Arch Manning has made a habit of showing up when the lights get bright, and Texas is banking on that version of its quarterback again Saturday night.
The Longhorns head to Baton Rouge for a prime-time showdown with No. 21 LSU, and Manning brings a résumé that already stands out in the biggest settings. Since 2025, he is 8-2 against ranked opponents, including 4-0 this season, while completing 208 of 320 passes for 2,220 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.
That production has put him in rare company. According to Texas football sports information director John Bianco, no other FBS quarterback has more ranked wins over that span. Bianco also said Manning is tied with former Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, for the most wins over top-10 opponents since 2025 with five.
Now he gets another shot at adding to that total. No.
6 Texas, 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, will face LSU at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC in a game that could shape the Longhorns’ path forward.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian made it clear Thursday that he expects his quarterback to embrace the moment.
"Some guys play better the bigger the games... I think Arch definitely rises to the challenge that he’s faced with," Sarkisian said Thursday, via Inside Texas.
Manning, though, is trying to keep the focus elsewhere. A sold-out crowd in Baton Rouge will include plenty of LSU fans ready to needle the New Orleans native for not choosing the Tigers, but Manning said Monday that he’s not interested in making the night about anything personal.
"We’re trying to go 1-0 this week," Manning said Monday. "I really don’t have any legacy [at LSU].
I have no family who went to LSU. I’m from New Orleans, which is an hour from Baton Rouge.
So, there’s no real - there’s no connection. It’s not about me."
His family ties point in a different direction anyway. Archie Manning played for the New Orleans Saints from 1971-82 but starred at Ole Miss, while Eli Manning also played for Ole Miss and Peyton Manning built his own legacy at Tennessee.
Still, Manning’s claim that LSU has no connection to him doesn’t line up with comments he made earlier this year. Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com reported that at the Manning Passing Academy in June, Arch Manning said the LSU game was "going to be really cool.
Obviously, I grew up going to games there every year. It’s a great crowd, and we’re excited for the challenge."
However he frames it, the matchup carries major weight for Texas. The Longhorns need to win two of their next three games to stay in the College Football Playoff race, and sweeping the stretch would be the ideal outcome.
If Manning delivers another one of those big-game performances, Texas could be looking at its third CFP trip in four years.
In Other News...
Texas Hits Unexpected Travel Snag Right Before LSU Showdown
Texas ran into an unexpected hurdle on the way to Baton Rouge this week, with the Longhorns caught in a nationwide ground stop ordered by the FAA on Nov. 13. The disruption stemmed from air traffic control communications problems affecting facilities across the country, and it put a wrinkle into a normal game-week routine for a team preparing to face LSU.
For the Tigers, it is another reminder that a marquee matchup can be shaped by more than what happens between the lines. Several college football teams were affected by the same travel issue heading into weekend games, and it remains unclear how long the delays will last or whether they will have any impact on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Kelly Could Be Headed For Another Power 4 Chance
Brian Kelly is back in the coaching conversation after interviewing for Marylands head coaching job, a reminder that his name still carries weight in Power 4 circles even after his LSU run ended. Since leaving Baton Rouge, Kelly has shifted into an on-air role with CBS Sports, but his rsum and experience keep him in the mix whenever a major program opens up.
At LSU, Kelly never quite delivered the championship push the school expected when it hired him, and he has acknowledged as much in recent comments. He went 34-14 with the Tigers, a solid mark by most standards, but one that fell short of the national-title benchmark LSU had in mind, leaving his next move a notable storyline for a fan base that watched the fit unravel before the results ever matched the ambition. [Read more 🡒]
LSUs Biggest Texas Question Still Comes Down To Whit Weeks
Whit Weeks remains the name LSU fans will watch closest as the Tigers get ready for Texas, with the final injury report listing the linebacker as questionable but expected to dress and test his leg during warmups. That keeps the focus on one of LSUs most important defensive pieces heading into a matchup that already carries plenty of weight, while starting right tackle Weston Davis is probable and defensive lineman Gabe Reliford is off the report entirely, a sign he could be back in the mix as well.
The other side of the equation may be just as important, since Texas star edge Colin Simmons is not on the injury report after missing time with a high ankle sprain. For LSU, the question is less about the headline names on paper and more about how much Weeks can actually give them once warmups start, because his availability could shape how the Tigers handle a Longhorns front that appears to be getting healthier at the right time. [Read more 🡒]