"They’re either going to fall off the cliff or fight back": Urban Meyer drops verdict on Arch Manning's Texas ahead of Oklahoma clash

College football analyst and three-time FBS national champion Urban Meyer gave his take on Wednesday over what's in store for the Arch Manning-led Texas Longhorns (3-2, 0-1 SEC) ahead of their Week 7 rivalry game against No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC).

In the latest episode of "The Triple Option" podcast with Rob Stone and Mark Ingram II, Meyer, who guided Florida (2006 and 2008) and Ohio State (2014) to FBS national titles, offered two potential scenarios for Texas in their much important clash against unbeaten Oklahoma.

"This is going to go one of two ways," Meyer said (Timestamp 4:04). “It’s not going to be medium. They’re either going to fall off the cliff and it’s going to be an embarrassment for both places, or they’ll fight back.”

Texas had its three-game winning streak snapped in a 29-21 loss to Florida (2-3, 1-1 SEC) in their SEC regular season last Saturday.

Manning went 16 of-29 for 263 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He rushed for 37 yards in 15 carries in a disappointing showing that pulled the Longhorns out of the AP Top 25 weeks after they were voted as the No. 1 team before the 2025 season started.

The veteran coach/analyst, however, pointed out that he wouldn't see the Longhorns lose their remaining games. He expect coach Steve Sarkisian to find a way and help Manning locate his spots and boost their chances of winning in the coming weeks.

Texas may likely face Oklahoma QB John Mateer in 'Red River Rivalry' game

Texas may face Oklahoma first-choice quarterback John Mateer in Saturday's "Red River Rivalry," as the injured signal-caller was upgraded to "probable," according to the Sooners' availability report released on Thursday.

CBS Sports college football reporter Matt Zenitz confirmed the quarterback's health status, saying the Sooners' coaching staff is hoping that Mateer could play against the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.

"Like we've reported the last couple weeks, it continues to be possible he ends up playing this week, but no final call has been made as of yet," Zenitz said. "The post-surgery feedback was very good and led to optimism regarding the recovery timetable."

Mateer played brilliantly in his first four games with Oklahoma prior to the injury to his throwing hand. He racked up 1,215 passing yards, with six touchdowns and three interceptions on a 67.4% pass completion rate.

The Washington State transfer ranks second in the team in rushing (190 yards) behind running back Tory Blaylock, who has recorded 250 yards in five games. Mateer has five rushing touchdowns to lead the Sooners in that category.

Last Saturday, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables decided to suit up Michael Hawkins Jr in the game against Kent State to spell the injured first-choice Sooners QB.

Hawkins didn't disappoint, passing for 162 yards and three TDs against the Golden Flashes. The sophomore signal-caller had a touchdown run as well and compiled 33 yards in nine carries in the 44-0 whitewash.

Saturday's game marks the 121st edition of the Red River Rivalry. Texas leads the series 64-51-5, but Oklahoma has chipped away with the commanding lead in the last 25 games, winning 16 of them.