Beyond the Longhorns suffering a second straight upset loss, the biggest concern on Saturday was the status of Texas star edge rusher Colin Simmons, who went down with an injury at the start of the fourth quarter.
Simmons was carted off the field for further evaluation, adding concern for his status, but as fears grew to an all-time high, the news coming out of the 40 Acres was as ideal as possible.
On Sunday, reports from On Texas Football's Hank South were that Simmons had suffered a sprained ankle, with the exact severity of the injury still unknown.
Obviously, you never want any of your players to suffer an injury of any variety, much less the leader of your defense. However, with initial concerns being the worst for Simmons, like a knee injury, an ankle sprain is quite literally a best-case scenario.
Colin Simmons' availability vs. Ole Miss will likely be unknown until SEC availability report
While South's report on Simmons' status wasn't an official update from the Longhorns, it may be the most solid news we receive until Wednesday of this week.
Once SEC play begins, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian doesn't provide updates on players throughout the week, utilizing the conference-mandated availability report for any news on players' statuses.
So, it is more likely than not that we won't hear any actual news on Simmons until Wednesday evening, when the first availability report of the week comes out.
After the game, Sarkisian simply said that Simmons had suffered a lower-leg injury and that the team would evaluate him further. Not exactly an update on one of the best college football players in the entire country.
Of course, this coming Saturday, the Horns have to face the No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels, who are led by elite quarterback Trindiad Chambliss. Simmons' availability will be a huge deal when it comes to how Texas attacks the ball on the defensive side of things.
Without Simmons, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp would have to rely more heavily on pass rusher Lance Jackson and linebacker Rasheem Biles, who have both had a great season so far, but they are still no Simmons.
Before exiting the game against Florida on Saturday, Simmons was leading the team in total tackles and still led the Horns in tackles for loss by the end of the fourth quarter, despite missing approximately the last 11 minutes.
Entering the game, Simmons led the entire NCAA with 9.5 sacks on the season and earned the only QB takedown in the backfield on Saturday. So far this year, Simmons has earned 25 total tackles (17 solo), 10. 5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
For a direct comparison, Biles has earned 48 total tackles (23 solo), one sack, one forced fumble, two interceptions, and one pass deflection. Meanwhile, Jackson has earned just 13 total tackles (five solo), one sack, and one pass deflection.
In other words, the Horns need Simmons to be available to contain Chambliss, or Texas could be flying toward its third straight loss of the year.
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