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Which SEC teams Texas football should be rooting for during the bye

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook09/27/25josephcook89
Georgia Kirby Smart and Texas Steve Sarkisian on Nick Saban texting
© Brett Patzke & Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns aren’t playing today, but there are still certain favorable outcomes for Steve Sarkisian’s program from Saturday’s great slate.

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Pull up a chair, grab your favorite spot on the couch, and get behind these teams.

Notre Dame at Arkansas

When it comes to college football, teams can and should have lofty goals. The Texas Longhorns should aspire to play for the national championship. But to play for the national championship, a team first has to make the College Football Playoff.

It’s in Texas’ best interest for Notre Dame to pick up a third loss. If the Fighting Irish fall to 1-3, even if they go 8-0 the rest of the way, their chances of making the CFP are essentially gone.

Utah State at Vanderbilt

There probably isn’t much at stake for Texas here considering this is a non-conference game, but Vanderbilt slipping up wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Longhorns.

Auburn at Texas A&M

A win for the Tigers gets them back to 3-1 and likely is the result of Jackson Arnold and the Auburn running game piercing through the Aggie defense. It would put the first blemish on Texas A&M’s resume and create a little bit of clutter in the SEC race. War eagle.

LSU at Ole Miss

Is this the game of the day? Trinidad Chambliss will get his opportunity to create a larger name for himself and continue his unlikely journey from Division II to household name.

The thing about LSU is the Tigers offense has been struggling. Plus, Caden Durham may be out for this one. If Ole Miss can score 20, that might do it.

Texas may not care who wins this one. So pull for Sark’s old buddy Lane Kiffin.

Tennessee at Mississippi State

The Longhorns probably want to see what Mississippi State can do. Tennessee has looked great with Joey Aguilar and was able to score a LOT of points against Georgia.

Is Mississippi State for real? Or will the Volunteers bring them back to reality? This may be a case where Texas wants to see Tennessee win but not look great doing it. While that has implications for Texas ahead of the Longhorns’ pending trip to Starkville, it would reveal more about the Bulldogs and provide data Sarkisian and Pete Kwiatkowski need.

UMass at Missouri

Pull for the Minutemen, I guess.

Alabama at Georgia

Is this the game of the day? While there is a risk associated with giving Kirby Smart motivational material, Texas would benefit from seeing a team march into Athens and march out with a win. It’s been a LONG time since the Bulldogs have lost at home with 90,000+ in Sanford Stadium. If Alabama can do it, why can’t Texas?

Kentucky at South Carolina

More offensive misery for the Wildcats, in a game likely filled with offensive misery, is good for Texas considering the Longhorns will have to play Kentucky at night in a few weeks.

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