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How do we evaluate Texas QB Arch Manning?

There may never be a more complicated football story to tell than that of Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.

The young man was billed as a generational recruit who would reshape the college football world as we know it. We caught glimpses in his first two years, just enough to fuel the excitement.

However, Manning wasn’t given the typical first-time starter cushioned lead-up that allowed him and his offense to find their rhythm. Instead, he had to face a former elite NFL defensive coordinator in Matt Patricia of Ohio State in a primetime matchup on Saturday. That resulted in a mediocre performance of 170 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception, in which his team lost 14-7.

After just one bad game, Manning is suddenly a bust according to his haters. Our Tyler Forness analyzed Manning’s performance and challenged those projecting him to fail.

“It’s fair to be critical of Manning’s poor performance, but pump the brakes on what Manning can and will be. We don’t have nearly enough information to confirm any priors. Manning just finished his third start, and the flashes everyone wanted to see were still there…Whether you think Manning will be a savior for your favorite NFL team, you believe he’s massively overrated, or anywhere in between, don’t overreact to this performance.” —Tyler Forness

Forness makes an important statement: don’t overreact. We need to recognize this is simply the first step in a long journey for Manning. More importantly, he couldn’t have been given a more daunting first challenge.

Manning is not safe from criticism. There were definitely problems in that game, including poor reads and missed throws. Just as there were mistakes, there were flashes of Manning’s natural talent. Oftentimes in college football, first-time starters establish momentum and begin to play more freely midway through the season.

We must revisit this discussion at the end of the season instead of riding the highs and lows of the year. Just as we shouldn’t claim he’s a failure after his poor performances, we mustn’t freak out when he has a stellar game.

The Longhorns’ loss is sobering as they were expected to run college football in 2025. Our attention needs to be directed to the fact that Ohio State was ready to contend much sooner after winning a national championship than anyone anticipated.

The Buckeyes’ defense is fast, physical, and confusing for any quarterback to handle. A Big Ten championship is absolutely within range if they continue to play like they did against Texas.

This first matchup was a clash between two defensive heavyweights that will wreak havoc on their schedules. With eleven more games to go, both teams will evolve and improve.

Alabama’s 31-17 loss to Florida State reveals a key issue with the Tide

The offseason hype for Alabama in 2025 was bubbling, and it felt justified. Year one for Kalen Deboer was plagued by correctable mistakes that were labelled as growing pains. The missed tackles, blocks, and assignments, as well as the egregious penalties, were frustrating but forgivable. DeBoer was given the benefit of the doubt for replacing the greatest coach of all time.

However, the 2024 version of the Crimson Tide needed to be left in the past. Alabama couldn’t repeat the same mistakes that sunk them again in 2025. Our Rob Gregson highlighted the absurdity of the enormous step backward that the program took against a Florida State team they were a 13.5-point favorite against.

“Flashback to 2024. You have captains like Malachi Moore and other experienced players throwing tantrums or recording just completely brain-dead penalties. You saw an offense and defense that lacked the attention to detail and focus that were staples under Nick Saban…People inside of, around, and with close ties to the program said that all that was gone. That it was out of the Crimson Tide’s system. Yet Alabama recorded eight penalties for 70 yards, more than doubling the amount of flags that the Florida State Seminoles recorded.” —Rob Gregson

To be as direct as possible, the loss to Florida State was embarrassing. Gregson pointed out a key piece to this issue. The hype for Alabama this year stemmed from the narrative that the team appeared focused, disciplined, and prepared throughout fall camp. Apparently, none of that carried over against Florida State.

It’s a serious red flag for a coach to have failed to correct the fixable mistakes by the first game of the season. The team looked lifeless as they watched Florida State run past them, through them, and over them.

But nothing is more embarrassing than the opposing quarterback, Tommy Castellanos, directly calling out DeBoer for not being nearly as good a coach as the legendary Nick Saban. And Castellanos even doubled down on his belief that the Seminoles would rock the Tide on multiple occasions. Instead of countering the disrespect, they just sat there and took it.

The issues for Alabama aren’t talent-related. Often, new head coaches of top programs struggle to recruit at the level necessary to maintain success. Alabama is rolling in recruiting and has a roster stacked with future NFL talent.

Every issue for this Crimson Tide squad is a culture issue. If an entire offseason isn’t enough to get the current team to buy in, then its leader isn’t delivering a message that his team is willing to hear. The greatest modern disciplinarian in Saban managed many players on the current roster. Maybe it’s too much to expect a coach known more for his offensive creativity to match that energy.

Alabama needs to lock in quickly. Another 9-3 season with multiple losses caused by mental errors and a lack of effort will tank this program.

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