Paul Finebaum braces for ridicule with bold Arch Manning prediction

Following an inconsistent outing in Texas' Week 1 loss on the road against currently No. 1 ranked Ohio State, Longhorn QB Arch Mannig bounced back with an impressive five-touchdown performance in a blowout win over San Jose State.

The Sharks pose a greater threat than teams like Grambling or Bethune Cookman who lost by nearly 70 points apiece to their power conference competition, but SJSU is still mincemeat for a program like Texas. Steve Sarkisian used the opportunity to boost Manning's confidence allowing his quarterback to sling 30 passes, 19 of which he completed for 295 yards and four touchdowns plus another on the ground, participating in every team TD on the day.

Manning certainly improved his stock after the world back-pedaled its opinion of him during the Ohio Sate game the week prior. For SEC Network host Paul Finebaum, the San Jose State game only re-confirmed his belief from the preseason that Manning is, in fact, a Heisman contender.

During a Sunday morning guest spot on SportsCenter, Finebaum was asked point blank whether Arch Manning still has the goods to wind up in New York City as a Heisman finalist in 2025 and answered positively.

“Okay, I’m in," Finebaum responded regarding Manning's Heisman hopes. "And I know the critics are going to ridicule me, but I don’t care anymore guys. I am staying with Arch Manning!"

Paul is makin' a stand and it's right next to Arch Manning, albeit about a foot shorter. But he made the case, explaining that Manning won't be flawless, but the season is long and Texas + their QB will likely remain a central focus of it.

"He has not been perfect, but the Heisman doesn’t get voted on until December," shared Finebaum. "So let’s quit all this, ‘He’s out of the Heisman race after a bad loss.’ He can come back. I think yesterday was exactly what he needed, and keep your eye on him. Remember that name, Arch Manning!”

Ha. Nobody who has even half an eyeball on college football will forget that name, nor will they be able to ignore it, regardless of how Arch Manning performs. For better or worse, he and the Texas Longhorns are right smack in the biggest spotlight in college football. But that's what that quarterback and program should want, right?

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