Did we create a monster? Arch Manning’s ‘aw shucks’ persona is gone before must-win Ole Miss game
Did everyone involved in the Arch Manning story create an edgier monster this week ahead of the Longhorns’ showdown against Ole Miss on Saturday night?
In the middle of a season that has warranted a lot of questions pertaining to this Texas offense, the story of offensive woes from this Steve Sarkisian-led football team has created more drama than one could have foreseen before the first game in September.
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Should it come as a surprise that Texas is currently feeling the pressure as it pertains to making the college football playoffs?
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Absolutely not. The expectations around Austin are to put themselves in a position that could lead to a postseason run.
The problem centers around the fact that this offense has not produced enough with Arch Manning up to this point that would keep them from losing to consecutive unranked opponents.
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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian speaks with Arch Manning #16 during the fourth quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 12, 2026. (Getty Images)
Outside of a fourth quarter comeback against Ohio State, there has not been a moment where we looked at this football team and thought that they were living up to expectations.
What are those realistic goals?
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Making it past the CFP quarterfinals and having a shot at competing for a national title with four other teams.
Those aren’t the goals from within the media, but more so centered around the fact that Steve Sarkisian made it abundantly clear that the semifinals were no longer good enough for this Texas football program.
Did we in the media create a monster in Arch Manning? Guess we’ll find out …
Now, during a very important week leading up to the Ole Miss game, with their shot at the CFP essentially on the line, the conversation has drastically shifted even further towards the Longhorns offense and quarterback Arch Manning.
Did we in the media, along with the coaches at Texas, turn this whole ordeal into a massive storyline around Manning?
Did we imply that Arch had taken on the persona of the family legacy that came before him?
I don’t know. But what I do know is that the Texas quarterback has looked pretty timid in the pocket for a majority of this season, though it obviously doesn’t fall on just Manning. This is a Sarkisian problem as well, for his interesting and inept play-calling through this point in the season.
Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns looks on during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 26, 2026. (Getty Images)
So, has the demeanor of Arch changed this week as the volume continues to get louder in Austin?
“I would use the word edgy, and I like it. He’s edgy right now,” Steve Sarkisian noted. “And I think that somebody texted me today that we lost the ‘Aw Shucks’ kid and we created something else. I don’t know if we lost him. We created this. We did. All of us. Y’all included. Me. The whole thing, right. Everybody on ESPN, we’ve created this. And so we’ll see what comes out of it.
“But he’s edgy right now. And honestly, I appreciate that about him. At some point, he’s gotta fight back. And the best way for him to fight back is going out and playing really good football with his teammates and enjoy playing football with his teammates. And so I’m looking forward to watching him compete Saturday night.”
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Quarterback Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns speaks at SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at Tampa Marriott Water Street on July 23, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (Getty Images)
Who knows how this outcome will play Saturday night in Austin.
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Will we get the quarterback who looks to play timid at times, or will we see Arch just “let it rip” as he proclaimed this week after the loss to Florida?
I think we all know which passer Texas fans want to see against Ole Miss.
That type of quarterback has essentially been buried deep within the body of Manning over the past two months. But we have all seen the fierce side of Arch before, dating back to last season on multiple occasions.
We have also seen it against Ohio State, with a quarterback that was playing with an aggression on the field that circumvents throughout this football team.
I guess we’re about to find out if we created a monster or not, even if that means Steve Sarkisian can use the outside noise to entice his quarterback into playing with more aggression.
