Arch Manning gets a major vote of confidence from Steve Sarkisian after Texas’ steep drop in the rankings

The No. 7 Texas Longhorns saw their unblemished record and top billing slip away following a dramatic 27-24 loss in the final seconds of the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma.

While Texas firmly remains in the national championship discussion, their immediate path forward presents a grueling gauntlet, featuring three consecutive home games against formidable programs in Florida, No. 9 Ole Miss, and No. 16 Mississippi State, before heading on the road to battle No. 13 Missouri and No. 22 LSU.

For starting quarterback Arch Manning, the rivalry clash proved to be an up-and-down outing; he completed 19 of 31 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns, but also surrendered two costly interceptions, including a high-leverage pick-six that proved pivotal.

Steve Sarkisian Defends Arch Manning and Highlights Historic College Production

In the aftermath of the defeat, head coach Steve Sarkisian publicly defended his signal-caller, acknowledging the intense spotlight that inevitably accompanies the famous Manning surname. 

"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, we'd be praising the guy," Sarkisian remarked.

Indeed, comparing Manning's production over his first 15 career starts to former Longhorns greats like Quinn Ewers, Colt McCoy, and national champion Vince Young paints a compelling picture: only Young (13-2 record) holds more victories than Manning's 12 wins; Manning leads the group with 3,800 passing yards; and his 44 total touchdowns stand as the highest mark, comfortably outpacing McCoy's 36 total scores.

However, context remains vital, as this marks Arch's fourth year in the program after taking over as the full-time starter in his third season, whereas Young and McCoy assumed starting duties in their second years, and Ewers entered the lineup during his first.

Through five games this season, Manning has completed 63.0 percent of his passes for 1,122 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions, following a impressive 2025 campaign where he threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns against seven interceptions with a 61.4 percent completion rate across 13 games.

Additionally, Manning's strength of schedule has been notably demanding, compiling a 4-2 record against Top 10 opponents over the past two seasons, with both setbacks occurring during his first year as a starter.

Moving forward, Texas must put the Red River loss behind them, lock in on their remaining regular-season slate, and execute to secure one of the 12 College Football Playoff spots.