Arch Manning Might Have Played His Best Game Yet As A Texas Longhorn

It was easy to write off Manning; in his first year as the signal-caller for the Longhorns, he didn't fit the bill. He wasn't what he was promised to be before the season began. Except that he didn't manufacture those expectations; he wasn't touting himself as the best quarterback in the country; the media did. He entered with expectations to bring a national championship back to the Forty Acres, the first one in 20 years, as pre-season favorites to win it all.

Except, like Klatt says on his show, it's a rare exception for a quarterback with as few starting opportunities as Manning had to be as good as he tabbed to be. That's not the motive of the sport; it takes players a while to develop, to gain in-game experience under their belt, something that is evident as Manning improves with each passing week this season.

"What we have seen is that it has taken players time to become the player that they ultimately become in terms of a topline quarterback in college football," Klatt said on his podcast, "It can take time, and that's ok, but what we did see is a foundational building block for Arch in that he played his best game."

The Longhorns have the talent, especially on defense, where they dominated the Sooners. However, even around Manning, talent is pouring out from every position. For now, they don't need him to go out and win games on his own or be a hero; they need him to continue being effective, which he excelled at in the Red River Rivalry, completing 21 of 27 passes with no interceptions.

For Steve Sarkisian's team, the performance injected life and hope. For Manning, it instilled confidence and swagger. For Klatt, it instilled the belief that they could turn the tables on the season and enter the game against the Aggies with all their goals still in sight and in control of their own destiny. If the Longhorns can continue to get a better version of their young quarterback every week, they are right back in the mix, and everyone forgets the first half of the season.

The Longhorns will travel to Lexington to take on the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 18 at 6:00 p.m. CT