Arch Manning doesn’t have a surname problem. Let’s set that record straight.
Manning’s last name worked in his favor up to this point.
Being a member of a famous football family helped his career.
If the letters stitched across the back of his jersey said Matthews instead of Manning, he probably wouldn’t be starting at a school like Texas. Very little about Manning’s performance indicates he’s a top-tier SEC quarterback.
Steve Sarkisian tells it differently.
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In a feeble attempt at gaslighting that only the most devoted Manning acolyte would believe, the Texas coach said we’d all be lauding Manning and not critiquing him if his name was “Joe Smith.”
“I think if you took the name off the back of his jersey and you said, ‘Here’s Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas and here’s a guy who’s beaten four top-10 ranked teams in his last 13 starts,’ we’d be praising the guy,” Sarkisian told reporters two days after Texas blew a fourth-quarter lead in a loss to Oklahoma. “But, the expectations are high for him. He understands that. The expectations are high for all of us.”
Sorry, I don’t buy it. We wouldn’t be praising a Texas quarterback of any name after that Red River Rivalry meltdown.
Would Arch Manning be at Texas if not for last name?
If somebody named Joe Smith had thrown two game-altering interceptions in the fourth quarter of a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma, as Manning did, I would’ve thought something to the effect of, “Wow, ‘Joe Smith’ just threw two brutal picks that you absolutely cannot afford in those situations. He cost his team the game.”
Except, Joe Smith probably wouldn’t be playing quarterback for Texas. He’d be at Rice or Tulane or Texas State.
That’s the difference between being a Manning and being Joe Smith.
Or, if Joe Smith was the Texas quarterback, we’d ask about the backup situation and debate whether Sarkisian should bench “Joe Smith” after he repeatedly panicked in the face of pressure and gift-wrapped 10 points for the Sooners.
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I understand Sarkisian standing up for Manning and not throwing him under the bus in the face of some struggles. Let’s face it, Texas probably lacks a better quarterback option at this juncture of the season. Vince Young isn’t walking through that door. Neither is Joe Smith.
Manning’s backups are inexperienced, and they’re no slam dunk to improve the production of a slumping offense that No. 6 Texas poured so much money into building. Sark trying to build up Manning after Texas' collapse against the Sooners is Coaching 101. But, he can’t expect anyone to believe this nonsense that Manning’s last name turns would-be praise into criticism. In truth, interceptions turn praise into criticism.
Manning’s surname puts him under a higher degree of scrutiny than if his name was Joe Smith, but no matter the name on the back of the jersey, an SEC quarterback can’t throw the picks Manning did against Oklahoma.
Texas has problems throughout its offense. The quarterback’s last name isn’t one of them.
Steve Sarkisian must answer for Texas struggles, too
Manning’s record as a starter, which Sarkisian lauded, is partially attributable to the fine work Texas' defense continues to supply while the offense sputters.
To be fair to Manning, he’s not responsible for every issue bogging down Texas. The offensive line must protect him better, and the Texas ground game ran into a wall against Tennessee and Oklahoma. Sarkisian added a pair of ballyhooed transfer tailbacks, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, in the offseason. Neither has reached even 75 yards rushing in any game this season.
Texas had seven three-and-outs against Oklahoma, on top of Manning’s two interceptions. The Longhorns rank toward the bottom of the SEC in yards per play, and although Manning hit a couple of deep strikes against the Sooners, Texas still needs to generate more explosive plays, especially considering its inability to consistently sustain drives.
“Clearly, we’ve been just a little bit off (on offense), Sarkisian said. “I think we’re close. And that’s the encouraging part, and I think we can get there.”
The blame for the failures within the Texas offense extends to the head of the snake.
I’m talking about Sarkisian, not Manning.
Texas hired Sarkisian for the offensive savvy he showed as Alabama's offensive coordinator, but that's gone missing. He's on his way to becoming the first coach in college football history who failed to develop a Manning into something more than an average quarterback.
Sarkisian's play-calling remains under the microscope, but that narrative misses the bigger picture. It seems less that Sark’s plays or schemes are the big problem and more that inconsistent execution kneecaps this offense.
It falls on Sarkisian to solve the inconsistencies and to elevate the play of his quarterback.
And it wouldn’t matter whether the quarterback’s name is Manning, Matthews or Joe Smith, he can’t throw reckless passes into coverage like he did against Oklahoma.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Listen to his podcast, "College Football Unfiltered." Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas, Steve Sarkisian face problems. Arch Manning's last name isn't one of them