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What's at stake for the No. 18 Texas Longhorns versus No. 4 TCU

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•11/12/22•

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Steve Sarkisian (Will Gallagher/Inside Texas)

The eyes of the nation will be on ABC at 6:30 p.m. when the No. 18 Texas Longhorns take on the No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs in Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium.

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Here’s what’s at stake for Texas aside from the chance to defeat a top-five opponent in Austin for the first time since 1999.

Big 12 Standing

With most of the 10 members of the Big 12 save for TCU beating up on each other, there’s an outside chance that for the first time in the history of the current conference title game format that a three conference loss team could make it to Arlington.

The best way to get to Arlington, though, is not to test whether a three-loss team can make it. Texas sits at 4-2 in Big 12 play with tonight’s contest versus TCU, a trip to Kansas, and a season-finale versus Baylor remaining. A win over TCU would clear up the burnt orange road to Arlington. A loss would make that road difficult to trek.

Recruiting momentum

This is the largest list of recruits to visit for a Texas game this season, and several recruitments, Markis Deal‘s in particular, could hinge on the result of this game.

When it comes to recruiting, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian prefers morning games so that he has the whole evening after the contest to interact with recruits and their families. That time is cut short due to the late kick tonight, so what happens on the field will be the strongest message Sarkisian and company can deliver to potential Longhorns.

Having Arch Manning and other commits in town will help, especially with a few players committed to other schools in Austin. But without the same interaction time available for day games, the on-field results will do much of the talking.

Can Texas be trusted?

ESPN’s David Pollack selected TCU to win on College GameDay on Saturday morning and echoed a sentiment many hold about the Longhorns. He explained his lack of trust in a Texas team that surges in the first half but sputters in the second. He has evidence to support his feeling as Texas has scored six points in the second half in the last two games.

That’s not just a national sentiment, it’s one Texas fans also have held onto as well. TCU, by contrast, is a strong second half team and often struggles in the first.

Whoever is able to put together a full 60 minutes will have the inside track on this game. Neither team has been consistent in doing that this season against the best competition in the Big 12.

Heisman Hopeful?

With no clear quarterback frontrunner in the Heisman race, save for potentially North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Bijan Robinson has a chance to cement a seat in New York City with the amount of attention that will be on the game Saturday night.

Robinson already has 1100+ yards this season and has rushed for 100 yards or more in all but two games this year. Robinson is also 41 yards short of becoming the seventh player in UT history to rush for 3000 yards in their career.

Texas’ success against TCU will likely hinge on the performance Robinson can turn in. If it’s one of his best, it could boost what is already a strong Heisman campaign into frontrunner status.

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