The first rendition of the Lone Star Showdown in Austin since 2010 is almost here. Both teams enter the game in very different situations regarding their postseason hopes, but their goals for this week are identical -- beat their arch rivals.

Both rosters are littered with high-end talent, making winning individual battles that much more crucial. Here are three key battles that will play a significant role in determining the outcome of this game.

When the Longhorns don't protect their quarterback, Arch Manning, their offense has faltered. We saw this a couple of weeks ago against Georgia when they scored only 10 points, and at the beginning of conference play, when they gave up six sacks to Florida en route to a loss that may end up costing them a playoff spot. 

Now, Texas' offensive line faces possibly its biggest test yet against an A&M pass rush that ranks second in the country in sacks with 39. Leading the Aggies up front is star edge-rusher Cashius Howell, with 11.5 sacks on the season (tied for second among players).

Howell will likely line up on Texas left tackle Trevor Goosby's side of the ball. Goosby has been the Longhorns' most reliable pass protector this season, and they need another great performance from him on Friday. 

If Texas can stifle A&M's pass rush, Manning will have time to pick apart a secondary that's shown plenty of cracks through 11 games.

The Longhorns' secondary is in free-fall at the moment, and they could not be lining up against A&M receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver at a worse time.

Concepcion and Craver are two speedy receivers who can take the top off a defense at any moment in time, giving Texas lots to think about before the contest.

Against Georgia, we saw Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski take a more conservative approach in the first half, giving opposing wideouts a significant cushion. That backfired as the Bulldogs were able to pick the Longhorns apart with shorter passes to move the ball. 

Texas cannot play press coverage on the Aggies' star WR duo all night, but it also can't afford to give them easy yards. Kwiatkowski and his secondary have to find a balance if they're going to slow down A&M's air attack.

It's been a wild ride for Manning this season. His early-season struggles had him facing tons of media scrutiny, including an article from The Athletic calling him a "flop."

However, Manning has rebounded emphatically as of late, seemingly putting those rookie jitters in the rearview mirror. Now comes the ultimate test for Manning -- the Lone Star Showdown on Friday night under the lights in a stand-alone contest. 

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko will be looking to rattle Manning with blitz packages, hidden coverages and odd pre-snap looks. To counter that, Manning has to identify blitzes, extend plays with his legs, keep his eyes down the field and make smart decisions with the football.

If he does that, he shows the country that there's another Manning ready to terrorize college football.

If he malfunctions under the Elko-driven pressure, it'd likely be another offensive meltdown for the Longhorns against a top-five opponent.