Rece Davis Urges SEC Powerhouse to Make Changes With Playoff Hopes on the Line

With consecutive regular-season losses for the first time since 2021, the ESPN analyst believes 'something has to change' with this SEC program.

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ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis believes Texas has reached a point where something must change offensively, and his warning arrives days before the Longhorns host No. 7 Ole Miss with their College Football Playoff hopes slipping.

“Something has to change for Texas,” Davis said Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Does that have to be the quarterback, per se? I don’t know, but they’re too talented.”

Rece Davis on Arch Manning

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Davis tied the problem directly to what Texas has spent to build this roster. “They’ve got too much invested in terms of the big-money question to perform offensively the way they’ve performed up to this point,” he said.

Texas entered 2026 with one of the most expensive rosters in college football, and quarterback Arch Manning came back for another season instead of entering the NFL draft.

“To see them jump out to a lead on Florida, then just fizzle, go flat and not do much, was jolting and startling,” Davis said. “I still believe Arch is really talented. I hope he can turn it loose and find it. That would be best for everybody involved.”

Davis listed better coaching, sharper play-calling and quicker throws from Manning as possible fixes, but he stopped short of saying Texas needs a new quarterback.

How did Texas lose to Florida?

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Texas led Florida 17-3 in the second quarter Saturday in Austin and lost 27-24, the same score as its loss to Oklahoma the week before. The Longhorns have now dropped consecutive regular-season games for the first time since Steve Sarkisian’s 5-7 debut season in 2021.

Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. Florida sacked him five times, and the last one, by linebacker Myles Graham, forced a fumble that defensive back Kanye Clark recovered at the Texas 39 with 1:58 left.

Two fourth-quarter scrambles also stalled the offense near midfield. Manning lost a yard on third-and-1, then lost three more on fourth-and-2 for a turnover on downs. Against Oklahoma, he threw two fourth-quarter interceptions that led to 10 points.

Greg McElroy pinned the Florida loss on the offensive line rather than the quarterback, while Paul Finebaum blamed Sarkisian’s play-calling.

Texas faces No. 7 Ole Miss

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Sarkisian kept Manning as the starter Monday, even after a report that backup KJ Lacey would take more first-team reps in practice. “He’s our starter, but I need to see a better version of Arch Manning,” Sarkisian said.

Manning, whose grandfather Archie and uncle Eli starred at Ole Miss, said this week he plans to play with less hesitation. “I’m gonna die on the hill of, I’m letting it rip,” he said.

Ole Miss (5-1) arrives under first-year coach Pete Golding with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, one of the top Heisman Trophy contenders. The Rebels also lost to Florida, falling 52-28 in Gainesville.

No. 19 Texas still owns a 24-23 win over Ohio State from September, its strongest playoff credential. Still, a third loss with five regular-season games left would leave the Longhorns little room for another slip.

“You don’t like to see anybody as gifted as he is struggle the way he has, or at least not play to the level of his capabilities,” Davis said. “It’s a big week coming up.”

Ole Miss vs. Texas kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on ABC, the programs’ first meeting since 2013.