There is Plenty of Reason To Be Confident About Arch Manning Going Forward

What started as a day of hope Saturday morning ended up being a day of uncertainty after the Texas Longhorns' season-opening matchup against the defending national champions Ohio State Buckeyes, in Columbus, the team coming up short in a low-scoring, 14-7 affair.

The Longhorns' defense came to play, their aggression on display throughout the game as advertised throughout the majority of the contest, with Liona Lefau and Michael Taaffe tying for the team lead with nine total tackles.

However, a more underwhelming aspect of the contest Saturday was quarterback Arch Manning, who was making his first collegiate road start as his full-time starting duties began, and finished the game completing 17 of 30 attempted passes with 170 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.

Arch: Yay or Nay?

To be fair, Manning did get thrown into the deep end for his first collegiate start, facing what many would say is the best defense in college football, and it was by far the toughest challenge that the Longhorns will likely face this year, aside from maybe the Georgia Bulldogs.

Arch Manning running the ball against Ohio State. — Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) rushes teh ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

And according to On3's Ari Wasserman, it isn't exactly time to hit the panic button either. He even believes that Texas fans should have hope for the remainder of the season.

"I understand people are tired of hearing about hype and this is the reaction, but Manning did absolutely nothing to perpetuate that hype leading into his first start," Wasserman wrote. "Nothing. Though I do think his game against Ohio State was highly unimpressive, he just didn’t look smooth, I think the notion that he isn’t going to be good is premature. We saw flashes in the 4th quarter of what’s coming. Every game Texas will play this year, maybe even against Georgia, is going to be easier than what it just faced. Remember, it's Week 1."

Texas' fourth quarter was dramatically better than its other three, considering that was the one where they actually came away with points after Manning's spectacular 32-yard pass to wide receiver Parker Livingstone, who made a miraculous catch in the end zone while still maintaining possession.

Unfortunately, by that time, it came with 3:28 left in the game, when it was already crunch time for the Longhorns, and the pressure resulted in a third down pass that Ryan Wingo was unable to reel in, and a fourth down where Longhorns tight end Jack Endries simply couldn't get to the line to gain, turning the ball over on downs and allowing Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin to kneel out the remainder of the clock and give the Buckeyes a 1-0 start to their championship defense.

But, like Wasserman said, it's only Week 1, still plenty of football to be played, and though Texas can likely say goodbye to their No. 1 ranking for now, they can begin vying to retake the spot as they look ahead to a much less stressful contest against the San Jose State Spartans back home at DKR this Saturday.