Longhorn Nation isn't getting a good return on its investment. No bang for its consumer bucks. No real success for its NIL dollar.
No excellence from much ballyhooed quarterback Arch Manning, who has been more name than game in his second season as the Longhorns' starter. And apparently no College Football Playoff for a second straight season under a head coach who's commanding a staggering $11 million salary.
As the reality of a potential lost season started to set in the aftermath of Saturday's 27-24 loss to another unranked team, Head coach Steve Sarkisian attempted to make sense of a team that went from the top ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll to the brink of CFP oblivion in eight short days. The No. 19 Horns (4-2, 1-2) hold the embarrassing distinction of being the first AP-ranked team since 2003 to lose consecutive games against unranked opponents after blowing double-digit leads in each game.
MORE CED: How the Horns gave another one away
Sarkisian says he's evaluating "everything" when it comes to a sedentary offense that managed to run 19 plays for 100 yards in the second half against Florida, with 62 of them coming on Manning's desperation fourth-down pass to Emmett Mosley V that set up a fourth quarter scoring toss to Cam Coleman.
"It's my job to figure out how to get us to play closer to, and then ultimately to, our potential," Sarkisian said.
Sarkisian's evals should start with the man in the mirror, though. To steal a couple of lines from MJ's classic ballad, I'm asking Sark to change his ways. And Sark, no message would be any clearer. If you want to make the Horns a better team, take a look at yourself and make a change.
It's time to relieve himself of his duties as play-caller and elevate either quarterbacks coach AJ Milwee or offensive line coach Kyle Flood to the position. He has become beyond grossly ineffective as Texas' play-caller over these first three SEC games and has to place the program over his own ego and become a full-time head coach.
UP NEXT
NO. 7 TEXAS VS. NO. 9 OLE MISS
When/where:
TV/radio:
Sure, he would still formulate the offensive game plan and be the final say on major game decisions, but given how things have played out here lately and the massive responsibilities that come with being the CEO and head coach of a football factory, it's past time to delegate.
Sign up for Ced's Corner
Sign up for Cedric Golden's newsletter for hot takes and expert analysis each Tuesday on Texas Longhorns football and beyond delivered straight to your inbox. It's called Ced's Corner, from the NSMA's 2025 Texas Sportswriter of the Year.
The old way doesn't work in today's game, not if you're looking for national championships. It's been 13 years since a head coach called the plays and held aloft the crystal ball in the same season. Jimbo Fisher led Florida State to a natty in 2013 behind Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, 10 seasons after he called the plays as Nick Saban's lead assistant at LSU, which captured the title in Saint Nick's fourth season in Baton Rouge.
MORE HORNS:
More recently, Ohio State's Ryan Day made the tough choice to relinquish play-calling duties in 2024 to assistant coach Chip Kelly. The Buckeyes broke through for a championship.
"I don't take it personally evaluating myself," Sarkisian said regarding potential changes. "I'm probably harder on myself than anybody and I'll evaluate this game the same way. I'm sure there's going to be situations where I'm going to be really hard on myself because we weren't good enough."
It's time to sit Arch Manning for a spell
And while he's evaluating, it's time for Sark to give backup quarterback KJ Lacey some time behind center. Manning has shown glimpses of greatness, but shoot, even a broken watch is right twice a day. Glimpses don't win championships. Consistent play behind center does.
The Longhorns' starting quarterback threw for just 173 yards and a touchdown against the nation's 131st-ranked pass defense behind a Swiss cheese offensive line that gave up five sacks. He missed several open receivers down the field because he often processes pass defenses with the speed of a dial-up connection. And of course the late fumble was a back breaker. This came one week after he threw two crippling fourth-quarter interceptions in the Oklahoma shocker.
No one is saying a change at quarterback would be permanent, but if the head coach is serious about these evaluations, he should start with himself and then Manning, who still makes freshman mistakes in his fourth year.
"Everyone's evaluated every week," Manning said. "That's how it is when you're at a school like this with elite players. So, everyone's got to get better."
Of the two major decisions he faces entering Saturday's Ole Miss game, neither is likely to happen. Sark will remain the play-caller and Manning will get the start. Of the second choice, it could be a matter of ego and reputation. Sarkisian, who aspires to be an NFL head coach one day, doesn't want to explain to an NFL owner why he couldn't develop a Manning to his fullest potential.
For fans of the kidnapping thriller "Taken," a Manning comes with a certain set of skills once you take him out of the box and it requires just a bit of seasoning and voila, you have a first-round pick. At least that's how it went down with Peyton and Eli.
That may not be the case with Arch and while he can't completely shoulder the entire blame for how this has gone down, his regression after 20 starts is telling and baffling at the same time.
Moving forward, this thing will either go north or south. Energy doesn't stand still in any form. It's always moving and in a football sense, a team is either getting better or getting worse.
Texas is a disaster and changes have to be made in a season that's likely already lost.
Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.
This article originally published at If Texas evaluations are coming, let's start with head coach Steve Sarkisian | Golden.