Former SEC coaching legend and Manning-family rival questions whether Arch Manning is 'that good' to deserve Heisman odds
Almost 30 years after poking fun at Peyton Manning for never beating Florida, former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier is back to antagonizing the Manning family. This time, he put Texas quarterback Arch Manning in his sights. Manning has extremely high expectations entering his first season as the Longhorns' starter. Texas is a popular pick […]
Almost 30 years after poking fun at Peyton Manning for never beating Florida, former Gators head coach Steve Spurrier is back to antagonizing the Manning family. This time, he put Texas quarterback Arch Manning in his sights.
Manning has extremely high expectations entering his first season as the Longhorns' starter. Texas is a popular pick and betting favorite to win the National Championship, and Manning is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. This level of preseason buzz is justified, given what we've seen in limited samples and his pedigree, but it's high praise.
Spurrier, though, couldn't help but jab the junior.
"I think most people are picking Texas to win the SEC football," Spurrier said, via Another Dooley Noted Podcast. "They've got Arch Manning already winning the Heisman (Trophy), too. My question is, if he's that good, how come they let Quinn Ewers play all the time last year? He was a seventh-round pick."
"You'll have to ask coach [Sarkisian], 'How come you played that one instead of this one?'" Spurrier said. "Hopefully, he would say, 'Because we thought this one was better than that one.' Isn't that why you would play one guy instead of the other? Unless it was a discipline issue — and there was no discipline or anything. … If one guy's struggling, give the other guy a chance."
Spurrier, who is the winningest coach in Florida and South Carolina, toppled Peyton in college three times. Tennessee went 45-5 from 1995-98, with three of those losses against Florida. It cost Peyton Manning two National Championship opportunities and a Heisman Trophy.
We've only seen Manning play in 10 games and two starts, but he's been efficient and impressive. He's completed 66% of his passes for 969 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's added 115 yards and four scores on the ground.
Spurrier is a College Football Hall of Famer and National Championship winner. His tenure at Florida led to a brief and unsuccessful NFL stint, and he returned to South Carolina for a solid but unspectacular 11-year career.
