Texas Football will be adding another chapter to the Lone Star Showdown on Friday night as they host the #3 Texas A&M Aggies. It's going to be a massive game with more than bragging rights on the line for both teams. A Texas win could catapult the Longhorns back into the College Football Playoffs, while an Aggie win would allow them to compete in the SEC Championship game. Everything is on the line for both teams, so expect a very passionate football game on Friday night in Austin.
You know what would go good after a good Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday? A bunch of obscene stats on Friday night to round out the week. With a huge rivalry game in front of Texas on Friday, expect the unexpected when it comes to stats. Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed could have a bad week offensively while Arch Manning looks like a Heisman candidate for next season.
Here are four bold predictions for Friday night's game at DKR Memorial Stadium in Austin.
1. Marcel Reed drops out of Heisman race
It wouldn't be surprising if Reed has a career game against the Longhorns on Friday night, given how the Longhorns' defense has struggled as of late. However, this game is for a giant trophy, and the Longhorns like collecting them. My first bold prediction is that the Longhorns hold Reed and the Aggies' offense to under 200 passing yards. With the game being in Austin, expect the Longhorns' pass defense to feed off the home crowd and shut down the Aggies' offense.
2. Arch Manning puts up massive passing numbers
Arch Manning looked like a Heisman quarterback last weekend against Arkansas. He was throwing great passes and finding open receivers everywhere. While the Aggies' passing defense will give him fits on Friday night, I expect Manning to pass for over 350 yards against the Aggies. Try to get players like Wingo open on a screen and watch the passing yards increase with each passing play.
3. Anthony Hill Jr. returns to the lineup and plays the hero
Anthony Hill Jr. is currently questionable for Friday night's game against the Aggies. While I don't know if it would be smart for his NFL future to return for the game against the Aggies, his presence on the field would make the Aggies sweat. My third bold prediction is that he will return against Texas A&M and be the Defensive Player of the Game.
4. Michael Taaffe redeems himself after giving up a touchdown last week
Michael Taaffe didn't have a good game against Arkansas last weekend. He got stiff-armed by the running back, who walked in for the touchdown.
My final bold prediction is that Taaffe will redeem himself and hold his targets to under 150 yards Friday night. That's another bold prediction that would make for an incredible story going up against the third-best team in the nation.