Holly Rowe and Arch Manning put the viral AI-video moment behind them after the Texas quarterback apologized on Tuesday for comments that drew backlash following the Longhorns’ win over Ohio State.
Texas’ 24-23 victory over then No. 1-ranked Ohio State came after the Longhorns put up 21 points in the fourth quarter, a comeback that made for a huge night in Austin. But the postgame conversation shifted quickly when Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian appeared to brush past Rowe during the sideline interview, shouting, “Texas fight!
Hook ’em!” instead of stopping to talk.
The moment got another jolt during Arch Manning’s weekly press conference on Monday, when he was asked about the interview. Manning said, “I saw a few AI edits but that’s about it,” and then added, “I saw an AI edit of Sark’s interview.
Of him slapping [reporter] Holly Rowe? Yeah, it’s hilarious.”
That comment helped push the fake video further into circulation, and Manning later addressed the fallout directly. On Tuesday, he apologized to Rowe in writing.
“I specifically want to apologize to Holly Rowe for what she has personally had to deal with because of my comments,” he wrote Tuesday. I have a ton of respect for her and appreciate her showing me grace in this moment. I need to do better and will be more thoughtful going forward.”
Rowe responded on X and accepted the apology.
“Thank you, Arch. I appreciate our conversation about this, which will remain private.
Apology accepted,” Rowe wrote on Tuesday. “We move forward with respect and kindness for one another.”
The AI clip was fake, but the exchange around it gave the story a life of its own. It also wasn’t the first time Sarkisian had moved past his interview duties.
At halftime, Rowe spoke with Ohio State coach Ryan Day, and when it was time for Sarkisian to speak with Laura Rutledge, he wasn’t there. Rutledge said he waited too long and had to get back to his team, and noted that he apologized before running off.
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The aftermath of Texas 24-23 comeback win over No. 1 Ohio State did not stay focused on the field for long. Steve Sarkisians postgame interview became a talking point after he cut off reporter Holly Rowe, and the moment quickly spilled into the kind of strange, over-the-top discourse that follows a marquee victory when the stakes are already sky high. The result itself mattered plenty, lifting Texas to No. 1 in the updated AP poll, but the tone around the celebration shifted almost immediately.
Arch Manning soon found himself dragged into the chatter after weighing in on an AI-generated video that falsely showed Sarkisian slapping Rowe. His reaction made clear he was not treating the situation with much gravity, even as the clip added another layer to an already messy postgame scene. For Texas, the football part of the night was the headline it wanted, but the strange side story around its coach and quarterback is the one still hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]
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The story took an even stranger turn when Arch Manning said he had seen AI-generated videos making it look as if Sarkisian slapped Rowe, a fabrication that quickly circulated online after his comments. It was a reminder of how fast a bizarre real-life clip can get distorted once the internet grabs hold, and how little room there is for nuance once a strange moment from a marquee Texas game becomes meme material. [Read more 🡒]
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