Will an 'edgy' Arch Manning save Texas' CFP hopes in SEC clash vs. Ole Miss?

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Will an 'edgy' Arch Manning save Texas' CFP hopes in SEC clash vs. Ole Miss?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Oct 22, 2026 3:09 PM ET

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is on edge heading into Saturday's home game against the Ole Miss Rebels (ABC, 7:30 p.m. ET). Why wouldn't he be?

Nothing has gone right for him lately. He's no longer in the Heisman race. Texas (4-2) is on the verge of being eliminated from College Football Playoff contention after dropping from No. 1 to No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25. And his backup, KJ Lacey, has reportedly been getting more first-team reps at this week's practice.

During his Thursday news conference, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said he's noticed his starting QB has been "edgy" this week. He doesn't think that's a negative.

Steve Sarkisian speaks on Arch Manning

"Somebody texted me today, 'We lost the Aw shucks kid, and we've created something else,'" Sarkisian said (h/t Bob Ballou of KEYE-TV in Austin). "I don't know if we lost him. We created this, you know. We did, all of us. [The media] included, me, the whole thing, everybody on ESPN, we've created this. And so, we'll see what comes out of it."

“He’s edgy right now and honestly I appreciate that about him. At some point he’s gotta fight back…”

Steve Sarkisian on Arch Manning in practice this week. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/1NPBSsjC1m
— Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) October 22, 2026

Sarkisian hopes it's not the QB who has hesitated to let it rip and made costly mistakes. In consecutive losses to the Oklahoma Sooners (27-24) and Florida Gators (27-24), Manning committed three fourth-quarter turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble). Those matchups may have been less competitive if the passer hadn't held the ball too long, an ongoing problem.

Per Pro Football Focus, Manning has been averaging 3.07 seconds to throw this season, the second-worst mark of his career. He averaged 3.24 seconds to throw against Oklahoma. That mark improved to 2.55 against Florida, but that's because he wasn't pushing the ball downfield, posting an average depth of target of 7.6 (below average). (aDOT is the number of yards a pass travels downfield from the line of scrimmage.)

Manning has certainly struggled, but he can't keep dwelling on it.

"At some point, he's gotta fight back," Sarkisian said. "And the best way for him to fight back is to go out there and play really good football with his teammates and enjoy playing football with his teammates. So, I'm looking forward to watching him compete Saturday night."

Texas needs the best version of Manning to show up against No. 7 Ole Miss (5-1). Perhaps it's the one with a chip on his shoulder. Heck, at this point, it may feel like a boulder on his shoulder.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: