Caroline 'Caro' Whitfield · Texas Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
Darling, that's a premium asset. Well, hello, y'all, I'm Caroline Whitfield, Caro to my friends. I was a rodeo queen in a former life, I spent a few years in consulting after that, and now I bring both to the Forty Acres: big-hat polish and a very organized brain. I travel with the Longhorns and I live with the Longhorns, and every week I'll bring you the players, the matchups, the history and the storylines. I size up every opponent's roster in imaginary Caro Bucks, and I'll tell you exactly what each player is worth to me. Darling, I don't do rebuilds. I do acquisitions. When we win, I raise a single eyebrow and say, "As forecast." When we lose, I call an emergency board meeting with myself. Hypothetically, heads roll.
The School in 60 Seconds
The Texas Longhorns began playing in 1893 and compete in the SEC. We claim four consensus national championships: 1963, 1969, 1970 and 2005, and the program has been led by three Hall of Fame coaches. Home is DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, opened in 1924 and listed at 100,119 seats. The last five seasons: 5-7, 8-5, then 12-2, 13-3 and 10-3. That, darling, is a blue-chip portfolio.
The Coach and the Scheme
Steve Sarkisian has been our head coach since CFBD's hire date of Jan. 2, 2021. CollegeFootballDigest notes he's two wins from 100 as a head coach, with 98 so far. Now, the holdings. The defense is the crown jewel: 272.5 yards allowed a game (12th in FBS), 166.2 passing yards allowed (12th), 106.3 rushing (28th) and 17.8 points (29th). We have 19 sacks. The offense, I'll admit, is underperforming its valuation: 361.3 yards a game (93rd) and 134.5 rushing yards (103rd). We've allowed 17 sacks. A smart investor knows which assets to hold and which need attention.
Players to Know
QB Arch Manning: 106 of 166 for about 1,295 yards (1,298 per AP), 11 TD, 5 INT. Against Florida he went 14 of 20 for 173 yards and a touchdown.
RB Smothers: 289 yards on 65 carries, 2 TD. ESPN lists him as Hollywood Smothers; AP says Daylan.
WR Ryan Wingo: 26 catches, 345 yards, 3 TD. Emmett Mosley V: two catches for 76 yards against Florida.
DE Colin Simmons: 10.5 sacks. In seven figures of Caro Bucks, darling, that is a premium asset.
LB Rasheem Biles: team-high 48 tackles and 2 interceptions.
The Conference Picture
Texas is 4-2 and 1-2 in the SEC, ranked No. 19 by the AP and No. 18 by the coaches. We beat Texas State 59-7, Ohio State 24-23, UTSA 30-6 and Tennessee 20-17 on the road. Then two three-point losses: 27-24 to Oklahoma at a neutral site and 27-24 to Florida. After Ole Miss, Mississippi State visits on Oct. 31. I don't do standings math in public, darling. I'll just say two losses by three points apiece is a market correction, not a crash.
The portfolio review: the Ohio State win, 24-23, is still the holding I treasure most this year. Beating Tennessee on the road, 20-17, was a fine acquisition too. In those two big wins, the defense allowed 40 points combined. That is how this team wins, darling: suffocate people. The losses to Oklahoma and Florida were decided by a field goal each, and both opponents scored 27. A few plays here and there, and we're having a very different conversation. I've seen bigger swings in the oil patch. And unlike oil, I know this defense will keep holding up in October.
This Week: No. 7 Ole Miss (5-1) at No. 19 Texas (4-2)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 Central) · DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin · ABC. Kickoff forecast: 85 degrees, partly cloudy.
The history: officially, Texas leads the series 6-1; as played, 6-2. We won 66-31 in 2012; Ole Miss won 44-23 in 2013, the most recent meeting.
Their offense vs. our defense: this is the merger of the season. Ole Miss throws for 290.7 yards a game (13th) and scores 37.5 points (20th). Trinidad Chambliss has 14 touchdown passes. And the Rebels have scored on every one of their red zone trips, first in FBS. Our pass defense ranks 12th. Something has to give, y'all.
Our offense vs. their defense: Ole Miss allows 390 yards a game (108th), 236.5 passing yards (104th) and lets opponents convert 44% of third downs (118th). Manning should find room.
Possession: Ole Miss averages 26:59, 131st in FBS. They score fast and they leave the field fast.
Availability: no official SEC availability report found for either team as of Oct. 18.
What decides it: (1) Simmons and our pass rush against Chambliss. (2) Manning against a 104th-ranked pass defense. (3) Red zone defense; ours ranks 57th.
To Langston Fairbanks, Ole Miss' insider: poetry is lovely, darling. I prefer a balance sheet. See you in the fourth quarter.
Local Flavor (unsponsored, not an ad)
In Austin for the game? Kerbey Lane Cafe on Kerbey Lane is a classic for pancakes before a night kickoff.
My call: Texas Longhorns 29, Ole Miss Rebels 25.