, Ewers has completed 65 percent of his passes for 595 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.

It’s time to start putting respect on Quinn Ewers’ name. And I mean real, true respect. It feels weird to say. But despite the wins, despite being among the Heisman Trophy favorites, despite being in a big Dr. Pepper commercial this season, it feels like we’re not really appreciating what Ewers has done. We’re just waiting for what’s next.

Walking around Texas tailgates before Saturday’s game, I counted more No. 16 Arch Manning jerseys than No. 3s for Ewers. Texas fans who gathered around the Michigan Stadium tunnel in the final minutes on Saturday kept asking each other and looking to see if Manning would come in the game. The views on every story and YouTube video for anything Arch go through the roof. The entire premise of the aforementioned Dr. Pepper commercial is about Ewers and the need for backup — “even if he has great hair and famous relatives.”

It’s time to stop that and put it to bed for good. Enough with the quips and the jokes. There is no quarterback controversy in Austin. There never was. There’s always so much talk about the future — there hasn’t been enough appreciation of the present. It was Ewers who finally brought Texas back to prominence. It was Ewers who won at Alabama, won the Big 12 and reached the College Football Playoff last year.

It was Ewers on Saturday who kept driving Texas forward, even when three offensive line penalties turned an opening touchdown drive into a missed field goal. It was Ewers who followed with a six-play, 56-yard scoring drive capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass. It was Ewers who kept moving in the pocket and helping Texas convert eight of 10 third downs in the first half. It was Ewers who always kept the Longhorns one step ahead and never in danger, putting the offense on his back when it was down to third- and fourth-string running backs in the second quarter.

“He just doesn’t get affected by crowd noise or the emotions of a game,” Sarkisian said. “He stays really clear-minded and focused on what he needs to do.” It wasn’t always that way. Ewers’ first true road game in 2022 was a disaster — he completed 39 percent of his passes with three interceptions in a windy loss at Oklahoma State. But he hasn’t lost a road game since, winning the past eight. His career numbers on the road are better than at home.

It gets lost sometimes just how much pressure Ewers has been under from the moment he arrived in college. A five-star recruit, he left Southlake Carroll High School in Texas early to enroll at Ohio State and make NIL money only to transfer to Texas following the season after barely seeing the field. Before Ewers had played a game for the Longhorns, Manning committed to Texas, leading to outside speculation wondering if Ewers would transfer again or when he’d eventually cede the job to Peyton Manning’s nephew.

Instead, he took the weight of being the Texas quarterback — and all the politics, spotlight and Matthew McConaughey-ness that comes with it — and he’s taken the Longhorns to a level they haven’t been at in almost 15 years.

Saturday’s dominating win was a reminder that Texas should compete for a College Football Playoff berth and national championship once again this year. There remain hurdles, like the Red River Rivalry game with Oklahoma that the Longhorns lost last year, followed by a home visit from Georgia, and of course the trip to Texas A&M to close the regular season.

But Texas once again looks like one of the best teams in college football. Forget the “Texas is Back” jokes. Saturday told us the Longhorns aren’t going away, and it’s because of the quarterback more than anything else.

As players and coaches sang “The Eyes of Texas” with the thousands and thousands of Burnt Orange-clad fans in an emptying Michigan Stadium, Ewers was still wrapping up a TV interview. He eventually jogged by the southeast corner of the stadium, where the band was, to wave his arms up and down, before heading to the other side of the end zone to embrace friends and family.

Texas fans put as many Horns Up hands as they could as the Longhorns left the field through the tunnel. But as Ewers came by, the same fans who’d been excitedly asking each other if Manning would get in the game yelled “QUINN!!!” as loud as they possibly could.

It’s time to consider Texas as a No. 1-ranked team. It’s time to consider Ewers the early Heisman Trophy leader. It’s time to stop worrying about Arch and instead appreciate that Texas has a quarterback who just accomplished something few, if any, players in college football history have ever done. “You know I made it to the Playoff without any backup,” Ewers tells Fansville sheriff Brian Bosworth in the Dr. Pepper commercial. Ewers might just do it again, and Texas might just have a team that can win it all this time.

Dane Brugler: Does Quinn Ewers have a case as QB1 in 2025 NFL Draft class after torching Michigan?

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There are two things that separate Quinn Ewers from Georgia’s Carson Beck, the current favorite to be QB1 in the 2025 NFL Draft: size and consistency, both of which favor Beck. In every other area, Ewers has shown flashes of either matching or exceeding Beck — and every other quarterback prospect in the 2025 class.

As The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler has mentioned many times, this is going to be a bit of an odd QB year at the top of the draft, with more of a team-by-team preference feel than any consensus order. It wouldn’t be a shock at all to see Ewers finish the year ahead of Shedeur Sanders (and he likely will on some boards). It’d be more surprising if he passes Beck, but Ewers is absolutely capable of doing so.

We saw why it’s possible for large stretches during Texas’ dominant 31-12 win at Michigan. When Ewers is right, there isn’t a QB in this class with more in their tool box. So long as Ewers keeps some of his cowboy tendencies under control, it’s really hard to pick at his game. Saturday, he completed 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards and three TDs.

In the first half alone, including a touchdown pass that was called back due to a (questionable) holding call, Ewers had at least three big chunk throws featured him moving the pocket away from the rush without losing his vision. When he’s seeing the field like that and not allowing pressure to slow his decision-making, he’s terrific. We saw it last season against Alabama, too, as well as during other stretches of Texas’ run to the College Football Playoff.

The only issue with Ewers, apart from lack of ideal size, is the fact we don’t always see clean performances like this. Even last week against an overwhelmed Colorado State opponent, Ewers had some terrific throws but also a foolish interception that was in no way necessary.

When he tries to do too much, or if things go off schedule for Texas and he has to play from behind, that’s typically where we see Ewers struggle. If a defense has him in a hole and is lighting him up, his footwork can negatively impact his accuracy and decision-making. During a game like Saturday’s, though? When he’s completely dialed into a fantastic game plan and his team is, frankly, just much better than its opponent, Ewers can look like the best quarterback in America.

He wouldn’t be a first-round lock in every draft class. He might not be a first-round lock for every team this year. But if Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix can get drafted in a QB-needy year, then a world exists where Ewers can work his way into the top half of Round 1 next April. — Nick Baumgardner

Dane Brugler’s preseason scouting report

From the start, the bar for Ewers was set incredibly high — a “perfect” five-star recruiting rating; more than $1 million in NIL deals before he took a collegiate snap. For many, Ewers wasn’t given the opportunity to develop, but rather was expected to be “the guy” almost immediately.

Instead, he has been like most promising quarterbacks — flashes early with steady improvements since becoming the starter. Ewers finished last season with a 69 percent completion rate for 3,479 passing yards and 27 total touchdowns as he led the Longhorns to a Big 12 title and spot in the College Football Playoff.

Aside from the numbers, Ewers made noticeable strides between what he put on tape in 2022 and 2023, and it is fair to project another jump in his development this upcoming season. It was also encouraging that he put some of his best throws on the tapes that mattered the most. With his arm talent and experience, Ewers has first-round buzz among scouts.

Where’s Ewers stand now?

Among NFL teams, there won’t be a consensus QB1 for the 2025 NFL Draft — there rarely is, but that is especially true in this class. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Ewers finishes as QB1 for multiple teams. His arm talent and confidence form an outstanding foundation, and he has shown promising improvements with his decision-making, footwork and ability to buy time.

He has proven himself on the road and on the big stage, too — Texas will be in several more high-profile games later this season and into the playoffs. Though there are a few areas in which he needs to continue getting better, Ewers is still just 21 years old and his gradual improvements across each season he’s been in college will give teams plenty of optimism that his best is still ahead of him. — Dane Brugler

 

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Chip Brown: After dismantling No. 10 Michigan at the Big House, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian says, 'This is who we are'

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — "This is who we are," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. That mark-the-tape declaration came after his third-ranked Longhorns (2-0), in front of the largest crowd (111,170) ever to see Texas play, snapped a bunch of streaks belonging to the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines in a 31-12 dismantling at the Big House Saturday. Quarterback Quinn Ewers is the face of Texas' three-plus-year transformation into a machine that will shred your defense by air or ground. The Longhorns will also take away what you want to do most on offense.

After taking the air out of Colorado State's passing attack (just 74 yards), Texas threw up all kinds of roadblocks to Michigan's ground attack (80 yards on 23 carries, 3.5 yards per carry).  (More on Ewers in a second.) "I reminded the guys about how we've gone into Tuscaloosa [last year] and played and won," Sarkisian said. "We've played in a Big 12 championship game. We've played in the College Football Playoff, and so none of the moments should feel too big for us anymore. That's just what I commended them for in the locker room. This is who we are. This is how we know how to play."

Texas and Ewers proved to the college football world a year ago in a 34-24 win at Alabama that the Longhorns had grown up enough under Sarkisian to challenge for it all. A Big 12 title and a CFP semifinal last season made Sarkisian "borderline obsessed" with winning a national title. Sarkisian has challenged his players to be "obsessed" with the details of winning. The Longhorns didn't even score on their most time-consuming drive of the game — their opening drive — which stretched to nearly six minutes thanks to three amazing third-down conversions (overcoming two false starts) before having a touchdown negated by penalty, followed by a missed 43-yard field goal.

But every step of that drive embodied the creativity of Sarkisian, the calm-under-fire demeanor of Ewers and the physicality and fire of some maulers up front. "When we had something not go our way, I think we did a good job - like converting on those third downs," Ewers said. "And I think we did a really good job of playing with good poise and composure. Besides the couple of false starts that we did have, I think we overcame them and reacted to some adversity pretty well today." On Texas' opening drive of the game, Ewers showed Michigan all of the ways he was going to cut the Wolverines up for the next three-plus hours:

— Ewers converted third-and-13 with a 33-yard catch-and-run connection with Isaiah Bond.

— He converted third-and-5 with a 7-yard strike to Bond.

— On third-and-7, Ewers ran for 8.

"I think there's something about Quinn and his demeanor," Sarkisian said. "He's a very calm guy. He's really collected. He never rides the emotional roller coaster. You'll see glimpses of him celebrating a touchdown, but he's never over the top, exuberant. When things aren't going great, you never see his dauber down," he added. "He stays pretty even keel, and I think that demeanor helps him in these environments, because he just doesn't get affected by crowd noise or emotions of a game. He stays really clear-minded and focused on what he needs to do," Sarkisian said. "I think there's some learning lessons in there, too. You've got to remember, he didn't have a great game his first year with us at Oklahoma State. So, we grow through some of that with him. But, man, it's paying off. We can go into some of these tough environments knowing our quarterback's going to be really under control."

Ewers, who was 24-of-38 at Alabama last year and threw three touchdowns, was 24-of-36 passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns against Michigan. He said his clear-minded play is because of his belief in Jesus Christ. "I just enjoy big moments," Ewers said. "I think what helps me out is, I'm not trying to please anybody. I'm not trying to please people who breathe one breath at a time. I'm just trying to please Jesus. He controls all breaths, and when you truly believe that, when you truly know that, I think it allows myself to fully play clear-minded and, ultimately, just not worry about what other people think about me."

Heather Dinich: Final takeaways from Texas' big win

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Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was recruiting an SEC roster before he knew the Longhorns would officially join the SEC, and it showed Saturday in a dominant win at the Big House where the Longhorns outplayed Michigan in every way. The double-digit drubbing showed the difference between one program built to contend for the national title and a defending national champ rebuilding after losing 13 players to the NFL draft – the most of any school in the country. If Michigan looked like a shell of its 2023 team, that’s because it mostly is.

Texas controlled the line of scrimmage, won the turnover battle and was smothering on defense, thanks in large part to linebacker David Gbenda, and was more balanced on offense. Michigan, clearly not confident in its passing game with quarterback Davis Warren, leaned on running back Donovan Edwards, but the Wolverines were too predictable. While Texas earned a statement nonconference road win that will help its College Football Playoff resume, Michigan is left searching for answers and staring down a Big Ten schedule that won’t get any easier. -- Heather Dinich

 

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Quick YT film breakdown

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Stewart Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Georgia, Ohio State and Texas at the top. After that, guess again

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And now, 18 thoughts on an early September Saturday that dared AP voters to just blow up their ballots and start over.

1. Two weeks in, I feel confident that Georgia, Ohio State and Texas are the correct top three teams. After that, I’d be guessing just the same as you. A lot of highly ranked teams had close calls against inferior opponents. And one top-five team flat-out lost at home to NIU as a 28-point favorite.

2. This was supposed to be the year Marcus Freeman led Notre Dame back to national title contention, not to yet another Week 2 home loss to a Group of 5 opponent. (2022 Marshall, meet 2024 NIU.) He already had a stacked, veteran defense before landing renowned offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock from LSU and transfer quarterback Riley Leonard from Duke. But on Saturday, Leonard went just 20 of 32 for 163 yards and two interceptions against a MAC opponent. NIU took advantage of that second pick to sit on the ball for five minutes before hitting a last-minute field goal to stun the Irish 16-14. From Day 1, Freeman has been unofficially auditioning for the job he already landed, at age 35, after Brian Kelly bolted. After a rough Year 1, he was trending in the right direction. But Saturday was an absolute confidence crusher that sapped all the momentum from Notre Dame’s season-opening win at Texas A&M. If anything, it brought back questions long ago assumed buried about the state of Freeman’s program. Yes, Notre Dame can still reach the 12-team Playoff, but only if Saturday’s game proves to be a complete fluke.

3. A team like NIU will never experience a national title but winning at Notre Dame Stadium as a huge underdog surely feels as sweet. The Huskies coach, Thomas Hammock, himself a former NIU star running back, was sobbing during his NBC postgame interview. The program has had its moments over the last two decades, most notably the Jordan Lynch era circa 2012-13, but this was by far its biggest win. I would not have suggested before the season that the MAC could produce the G5’s CFP rep, but I can’t imagine another G5 team will earn a more significant nonconference win.

4. No. 10 Michigan came out Saturday against No. 3 Texas wearing the same uniforms and playing in the same stadium as the 2023 national champions — but that’s where the resemblances ended. The Longhorns’ 31-12 rout at the Big House confirmed the most dire concerns about the Wolverines’ depleted offense. Much more stunning was the ease with which Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (24 of 36, 246 yards, three TDs, no INTs) shredded a Michigan defense that still boasts star power. The Horns controlled the line of scrimmage, and Steve Sarkisian was his usual masterful self in scheming guys open, most notably tight end Gunnar Helm (seven catches, 98 yards). It should be a nice confidence boost for Texas as it embarks on its first-ever SEC schedule.

5. New Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore, who took over when Jim Harbaugh left for the Chargers, succeeded in keeping the defending champs’ roster together, but he didn’t do much to upgrade it either. I was surprised last spring when he did not bring in a transfer quarterback to compete for the starting job. Two games in, I’m bewildered by it. Davis Warren seems like a serviceable backup who’s been thrust into the starting job, which does not speak well for the guy he beat out, Alex Orji. We’ll see if Moore gives Orji more reps next week against Arkansas State.

6. Nebraska’s 28-10 rout of old rival Colorado was exactly the kind of party long-suffering Huskers fans have been thirsting for. Five-star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola looked the part (23 of 30, 185 yards, 1 TD, no INTs), and Matt Rhule’s second team looked faster on offense and fiercer on defense. For Deion and Shedeur Sanders, on the other hand, it was a depressingly familiar plot. Colorado gave up six sacks and ran for just 16 yards, leaving Shedeur Sanders (23 of 38, 244 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and Travis Hunter (10 catches, 110 yards) to play their own game of catch after the outcome was long decided. The Buffs defense has improved from 2023, but there remains a considerable gap between their offensive skill talent and their offensive line. Maybe AFLAC can help close it.

7. The best player in the country so far has been Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who followed up a 267-yard, six-touchdown clinic at Georgia Southern by running for another 192 yards and three TDs against No. 7 Oregon. It wasn’t quite enough to top the Ducks, who won 37-34 on a last-second field goal, thanks in large part to an 85-yard Tez Johnson punt-return touchdown and 100-yard Noah Whittington kick-return TD. Without those, Oregon might have been in trouble, as its normally explosive offense is not clicking. Following key losses on the inside of their offensive line, the Ducks through two games have already allowed seven sacks. That’s two more than they gave up in either the 2022 or 2023 seasons.

8. On the night Alabama dedicated Nick Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Tide’s offense gave a performance that would have frustrated their former coach to no end. Fourth-ranked Alabama scored on just two of its first 11 possessions against pesky USF and led just 21-16 with 6:45 left before exploding for back-to-back-to-back long touchdowns to win with a deceiving final score of 42-16. Kalen DeBoer’s team is not lacking for weapons, such as running back Jam Miller (15 carries, 140 yards) and freshman receiver Ryan Williams (four catches, 68 yards), but on this night, the Tide’s offensive line brought back troubling memories of its rocky 2023 campaign.

9. Saturday night’s Tennessee-NC State game in Charlotte was shaping up to be Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s coming-out party, but his defense upstaged him. The No. 14 Vols shut down Wolfpack quarterback Grayson McCall, the former Coastal Carolina standout, and held No. 24 NC State to just 143 total yards in a 51-10 blowout. We knew Tennessee had an elite pass-rusher in James Pearce, but nose tackle Omari Thomas and the rest of the Vols’ D-line dominated the Wolfpack. Iamaleava (16 of 23, 211 yards) had his moments as well, but he also threw a pick six that became NC State’s only touchdown.

10. Here’s one I did not see coming: South Carolina, a week removed from eking out a 23-19 home win against Old Dominion, going on the road and suffocating Kentucky in a 31-6 beatdown. The Gamecocks D, led by five-star freshman pass rusher Dylan Stewart, notched five sacks and a pick six of Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff while allowing just 188 total yards. In addition to starting 1-0 in SEC play, Shane Beamer’s team, 5-7 last season, messed things up for ESPN’s GameDay. The show was expected to be in Lexington next weekend for Georgia at Kentucky. Now: LSU at South Carolina.

11. Former star quarterback Brock Purdy led Iowa State’s ascent under Matt Campbell a few years ago. Enter Rocco Becht, a sophomore in his second year as the starter. Down 19-7 against rival Iowa’s notoriously salty defense, Becht hit Jaylin Noel for a 75-yard touchdown, then in the final minute, connected with Noel again for a 30-yard gain to set up Kyle Konrady’s game-winning 54-yard field goal. With the 20-19 victory, Campbell has beaten Kirk Ferentz two of the past three years after losing his first five Cy-Hawk games.

12. The Big 12 dodged a pair of upsets in the early window Saturday when No. 16 Oklahoma State, down 21-7 at one point, held off Arkansas 39-31 in double overtime, and No. 17 Kansas State, down 20-10 at halftime, survived 34-27 at Tulane. The losers of those games will be kicking themselves for some time, though. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks racked up 648 yards but lost three turnovers and got stopped twice on fourth down. Meanwhile, Tulane redshirt freshman quarterback Darian Mensah put on a show, with four 30-plus-yard completions, and it appeared he’d thrown a tying TD with 17 seconds left. But officials negated it on a non-existent offensive pass interference call. Mensah then threw a dagger interception.

Perhaps one or both quality wins will end up boosting the Big 12’s at-large chances.

13. Clemson heard all our mockery after last week’s Georgia game and took it out on respected G5 team Appalachian State. Behind a near-perfect performance from quarterback Cade Klubnik (24 of 26, 378 yards, five TDs, no INTs), the Tigers scored 35 points in the first quarter and 56 before halftime in a 66-20 blowout. It served as a friendly reminder that despite losing its opener 34-3, Clemson could well turn around and win the ACC. And also that Georgia remains a holy terror.

14. The offensive wizardry Hugh Freeze showed at Ole Miss and Liberty has yet to make an appearance at Auburn. In the second game of Freeze’s second season, visiting Cal smothered the Tigers passing game, picking off Payton Thorne four times and holding Auburn to 286 total yards in a 21-14 win. Auburn fans will surely call for the head of Thorne, who has never been able to replicate his great 2021 season at Michigan State, but it’s hard to say how much of the problem is him and how much is the Tigers woeful offensive line.

15. A year ago on this same weekend, Illinois went to Kansas and fell behind 34-7, losing 34-23. So it was a big deal for Bret Bielema’s team to not only win Saturday’s rematch, 23-17, but also to stifle the 19th-ranked Jayhawks veteran offense. Kansas’ star quarterback Jalon Daniels finished just 18 of 32 for 141 yards and threw three picks against the Illini’s defense. Perhaps this means Illinois is poised for another season like 2022 when it won eight games and gave Michigan fits. Or perhaps KU is not yet ready for preseason Top 25s.

16. Last week, Syracuse coach Fran Brown joked that he should send a bottle of champagne to Ohio State’s Ryan Day for letting quarterback Kyle McCord become a free agent. McCord looked even better in his ACC debut, going 32 of 46 for 381 yards, four touchdowns and no picks in a 31-28 home win over Georgia Tech. Brown, formerly Georgia’s defensive backs coach, was fairly unknown before getting the job last winter but earned instant credibility from the fan base when Syracuse became the surprise landing spot for the Buckeyes’ 2023 starter. It looks like the pair will be a factor in their new conference this fall.

17. The realignment gods tried to kick Washington State and Oregon State to the curb, but they’re not exiting quietly. The Cougars throttled Big 12 foe Texas Tech 37-16 in an AfterDark game on Fox, with quarterback John Mateer responsible for 197 of his team’s 301 yards on the ground. Next week brings a mid-September Apple Cup against Washington in Seattle. Meanwhile, the Beavers won 21-0 at San Diego State in advance of a huge grudge match at home next week against the hated Ducks. That one is also on Fox. The two programs’ futures remain uncertain. For now, they’ve opted against continuing their Mountain West scheduling partnership next season, presumably to schedule more P4 opponents. For one week at least, it will feel like old times on those campuses.

18. Finally, when UAB savior coach Bill Clark had to step down for health reasons before the 2022 season, offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent stepped in as interim head coach and went 7-6. That wasn’t good enough for UAB, which made a big-splash hire with Trent Dilfer, despite his never having coached college football. Vincent is now the head coach at Louisiana-Monroe, which on Saturday whooped Dilfer’s Blazers 32-6. Dilfer, the former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst, has three FBS wins in his first 14 games at UAB. As always, the splashiest hire is rarely the best hire.

 

[Sabalo 994]

 

[Squiddie 4]

Thank you for these @satyanash-- do you have Scipio's post-mortems?

[satyanash 14281]

Sam Khan Jr.: Texas looks like a national title contender. What challenges await on path to Playoff?

Quote

There was a time in Texas football’s not-too-distant past that the Longhorns would melt in the type of situation they thrived in Saturday: a big road game against a ranked opponent, before a capacity crowd full of fans throwing the horns down. The setting turned out to be barely a factor, because of Texas’ dominance in its 31-12 drubbing of reigning national champion Michigan. That’s how much things have changed on the Forty Acres.

Taking on a top-10 team and more than 100,000 screaming supporters barely fazes these Longhorns. They showed it last year at Alabama and again Saturday at the Big House. “We weren’t really trying to come to prove anything,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told reporters after the win. “We just wanted to play our brand, our style of football.” The No. 2 Longhorns did, and for the first time since Mack Brown, Vince Young and Colt McCoy were on campus, that brand of football looks national championship-caliber.

That’s the level of potential for this 2024 season. Save any caveats about rebuilding Michigan and all the Wolverines lost. Sure, the roster and staff sporting the maize and blue doesn’t much resemble the 2023 squad that went 15-0. But most teams in the country, through two weeks, have already revealed some flaws, with Texas, Georgia and Ohio State seemingly head and shoulders above the rest.

Michigan’s weakened status is less consequential when considering how the Longhorns look, independent of the opponent. Texas is big, fast and physical and is loaded up and down the roster. Through two weeks, that’s how the Horns have played. They look built for a run deep into January. And in the first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff, Texas has more margin for error than it would have in the four-team era. Let’s look at the Longhorns’ potential path to the Playoff and the biggest remaining tests.

Sept. 28 — SEC play begins

The Longhorns are more talented than every team they face the rest of the month, starting with UTSA and Louisiana-Monroe. SEC play begins when Mississippi State visits at the end of the month. Its first-year head coach, Jeff Lebby, coached against the Horns while at Baylor and, most recently, at Oklahoma, where he called the offense that upset Texas last year in the Cotton Bowl. But Lebby’s Bulldogs just dropped a game Saturday at Arizona State after trailing 30-3 at one point and yielding 262 rushing yards to Cam Skattebo.

Oct. 12 — The Red River rivalry

The Sooners were the only team to beat Texas in the regular season last year. And the intense nature of this rivalry makes it truly unpredictable. The Sooners were underwhelming on Saturday, seemingly doing all they could to give a game away to 29.5-point underdog Houston. But past performances don’t often matter when these two meet at the State Fair of Texas.

Oct. 19 — No. 1 comes to town

A week after a huge rivalry game, the Longhorns host Georgia in what could be this season’s most highly anticipated regular-season affair and an SEC Championship Game preview. The game includes two Nick Saban proteges (Sarkisian and Kirby Smart), two Heisman Trophy contenders (quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Carson Beck) and two talented defenses. There are NFL Draft prospects galore. If each team makes it to Oct. 19 unbeaten, the winner enters the second half of the season as the national title favorite.

Nov. 16 — A trip to Fayetteville

After Arkansas stumbled time and again while squandering a two-touchdown lead and falling 39-31 in double-overtime on Saturday to Oklahoma State, it’s easy to dismiss the Razorbacks. But Texas fans remember the Longhorns’ last trip to Fayetteville in 2021: More than 70,000 rabid Arkansas fans calling the Hogs and rushing the field after the Razorbacks shellacked Texas 40-21. The two teams are much different now — Arkansas isn’t as good, and the Longhorns are built for the physicality of the SEC. But the atmosphere is likely to be similar.

At SEC media days, Sarkisian joked “When you go to Arkansas … at times I feel like they hate Texas more than they like themselves.” Said Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, when asked about it: “You would have to ask the old hats of Arkansas, but he’s probably right.”

Nov. 30 — A rivalry renewed

As big as the Georgia game will be, and as intense as the Red River rivalry is, there may be nothing this season that matches the intensity and emotion of the Longhorns’ trip to Texas A&M. Sure, none of the current players have been a part of the in-state rivarly because the programs haven’t played since 2011. But the buildup should be unprecedented, given the 13-year break. The fact that it’s at Kyle Field — where Texas won the last one, 27-25, on a field goal by Justin Tucker as time expired — will make it all the more hostile for the Longhorns. And if Playoff positioning or an SEC title game berth is on the line for Texas, the stakes will make it even more tense.

A possible conference championship game berth could be next for the Horns. There are other SEC games to consider, with a trip to Vanderbilt and home games against Florida and Kentucky. The Longhorns are likely to be favored in every game they have left except Georgia. According to Austin Mock’s projections, Texas has an 87 percent chance of making the Playoff field (behind only Georgia’s 88 percent). “This one game isn’t going to define our season,” Sarkisian said Saturday of the win over Michigan. “But I think it would serve as a pretty good barometer of the type of team that we could be.”

 

[Mother mopar 3303]

On 9/8/2024 at 7:16 PM, Sabalo said:

 

Just watched this last night. Great add, thanks. 

[TrashMaster G 17388]

F off to all the $9.95ers and others who keep citing the number of Michigan players taken in the draft but don't acknowledge that we has almost as many taken.

[Sabalo 994]

6 hours ago, Mother mopar said:

Just watched this last night. Great add, thanks. 

I miss the days when several posters broke down plays here.

[Grimas 660]

 

[Rockwell Torrey 1277]

7 hours ago, Grimas said:

 

This was outstanding. Thanks for posting. Gave me an appreciation for Michigan’s defense.