Maybe we expected too much. Scratch that, of course we expected too much.
With the last name Manning, how could we not?
What has become more and more evident week after week, however, is that Arch Manning will never be what so many wanted him to be, what Texas and his loyal fans expected of him, and what Steve Sarkisian, despite a mountain of evidence that says otherwise, still says he will ultimately become.
At least, not now and not in Texas. Instead, we continue to explore ways to manifest one’s growth and development – to truly avoid this current reality a little longer – we should accept what we already know.
It’s best for all parties if Manning’s tenure in Texas ends one way or another.
Of course, the Longhorns still have one more season to complete. It’s not Halloween yet and there is still plenty of meaningful football to be played. For Texas, which opened its season with a thrilling win over Ohio State, it now finds itself on a two-game losing streak.
First, it was Oklahoma. The Sooners shocked the Longhorns in Week 6, thanks in part to two Manning interceptions.
This week, it was Florida’s turn. Even though the Gators allowed a total of 83 points in their last two games and were playing with their backup quarterback on the road, Texas still couldn’t win.
With the Longhorns struggling to mount an offense, Manning still had one last effort to tie the game or even give his team the lead. On the second play of that drive, Manning fumbled the ball and the Gators recovered, sealing a 27-24 victory.
Just like that, game over.
For Texas, its playoff future is now very unclear. And with tough games still on the schedule and a potential third loss looming, it’s possible this result could be the one that dooms the Longhorn’s season.
For Manning, this performance could be even more meaningful. If he didn’t question his future with the upcoming program – and how could he not given the turmoil of the last few years – this could (and should) serve as a breaking point.
In many ways, we have made progress in this direction. In six games, Manning has scored just 11 touchdowns and thrown five interceptions. He eclipsed 300 passing yards once, and that came in Week 1 against overmatched Texas State.
After the loss to Oklahoma, the questions that dogged his college tenure grew louder. Despite what our eyes told us, his head coach did not give up publicly.
“I think if you took the name off the back of his jersey and said, ‘Here’s Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas and here’s a guy who has beaten four top-10 teams in his last 13 starts,’ we would praise that guy,” Sarkisian said earlier in the week. “But expectations are high for him, and he understands that.”
Sargsyan did nothing but defend his player, and he deserves credit for doing so. The reality of these comments, however, couldn’t be further from reality.
If “Joe Smith” was a starter in Texas, he would have already been benched.
It’s difficult to determine exactly where to start when it comes to Manning’s problems. His accuracy remains problematic, even if he never really seems comfortable in this position.
He rushes his reads, he comes out of the pocket when it’s not necessary and he rarely looks like he’s in rhythm. It would be one thing if he got his feet wet again, but that’s not the case. Manning has been on campus for four years now, and these issues are still painfully evident.
For Manning, it’s difficult to know where to go from here. After the season, he could join the NFL. Given what we’ve seen, he would likely be nothing more than a draft on a franchise desperate for quarterbacks.
The days of being a surefire top-five pick are quickly disappearing. And it seems unlikely that we will ever return to that point.
He could enter the transfer portal at the end of the season, which at this point seems like the most likely outcome. Maybe another coach and a new situation can unlock what Sargsyan couldn’t.
At the very least, even with mediocre results, teams would be happy to have the opportunity to try. It would be better for Manning; it would also make sense for Texas. This once promising football marriage has lost its luster. And it is no longer possible to save him now.
Perhaps the most pressing question is what to do at this time. Texas plays Ole Miss next Saturday, and the road won’t get any easier. It’s fair to wonder if Manning will start this game given the sudden despair this program finds itself in.
It is even more fair to ask whether he should do so.
Just days after feverishly defending his QB, Sarkisian’s tone changed dramatically following the latest loss.
“We’re not playing good attacking football at the moment,” he said. So everything will be evaluated.”
This feels like a while. Something has to give, and it looks like it might. Saturday was simply the tipping point.
What can’t happen is the same thing, not after what we just saw and everything we’ve seen over the last few years.
Not for Texas and certainly not for Manning.
Gn sports
