Previewing the Matchup Between Texas Longhorns and Arkansas Razorbacks

What happened to the Texas Longhorns in Athens, Georgia, is a sore subject and probably will be for a little while.

A 35-10 loss exposed many areas in which the Longhorns have struggled all season, including converting on late downs and avoiding excessive penalties.

However, despite the bloodbath that likely put the nail in the coffin in terms of Texas’ College Football Playoff selection hopes, the season isn’t over yet.

What’s next for the Longhorns?

Nov 15, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks on after a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Texas is set to host the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday at the Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in what could’ve been a game that helped bolster their playoff campaign ahead of their regular season closer against the Texas A&M Aggies.

Now, this matchup provides an opportunity for the Longhorns to prove they aren’t the kind of team to wither away quietly.

The Razorbacks are the lowest-ranked team in the SEC, but that ranking might not reflect the quality of their program this season. They are 0-6 in conference play, but what their record doesn’t say is that they haven’t lost any of those games by more than nine points. In fact, in three of their six SEC matchups, they have lost by three points or less.

All this is to say that they have been just shy of taking down several opponents that have beaten them this season, and they look to finally capitalize on at least one of their final two battles of 2025. This game presents them with a chance to prove themselves against a team that was recently in strong contention to make the College Football Playoff.

For Texas, this matchup is about both redemption and pride. It’s about winning at home and not adding a fourth loss to their record, especially not before hosting an undefeated A&M team the following weekend.

Despite the gruesomeness of last weekend’s loss in Athens, which caused them to slip to No. 17 on the AP Poll, there were a few positive aspects as far as Texas’ performance went.

Quarterback Arch Manning looked better against the Bulldogs, completing 27 of 43 passes for 251 yards. He still had a couple of overthrows, one of which resulted in an interception, but his percentages could’ve been a little bit stronger had his wide receivers not had a couple of crucial drops.

The Longhorns’ defense also had strong moments throughout the first three quarters, holding Georgia to just 14 points until the final quarter of the matchup. That being said, the complete Longhorn meltdown in that fourth quarter kind of mitigates the credit this defense gets from the game.

If they can build upon these stronger moments and work through issues regarding penalties, third-down conversions, and dropped passes, they could prove to their home crowd that they intend to fight until the final whistle blows to end the 2025 season.