The 5th-ranked Texas Longhorns look to put their best forward after last week’s loss to Georgia, as they return home Saturday to face No. 25 Vanderbilt. The game is scheduled to start at 4:15 p.m. ET (3:15 p.m. CT) with TV coverage on SEC Network and streaming on-demand.

#5 Texas Longhorns (6-1) at #25 Vanderbilt Commodores (5-2)

NCAA football matchup at a glance

When: Saturday, Oct. 26 at 4:15 p.m. ET

Where: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

TV channel: SEC Network

Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Texas was unseated from its No. 1 national ranking in that 30-15 setback to then-No. 5 Georgia, which was marked by tough defense and seven combined turnovers between the teams. The Longhorns fell flat in their most anticipated matchup of the season, and now they’re tasked with rebounding against a Vanderbilt team already with one big upset victory on its ledger over then-No. 1 Alabama. The Commodores are 5-2 on the year and they’ve won three straight, including that win over ‘Bama, to crack the national rankings.

Texas Longhorns vs. Vanderbilt Commodores: Know your live streaming options

The Longhorns and Commodores are set for a 4:15 p.m. ET start on SEC Network. Live streams are available from FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and SlingTV (low intro rate).

A tough road game against the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores kicks off for head coach Steve Sarkisian and No. 5 Texas football in a few hours Saturday afternoon.

This matchup against Vanderbilt is Texas's first ever true SEC road game. Despite the humbling 15-point loss to the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs at home last weekend, Sarkisian and the Longhorns are still one of the favorites in the SEC title game odds, as long as they handle business in the next few weeks in conference games. Texas needs to show balance and intensity on each side of the ball if it wants to take care of business this weekend against a good Vandy team on the road.

Texas Longhorns vs. Vanderbilt Commodores: Betting Odds & Prediction

The betting odds favor Sarkisian and the Longhorns to be the first P4 opponent to beat Vandy in regulation this season. Vandy has been a difficult place to play for ranked SEC teams. Head coach Clark Lea and the Commodores upset the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in Nashville a few weeks ago.

And Vandy also came within an overtime drive of upsetting the No. 7 Mizzou Tigers in Nashville in late September.

Here's a look at the final betting odds and game prediction for the Week 9 matchup between No. 5 Texas and No. 25 Vanderbilt at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, TN, on Oct. 26 at 3:15 p.m. CT.

Texas is a 17.5-point favorite against Vanderbilt a few hours before kickoff in Week 9. And the Longhorns are favored in the money line (-950) over the Commodores (+610), per FanDuel. The over/under is 51.5 points.

The betting line has moved a few points away from the Longhorns in the pregame spread since Texas opened up as a 20.5-point favorite.

If the Longhorns want to cover the spread against Vandy on the road, Sarkisian needs a stronger performance from quarterback Quinn Ewers and the offense. Texas must set the tone on the ground with a rushing attack that was shut down against Georgia last weekend.

Despite the spread favoring the Longhorns so heavily, and the ESPN matchup predictor giving Texas over a 90 percent chance of winning, I still think this game will be close most of the way against Vandy. The Commodores ability to methodically keep the chains moving down the field on offense with Diego Pavia at quarterback controls the clock effectively.

I think Texas can grab control of this game in the second half with its advantage in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and the defense holding tight after a few drives to adjust to the Vandy option attack.

Texas' QB Situation Under the Microscope

When Steve Sarkisian benched Quinn Ewers in favor of Arch Manning last Saturday against Georgia, he opened a Pandora's box. It doesn't matter that Sarkisian named Ewers the team's starter moving forward after the game concluded. It doesn't matter if the offense worked better with Ewers than Manning under center. Now, Ewers versus Manning -- arguably the most famous name in college football -- is going to be a conversation every week.

That starts Saturday in Nashville where Ewers will look to reestablish both his stranglehold over the QB1 job in Austin but also his draft stock. Ewers, who was the Heisman favorite on sports betting apps before suffering an injury against UTSA in Week 3, is just a combined 45-for-72 with three touchdowns against two interceptions since his return two games ago.

Vanderbilt Plays Everyone Close

An interesting wrinkle to track with Vanderbilt this season is they've played up and down to their competition depending on the week. Every game against FBS competition has come down to 10 points or fewer. This includes wins over Alabama, Virginia Tech and Kentucky -- plus an overtime loss to Missouri. It also includes a loss to Georgia State and a closer-than-they'd-like 10-point win over Ball State last week.

A Rare Matchup

Fun fact: Vanderbilt is the only SEC team Texas has played multiple times and don't have all-time winning record against. The Commodores are 8-3-1 against the Longhorns. This does, however, come with the caveat that these programs haven't met in 96 years.

This game comes down to how the Commodores manage the clock. If they can produce long drives and confuse Texas' speedy front seven with misdirection, this game will be close. If there are a couple of three-and-outs by Vanderbilt, it could get out of control quick as the Commodores' pass defense has struggled this year. But give me Vanderbilt to at least cover the betting line. They've stepped up in every big moment this season. Why would that stop Saturday? Pick: Vanderbilt +18.5