Steve Sarkisian bristles over Quinn Ewers-Arch Manning discussion as Longhorns head into College Football Playoffs
Sarkisian’s tone changed with Rich Eisen when questioned why he didn’t play Manning more vs. Georgia
Should the Longhorns start Quinn Ewers or use the mobile Arch Manning against Clemson in the College Football Playoffs?
Frankly, if you’re not inside the football building, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t really care what you think.
“I try not to consume myself with what y’all think,” Sarkisian said, referring to the media during an appearance Thursday on the Rich Eisen Show. “We focus on the task at hand, and that’s doing what’s in the best interest of the team to win ball games. If I read, if I kind of let the emotional roller coaster of what other people think, I'd be an emotional nightmare.
“In one aspect, I can read one article that says Quinn’s the greatest thing since whomever. And then the next article is, why don’t you play Arch and this and that. You go back and forth all the way around and listen to talk radio and watch every show and whomever else.
“Or, you can focus on the people in your building. Keep your head down. Make sure that you’re providing the right type of motivation and leadership for them so they can follow your lead. And I think our guys have done a great job of that.”
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Sarkisian said Texas (11-2) reached the CFP and was third in the final rankings. The Horns were seeded fifth in the 12-team bracket due to the Georgia Bulldogs winning the SEC championship game.
Still, national pundits have questioned why the Horns didn't use Manning more down the stretch.
“I feel really good about our opportunity to go out and compete for a national championship,” Sarkisian said, “so I’m really not one to kind of buy into the opinions of others, or the criticism of others, that I would never ask for advice from.”
In this same interview, Sarkisian admitted to monitoring Ewers’ workload during the season. The quarterback suffered an ankle injury in September due to a hip-drop tackle, thus opening the door for Manning to play about 2 1/2 games, including the SEC opener against Mississippi State.
Manning showed remarkable poise and running skill for a redshirt freshman. He scored on a 15-yard run against Texas A&M where Manning had to dive for the pylon. But in the SEC championship game, Sarkisian kept Manning mostly on the sideline, only using him for two plays the entire game.
For all this talk about Manning, it's worth noting that Ewers had the highest final grade of any UT offensive player against Georgia in the SEC championship game, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Longhorns had a lot of issues against the Dawgs in the overtime loss. Quarterback play wasn't one of them.
“Arch is a great player, and he’s a great teammate as well,” Sarkisian said. “So we’re fortunate to have both those guys in that room and utilize some of his strengths when those opportunities present.”
