A win is a win, but the Texas Longhorns are truly putting that sentiment to the test this season.
The Horns looked far from the No. 1 team in the country (once again) as they defeated the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers, and despite securing the win, there was a lot that needed to be fixed before Texas plays Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry in two weeks.
Now, not everything was bad. The Longhorns won, after all. In fact, there were a couple of winners from the matchup, beyond Texas's overall record improving to 4-0. So, here are the two biggest winners and losers from the Battle of the UTs:
WINNER: Raleek Brown, running back
While running back Hollywood Smothers was reported as available ahead of kickoff, he didn't take the field for a single snap. That meant fellow running back Raleek Brown was the go-to guy in the backfield, and he undeniably heeded the call.
Brown scored Texas's opening touchdown in the first quarter and capped off his performance with another rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to cement the Horns' victory.
While it wasn't necessarily a great running game for Texas, with the team earning less than 100 yards on the ground, it was a great showing for Brown while Smothers was sidelined.
Loser: Texas's discipline... again
The number of penalties that took place in this game was genuinely astonishing.
The Horns were called for 11 penalties, losing 115 yards, and handing the Vols a lot of momentum that helped keep them in the game until halfway through the fourth quarter.
The biggest offense came from edge rusher Colin Simmons, who sacked Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon and then "simulated he was using the restroom," as the official put it. It was obviously called for unsportsmanlike conduct and gave the Vols a first down, negating his sack.
To put it lightly, there was a complete lack of discipline, maturity, and composure for the Horns. It's exactly what we saw last week against the UTSA Roadrunners. It has to be put to bed.
WINNER: Lance Jackson and Colin Simmons, edge rushers
While Simmons made the egregious celebration error in the first half, he made up for it throughout the rest of the game, joined by fellow edge rusher Lance Jackson as they dominated the Vols' offensive line and repeatedly got to Brandon.
The combination of Simmons and Jackson proved to be far too much for Tennessee to handle, and it led to the Horns amassing 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Simmons tied the Texas program record for sacks in a single game with five QB takedowns in the backfield for himself.
Jackson recorded four total tackles (two solo) and truly proved himself as Simmons' running mate off the line of scrimmage.
The defensive performance from Texas should put the rest of the conference, and the rest of the country, on notice because there is going to be a whole lot more of that in the future.
Loser: Arch Manning, quarterback
While quarterback Arch Manning wasn't helped by the running game on most of the drives, or by his offensive line as consistently as he had been through the first three games, he was far from his best form against the Vols.
Holding onto the ball for too long under pressure, committing two illegal downfield throws, and a lack of reading through his progressions piled up to prevent Manning from playing his best game.
He was sacked six times, losing a yard on the ground despite using his legs on a number of occasions, and threw an interception into double coverage. Simply put, his performance was beyond messy.
"It's not about me, I didn't play very well," Manning said after the game.
The number of questionable decisions by Texas's offensive leader was something that cannot continue as the Horns head through the rest of their SEC schedule, or they will undoubtedly suffer a few losses.
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