We’re still a long way from championship weekend, but there are some big college football games scheduled this weekend, none bigger in our state than that little annual meet in Dallas.

The polls have the Texas Longhorns as the best team in the country, and Oklahoma would love nothing more than to hand the Horns a third Red River Rivalry loss in their last four meetings.

Here are five questions that will be answered on Saturday:

Who is Texas’ top assistant coach against OU?

Kyle flood.

If Texas’ offensive line plays at its experience level, that means Kelvin Banks Jr., center Jake Majors and Co. will keep quarterback Quinn Ewers clean in his first game back and reduce the penalties that plagued UT in the sloppy game. victory over Mississippi State.

More: Is quarterback Michael Hawkins the next freshman star in the Texas-OU rivalry? | Golden

The team’s most experienced unit will emerge and the Horns will run away to a 38-17 victory, setting up a mega-matchup with Georgia at home next week.

Will Arch Manning come into the game?

Yes.

The Sooners will stick around for a while, so Manning won’t get extensive action, but I expect him to see some series toward the end of the game. It’s not his history, but I’d like to see UT coach Steve Sarkisian install a Manning package and play him in the first half. Sark says he won’t change the offense when Manning is there, but the Horns become much more dynamic because of his ability to scramble and connect on vertical routes.

Ewers should still start, but Manning is a weapon who can still be used at times even when Quinn is healthy.

How does the lack of a letter of intent affect recruitment?

The NCAA’s decision to eliminate the National Letter of Intent program is just the latest step in making college athletes employees of the universities they represent. For sixty years, high schools celebrated their stars by signing national letters of intent, and for decades that buzz of the fax machine was celebrated on college campuses everywhere. Now the current system is being replaced by a contractual model for financial support.

More: Football in Texas: 20 years after the ’04 shutout, Horns must solve a new problem in Oklahoma | Golden

On the plus side, this move opens the way for athletes to share in the revenue these football factories generate, which I am all for, because the athletes are the ones who have turned college football into a multi-billion dollar business, while coaches, athletic directors, TV networks and the conferences brought in the big money.

Who needs a win more: Ole Miss or LSU?

It has to be LSU. The Tigers play at home, and a win over the Rebels would partially make up for the season-opening loss to USC.

More: What DeAndre Moore Jr.’s TDs Mean vs. Mississippi State said about Texas’ offensive line

At 4-1, the Bayou Bengals would be against the wall with yet another loss due to a much tougher schedule with the remaining games against resurgent Texas A&M on the road, Alabama at home and giant-killer Vanderbilt at home.

The Rebels are a more disciplined ball club overall, but it won’t be easy. Give me Hotty Toddy, 34-27.

Why pick Oregon to beat Ohio State?

Because the Ducks have the best quarterback. Ohio State’s Will Howard is a great signal caller, but Dillon Gabriel is so comfortable in Dan Lanning’s offense.

The Buckeyes have the nation’s third-largest defensive line, but Gabriel has plenty of weapons. Sure, he threw a pair of uncharacteristic interceptions in the red zone last week in an otherwise easy win over Michigan State, but I expect him to clean that up. Plus, he’ll use his legs smartly as the Ducks pull off a 34-31 win in a classic.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: College football: Will Ole Miss beat LSU? Who wins Ohio State-Oregon