The truth about Arch Manning and Texas

By Chris Marler

Gather around. It’s time we have an honest conversation about Texas.

No, not because they just lost to Ohio State. Because no one seemed to want to have this talk all offseason. 

I don’t know how this happened, especially so quickly. Texas became the darling of the SEC and the can-do-no-wrong program nationally, almost overnight. 

Is it the logo? Is it everyone’s favorite Rom-Com actor roaming the sidelines and looking cool as hell while he does it? Is it the awesomely unique color scheme? Is it that the quarterback is from football’s version of the Kennedys? 

Is it all the above? If so, I get it. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype and be a prisoner of the moment when everyone around you is doing the exact same thing. Remember that month of Linsanity in the NBA or Phillip Phillips winning American Idol? 

It’s not that Texas isn’t good or deserving of praise. It’s that they didn’t deserve that much praise coming into 2025. Neither did Arch Manning. 

I’ve watched the college football media become enamored with Texas for two years now. 

It’s been a fun story and I couldn’t be happier for Steve Sarkisian and his career redemption arc. But, someone needs to explain why we devoted months of our attention to praising a team and a quarterback with this many question marks.

This is still the same program that hasn’t won a title in 20 years. It’s the same team that went 0-2 against Georgia last season without having to travel to Athens in either game. It’s the same team that was gifted the easiest strength of schedule in the conference in their first year in the league. 

They may very well be a national championship caliber team. I would be shocked if they don’t make the college football playoff considering the schedule they play. However, there are some glaring cracks in the foundation. There are some obvious blemishes that NIL botox isn’t going to cover up. 

The media spent eight months patting this team on the back like they were the defending national champions, not the ones playing them. I was in Atlanta when the media voted Texas the overwhelming favorite to win the SEC this year despite being a few hundred yards away from the building they lost the SEC championship game in a year ago to a backup quarterback. 

Arch Manning may very well be a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but projecting that after seeing him torch UL-Monroe and Mississippi State is absurd. Now fast forward to this season where we just saw him play a team with an actual pulse and the preseason Heisman trophy favorite entered the fourth quarter against Ohio State 9-of-15 for just 38 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. 

Who could’ve seen that coming? Most any logical person that has watched this sport for more than a day. 

Perhaps the only thing weirder than overwhelming bias towards the team who hasn’t won anything in 20 years was the reaction people around the sport had to anyone questioning it in the slightest. Don’t believe me, ask Jordan Rodgers. 

Took A LOT of heat for being the ONE media personality to say the hype didn’t match the tape from last year and I thought he would struggle vs Ohio State.

He is. Not suprised.

But I also said he would have some bum plays, because he does have a solid foundation, a lot of… https://t.co/0rUbj3yZsp

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) August 30, 2025

You mean to tell me the kid making his first big start, on the road, against the defending national champions struggled? You mean the team that lost five first rounders and 23 NFL Draft Picks including seven off last year’s offense struggled? 

Crazy. 

Texas is a good team. It’s a great program, and they’re not going to go away anytime soon in the NIL era. But, Texas needs tough love. 

I’m just not sure anyone in the media is going to ever give it to them. 

By Chris Marler

TEXT GOES HERE