Throughout this week, many Texas fans have been asking themselves what could have happened in last Saturday’s Alabama game if Quinn Ewers had not been injured, or what might have happened had the officiating not been questionable at best. 

Even though playing the “What if?” game is all too familiar for the most loyal Longhorn fans, Steve Sarkisian and his staff don’t have the time to dwell on anything in the past. 

“It just is what it is,” Sarkisian said to reporters on Monday after being asked about a particularly suspicious call from Saturday. 

Maybe Texas would have won if sophomore kicker Bert Auburn didn’t miss a field goal to end the first half. Maybe Texas would have won if sophomore wide receiver Xavier Worthy didn’t drop a pass. 

Regardless, last Saturday’s result doesn’t fall on the shoulders of any individual player. There are still ten games left on the regular season slate. The Alabama game is only one out of twelve total games in the regular season. 

While Texas’ performance against Alabama was not necessarily disappointing, the more concerning thing at this point is how Texas will proceed without Ewers for the next four to six weeks.

With Ewers being the starting quarterback, the offense was centered around him. He’s out for at least the next month with a sternoclavicular sprain after taking a hard hit last Saturday in the Alabama game. Ewers will, at the very least, be unavailable for the games against UTSA, Texas Tech and West Virginia. 

The current loss of Ewers is just something that Texas will have to fight through if it wants a chance at the Big 12 title game. There’s just no way around it. 

Even though Texas is almost a 12 point favorite over UTSA, Saturday’s game will not be an easy one. UTSA, led by Jeff Traylor, former Texas associate head coach, is one of the top Group of Five teams in the country. The Roadrunners even received votes from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee last season. 

UTSA has already been put to the test after going through overtime games in two consecutive weeks. Most of its starters are either seniors or redshirt seniors. Frank Harris, UTSA’s starting quarterback, is older than all of Texas’ quarterbacks. 

With UTSA on a rapid rise, Texas has to be ready to avoid an upset loss. Saturday’s game will show if Texas is able to bounce back from an unexpected situation. The best teams in the country are able to win despite the trouble that comes their way. If Texas wants to prove that it can win with anyone out on the field, then now’s the time.