Quinn Ewers will always be the biggest question mark when it comes to Texas until he is in Austin. As the clock ticks closer to the Peach Bowl against Arizona State, all eyes are on Atlanta, and even more are on Quinn Ewers. The Longhorns, fresh off a morale-boosting win over Clemson, are riding high into the playoffs. Steve Sarkisian has one looming question that’s impossible to ignore: can Texas count on their QB1 to be at his best when it matters most? And with the chatter about his lingering ankle injury growing louder. There is uncertainty with Texas depending on how Ewers plays in a given game. So, which Quinn comes to Atlanta on New Year’s Day?

The debate hit a fever pitch during an episode of The Triple Option podcast, where Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram II, and Rob broke down the upcoming Peach Bowl matchup. The trio had a lot of say for both the #3 and his coach. “Quinn has been struggling with his health,” one of them noted. “Got to get that ankle healthy,” for the sake of Neyland.

And they’re not wrong—Quinn Ewers hasn’t quite looked like himself. But even when he’s not firing on all cylinders, Texas has found ways to win. “They’re still finding ways to dominate win games; they’re running the football,” they pointed out, praising the Longhorns’ ability to adapt and dominate even with their star quarterback being less than 100 percent. It’s the kind of resilience that makes Texas dangerous, but it also underscores just how critical Ewers’ health is for their championship aspirations.

It’s a fascinating contrast to head coach Steve Sarkisian’s confident remarks before the playoffs began. Asked why he believed Texas could win it all, Sark leaned heavily on two key pillars: “depth” and “versatility”. “Depth will matter once again as it gets more rugged, which it’s about to get real rugged,” the podcast agreed with the coach’s claim. And rugged it will be.

Texas has leaned on its depth all season, with players like Arch Manning waiting in the wings and running backs Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner proving they can carry the load when called upon. As for versatility, Sark seemed to define it in terms of adaptability, as the experts concluded. “The ways they could win the game… a physical battle running the football, throwing the football, defensive struggle.” That adaptability was on full display against the Tigers, where Texas leaned into its ground game and complemented it with surgical moments from Ewers when needed.

The potential NFL-bound Senior, for all the questions about his health, showed flashes of why he’s still one of the most talented quarterbacks in the country. In the first round of the playoffs, he turned it up in the second quarter, at the 9th minute on the clock, threading a perfect 20-yard pass to #2 Golden on first-and-10. In the same quarter, the 1:30 minute mark, for 2nd & 10, Quinn Ewers set up a disguised screen pass that unleashed Blue for a 44-yard gain, a play so smooth it had the announcers excited to scream, “Setting Blue loose”. By the end of the game, Sark’s gunslinger had completed 70.8% of his passes for 202 yards and a touchdown—a performance that was clinical, if not spectacular. It was enough to get the win, but the question remains: is it enough to carry Texas through the rugged road ahead?

For all of Sarkisian’s talk about depth, there’s no denying that Ewers is the linchpin of this team. The Longhorns have the tools to succeed—an offensive line that bulldozes defenders, a backfield that’s both dynamic and deep, and a defense that rotates fresh legs with ease. But when the margins get razor-thin in playoff football, it’s your quarterback who makes the difference. As the podcast noted, “Sark is right, they’ve got depth… but that ankle? It’s got to be ready.” Ewers doesn’t just manage games; at his best, he tilts them in Texas’ favor. And if his ankle isn’t fully healed, that razor-thin margin might suddenly feel a lot wider.

If Ewers is even slightly limited, the Longhorns will need to lean even harder on their supporting cast. It’s hard not to wonder if Sark’s confidence in Texas’ depth was more aspirational than actionable.

Quinn Ewers makes the FOX’s great. Take his biggest pause

Quinn-led Texas made the podcasters swallow the hard pill to pick against their favorite, Sun Devils Running Back, Cam Skattebo, who almost made it to the Heisman finale. “They’re just too much of a match for Arizona State/ I hope our boy Cam Skattebo has a big game but I just don’t think it’ll be enough to be able to keep up with Texas.” True that stopping him will be the key today. Yet, Quinn Ewers is the wild card for Texas, and Joel Klatt isn’t shy about saying it.

On his show Monday, Klatt broke down the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the rest of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, diving into what could make or break the Longhorns. Spoiler alert: it’s Ewers. “I think the biggest pause I have for Texas is actually Ewers – Quinn Ewers,” Klatt said, echoing a sentiment he’s held since the start of the season. Klatt didn’t sugarcoat it: “If he’s asked to go out there and be the reason Texas wins? I’ve got my questions about that. But if they handle their business everywhere else and he can just manage the game, execute Sark’s game plan? Then I’m fine with Ewers. Totally fine.”

It’s a fair point. At his best, Ewers can sling it with the top quarterbacks in college football. But consistency is the name of the game, and coach Sarks needs him to stay sharp if they’re going to keep the CFP dream alive. Needless to say, if Ewers can’t deliver when it matters most, Sark’s bold claims about depth and versatility might come back to haunt him.