Texas turned down a golden opportunity that would have been a crucial benefit to QB Arch Manning during the next College Football Playoff

Texas is facing a tough challenge right out of the gate in the 2025 season, as they’re set to travel to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.

This game will be a rematch of the Cotton Bowl, which the Buckeyes won during their College Football Playoff run.

The matchup is scheduled to air on Fox, with “Big Noon Kickoff” as the featured broadcast. However, Ohio State had been working behind the scenes to have the game moved to a primetime slot. A marquee opening-week matchup between two of the top programs in the country arguably deserves more than a noon kickoff.

According to 247Sports, Texas pushed back against the idea of shifting the game to Sunday to accommodate a nighttime start. In doing so, the Longhorns may have done themselves a disservice in the long run.

Arch Manning could’ve greatly benefited from the primetime experience in Columbus

Starting the Manning era on the road in Columbus is a tall order. Manning has limited game experience, and his first start as the full-time starter will come against the reigning national champions. While Ohio State will likely enter the game as slight favorites, neither team has anything to lose—being the season opener, both still have everything to play for moving forward.

Texas turning down the primetime slot may have been more about not giving Ohio State a perceived advantage of a night crowd. Still, their highly touted quarterback could have used the big-stage experience for when the stakes are much higher later in the season. Texas will play plenty of night games in the SEC, but an out-of-conference primetime matchup would’ve simulated the feel of a College Football Playoff environment—an experience that could pay dividends down the line.

Manning has just 95 career passing attempts across two seasons and has appeared in 12 total games. His starts last year came early in the season against weaker opponents when Quinn Ewers was injured. Aside from some limited in-game action, Manning hasn’t faced a high-caliber college defense yet.

Whether this game is played during the day or at night likely won’t matter in the long run. Still, it’s hard to understand why Texas would pass on such a valuable developmental opportunity for their quarterback—especially when the outcome, win or lose, won’t define their season.