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Hook 'em Horns!

The University of Texas

Location: Austin, TX

Nickname: Longhorns

Type of School: Public Research University

Mascot: “Bevo XV” (Texas Longhorn steer)

Total student body: 53,864 (Fall 2024)

University Established: 1883

Football Stadium: Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium

Capacity: 100,119

Team Colors: Burnt Orange and White

Arch and Sark

I don’t understand why everyone is so down on Arch Manning after just 4 starts this year. He has a passer rating of 154.0 with 888 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in those 4 games. And before you haters all scream at me, “he did it against bad opponents!”, well, that can be said about all QBs at this point in the season. Remember, he doesn’t control the hype surrounding him.

I’ll grant you that he looked nervous and out of sorts against THE Ohio State U., but wouldn’t you be? He comes into that game, the Heisman Trophy front runner; he’s the face of the #1 Texas Longhorns AND of all of college football it seemed. He’s playing at “The Shoe” in Columbus, and he has the word “MANNING” on the back of his jersey! What part of all that should he be blamed for? Honestly? Good grief, people!

I get that he could have been more accurate throwing the ball that day, but he was NOT the reason Texas lost the game. I put that blame squarely on the shoulders of Steve Sarkesian and his coaching staff. For the entire game, I felt Ryan Day’s staff outcoached Texas. It felt like ”Sark” went in thinking it was his game to lose, while the Buckeyes came ready for a “dive bar fistfight” and Texas came ready to “send a strongly worded letter”. As poorly as people say that Arch played, He was 17/30 for 170yds., 1 TD, and 1 INT and his completion rate was 56.7%. Hardly ghastly! The final score was 14-7, but the haters want everyone to believe it was worse than that.

While I think he could still win the Heisman Trophy, it’s going to be extremely difficult for the Longhorns to get through their final 8 games (all SEC foes), the SEC Championship Game, and the CFP playoffs, undefeated.

 

I don’t consider myself a Manning family apologist, although I do have wonderful memories of my dad taking me to the Superdome to watch the Saints and Archie Manning when I was a kid. I don’t really have an opinion either way about Arch’s uncles, Peyton and Eli. I’ve never been a fan of the teams they played for in the NFL. I’m certainly not an Ole Miss fan and Tennessee has always been “meh” for me.

I did, however, find it funny that Arch’s mom was very upset at him for standing over, and jawing at that defender from Sam Houston State last Saturday. The thing that went through my mind was, he probably gets a ton of crap said to him by players everywhere that are jealous of him, and I enjoyed him sticking up for himself and not being apologetic for who he is and what he can do on a football field.

Postscript:

I think we are going to have to “re-calibrate” our expectations of Heisman hopeful quarterbacks as the landscape of college football continues to evolve. It seems as though the quarterback position is the only one that demands a great season and an undefeated record.

In August of this year, the SEC announced it will go to a 9-game conference schedule starting next year, putting the SEC in line with the Big 10 and the Big 12. The ACC adopted the change to 9 league games shortly after the SEC did. Tell me, who in the SEC will be able to get through all 9 of those games; undefeated?