The Texas Longhorns and the Tennessee Vols are set for a noon showdown in Neyland Stadium next Saturday.

Texas is a legitimate national championship contender after knocking off Ohio State in Week 2.

The Volunteers, meanwhile, are looking to prove that they’re national championship contenders.

A win against the Longhorns would certainly thrust Tennessee into that conversation.

Texas QB Arch Manning made a tough admission after an “ugly win” over UTSA

Texas and Tennessee are both coming off wins against lesser opponents that weren’t necessarily “clean” performances.

The Vols beat Kennesaw State 42-9 on Saturday night in Knoxville in a game where Tennessee had some early struggles in the red zone.

Texas, on the other hand, beat UTSA 30-6 in a game that had some sloppy moments.

Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, for example, didn’t have a very efficient game, completing 17-of-33 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

It wasn’t awful, but 16 incompletions against UTSA obviously isn’t ideal for a quarterback that many believe could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Manning admitted after the game that he’ll need to play much better if Texas is going to beat Tennessee on the road.

“(My performance was) not good enough,” said Manning after the win over UTSA. “I didn’t play well. Offense, we were a little sloppy. We’ve got to be better if we want to beat Tennessee.”

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said after the game that he felt like Manning relied on his legs too much and went through his progressions too quickly as a result.

“I thought Arch kind of fell in love with his legs a little bit tonight,” said Sarkisian. “His legs are a really good weapon. … But what happens when you go to run? You can start speeding up through your progressions, and I think that’s why we don’t want to make a living with him running the ball as much as he ran tonight.

“We want him to use his legs when he can. But ideally, we’re living in the passing game where the ball’s coming out and we’re calling things where he can get completions and he’s throwing it accurately and then guys are making plays and catching the ball.”

Both teams probably feel the same way going into next Saturday’s game — like they need to play better.

I think it’s clear, though, that Manning is the player who will be feeling the most pressure next Saturday in Knoxville. A loss in September wouldn’t eliminate Texas from playoff contention, but it would certainly make the margin for error the rest of the season much slimmer. This is Manning’s “prove it year,” and he’ll have a lot to prove next Saturday in Neyland Stadium.

And Manning knows it.

But hey, no pressure. It’s just 10ok of the loudest fans you’ll ever hear, Arch.