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...
Texas Escaped Ole Miss But A Bigger Arch Manning Concern Remains
Texas kept finding trouble early and resilience late, turning another shaky outing into a 34-27 win over Ole Miss after once again coughing up a double-digit lead. For the third straight game, the Longhorns watched an advantage slip away, only to answer in the fourth quarter with a touchdown drive that steadied things just enough to leave Austin with a victory.
Arch Manning did enough to keep Texas in front, throwing for 171 yards and scoring twice on the ground, including the go-ahead run. Even with the win, the broader concern lingers for Texas: the offense still has to prove it can sustain control for four quarters, and Ole Miss nearly forced the issue at the end before an interception in the end zone preserved the result. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Coach Is Still Explaining The Choices Texas Made Hurt
Ole Miss coach Pete Golding spent the aftermath of the Texas game doing what coaches often have to do after a close loss: explaining the calls that looked bold in the moment and costly in hindsight. A late 58-yard field goal attempt was his choice because he believed the game was still within reach, even with the risk attached, and the kick was blocked before Texas answered with a field goal of its own to widen the gap.
Golding also revisited an earlier fourth-down decision late in the second quarter, saying he regretted passing up a short field goal there instead of chasing the conversion. For Texas, those two moments helped shape a win that never really let Ole Miss off the hook, while Golding is left weighing whether the aggressive approach helped his team or handed the Longhorns extra breathing room. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Kept Its CFP Hopes Alive But Exposed A Bigger Problem
Texas kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive with a 34-27 win over Ole Miss, but the game also laid bare how much cleaning up remains. The Longhorns had to fight through turnovers, penalties and injuries to key players Cam Coleman and Trevor Goosby, then lean on a defense that picked off Trinidad Chambliss three times to survive a volatile night.
Raleek Brown gave Texas the kind of ground production it needed with 157 rushing yards, and Arch Manning helped steady things by accounting for both a passing touchdown and a rushing score. Even with the win in hand, the bigger picture lingers for Texas: this was the sort of performance that can keep a postseason path open while also reminding everyone how fragile it still looks. [Read more 🡒]