In a victory that impacts the College Football Playoff standings before Tuesday's initial rankings, No. 20 Texas narrowly defeated No. 9 Vanderbilt with a final score of 34-31.
Arch Manning, cleared to play after a Week 9 concussion sustained against Mississippi State, thoroughly outplayed the Commodores. Manning completed 25 of 33 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Longhorns (7-2, 4-1 SEC) stay on track in the conference standings. With a 7-2 record and a 3-2 SEC standing, Vanderbilt faces a situation where any further missteps will significantly complicate their playoff aspirations.
Could the Longhorns be an overlooked team in November? Have the Commodores been eliminated from the 12-team competition? An examination of the consequences stemming from Texas' triumph over Vanderbilt at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium this past Saturday.
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Manning's Texas beats Vanderbilt.
Manning appears to be improving. He set the tone of the first play with a swing pass to Ryan Wingo, who sprinted 75 yards for a TD. Manning threw a second TD pass in the red zone – where he patiently waited for CJ Baxter to get open – to give the Longhorns a 17-0 lead.
Manning hit 12 of 16 passes for 200 yards in the first half and added another TD to Emmett Mosley V in the second half that helped Texas blow the game open.
The question coming in was whether Vanderbilt could handle Texas' defense, which ranked 10th in scoring defense at 14.6 points per game. Edge rusher Colin Simmons added a sack and a fumble recovery in the first quarter, and Vanderbilt managed just 14 rushing yards in the first half. The Longhorns also had six sacks.
Texas opened up a 34-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Diego Pavia – who finished 27 of 38 for 365 yards and three TDs – led three fourth-quarter TD drives in brilliant fashion. He also had 43 of the Commodores' 58 rushing yards and a TD, but an onside kick went out of bounds with 33 seconds remaining.
SEC playoff hopefuls revealed
| TEAM | OVERALL | CONFERENCE | WEEK 9 |
| No. 3 Texas AM | 8-0 | 5-0 | Bye |
| No. 4 Alabama | 7-1 | 5-0 | Bye |
| No. 7 Ole Miss | 8-1 | 5-1 | Beat South Carolina xx-xx |
| No. 5 Georgia | 7-1 | 5-1 | Beat Florida 24-20 |
| No. 20 Texas | 7-2 | 4-1 | Beat Vanderbilt 34-31 |
| No. 9 Vanderbilt | 7-2 | 3-2 | Lost to Texas 34-31 |
| No. 18 Oklahoma | 7-2 | 3-2 | Beat Tennessee 33-27 |
| No. 19 Missouri | 6-2 | 2-2 | Bye |
#3 Texas A&M stays undefeated
The Aggies are on a bye week, but they should be able to get to the 10-win mark with home games against Samford and South Carolina. The road tests against No. 19 Missouri (Nov. 8) and No. 20 Texas (Nov. 28) will determine whether Texas A&M makes the SEC championship game.
'Bama ranked 4th, 7-1 record
Alabama is the other unbeaten team in conference play and has a bye week ahead of a matchup against LSU. The Crimson Tide have not lost since the season opener at Florida State, and quarterback Ty Simpson has 20 TDs and one interception. Will the Crimson Tide and Aggies be ranked back to back in the first CFP rankings?
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Georgia ranked 5th (7-1, 5-1)
Georgia is in a good position despite a 24-21 loss to Alabama on Sept. 27. The Bulldogs beat Florida 24-20 in a tight rivalry matchup on Saturday. Georgia has three one-score victories in SEC play.
No. 7 Ole Miss (8-1)
Ole Miss beat South Carolina 30-14. The Rebels play their next two games at home before the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State, and Lane Kiffin has the program on track for its first CFP appearance.
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#20 Texas wins 7-2, 4-1
This is where we have the Longhorns now, and we could see a decent jump up both the AP Poll and CFP rankings. Texas' non-conference loss to Ohio State isn't a deal-breaker, and the Longhorns have a bye week to prepare for a road trip to Georgia.
#9 Vanderbilt's record
The Commodores could land outside the playoff in the first rankings, and get ready for some debate about where a 10-win Vanderbilt team would fit at the end of the puzzle. Vanderbilt plays Auburn and Kentucky at home before the regular-season finale against Tennessee.
#18 Sooners 7-2
Oklahoma kept its playoff hopes alive with a 33-27 victory against Tennessee. The Sooners have a bye week before a matchup against Alabama on Nov. 15, so the path has no room for error for coach Brent Venables.
Missouri 19th, 6-2, 2-2
The Tigers are on a bye week. Missouri has two one-score losses against top-10 teams in Alabama and Vanderbilt, and the Week 11 matchup against Texas A&M will determine whether the Tigers can stay in the playoff race.
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