Texas quarterback Arch Manning turned a viral social-media mess into a joke Monday, and he did it with a grin.
During a media availability, Manning was asked whether he had seen any of the AI-generated clips circulating after Texas’s historic win over No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday. The 22-year-old said he had, and he didn’t try to hide that he found one of them funny.
"I saw a few AI edits but that's about it," Manning said with a laugh. "I saw an AI edit of Sark's interview.
Of him slapping [reporter] Holly Rowe? Yeah, it's hilarious."
A chunk of the Texas press corps could be heard laughing along as Manning answered. Reporter Evan Vieth, who asked the question, later posted the video and called Manning’s response “gold.” By Tuesday morning, the clip had been viewed more than 20 million times after taking off Monday night.
The video Manning referenced came from a bizarre postgame scene on Saturday. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian bailed on the usual interview with Holly Rowe, shouting "Texas fight!
Hook 'em!" before running off.
Rowe looked visibly annoyed afterward.
That moment was twisted into an AI-generated video that showed Sarkisian turning back and slapping Rowe in the face while yelling at the camera. The clip spread quickly, and Manning’s comments only pushed it further into the spotlight.
AI edits like this have become a regular part of the internet in recent years, often used for jokes and, at times, misinformation.
Sarkisian had another awkward moment earlier in the game as well. At halftime, he also ran away from Laura Rutledge, saying they had made him wait too long.
Rutledge later said on the broadcast that he apologized to her at the time before leaving and blamed the situation on a technical issue after Ryan Day’s interview. ESPN then issued a public apology to Sarkisian through Rutledge to open the third quarter, taking responsibility for the technical problems.
All of it came against the backdrop of Texas’ wild comeback. The Longhorns were down 20-3 before rallying to beat Ohio State 24-23, the biggest comeback of the 21st century against an AP No. 1 team.
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