Arch Manning has found a little rhythm with ESPN’s Holly Rowe.
After Texas knocked off Ole Miss on Saturday night in a game that had the college football spotlight trained squarely on Austin, Manning ended his postgame interview with a line that was part compliment, part running joke. Standing with Rowe on the sideline, the Texas quarterback told her he wanted to see her around the Longhorns more often.
"You need to start doing our games more," Manning said. "We're 3-0 with you this year."
That number tracks. Texas has now beaten Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss in games handled by ABC’s top broadcast crew, with Rowe working the sideline and Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth.
Saturday’s moment also carried a little extra weight because of what happened earlier in the season. After Texas beat Ohio State, head coach Steve Sarkisian brushed Rowe off after the game, and Manning later said he laughed at an AI video of Sarkisian slapping Rowe. Both Sarkisian and Manning apologized, and the postgame exchange on Saturday suggested things are in a better place now.
The matchup itself drew the full attention of the college football world, and ABC sent its premier team to cover it. If Texas keeps stacking wins, the Longhorns should keep getting that setup for select games. And if they end up in the College Football Playoff, Fowler, Herbstreit and Rowe would be a familiar sight, since no crew works more playoff games than that trio.
In Other News...
Ole Miss Showed Fight At Texas But One Problem Just Got Bigger
Ole Miss left Austin with a loss, but not without evidence that the seasons bigger questions are still alive. After trailing 24-3 at halftime, the Rebels regrouped and turned a rough afternoon into a game that mattered deep into the second half, even if Texas eventually escaped with a 34-27 win. The first half was the problem area, with the offense stuck in neutral and quarterback Chambliss throwing an interception as the Rebels struggled to get anything going.
The second-half response was the encouraging part, because Ole Miss showed the kind of fight that can keep a season from slipping away after an early deficit. Still, the loss comes with real weight, especially with important games ahead that could shape the Rebels playoff position. The comeback effort bought some credibility, but it also left one lingering concern: the margin for error is getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Herbstreit Had The Perfect Reaction To Ole Miss Wild Finish
Ole Miss made one of the most dramatic pushes of Week 8 against Texas, storming back to tie the game before the Longhorns answered with a late touchdown to finish it off. The Rebels rally included a recovered onside kick that instantly became one of the nights biggest moments, and Kirk Herbstreit was right there to capture the chaos from his seat.
Herbstreit later shared a video of his reaction, making clear he was rooting for the spectacle more than for either sideline. It was the kind of candid, live-on-the-spot moment that college football fans love from him, and it came with Herbstreit set to be back on College GameDay in Bloomington for Minnesota-Indiana in Week 9. [Read more 🡒]
Paul Finebaum Just Reopened A Painful Ole Miss Quarterback Debate
Paul Finebaums latest pass through the SEC quarterback conversation landed right back in a familiar place for Ole Miss fans, because the Rebels are again attached to a debate about whether the position is settling games or tilting them the other way. His criticism centered on late-game mistakes across the league, including Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, whose three interceptions came in a tight matchup with Texas, the kind of performance that keeps an already sensitive conversation around Oxford from going away.
For Ole Miss, the sting is less about one analysts opinion than the reminder of how quickly a quarterbacks mistakes can define a game and shape the conversation afterward. Finebaum also pointed to late errors by Tennessees George MacIntyre in a loss to South Carolina, but the Rebels piece of the discussion is the one their fans will keep hearing, especially with Texas and Ole Miss already tied together by another frustrating finish. [Read more 🡒]