No college quarterback draws more heat right now than Texas’ Arch Manning, and that comes with the territory. He arrived as a five-star recruit carrying one of the most famous names in football, with two uncles and a grandfather who loom large in the sport’s family tree.
He also picked Texas, a program with real weight, right as the Longhorns were climbing out of a rough stretch and back toward national relevance. That choice didn’t create the attention around him, but it certainly hasn’t cooled it off either.
Through 19 starts, Manning has become a player people seem to view in extremes. To some, he looks like the next great quarterback prospect and a future No.
1 NFL Draft pick. To others, he’s already being stamped as a flop.
The numbers, though, tell a much steadier story. Manning has thrown for 4,611 yards, 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 62.6 percent of his passes. That production stacks up almost exactly with what Peyton Manning posted over his first 19 starts: 4,001 yards, 32 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 63.7 percent completion rate.
That comparison matters because Peyton Manning wasn’t just another quarterback in the family. He went on to become the No. 1 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and built a 17-year career that ended with two Super Bowl wins.
None of that means Arch Manning is Peyton Manning, or that he’s already on that level. But it does undercut the idea that his first 19 starts have been some kind of letdown. The criticism is louder than the evidence.
In Other News...
Texas Knows Exactly Why This Oklahoma Game Still Feels Dangerous
Texas heads into the Red River matchup as the higher-ranked team and, on paper, the one carrying more momentum. But this rivalry rarely cares much about rankings, and Oklahoma still brings enough resistance to make the game feel far from routine. The Sooners have been fighting through offensive issues, yet their defense remains sturdy enough to create problems if Texas lets the game turn choppy.
For the Longhorns, the concern is less about talent than about whether the matchup settles into the kind of tense, field-position battle that can erase the gap between records. The key players on both sides and the way each staff handles the strategic wrinkles will matter, because this game has a way of rewarding the team that stays cleaner and more composed. Even with Texas favored by the broader picture, this one still carries the usual rivalry volatility. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Fans Are Paying A Rivalry Price Oklahoma Cant Match
The run-up to the Red River Rivalry is already showing how much the stakes have shifted in Texas' favor. With the Longhorns undefeated and sitting at No. 1, demand on their side of the Cotton Bowl has pushed ticket prices well above what Oklahoma fans are seeing, a reflection of the teams very different seasons and the pull of a matchup that always brings a national audience.
For Texas supporters, the premium is part of the price of chasing a game that now feels even bigger than usual. The gap could still move as the date gets closer and both fan bases watch the teams week to week, but for now it underscores a simple reality: the Longhorns have created a market where being in the building comes at a steep cost. [Read more 🡒]
Sarkisian Faces Real Pressure As Texas Tries To Fix Costly Mistakes
Steve Sarkisian spent part of his pre-Red River Rivalry press conference talking about a problem Texas has not been able to fully shake: penalties. The Longhorns have been giving away too much field position with costly mistakes, and the issue has become a regular talking point as they prepare for Oklahoma. Sarkisian said the staff made reducing penalties a priority during the bye week, with an emphasis on cleaning up the little things that can decide tight games.
For Texas, the concern is not just the flags themselves but the timing and the yardage they erase. In a rivalry game like this, one drive-killing mistake can change the feel of the entire afternoon, which is why Sarkisians message has centered on sharper discipline and better execution. He sounded optimistic that the extra preparation would help, but the Longhorns still have to show they can carry that progress into a setting where every mistake gets magnified. [Read more 🡒]