Two weeks ago, the state of Texas had seven teams who controlled their own destiny to the conference championship game. Only Texas A&M and SMU won on Saturday.

Here's a recap of everything that happened in Week Eight of Texas College Football to prepare you for the Sunday dinner and Monday water cooler conversations.

1. No more Joe Moore Award for the Texas offensive line

A huge reason, literally and figuratively, for Texas competing in Year One in the SEC is how Steve Sarkisian and offensive line coach Kyle Flood revamped the trenches. The Longhorns allowed six sacks in the first six games. Tackles Kelvin Banks Jr. and Cam Williams had allowed one quarterback pressure combined entering the Georgia game, per ESPN's Jordan Reid. 

But the Bulldogs ate Texas's lunch on Saturday night, notching seven sacks and ten tackles for loss. Yes, the quarterback play between Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning wasn't superb, but as always, it starts up front.

2. North Texas's defense isn't ready to compete for an AAC Championship

The North Texas defense is better than last season's national worst. The Mean Green forced Memphis into five straight three-and-outs on Saturday night. Last week, they held FAU to three points in the last 20 minutes of regulation.

But the unit is not fixed to the point it can compete for a conference championship. Memphis running back Mario Anderson tied a program record with four rushing touchdowns in the 52-44 win over North Texas. The 52 points allowed was the most since head coach Eric Morris's first game against Cal.

The offense alone might get the team to nine wins. Chandler Morris has thrown for over 300 yards in six of seven starts, and wide receiver DT Sheffield has 248 yards and four touchdowns in the last two games. But North Texas can only run the table if it shores up the defense.

3. Sam Houston QB Hunter Watson's impact goes beyond the stat sheet

Watson was completing less than 60 percent of his passes and had a 7:5 TD-to-INT ratio heading into Wednesday night's game against Western Kentucky, but he'd piloted Sam Houston to a 5–1 record by leading the Bearkats in rushing yards and making clutch plays. He completed 6-of-9 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the first half before exiting the game with an injury.

In one half without Watson, Sam Houston's offense scored zero points (there were two missed field goals) and had two turnovers. This is not a knock on backup quarterback Jase Bauer. It's a tough ask to enter the game cold. But the Bearkats' offense loses some swagger, and quarterback run threat, without Watson.

4. Baylor's back on the wide zone

After a shocking 59-35 beatdown of Texas Tech, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda said the offense had installed the wide zone run scheme in the bye week, a signature of former offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. Bryson Washington ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns, just the second time since September 30, 2023, a Baylor running back had over 100 yards rushing. Washington and Baylor's backs took advantage of cutback lanes from Texas Tech's linebackers overpursuing. Aranda said Baylor will continue to run the wide zone going forward.

5. Baylor's handed Joey McGuire his two worst home losses

In two-plus years at Texas Tech, Joey McGuire is 15–2 at home against teams not named Baylor and 0–2 against Baylor. The Red Raiders have lost by a combined 104-52 margin in those two games.

Special teams and a porous defense did Texas Tech in. Baylor wide receiver Josh Cameron had a 73-yard punt return that set Baylor up on the one-yard-line. Then, a muffed kickoff return gifted Baylor a field goal. Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson had arguably his best game of the season, completing 21-of-32 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns.

6. UTSA is the most injured team in Texas

UTSA got a much-needed 38-24 win over FAU, but its injury list could be its own two-deep roster. To name a few of the biggest ones: wide receiver DJ Allen is out for the year with a torn ACL, wide receiver Devin McCuin didn't play, wide receiver De'Corian Clark caught his first pass in 200 days since rehabbing from a knee injury, then injured his other knee on the first tackle he sustained and is getting an MRI. Safety Ken Robinson went down on Saturday, and offensive lineman Makai Hart and Joe Evans are out for the year.

7. Texas A&M's linebackers are laying the wood

Two weeks into the season, Mike Elko said the run defense had been terrible. While that wasn't an indictment solely on the linebackers, that unit was certainly part of the 185 rushing yards per game the Aggies were allowing at the time.

But Elko had high praise for the linebackers after Saturday's 34-24 win over Mississippi State. Taurean York had a career-high 12 tackles, while Scooby Williams had two tackles for loss and an interception.

8. The Pony Express 2.0

SMU's 40-10 win over Stanford gave the Mustangs 12-straight conference wins, breaking the school record of 11 from 1981-1982. The Mustangs jumped out to a 21-0 lead behind Kevin Jennings's three first-quarter touchdown passes and cruised to the win, outgaining Stanford 501 to 206.

9. Savion Williams is TCU's best rushing option

Savion Williams entered the season as TCU's WR1. Halfway through the year, he might be the best running back, too. Williams rushed seven times for 72 yards as a wildcat quarterback, the biggest run being the 4th and 2 conversion from midfield that allowed the Horned Frogs to ice the 13-7 win over Utah. TCU has not had a 100-yard rusher all season.

10. Turnovers doom the Houston teams

Neither Rice nor Houston capitalized on surprise wins from the last game played. Rice played tough in a 24-10 loss to Tulane, but five turnovers made it impossible to beat an AAC contender. Houston threw four interceptions in a 42-14 loss to Kansas, and Jayhawk cornerback Cobee Bryant became the first player in program history since Bill Crank in 1958 to have three interceptions.