What Are Arch Manning's Expectations For Week 1 vs. Ohio State?

The Texas Longhorns will begin their quest for their first national championship in over twenty years against the Ohio State Buckeyes, the current holders of the trophy.

The matchup between the two teams will be stacked with talent at every position on the field, and the winner will be instantly propelled to being the favorites to win the national championship despite it being a week one affair.

No one will have greater expectations on their performance than Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, who will begin his first full season as the starter for Steve Sarkisian's team. What exactly is expected from the third-generation signal caller against the Buckeyes?

Arch Manning's Lofty Expectations

In an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Sarkisian was asked how much freedom Arch Manning would have at the line of scrimmage in the week one matchup against Ohio State. Before answering that question, though, the Texas head coach would speak on the Ohio State defense, saying:

"We are going against a really good defensive coordinator in Matt Patricia, which I don't think a whole lot of people are talking about. Here's a guy who has been an elite defensive coordinator at the NFL level and worked under Coach Belichick. He's been a head coach with the Detroit Lions, so you know, that poses its own challenges too."

Patricia is in his first year at Ohio State after 19 seasons in the NFL. He has won three Super Bowls, including two as a defensive coordinator. Sarkisian spoke on how they are trying to build their game plan against Matt Patricia's defense, saying:

"There's no tape of him [Matt Patricia] coaching in college football, so putting a plan together that we feel good about and also gives Arch some freedom to get us in and out of some things as looks present themselves in the game, since there are so many unknowns, is going to be critical."

For Manning, all eyes will be on him; many fans and analysts have already provided lofty expectations for the Longhorns' signal caller. While his pedigree feeds into the hype, Sarkisian believes he will deliver, saying:

"He's more than capable of doing that. That guy's been raised watching tape with Eli, Peyton, his dad, and his grandpa, so we're gonna feel good about that. He's got great composure, and he's been in some fires with us already. "

Sarkisian also says Manning will be able to call audibles at the line, including at key moments, showing his belief in his quarterback.

For Manning, even though the expectations seemingly continue to grow daily, so does the confidence level in the Longhorns' staff, and both are sure to reach their boiling point before that week one kickoff against Ohio State.