Florida pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the weekend, defeating Texas 27-24 on Saturday in Austin.
It marked the Longhorns' second straight loss after losing by the same score to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry last week.
Texas entered the season with their eyes set on winning a national championship, and Arch Manning set on cementing his place as one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Midway through the season, the Longhorns might not even make the College Football Playoff, and Manning could lose his starting job.
Manning has taken much of the criticism for Texas' losing streak. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown against Florida, but was sacked five times and gave up a crucial fumble in the closing minutes. Last week against Oklahoma, he threw two fourth-quarter interceptions, one of which was a pick-six and the other arguably cost them the game.
On Monday, head coach Steve Sarkisian reaffirmed that Manning remains Texas' starter but made it clear he expects more from the quarterback.
"I think there’s no doubt about it. Arch can play better for us. He’s our starter. But I need to see a better version of Arch Manning," Sarkisian said.
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Texas is now 4-2 after opening the season with four straight wins against Texas State, Ohio State, UTSA, and Tennessee. That Buckeyes game was particularly impressive, with Manning leading the Longhorns late to edge out a narrow 24-23 victory.
But now, just one month later, the mood around the entire program has shifted dramatically. They've dropped to No. 19 in the latest AP Top 25 poll, and their offensive struggles are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Through six games, Manning has thrown for 1,295 yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions, completing 63.9% of his passes while posting just 102 rushing yards. He's shown flashes of what made him a preseason Heisman favorite, but has been far too inconsistent for Texas to truly be able to rely on him week in and week out.
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Sarkisian continues to publicly back Manning as the starter. But recent reports are that redshirt freshman quarterback KJ Lacey is expected to see more first-team reps this week, leaving the door open for a change if Manning can't turn things around.
Texas hosts No. 7 Ole Miss on Saturday, followed by another home game against Mississippi State next weekend. After that, they'll travel to Missouri and LSU. With two losses already this season, the Longhorns might need to win out to make the CFP.