Arch Manning Takes Blame for Texas’ Gutting Loss Against Ohio State in Season-Opener

We beat ourselves a lot, and that starts with me. I have got to play better for us to win.

Arch Manning said

Manning had a great chance to level the score late in the fourth quarter. Multiple runs on the ground were followed by a 30-yard dime to Jack Endries. However, OSU forced Manning to throw an incompletion on fourth down to secure a much-deserved win.

It was the Longhorns’ first week-one defeat since 2018 (first day-one loss under Sarkisian’s reign) when they lost to Maryland.

Sarkisian defended his young quarterback, even though he completed below 57% of his pass attempts.

The expectations were out of control on the outside, but I’d say let’s finish the book before we judge it. This is one chapter, and we have a long season to play.

Sarkisian said via CJ Vogel

There’s truth in Sarkisian’s words. Before the fixture, veteran college football contributor Paul Finebaum branded Manning as “the best player we have seen from every aspect since Tim Tebow.”

Finebaum’s statement was met with severe backlash. The ferocity hit a new high after the Buckeyes shut Manning down to just a 71.8 quarterback rating.

Both Texas and Ohio State must make drastic improvements to stay in the hunt for a CFP spot

Ohio State did not fare better either. They struggled on offense in the same way as the Texans. Sophomore QB Julian Sayin threw for 126 yards and a touchdown as the Buckeyes’ offense had only 203 yards of total offense.

Sayin’s key moment was in the fourth quarter when he threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to WR Carnell Tate , extending the lead to 14 points, a score that held until the final whistle.

The Buckeyes are set to play FCS side Grambling State Tigers on day two. The Tigers are 1-0, but it will take a miracle to secure victory against the defending CFP champions.

Meanwhile, the Texas Longhorns play the San Jose State Spartans, who lost to the Central Michigan Chippewas in week one. Texas’ loss to the Buckeyes has thrown a question mark over Manning’s skills as a quarterback. However, the season has only begun. He will have plenty of chances to redeem himself.

Manning played second fiddle to Quinn Ewers during his first two years in Texas. He made 10 appearances (2 starts) in 2024, recording 61 completions for 939 yards (67.8% completion), 9 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He further added 108 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.