AUSTIN, Texas — As the top-ranked Texas Longhorns gear up for a high-stakes SEC clash against the #14 Tennessee Volunteers, OrangeBloods.com publisher Geoff Ketchum stopped by ‘The Thing About Sports’ with Brian Fitzgerald and Chad Hastings to break down the team following their 30-6 win over UTSA. Though Texas maintains an unblemished record late into September, Ketchum highlighted key areas where the team must continue to sharpen its play.
"I think one of the things that we've learned is that this team's floor—its basement on offense—is probably lower than we thought," Ketchum said, adding that the team is "not clicking on all cylinders."
Despite some offensive inconsistencies, the Longhorns' defense limited UTSA to just six points. However, Ketchum emphasized the need for more dynamic, game-changing plays from the defensive unit as SEC competition intensifies.
"They're either a turnover-creating team or they're not," Ketchum noted. "My worry 25% of the way through this season is that the Longhorns aren't going to be nearly the big-play defense that I thought they would."
On the personnel front, the defense is expected to see edge rusher Colin Simmons back on the field after he was omitted from Thursday’s injury report. However, the offense faces uncertainty regarding running back Hollywood Smothers, who remains questionable. The potential absence of Smothers could shift a heavier workload onto backfield teammates Raleek Brown and Derek Cooper.
"Smothers is the one guy that really scares you into thinking... that he could go 75, 80 yards on any play," Ketchum said. Without that explosive threat, he noted, Texas may need to lean more heavily on its passing game.
Central to that passing attack is quarterback Arch Manning, whose career statistics through 19 games present a compelling contrast to past Longhorn greats like Vince Young. Manning boasts a 16-3 record as a starter with 5,221 passing yards and 54 touchdowns, compared to Young’s 4,214 passing yards and 32 passing touchdowns over his first 19 starts.
Despite those numbers, public perception surrounding Manning remains divided as he seeks greater consistency in his completion percentage and overall efficiency.
"He's a very good college player," Ketchum remarked. "His record as a starter through 19 games... those are metrics, normally, you forget about stats. If a guy's doing that, we just call him a winner."
Ketchum added that Manning remains poised for a breakout performance that could reshape national perception. "This guy is one nuclear statistical performance away from being a top-three Heisman candidate," he said.
Texas kicks off against Tennessee at 11 a.m. local time, with live broadcast coverage featured on ABC.
The Thing About Sport airs every Saturday at 9am on Talk 1370.
