Why Opposing Coaches Should Fear Texas More in November Than September

If the Longhorns' former track record repeats itself, Texas will be even more volatile late in the season.

Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's true that the college football season is a brutal test of endurance and longevity, especially within the SEC as members of the conference will move to a nine-game conference schedule in the upcoming 2026-27 season.

The teams that often find the most success are those that have the opposite effect going into the latter half of the season, becoming more experienced and cohesive instead of beginning to show signs of lackluster energy within play.

The Texas Longhorns, for the past several seasons, have been one team to follow this pattern. In the 2025-26 season especially, Texas began playing more dominantly as time passed rather than starting off strong and just barely crossing the finish line.

Texas Establishes Last-Minute Dominance As the Season Goes On

Nov 28, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning warms up before a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If Texas follows the pattern established last season, it could look like a much different team from the start of the year.

For instance, let's take a look at quarterback Arch Manning. While Manning certainly didn't have the worst debut to his starting career, he also didn't exactly live up to the expectations placed upon him.

Some of those expectations may have been unrealistic, but Manning started 2025 off with a completion rating of 63.9 across the first six games of the year, against Ohio State, San Jose State, the University of Texas at El Paso, Sam Houston, Florida and Oklahoma. Across those six games, he threw five picks and took 10 sacks.

Against several cupcake teams and a big name in Ohio State, Manning's start in non-conference play was rather rough. However, he seemed to settle in as time went on — especially as the Longhorns moved into SEC play. Toward the end of the season, Manning started to look stellar.

Manning's best performances came against Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Michigan in November and December, with 12 touchdowns and zero picks across those three games, along with an average quarterback rating of 94.6.

While it wasn't enough to put his name back in the list of Heisman frontrunners, it was enough to grab the attention of onlookers and cement him as one of the top-rated quarterbacks entering the 2026 season.

Manning is just one example of a Texas squad that seemed to gel and play more cohesively as time went on, and while issues with the backfield and a lack of tight end plays seriously hampered the offense, other problems — like the offensive line — started to sort themselves out.

The Longhorns' defense also delivered strong performances all year, including in the shoot-out against Michigan, which saw several young players take the field in the absence of veterans intending to transfer or enter the NFL Draft.

Texas, if the history books prove true, isn't the type of team that runs out of steam when nearing the end of the regular season.

For several seasons now, the Longhorns have played their best games in November. And with important games against LSU and Texas A&M near the finish line and in enemy territory,

Texas will be looking to once again establish the last-minute dominance that has marked its regular-season campaigns — maybe, this time, earning a playoff berth for its efforts.

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