Arch Manning’s Challenges and Texas Longhorns’ Fall in Rankings

Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns have dropped from the top spot in the national polls, prompting head coach Steve Sarkisian to rush to the young quarterback’s defense amid heightened scrutiny.

Manning, who is the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, threw two critical interceptions during the fourth quarter of a 27-24 defeat to unranked Oklahoma last Saturday in the iconic Red River Rivalry.

“If you took the name off his jersey and said this is Joe Smith playing quarterback for Texas, and he’s beaten four top-10 ranked teams in his last 13 starts, I think we’d be praising him,” Sarkisian remarked on Monday. “The expectations for Arch are certainly elevated, and he gets that.”

“The expectations are high for all of us, so we gotta put our nose back to the grind and get to work,” he added.

This season, Manning has completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,122 yards, along with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions over five games. One of his interceptions against Oklahoma was returned for a touchdown, which allowed Oklahoma to take the lead, and the other set up the Sooners for the game-winning field goal.

“Each player is different, but I believe Arch is progressing well,” Sarkisian said further. “It’s tough for him to have two interceptions in that fourth quarter when, honestly, I felt he’d played quite well until then.”

“It’s frustrating because we need that level of consistency. We know he can perform in critical moments; we’ve seen him do it against teams like Ohio State and during the fourth-quarter drive against Tennessee. It’s about getting him back to that place—playing confidently and trusting his skills and those of his teammates.”

Georgia has officially taken over the No. 1 spot in this week’s AP Top 25, while Texas, now at 4-1, has slipped to No. 7 as they prepare for a game against Florida in Austin, followed by SEC matchups against Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, and LSU.

The loss to Oklahoma has narrowed Texas’ chances to qualify for the College Football Playoff for the third time in four years.

“I think I can always improve. I look at myself first,” Sarkisian acknowledged. “My role is to position our players for success. If we’re not performing well—facing three-and-outs or turning the ball over—I have to evaluate what we’re doing and how we’re preparing them.”

“Are they executing our plans? Are we asking them to do things that align with their strengths? It’s a mix of factors, and ultimately, that’s my responsibility, and I fully accept that.”