Texas HC Steve Sarkisian Could Have ‘Bullseye on His Back’ With Ole Miss Loss

Arch Manning’s slump has drawn most of the scrutiny in Austin, but one ESPN voice believes the heavier burden belongs to his coach.

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum said on “Get Up” that the Texas Longhorns’ home matchup with the Ole Miss Rebels matters more for head coach Steve Sarkisian than for his starting quarterback.

Finebaum expects the result to clarify Manning’s future. In his view, though, “this is an even bigger game for Sarkisian, because if Texas loses this game, Sarkisian is the one with the bullseye on his back.”

Only weeks ago, the Longhorns sat at No. 1 after beating Ohio State and Tennessee. Back-to-back losses to unranked Oklahoma and Florida followed.

Manning coughed up three turnovers in the fourth quarter of those defeats. Mike Greenberg, the show’s host, openly asked whether the QB might have to move on next season.

He has 11 touchdown passes, five interceptions, and one fumble this season while taking 17 sacks. His 215.8 passing yards per game don’t crack the SEC’s top 10.

The quarterback, Finebaum noted, has escape routes his coach may lack.

“Arch Manning can figure out what he wants to do,” Finebaum said. “He can go to another team in two seconds or he can go to the draft, but Sarkisian may not have any runway left, because that’s how quickly this fanbase will turn on him.”

Now in his sixth season, Sarkisian has 52 wins and two College Football Playoff semifinal trips. An SEC championship and a national title have eluded him.

Estimates place Texas’ roster cost above $40 million. Manning was the centerpiece expected to convert that spending into a title.

A defeat would hand Texas three regular-season losses for a second consecutive year and likely sink its playoff hopes. Urban Meyer, who previously led Florida and Ohio State, has called the game “a Rubicon” for Sarkisian.

For all his warnings, Finebaum still picked Texas to scrape out a win. No other “Get Up” analyst sided with the Longhorns.