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Paul Finebaum Sounds Off on Arch Manning After Week 1 Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 1:00 PM ET

It was not the start to the Arch Manning era that the Texas Longhorns and their fans had envisioned. Manning struggled in the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes on the road, managing only one touchdown in a 14-7 loss.

Manning completed 17-of-30 passes for 170 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He received a QBR of 58 in the game. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," a caller expressed concern that he didn't find anything impressive in Manning's season debut. Finebaum agreed with him.

"I didn't either," Finebaum said. "Everyone can blame everyone else for this, but ultimately it comes down to two people: Arch Manning and Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian knows exactly what we are talking about here, and I just felt like he didn't give him any opportunities. There were some bad balls."

Arch Manning’s 2025 Debut Didn’t Live Up to the Hype

Even though he had made only two career starts, there was considerable excitement surrounding the 2025 season. Manning was favored to win the Heisman Trophy and was projected to be the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

All of this hype had analysts like Greg McElroy attempting to caution fans ahead of the debut this offseason.

“I love Arch Manning,” McElroy previously said. “I think that Arch Manning’s got a chance to be a great player. But until he goes out there and does it against Ohio State, I’m going to have questions because I saw what he did when he had to go in the game against Georgia. It did not go well for him.”

Why Analysts Expected Arch Manning to Struggle at Ohio State

Joel Klatt, a Fox Sports analyst, was on the call for the game. He advised fans to avoid overreacting because the outcome was expected.

“No, he didn’t play well,” Klatt previously said. “But that’s to be expected. Starting on the road for the first time is hard. Doing it against that Ohio State team in that environment, almost impossible. We talk about this all of the time on this program. You generally don’t beat top-five programs on the road if ever.”

Can Arch Manning Bounce Back in Week 2?

The question on everyone's mind is whether Manning will improve his performance in Week 2. Historically, he tends to play well against teams like his Week 2 opponent. In Week 2, the Longhorns will face the San Jose State Spartans, a team that is comparable to the three teams Manning encountered in the three games he took the most snaps against last year: the UTSA Roadrunners, the UL-Monroe Warhawks and the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

If Manning rebounds against San Jose State, the Week 1 disappointment will quickly be forgotten. But if the struggles continue, questions about whether he’s ready to carry Texas as a national title contender will only get louder, and Finebaum won’t be the only one saying there was nothing impressive about his debut.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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