The sixth week of the college football season has one of the more intriguing matchups on the calendar, as the Texas Longhorns take on the Florida Gators in The Swamp.

This was expected to be a massive game in the landscape of the College Football Playoff, as Steve Sarkisian and Billy Napier had teams ready to take a major step toward their first National Championship since 2005 and 2008, respectively. The Longhorns still have a path, but the Gators have cratered to start the season.

Is this the rebound game that can vault Florida back to prominence, or will this be Texas getting back in the swing of things? Our college football staff got together and predicted the game.

Texas vs. Florida Final Score Predictions

Texas 24, Florida 20

This game is a difficult one to predict. Neither Florida nor Texas has lived up to the hype they had going into the season, and it boils down to their superstar quarterbacks playing sub-optimal football.

Arch Manning has struggled so far this year, especially against the one Power Four team in Ohio State. There have been so many issues with the Longhorns’ passing game, including a stretch of nine consecutive incompletions that led to Manning being booed.

Things haven’t been much better for the Gators’ offense, as DJ Lagway looks like a completely different quarterback than he did last year. There were a multitude of injuries for him this offseason, and a lack of practice time has been massively impactful. The biggest factor has been his confidence, as he’s not comfortable reading the field right now.

If one of these quarterbacks finally steps up, it’s likely going to be what decides the game, and both defenses are great. The Longhorns are first in EPA/play allowed, while the Gators are 35th. Even so, the latter has faced multiple top teams this season on the road and allowed just 20 and 26 points in spite of the offensive ineptitude. This will be a closer game than most anticipated, but the Longhorns are just in a better place to get the victory. Tyler Forness, A to Z Florida

Texas 27, Florida 17

After a much-needed week off, both Texas and Florida are preparing for Saturday’s SEC contest as a way to get back on track. But, the bye week is about all these two have in common. The Longhorns have bounced back nicely from a season-opening loss to Ohio State and handled business the last three weeks. Arch Manning looked much more comfortable versus Sam Houston, too. The team is getting more and more healthy with each passing day, and, oh by the way, the defense is one of the best in the country.

Florida is 1-3 and coming off two whippings at the hands of two rivals. DJ Lagway is reeling after a five-interception performance against LSU and was only able to muster seven points against Miami. His head coach is under A LOT of fire and could be coaching for his job in the coming weeks if the losses keep piling up. Like Texas, though, Florida still has a ton of talent and ability on defense, which makes this one awfully compelling.

The Arch Manning first SEC road game narrative is going to be beaten into submission this week, and for good reason. He hasn’t looked completely comfortable, and as most have alluded to, he has pressed a considerable amount through the first month of the season. This game goes Texas’ way because of the defense and a few key spots getting healthy. If the Longhorns can get right at both running back and wide receiver, it could be a sign of peaking at the right time.

If you’re Florida, it is now or never, right? Lagway has to get in rhythm early, take care of the football, and keep drives alive with his arm and legs (if he can). I don’t believe he will be able to with Texas’ experienced defense at all three levels. But, the Texas offense isn’t exactly humming right now so I think it’s a game Longhorns fans sweat deep into the fourth quarter. Zach Berry, A to Z Texas

Texas 24, Florida 14

Neither Texas nor Florida has lived up to expectations this season so far, but things are extra troubling right now. With the Gator offense where it is right now, it’s hard to imagine them beating Texas, even with them hosting the Longhorns. Florida does still have some good defensive pieces, so this feels like a bit of a lower-scoring game. The resume so far tells us that Arch Manning won’t be amazing, but I do expect to see some progress this week. While he may be never be the elite prospect some thought going into the season, showing signs of life as the season goes on would be great for the future. Ryan Roberts, A to Z Notre Dame

Texas 27, Florida 13

Texas hasn’t looked like the juggernaut they were supposed to be heading into the season just yet. They lost to Ohio State, but at least hung with them late. The supposedly strong offense started slow against San Jose State. Then the Longhorns could only manage a 27-10 win over UTEP. The only real good news is that their opponent this week has been a dumpster fire. The Florida Gators have been a mess, losing three straight games, failing to score more than 16 points in any of those contents. DJ Lagway continues to fail miserably. Billy Napier’s game management belongs at the high school level. To cap it all off the Gators rank 85th in pass success rate allowed. This is the “get right” game for Texas as they win 27-13. Travis May, A to Z CFB Managing Editor

Texas Longhorns News

Steve Sarkisian ready to unlock important part of Arch Manning’s game this weekend versus the Florida Gators

There is one thing the Texas head coach is ready to unleash in the Swamp.

Zach Berry

Florida Gators News

Florida Gators nearly replaced Billy Napier with popular candidate in October of 2024, and they could look to do it again

The Lane train nearly made his way to Gainesville, and it could still happen

Tyler Forness