Film Room: Was Arch Manning Really That Bad Against Oklahoma?

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is arguably the most scrutinized college football player ever. The latest progeny of the Manning-family quarterback-dynasty and former No. 1 high school recruit in the country has been the subject of constant critique since he was at least 18 years old.

That criticism reached a new high this weekend after Manning, and the rest of the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, lost to an unranked Oklahoma Sooners team in the Red River Rivalry. Manning threw two interceptions against the Sooners, one of which was returned for a touchdown and the other of which handed Oklahoma the ball back with 39 seconds left in a tied ball-game.

The national media has not let him forget this, often lambasting his performance as the reason Texas lost, but was he really that bad? Here is what the tape says.

Where Arch Struggled

Manning's critics do have a point, as both of his interceptions were costly. However, Manning has not been overly turnover-prone this season, registering a turnover-worthy play on just 3.2% of his passes this season according to Pro Football Focus.

So, what happened?

The first interception came on this second-and-13 play early in the fourth quarter. Manning will read this passing concept right to left, meaning that his first read is the comeback route from Ryan Wingo at the top of the screen.

Wingo's defender does a good job of not opening his hips and stays on top of the route, which means Manning needs to move down to the hitch from Jermaine Bishop Jr., which is covered, and the drag from Emmett Mosley V, which is open.

However, by the time Manning gets to that read, there is pressure in his face, forcing him to attempt to step-up before eventually escaping the pocket.

As he rolls out he sees Cam Coleman separating from both of the defenders who were covering him and running into a vacuous hole in the secondary. He decides to throw the ball to Coleman on the run, which is a risky, but reasonable, decision.

However, he completely sails the throw into the waiting arms of Peyton Bowen, who runs the ball all the way to the house to give Oklahoma the lead. The ball seems to have slipped from his hands, turning a risky decision into a disastrous one.

The second interception was a different story.

Here, on second-and-10 with 24 seconds left in a tied ball-game, Texas is going to run a three-man dagger concept to the left and a comeback to the right. Oklahoma sets up with six men on the line of scrimmage and a seventh man in the box.

The Sooners have five potential blitzers over Texas' four potential blockers on the right side, meaning if defensive back Omarion Robinson, labeled '2,' blitzes, then Manning is 'hot' to the underneath hitch route from tight end Emaree Winston.

Robinson does, in fact, blitz, however the Sooners drop defensive Jake Kreul, No. 98, right into that window. That forces manning to look to Coleman's comeback on the backside with a free rusher pressuring him up the middle.

There is a very small window to complete the pass to Coleman, however Manning leaves the ball about five yards too far to the inside, giving Courtland Guillory the ability to make a great play on the ball. While one can see how Manning arrived at his decision to throw it, he would have been far better served taking the sack or chucking the ball out of bounds.

While both plays were a result of a bad throw or process, they were not holistically awful plays. Manning had other issues with not taking vertical shots in some situations, not targeting wide-open receivers in the middle of the field and leaving balls in inconvenient places for his receivers, however it was not all bad for the once-touted passer.

What The Media Is Not Talking About

Manning has been pointed to as the reason Texas lost due to those interceptions, however he was also the reason Texas scored any points at all against the stalwart Oklahoma defense.

He was statistically average if not good, putting up 260 passing yards and three touchdowns while completing 19 of his 31 passes, registering a PFF offensive grade of 67.4, which was actually higher than his marks against UTSA or Tennessee. On tape, he had some of the most impressive throws of his entire career.

Two of his three touchdown passes were masterful, coverage-bending deep-balls, as was his deep post-shot to Cam Coleman on the drive after the pick-six. His third touchdown pass, the one to Bishop, came two plays after that homerun and was a great display of patience and eye manipulation.

Manning also showed great improvisation and footwork throughout the game, but this game will still be remembered for his worst moments. If head coach Steve Sarkisian wants to change the narratives about Manning, himself and the Longhorns as a whole, he will need to find ways to maximize Manning's strengths and minimize his weaknesses.

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