On this Wednesday edition of SportsIQ with Larry Smith, the stakes are sky-high across college sports.

🏈 Texas Football at the Crossroads — Producer Tony sits down with Austin American-Statesman beat reporter David Eckert to preview No. 11 Texas’s elimination showdown with No. 5 Georgia. How has Arch Manning evolved under pressure, can the Longhorns’ line protect him against Kirby Smart’s defense, and what must Steve Sarkisian’s team do to stay alive in the playoff race? Eckert breaks down the keys — from trench play to turnovers — and the cultural turnaround inside the Texas locker room.

🏀 Duke Reloads, Not Rebuilds — Tony talks with Anna Snyder of the Fayetteville Observer about life after Cooper Flagg and the rise of Cam Boozer as Duke’s newest star. Snyder shares insight on Coach John Shire’s back-to-back No. 1 recruiting classes, Duke’s brutal non-conference gauntlet, and the defensive mindset that could make the Blue Devils Final Four contenders again.

📈 Headlines with Larry Smith —

• Dallas Mavericks fire GM Nico Harrison after a sluggish start.

• CFP Rankings: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Georgia hold the top five spots.

• MLB Managers of the Year announced.

• LSU fires Brian Kelly amid contract controversy.

• WNBA faces new competition from “Project B,” a Saudi-backed global women’s league offering multimillion-dollar deals.

💡 Moment of Awe — An Australian teen finds $3,500 at a gas station, returns it, and ends up inspiring $10,000 in GoFundMe donations plus a gift that funds brain-surgery expenses for a stranger.

🎧 Listen every weekday for beyond-the-buzz insight into the stories shaping sports.
SportsIQ with Larry Smith — Beyond the Buzzer, Inside the Game.