FIELD LEVEL MEDIA

No. 5 Texas looks to stay in the hunt for a spot in the league championship game and beyond when it returns from an open week to host short-handed Florida on Saturday (11 a.m., TV: ABC, Radio: The Team 92.1-FM) in Austin in a Southeastern Conference clash.

It’s the first time the programs have met on the gridiron since 1940. Texas has never lost to the Gators, forging a 2-0-1 record in three all-time meetings.

Texas was ranked fifth in the initial College Football Playoff ranking that was revealed Tuesday night. It’s Texas’ highest-ever spot in the initial CFP rankings.

Texas’ best ranking in the College Football Playoff was when it was No. 3 last season heading into the CFP semifinal against Washington. The Longhorns had been selected at No. 7 in the first five CFP rankings prior to climbing to third.

The Longhorns (7-1, 3-1 SEC) head back to the fight after a 27-24 win at then-No. 25 Vanderbilt on Oct. 26. Quinn Ewers passed for 288 yards and three scores in the win and the Texas defense held Vanderbilt to 269 total yards and forced three turnovers. Despite those efforts, Texas had to recover an onside kick late in the game to secure the victory.

Ewers leads the Longhorns in passing, amassing 1,389 yards and 14 TDs through the air despite missing almost three games with an abdominal strain. His six interceptions and occasional indecisiveness in the pocket have been problematic but Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he liked his signal-caller’s work over the past two weeks.

“Quinn had a good week,” Sarkisian said. “He looks fresh, he looks healthy. He’s really delivering the ball well. I like his base that he’s operating with. I thought he was really intentional with his feet with his base against Vanderbilt.”

The Gators (4-4, 2-3) travel to Austin after a 34-20 loss to No. 3 Georgia in Jacksonville, Florida, on Nov. 2 in what might have been Florida’s best defensive game of the year. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway left the game in the second quarter with a pulled hamstring; his replacement, Aidan Warner, completed just 7 of 22 passes for 66 yards and an interception.

Ja’Kobi Jackson led the Gators with 12 carries for 74 yards and a score. The offense struggled after Lagway went out and finished with just 228 total yards.

Florida, which has dropped two of its past three games, played against Georgia without its best players at four positions — quarterback Graham Mertz (torn ACL), cornerback Jason Marshall (shoulder), wideout Eugene Wilson III (knee) and running back Montrell Johnson (knee). The Gators lost cornerback Devin Moore, who intercepted a pass in the second quarter, to a knee injury.

“It’s next man up,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “I mean we proved that Saturday (against Georgia), and I think this presents an opportunity for some of these guys that haven’t maybe got to play as much as they would like. Ultimately, you’ve got to view it that way.”

Napier has not ruled out Lagway for the Texas game, but Warner — a transfer from Yale — is expected to start behind center. Texas is not sure who will be at quarterback for the Gators, prompting Sarkisian to say his team will prepare for Florida’s scheme rather than individual players.

“They’ve got a very intricate scheme, a lot of shifts, a lot of motions, a lot of formation adjustments that they tax you with,” Sarkisian explained.

No. 20 Colorado, Texas Tech

clash in key Big 12 game

No. 20 Colorado and host Texas Tech have their sights set on a trip to the Big 12 Championship when they square off Saturday (3 p.m., TV: FOX, Radio: The Team 92.1-FM) in Lubbock.

Colorado (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) is tied for second place with Iowa State, and Texas Tech (6-3, 4-2) is tied with four other teams with two Big 12 losses.

Texas Tech traveled to Ames, Iowa, last week as a 13-point underdog and handed Iowa State its first loss of the season. The Red Raiders beat the Cyclones 23-22 when Behren Morton led a 71-yard scoring drive that Tahj Brooks capped with a touchdown run with only 20 seconds remaining.

Morton has thrown for 2,300 yards and 19 touchdowns against five interceptions. His quarterback rating is 136.1. Brooks has 1,047 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Josh Kelly has 68 catches for 736 yards and five touchdowns.

Under coach Joey McGuire, Texas Tech has a 9-2 record in November and December.

“We face a daunting task playing a team coming off a huge upset,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders said. “I won’t call it an upset though, because I know Joey and know they felt like they would go in there and do what they did.”

In his third season leading the Texas Tech program, McGuire has lofty postseason expectations.

“We didn’t want to just get bowl eligible in November,” McGuire said. “It’s awesome that we did that. But, playing a game that keeps you in the mix is what we face on Saturday. If we take care of business Saturday, then we are still in the mix to try and get to Arlington and that’s the ultimate goal as far as pushing the program forward.”

The Buffaloes were on a bye last week. They beat Cincinnati 34-23 on Oct. 16 when Shedeur Sanders threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns and Travis Hunter had nine catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

Shedeur Sanders has thrown for 2,591 yards and completed over 73 percent of his passes. He has 21 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and has been sacked 25 times. His patience in the pocket has allowed playmakers Hunter, LaJohntay Wester and Jimmy Horn Jr. to rack up impressive receiving statistics. Two-way star Hunter has 60 catches for 757 yards and eight touchdowns; Wester has 501 yards and seven touchdowns; and Horn Jr. has 434 yards. Colorado has five players who average double-digit yards per catch.

“I believe we are facing two of the best college football players in the country,” McGuire said. “Travis Hunter is probably the leader in the Heisman Trophy race right now and is a generational player. You have to go a long way back to find a guy that can take over 100 snaps on Saturday and play at an elite level. Then, in my opinion Shedeur Sanders is the best quarterback in college football. If I was an NFL GM, he would be the first pick in the draft.”

Colorado has won its last two road games by 27 points each. Deion Sanders said the Buffaloes have been focused and embraced the challenge of playing on the road.