Texas' Arch Manning warned to 'calm down' after loss to Ohio State

After a disastrous start to the game, Arch Manning went 8-of-15 passing for 132 yards in the fourth quarter of No. 1 Texas' 14-7 loss to No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday.

For the first three quarters, Manning managed to throw for just 38 yards and had an ugly interception as an unstable offensive line and a mostly Buckeyes crowd of 107,524 fans at Ohio Stadium got into his head.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic has advice for the redshirt sophomore. Brugler argued that Manning's performance against OSU suggests any talk of his jumping to the NFL in 2026 needs to be put on pause until he can "calm down" on his reads against good defenses.

"The most impressive aspect of Manning’s tape from his start against Mississippi State last season was his rhythm, but he looked rhythmless Saturday," Brugler noted. "Aside from a few throws late, everything looked uncomfortable. That isn’t uncommon for an inexperienced player in a tough environment, but even completing simple drag routes was a challenge.

"The overreactions will be loud and persistent this week. But Manning’s inconsistent touch and ball placement can be cleaned up once he starts to calm down his reads, which should come with added experience."

Brugler thinks Texas' favorable slate of games at home against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston will allow Manning to gain the experience he needs before a brutal SEC schedule.

On Saturday, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said he believed the hype surrounding Manning was "out of control" before Texas played Ohio State. The early loss will give Manning some perspective for the rest of the season. 

Manning has the benefit of seeing what a championship defense looks like. Now, he has an opportunity to use what he learned on Saturday to develop. If he plays better in September, as he should, Manning will feel calmer when Texas plays Florida on Oct. 4.