We’re still a long way from championship weekend, but there are some big games coming up in college football this weekend, none bigger in our state than the small annual gathering 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’ main assistant coach against OU?

Kyle Flood.

If the Texas offensive line lives up to its experience level, that means left tackle 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 win over Mississippi State.

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

The team’s most experienced roster will show up, and the Horns will come away with a 38-17 win and set up a mega-matchup against Georgia next week at home.

Will Arch Manning come into play?

Yes.

The Sooners will be around for a while, so Manning won’t be in action any longer, but I expect he’ll see a few series towards the end of the game. It’s not his story, but I’d like to see UT coach Steve Sarkisian install a Manning package and play him in the first half. Sark says he doesn’t change the offense when Manning is in there, but the Horns become much more dynamic with his ability to scramble and connect on vertical routes.

Ewers should still start, but Manning is a weapon that can still be used occasionally even if Quinn is healthy.

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

The NCAA’s vote to eliminate the national letter of intent program is just the latest move to make college athletes employees of the universities they represent. For 60 years, high schools celebrated their stars by signing national letters of intent, and for decades the hum of the fax machine on college campuses was celebrated everywhere. Now the current system is being replaced by a contractual financial assistance model.

More: Texas football: 20 years after 2004 shutdown, Horns have new Oklahoma problem to solve | Golden

On the bright side, this move opens the way for athletes to share in the revenue from these football factories, which I’m all for because the athletes are the ones who have made college football a billion-dollar enterprise, while coaches, athletic directors, and the television do networks and conferences brought in a lot of money.

Who needs a win more: Ole Miss or LSU?

It has to be LSU. The Tigers are playing 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 against Mississippi State said about Texas’ offensive line

At 4-1, the Bayou Bengals would be looking at another loss as a much more difficult schedule includes 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 ballclub 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 good signal-caller, but Dillon Gabriel is so comfortable in Dan Lanning’s offense.

The Buckeyes have the third-ranked defense in the country, but Gabriel has plenty of weapons. Sure, he threw a few uncharacteristic interceptions in the red zone last week in an otherwise easy win over Michigan State, but I expect him to clean that up. He’ll also use his legs smartly as the Ducks earn 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 will win Ohio State-Oregon?