Jeff Howe

Using bowl games to judge the strength of a conference was flawed logic before the NIL/portal era of college football. It's an insanely idiotic approach in 2025.

You deserve an award for valor if you made it to the "Eyes of Texas" against Miami.

Six sacks allowed.

I didn't mention it in the article, but Arch didn't turn the ball over in any of the top-10 wins Texas had during the regular season.

Wednesday’s Citrus Bowl pits two of the most highly-touted quarterback prospects in the history of modern recruiting against each other when Arch Manning and Bryce Underwood lead their respective teams into battle for the last time in 2025. Manning, who will make his 15th career start for Texas, is the eighth-highest rated quarterback prospect in the history of the 247Sports Composite, slightly behind Terrelle Pryor and just ahead of Matt Barkley. Ryan Mallett is the only quarterback to ever sign with Michigan rated higher than Underwood (No. 22 all-time in the 247Sports Composite quarterback rankings), who will start for the 13th and final time as a true freshman. That’s where the similarities end between two former prized quarterback recruits at different stages of their respective careers. Against a Wolverine defense that ranks 16th nationally in points per game allowed (18.7), 18th in yards per play allowed (4.77) and 22nd in yards per game allowed (312.3), Manning will look to continue the success he’s enjoyed against the Longhorns’ ranked opponents in 2025. Even though he struggled in a season-opening loss to Ohio State, Manning completed 64.2 percent of his passes (104 for 162) against the Buckeyes, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, throwing for 1,094 yards and seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Manning’s 112 net rushing yards in those games include a 36-yard game-clinching touchdown run against the Aggies. According to Pro Football Focus, Manning was pressured on 97 dropbacks, but his pocket presence and athleticism minimized the damage to the tune of just six total sacks for the five ranked foes. Wink Martindale, a defensive coordinator known for the variety and volume of pressure looks he’ll throw at opposing quarterbacks, will have to blitz Manning at his own risk. On the 184 dropbacks in which Manning has been blitzed through 12 games, according to PFF, he’s completed more than 57 percent of his passes (96 for 166) for 1,419 yards and 12 touchdowns, throwing just two interceptions with 81 pressures via the blitz leading to only 11 sacks. On the other hand, Underwood’s two games against ranked opponents (a 24-13 loss to Oklahoma in his first start on the road and a 27-9 loss to Ohio State at home in the regular season finale) yielded unsavory results. In Michigan's losses to the Sooners and Buckeyes, Underwood went 17-for-42 through the air (40.5 percent completion rate) for 205 yards (4.9 yards per attempt and 12.1 yards per completion) with no touchdown passes and one interception. Like most inexperienced quarterbacks, Underwood is still learning how to deal with pressure. According to PFF, Underwood is 28-for-61 on the 29.7 percent of his dropbacks in which he’s faced pressure, with 362 yards, one touchdown and one interception, numbers that have contributed to an NFL passer rating of 63.7. Martindale and the Wolverines will play the game without three defensive captains (EDGE Derrick Moore and linebackers Jaishawn Barham and Ernest Hausmann). The Longhorns have turned defensive play-calling duties over to Johnny Nansen, who’s left to adjust to the fallout of seven postseason opt-outs. Still, the objective for both coordinators on Wednesday should be to win the race to make the game one in which the opponent has to drop back and throw the football to survive. A Texas offensive line operating at full strength must keep Manning clean and pave the way for the Longhorns to run the ball well enough to achieve a must-have semblance of balance. The Longhorns surrendered just three sacks in their three regular-season wins over Associated Press top-10 opponents, victories over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M in which Texas averaged 155.3 rushing yards per game (4.68 yards per attempt). Ty’Anthony Smith and Brad Spence will lead an inexperienced group of Texas linebackers against a Michigan rushing attack that’s one of the best in the country (213.2 yards per game and 5.51 yards per attempt are top-15 marks in FBS). Slowing down the Wolverines’ rushing attack isn’t an insurmountable task, however, with Michigan set to take the field without running back Justice Haynes (857 yards rushing, 7.1 yards per attempt and 10 touchdowns), All-Big Ten tight end/H-back/fullback/lead blocker Max Bredeson and All-Big Ten left guard Gio El-Hadi (it also remains to be seen where leading rusher Jordan Marshall is in his recovery from a late-season shoulder injury). Opt-outs and coaching changes add significant unknown variables when trying to predict the winner of a postseason exhibition between two of the five winningest programs in FBS history. The outcome will likely be decided by either the Wolverines slowing down Manning’s ascent toward his ceiling or the Longhorns doing their part to put Underwood’s coming-of-age moment as a college quarterback off until 2026. View full news story

I believe this is Earl's second ballot.

This got brought up in another thread, but Priest's three-year NFL run (2001-03) is as good as any running back in history. There's no telling how different his career would've gone if his body hadn't let him down.

Thirty-one years ago today, Priest Holmes scored four touchdowns for the Longhorns in a 35-31 win in the Sun Bowl over a North Carolina team coached by Mack Brown.

It's also harder for safeties, for whatever reason, to get in early. The fact that Darren Woodson has had to wait this long is absurd.

I know the off-field stuff is the last impression a lot of people have of Earl. Still, he should be in the HOF.

Earl was a semifinalist, but he wasn't one of the 15 finalists selected for possible induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026. Darren Woodson was the only defensive back to make the cut. Earl and Rodney Harrison will have to wait until 2027.

The old Jack Murphy Stadium was a dump, but San Diego seems like an ideal destination for a bowl game. It's a shame that San Diego will never host another Super Bowl, because some media folks I know who've attended the Super Bowl in San Diego raved about it as a host city.

Braylon Edwards looked like a man among boys against a very good Texas secondary. Steve Breaston broke O.J. Simpson's Rose Bowl record for all-purpose yards. As for Henne and Hart, it's no surprise that Michigan contended for a national title two years later when those guys were juniors.

Yes, he was. It's been awesome to see Alfred blossom.

Earl Campbell had a four-year start that's about as impactful as any running back has ever had (and he was the 1979 NFL MVP). Ricky Williams rushed for more than 10,000 yards. Earl Thomas should be in the Hall of Fame at some point. Tommy Nobis should've already been in the Hall of Fame. Casey Hampton doesn't have the numbers, but he went to five Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls with the Steelers. Bobby Layne was one of the best quarterbacks who played in the pre-merger era of the NFL. But considering the way Bijan has started, he's got a real chance.

Just under eight minutes to go in the third quarter and Bijan has rushed for 155 yards (11.9 YPC) and a touchdown and caught three passes for 15 yards and a touchdown. That's an average of 10.6 yards every time he's touched the ball tonight.

I couldn't believe that graphic when I saw it on the screen.

Thirteen years ago today, David Ash (with a lot of help from Alex Okafor and Marquise Goodwin) led Texas to a comeback win over Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl.

If unleashing Underwood is a part of the game plan, then he's either made a helluva jump in less than a month or Michigan is just winging it and hoping for the best. When I watched him this season, he didn't look ready. That's not a surprise, but he's a long way from being what he can be.

The 2005 Rose Bowl set the tone for the run to the national championship the following season:

One of the greatest football players to ever step on campus at the University of Texas would've celebrated his 43rd birthday on Sunday. Gone way too soon. 🤘

It was 24 years to the date on Sunday that Texas defeated Washington in the Holiday Bowl, 47-43. Major Applewhite brought the Longhorns back from a 19-point deficit in the second half, helping Texas finish Mack Brown's fourth season with an 11-2 record and a No. 5 ranking in the final AP Poll.