"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 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 there was optimism in the Oklahoma locker room that Mateer could play against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday 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."

Prior to the injury, Mateer has proven himself to be a Heisman Trophy favorite with his dual-threat ability. In four games, the junior quarterback completed 67.4% of his passes for 1,215 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.

He's also adept in running the football, accumnulating 190 yards and five TDs. Those offensive stats placed Mateer in second place in total yards per game at 331.3 ypg.

Backup Michael Hawkins Jr. started in place of Mateer in the Sooners' win over Kent State in Week 6. The sophomore completed 14 of his 24 passing attempts for 162 yards and three touchdowns while adding 33 yards and a score on the ground.

If Mateer won't be available, Hawkins will get the start against Texas for the second straight season. Last season, the sophomore QB completed 19 of 30 passes for 148.

Saturday's game is the 121st edition of ther Red River Rivalry game. Texas leads the series 64-51-5. However, Oklahoma has dominated the games played in the 2000s, with a 16-9 record.