Paul Wadlington

Man plans and God laughs, but this projection tool can take you down some rabbit holes. I picked every likely favorite to win (some guessing there) and A&M to beat LSU with Georgia winning out.

Last week, true sophomore Jelani McDonald was pressed into starting action against Vanderbilt and logged 66 snaps.

The Austin native and safety transfer from Clemson has been an important part of the Longhorn defensive backfield. This unit benefitted greatly from addition by subtraction in the offseason, but they've also prospered from addition.

Collins played well last year as the #3 DT spelling Sweat and Murphy inside and as a jumbo edge, but Texas needed more from him in 2024 for the defense to be a top national unit.

This is a challenging preview to write. Just two weeks ago I thought I'd be cautioning everyone about a pretty talented Gator team with legitimate playmakers that is better than their record; a mentally tough team exhibiting substantial improvement over their poor September start.

After a disastrous 2023 where Florida fired two defensive position coaches, the Florida defense had an inauspicious debut giving up 41 points and 385 passing yards to Miami in Gainesville. Two weeks later Texas A&M lit them up for 310 yards rushing and 6.8 yards per carry while dropping another 33 on the scoreboard. The 1-2 Gators were reeling and there was very real talk of relieving Napier in Week 3.

A few things I'm mulling over heading into Saturday...

The Texas offense badly needed a get right game after three weeks of underperformance. A Florida defense missing their top three cornerbacks, without a base pass rush and a tendency to bust coverages was just what the doctor ordered. Add in a bye week where Sark could go back into the lab to concoct explosive compounds and the Horns end up with 49 offensive points and 562 yards at a fat 8.8 yards per play.

We're nine games deep and the Texas defense surrendered 300+ yards to an opponent for the first time this year. That's a tribute to the unit's marked schematic and personnel improvements - specifically with regard to pass defense - though it's certainly also reflective of the quality of offenses that Texas has faced to date.

The 5-4 Hogs are coming off of a bye and have had two weeks of prep for their season Super Bowl. While the Pigs are not in SEC title or playoff contention, a win over Texas with remaining manageable contests against La Tech and Missouri on the slate to close out the year offer the promise of a 8-4 season, a finger in the eye of their most hated historical rival, a good bowl game and a safe offseason for head coach Sam Pittman.