Ole Miss vs. Texas: Pressure Mounts on Manning, Sarkisian

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Game Time Decisions

Ole Miss Faces a Must-Win Road Test Against Texas

Ole Miss enters its road game against Texas as a 3.5-point underdog, with both teams facing a pivotal moment in their seasons. Texas has also lost Simmons, its best defensive player and the national leader in sacks, for the rest of the year.

Simmons was a major contributor for Texas and projects as a top-five edge rusher in the NFL draft. His absence adds even more pressure to Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning, who are already under scrutiny.

The situation surrounding Manning remains complicated. Some analysts believe the quarterback is not being put in the best position to succeed and that the coaching deserves more blame. However, those arguments can also sound like continued excuses for Manning’s performance.

A loss to Ole Miss could put Sarkisian’s future at Texas in question. It would leave the Longhorns with three losses and consecutive defeats, intensifying the pressure around the program.

Ole Miss appears to be the better team. Its only loss came against Florida in a game it still had an opportunity to win, while the Gators played their best football of the season. Ole Miss has otherwise won the rest of its games, including a victory over LSU, and has returned to the top 10.

Texas looked overrated entering the season, and Ohio State appeared to control the opening game despite losing to the Longhorns. At this point, Texas looks like a fringe top-25 team, if that.

Ole Miss is the pick to keep the game close, and Chambliss appears to be the better quarterback. Among the highly touted quarterbacks entering the season, he is one of the few delivering on expectations. Moore at Oregon and Manning at Texas have not met those expectations, while Mensah has come on and played well. The quarterback draft class once expected to be exceptional no longer looks that way.

This is also a must-win game for Ole Miss if it wants to be taken seriously as a national championship contender. The Rebels have the better quarterback and offense, along with a defensive-minded head coach. After playing a strong defensive game against Missouri, there are no excuses for failing to beat a wounded Texas team that lacks confidence and will be without its best defensive player.