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The Texas Longhorns are well-positioned to win the Big 12 Championship and clinch a College Football Playoff berth but must do so without QB Quinn Ewers due to a Week 8 injury.

The Longhorns defeated Houston 31-24 on Saturday but lost Ewers in the process. The sophomore rushed late in the game and took a hard hit, forcing him to exit and return to the sidelines with a sling on his throwing arm.

An MRI showed Ewers has a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, according to ESPN. Luckily for Texas, Ewers is expected to suit up again before season’s end.

Texas Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff odds following Ewers’ injury

Ewers was having a phenomenal season, leading the Longhorns to a 6-1 record. The Heisman hopeful ranks third in the Big 12 in passing yards and touchdowns and has thrown only three interceptions.

In 2022, Ewers nearly took down Alabama before an injury sidelined him for the game, resulting in a one-point Crimson Tide victory. Quinn would miss the Longhorns’ next three games, and Texas went 2-1 with backup Hudson Card at the helm.

The 2023 squad is in much better hands thanks to its depth at QB. Former four-star recruit Maalik Murphy had offers from Alabama and Auburn, among other schools, but committed to Texas and will now be sprung into action. Murphy has completed four of his eight pass attempts this season for 47 yards.

The 6-foot-5, 238-pound true freshman threw for 2,973 yards and 22 touchdowns last season at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, California.

If Murphy goes down, next up is former five-start prospect Arch Manning. Manning is the nephew of legendary NFL QBs Peyton and Eli Manning and is the grandson of Archie Manning.

The Longhorns’ toughest games are behind them as Texas squares off with five unranked opponents to close the year. Texas welcomes BYU and Kansas State to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium before hitting the road vs. TCU and Iowa State and ends the seasons at home against Texas Tech.

Murphy has a stable of top-tier offensive weapons to lean on as he aims to keep the momentum rolling in Austin and secure a starting job in 2024 when Ewers enters the NFL Draft. Jonathon Brooks’ 825 rushing yards are the seventh-most in FBS, and Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and Ja’Tavion Sanders have combined for 1,233 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

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