Quinn Ewers is jeopardizing Texas’ SEC championship chances with his playmaking status

while Texas comfortably conquered Kentucky Last week, the Longhorns do not face the Wildcats again this week. They have a huge date at the in-state rival Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday night with a trip to Atlanta on the line. The winner of the rekindled Lone Star Showdown will face Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC championship game in Atlanta next weekend. Who could go?

ok ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Quinn Ewers is expected to start at quarterback for the Longhorns on Saturday night despite suffering an ankle injury in last week’s win over Kentucky. Ewers’ high ankle sprain hurt his mobility in Week 13 and thus the Longhorns’ rushing attack. He’s not the most mobile quarterback to begin with, which calls into question whether Arch Manning will even play…

For Texas A&M, this is a must-win as the Aggies have three losses on the season. For Texas, they are not out College Football Playoff picture entirely with a second loss a year. However, they wouldn’t have a quality win on their resume after losing their biggest games of the year to Georgia and Texas A&M. Right now, Texas is playing with fire with an injured Ewers.

While Texas should be able to get past the Aggies, you can’t put a price on a rivalry game like this.

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When healthy, Ewers is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. He has a NFL arm, throwing the football with great accuracy, timing and touch, with a bit of dizziness at first. However, his inability to stay healthy dampened his once promise NFL draft considerable stock. He could turn pro after this season, but all signs point to Manning taking over full-time in Austin next season. It is inevitable.

All things being equal, Texas is the more talented of the two teams playing Saturday night in College Station. However, this is at Kyle Field at night with so much at stake for both teams. Playoff bids are on the line in primetime. I’d say if Ewers looks limited against vaunted Texas A&M, Steve Sarkisian should have no problem pivoting to Manning to lead the Longhorns here.

Ultimately, Texas A&M will need to play an A game to beat Texas, while the Longhorns may only need to play a B-plus game to prove victorious over their little brother rival. Not all rivalries are created equal, especially ones that have been dormant for over a decade. I would expect both teams to be pumped for this game, but cooler heads will prevail. It serves Ewers, but he has to be healthy.

Since Texas isn’t exactly a playoff lock, the Longhorns must leave no stone unturned against Texas A&M.