The SEC Championship Game represented a great opportunity for redemption for the Texas Longhorns, as they faced none other than the Georgia Bulldogs, the only team to defeat them in the regular NCAAF season. Unfortunately, they struggled against Kirby Smartās team, and once the game ended, it was Quinn Ewers himself who expressed frustration for not being able to cap off the season with a title.
Things didnāt go as expected for Steve Sarkisianās team, and their starting quarterback didnāt shy away from the poor performance. In an interview with Brian Davis after the game, he made his thoughts clear.
āYou know, some plays didnāt go our way. We just couldnāt capitalize in some key moments in the first half. Itās just tough, tough, tough losing big games like this,ā Quinn Ewers stated.
During the game, many Longhorns fans took to social media to question why the coach didnāt opt to bring Arch Manning onto the field. Ultimately, that didnāt happen, and it was Quinn Ewers who carried the team forward.
Quinn Ewers #3 of the Texas Longhorns looks to pass the ball under pressure against Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins #93 and Raylen Wilson #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter of the 2024 SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 07, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.
From now on, the team will need to rest and recover all of its players to approach the playoffs in the best possible shape. The biggest question for the coach is whether he will continue to trust Ewersā talent or, on the contrary, give in to the fansā wishes and start Manning as the quarterback.
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Steve Sarkisian remains confident about the future
This was definitely a great opportunity for the Longhorns to avenge what happened in the regular season, but once again, they came up short against the Bulldogs. Despite the loss, coach Steve Sarkisian remains confident in his team heading into the NCAAF Playoffs.
āThe beauty for us is this stings, itās hard, but we get a chance to regroup in a couple weeks and get into the College Football Playoff and go compete for a national championship. I think weāre plenty good enough to go win that, but weāre going to need to get healthy so we can put our best foot forward to make that happen,ā Sarkisian stated.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns looks on prior to a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning, the debate for the playoffs
Quinn Ewersā underperformance in recent games, particularly in the latest loss to Georgia, has led many Longhorns fans to question why coach Sarkisian hasnāt given Arch Manning the opportunity to take his place.
While only the HC knows the final answer, it was himself who stated firmly that Quinn Ewers would remain the starting QB as long as his physical condition allowed it.
The debate has opened now that Ewers didnāt perform well in his last outing, while Manning has excelled whenever given the chance to play. As the days go by, the Longhorns will give indications of who will start in their playoff debut.
