AUSTIN – Steve Sarkisian sounded as if he was feeling the pressure after his team’s nondescript win over huge underdog UTSA.
Because when he was asked if Colin Simmons practiced Monday after injuring his foot, the Texas head coach snapped, “There’s called an injury report in the SEC. So that’s enough of the injury questions.”
Uh, that was his first question about a Longhorn injury. Sounds like it could be serious.
Arch Manning wasn’t in any better a mood. He was miffed by his average performance Saturday as well as his off-the-field drama and apology to ESPN’s Holly Rowe over comments about a fake AI video.
When I asked him what famous Tennessee Volunteer Peyton Manning has told him about playing at Neyland Stadium, Arch said, “Not much.”
You didn’t visit Tennessee in recruiting, did you, Arch?
“No.”
Any particular reason?
“No, I just never visited.”
When you looked at the film from Saturday night, what did you notice that you can clean up?
“Lots to clean up. That’s what we’ve got practice for this week. Excited for the challenge.”
Do you think there’s a reason why Peyton hasn’t said much about the atmosphere?
“No.”
Why do you feel like y’all haven’t had more explosive plays on offense?
“Just got to be more explosive in the offense.”
Asked if playing on the road helps teams focus on football more, Arch said, “I think so. Just being kind of us against the world mentality.”
Lord knows Arch knows about being against the world. He was extremely guarded in his Monday comments and abruptly left at the end of the press conference, saying, “Appreciate y’all.”
Uh, yeah sure. But he’ll feel like he’s got the world against him when the Longhorns venture into 102,000-seat Neyland Stadium Saturday morning.
None of that really matters because we all know what the biggest issue is this week when Texas tangles with Tennessee. It’s who is the real UT? Yeah, the actual SEC game is fairly important, but both sides have been dedicated to determining the identity of the real UT.
“I think it’s gonna be a fun competition to find who the real UT is,” Texas defensive tackle Hero Kanu said. “Whether you take it as a joke or take it serious, we’re going to show up.”
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According to the SEC league office, we suppose it’s the Volunteers. Since Texas joined in July 2024, the SEC refers to Tennessee as UT in all statistics and late-to-the-party Texas as TEX. (Actually, the SEC is neutral because it gets its stats from the NCAA Livestats through Genius Sports. Yeah, some geniuses, all right.) Truth is, the University of Tennessee was founded much earlier than Texas like 90 years before even though it was known as Blount College. Of course, when Texas fired Rick Barnes and Tennessee hired him, the Volunteers met him at the Knoxville airport and told him, “Welcome to the real UT.”
In truth, the Longhorns’ passion might pale in comparison to the Volunteers because the fan base is like few others. Barnes still raves about the day the Tennessee football team played Illinois in last year’s Music City Bowl. Barnes’ hoop team drew 17,000 to a game against Gardner-Webb.
“This will be one game you will never forget,” Barnes told the Houston Chronicle. “The atmosphere at Neyland Stadium is unlike anything you’ll ever see. When we beat Alabama here (in 2024), it was deafening. The fan base is phenomenal. This place is as blueblood as any blueblood can be. And they never get tired of singing Rocky Top.”
USA Today named Tennessee’s anthem as the top fight song in the country a decade or so ago.
“Yeah, it’s a pretty good song,” center Connor Robertson admitted. “I mean, to be honest with you, I kind of like it.”
Truthfully, I got to say I love the checkerboard end zone, too, but rumor has it Texas is putting a chessboard in the DKR end zone.
Then there’s the colors. Burnt orange easily trumps the Volunteer’s bright, bold orange. It’s hard to argue against the Longhorn logo as one of the most iconic in sports.
So who is the real UT?
“I mean, you know, it’s kind of up in the air, for everybody,” Texas’ All-American left tackle Trevor Goosby said. “I just know for me, I’m more of a burnt orange fan than the Tennessee orange. I’m not saying I don’t like it. I just like burnt orange a little better.”
OK, that’s cool and all, but we figured we probably need to go to the scorecard to determine who has bragging rights and have tried to break down the competition.
So here’s a look:
Darrell Royal or Johnny Majors? Come on now. DKR and Emory Bellard did invent the wishbone. I think Majors and Phillip Fulmer invented the Citrus Bowl. You do know whom Steve Spurrier would pick among the two UTs. Just ask the Ol’ Ball Coach to spell University of Tennessee.
Tom Landry or Jerod Mayo? Uh, Mayo was 4-13 in one year as the New England Patriots head coach. Hmmmmm.
Bevo or Smokey? Uh, really? Just check out the video of Bevo vs. Uga.
Earl Campbell or Jamal Lewis? Pleeze. Earl was a man among boys.
LBJ or James K. Polk? As a former talk show co-host at KLBJ, I got to go with Lyndon Baines although Polk, the 11th president, earns street cred by overseing the annexation of Texas when it joined the Union in 1845. (I guess that was a good thing.)
Texas’ Roger Clemens or Tennessee’s Todd Helton? You want to tell the Rocket he’s No. 2 and get some chin music? I don’t.
Best national champion quarterback?
Vince Young or Tee Martin? Come on. Listen, I’ve learned my lesson. We’re not worthy, VY.
Scottie Scheffler or …. does Tennessee even have a golfer on the PGA Tour? OK, Jim Gallagher Jr. won five PGA Tour events in his career. Scheffler, I think, won five in August.
Astronauts, anyone?
Alan Bean of Apollo 12 with 1,672 hours in space or Butch Wilmore? You’re the fourth person to walk on the moon as Bean was, you throw down the mic.
Minister of Culture Matthew McConaughey or Minister of Defense Reggie White. Afraid you got us there, Vols.
Denton Cooley or any doctor in the Volunteer State? I mean, the man did the first heart transplant. That’s not a fair fight.
Michael Dell or Mark Dean, who created IBM’s first personal computer. Give it up for Dell, who founded his company in his garage.
Walter Cronkite or Paul Finebaum? Listen, I love the Mouth of the South dearly, but Cronkite’s the dean of television broadcasters, and that’s the way it is, Sept. 22, 2026.
Farrah Fawcett or Dolly Parton? The hair is a draw, and actually Dolly was only a honorary recipient of a Tennessee degree. But we loved both equally.
Arch Manning or Peyton Manning? We’ll side with Arch. Peyton’s funnier but he’s old.
Rick Barnes at Texas or Rick Barnes at Tennessee? Hey, Hickory took the Longhorns to a Final Four but has been only to the Elite Eight three times at Knoxville. Just saying.
Madison Booker or Candace Parker? We’ll plead the Fifth although both are elite.
Jody Conradt or Pat Summitt? Can we just say one is 1 and the other is 1A. Trying to be diplomatic here.
Craig Way or Mike Keith. This, too, is a draw because Way is in his 25th season as the voice of the Longhorns, and Keith’s in his second doing the Vols’ games. (Keith’s damn good, just like Way, to be honest.)
Kirk Bohls or ESPN’s Gene Wojciechowski. Yep, you win in a landslide, Woj. I am your humble servant.
But I’ll leave the final word to great frontiersman Davey Crockett, who lost his re-election bid to Congress in 1835 and angrily told his Tennessee constituents, “You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.”
Spoken like a true Volunteer.
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This article originally published at The real UT? Longhorns and Volunteers meet in a key SEC football game but there’s more at stake.
