Peyton Manning Reveals 'No-Brainer' Pick for Texas-Tennessee Amid Arch Manning Dilemma

Tennessee legend Peyton Manning faces a difficult dilemma as his nephew Arch Manning leads Texas against his Vols. Find out who Manning is cheering for in the Texas-Tennessee game.

Peyton Manning smiles at a fan on the sidelines before Tennessee vs. Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on September 13, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One of the questions on college football fans' minds is who exactly Peyton Manning is cheering for as Tennessee takes on Texas. Manning is a Tennessee legend who remains connected to the Vols program.

Yet, Manning faces a dilemma as his nephew, Arch Manning, is the quarterback at Texas. A June interview has resurfaced of Manning revealing his cheering plans for the Texas-Tennessee game.

Spoiler alert: Manning is about to make some Tennessee fans upset. Manning called his rooting interest a "no-brainer."

"One of the kids was asking me earlier who I was going to go for. I said, who do you think?" Manning noted in a June 26, interview with Locked on SEC's Chris Gordy. "And of course he said that he would go for his school over his relative. And I went, well, you and I are different. You and I are wired differently. Nothing is more important than your family.

"But obviously it's going to be a huge SEC game. ... I love my university, my alma mater, and pull for them unconditionally, but nothing is more important to me than my family," Manning continued.

"And when you have a nephew playing, I pull very hard for him every single Saturday. So, that's pretty much a no-brainer that you're pulling for your nephew to play well."

Here's a look at Manning's full comments about the Texas-Tennessee game.

I asked Peyton Manning about 9/26, when Texas travels to Knoxville to play Tennessee. Who will Peyton root for?

Manning says, “I love my university… but nothing’s more important to me than my family.” @LockedOnSEC pic.twitter.com/SkISiTkPfS

— Chris Gordy (@ChrisGordy) June 26, 2026

Peyton Manning Reveals He Is Rooting for Texas Over Tennessee

Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Peyton Manning looks on before the game between the Denver Broncos and New York Giants at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Vols fans need not panic about Manning's revelation. The Tennessee legend revealed that he plans to go back to being a dedicated Vols fan once Texas leaves Knoxville.

"But like I said, everybody knows pretty strongly where my loyalties lie on all other Saturdays at the University of Tennessee," Manning added.

All Eyes Are on Texas QB Arch Manning's Performance vs. Tennessee

Who Manning will be cheering for on Saturday is a fun discussion for fans, but it will have little impact on the actual game. The bigger question is how the Texas QB1 will perform in a hostile road environment.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian attempted to downplay the chatter about the Manning family.

"Honestly, I don't think he's gonna care too much about that," Sarkisian noted, per CBS Sports. "Don't take anything away from Peyton. I don't think he's thought much about how he's playing at Tennessee.

"I'm sure it'll be a cool moment for the family. I don't think Arch cares that much. I think he cares about playing really good for his teammates and being connected with his team."

It will be interesting to see the former NFL star's attire choice for the Texas-Tennessee game. Manning typically rocks the Vols' signature orange on gamedays, but the former quarterback may have to change this to burnt orange for the SEC showdown.

This feels like a reverse version of Megan Moroney's song "Tennessee Orange."