Texas Longhorns favored by 11.5 over Florida Gators despite back-to-back struggles in SEC football

College football brings us a full slate of action this week. There are plenty of Top-25 teams taking the field, and multiple are even facing each other. This is one of the best schedules that I’ve seen in the past couple of years.

However, I have one game that I’m focused on more than any other, as we have Florida going into Texas to take on the Longhorns.

The Florida Gators are 4-2 for the season, and 2-2 in SEC play. If you watched them a few weeks ago, you would’ve thought they were the best team in the country. They absolutely destroyed Ole Miss, dropping them 52-28. However, their big win may have set them up for a letdown.

Florida’s Jadan Baugh runs the ball on Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels (Photo by Dustin Markland/Getty Images)

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They headed to Missouri the next week, and they got killed, losing 45-17. Florida gave up six unanswered scores. They had one touchdown in the last few seconds of the game, but clearly it was meaningless.

You might’ve been able to say that the Gators were in a letdown spot after Ole Miss. However, that doesn’t explain how they were manhandled by the Gamecocks last week.

South Carolina went into the swamp and beat the Gators 38-19. LaNorris Sellers, the quarterback from South Carolina, threw for four touchdowns and ran for another score. The Gators threw two interceptions and lost another ball via fumble. Florida just seems to have their offense stall out. They allowed the Gamecocks to score three straight touchdowns in the second half.

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Texas was ranked #1 last week, and this week… not so much. They’ve fallen to #7 in the nation after losing last week to a vastly inferior Oklahoma team. Perhaps we all should’ve recognized this coming. The team faced Ohio State in Week 3, and they were getting crushed before some poor Buckeye play, and a good second half from the Longhorns gave them a one-point win. They dismissed UTSA fairly easily in Week 4.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning, left, scrambles out of the pocket against Mississippi State linebacker Derion Gullette, front right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Mississippi, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/James Pugh)

Coming off of a bye week, the Longhorns were able to narrowly escape Tennessee on the road. They won 20-17, but I could still give them credit for beating a ranked opponent on the road.

Last week, though, was inexcusable. They lost 27-24 to an unranked Oklahoma team. Most of the damage came in the third quarter as the Sooner scored 17 unanswered points. Texas tied it up in the fourth quarter, but the defense allowed the team to get into field goal range, and the Sooners won. This game was technically a home game for Oklahoma, but it was played in Texas.

At this point, you genuinely have to be concerned about something with Texas. Is Arch Manning really a great quarterback? Does the Texas defense have what they need, or is their head coach the main issue? I personally think the problem is their head coach. Manning needs to protect the ball better, and he had two interceptions against Oklahoma.

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Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks for a receiver against Arkansas during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman)

Still, I don’t want to get in the way of a mad Texas team. Florida looks awful over the past few games, and I just don’t believe they will keep up with the Longhorns. Give me Texas to cover the -11.5. It’s a big number, but Texas should look to make a statement tonight.

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