DALLAS — The Longhorns emerged from the locker room looking like a new team after halftime against No. 6 Oklahoma on Saturday, and it may be the best we’ve seen this Texas team all season.

Here are some immediate thoughts following the win:

– The Longhorns are back in the College Football Playoff conversation. How serious it is is not up for debate, but it is true. Texas controls its own destiny, and if it continues to play like this, then it could win out and earn a spot in the playoffs.

– Arch Manning had his best performance of the season. He played well and threw for 300 yards against Sam Houston State, the worst team in college football, but he did exactly what he needed to do and played a crucial role in the Longhorns’ win over the Sooners. He showed poise and maturity while performing under pressure.

– The offense line played way better than it did against Florida, but it still felt like the pocket was breaking down frequently. However, the run blocking was great and allowed for a highly efficient rush attack.

– The ground game looked like it should have for the first time this season. Running back Tre Wisner ran for 94 yards, while Manning ran for 34. The duo’s rush attack was lethal against the Sooners.

– It still felt like play-calling was a bit conservative at times, which led to some questions about head coach Steve Sarkisian’s capabilities as a play-caller again, but it was nothing major. The Longhorns did what they needed to do and converted on third down with efficiency, so it’s hard to complain at this point. We’ll see what happens in the future.

– Penalties finally seemed to get resolved. They weren’t terrible in the first half, but after three in the first half, it was really nice to see just a single penalty, especially with Texas acquiring 10+ in previous games.

– Defense was the star of the show. The defense proved that last week was just a bad game and that it’s still what we all thought it was: potentially the best defense in the country. It was an amazing performance all around.

– Freshman cornerback Graceson Littleton is a star. Two interceptions this season and plenty of impressive performances against high-caliber players. He may be the best defensive freshman in the country.