Michael David Smith ,
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Texas entered the 2025 college football season as the No. 1 team in the country, and quarterback Arch Manning entered the season as the favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. That’s not the case anymore.
Manning turned in an ugly performance for most of the game, and although he made a couple of big throws late in the fourth quarter, it was too little, too late, as Texas lost 14-7 to Ohio State. Manning completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
The defense called by new Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, the former Detroit Lions head coach, kept Manning in check all day, although even when Manning had time to throw and open receivers, his passes were often off-target. Manning did make some plays with his legs and gain 38 rushing yards, but he also got stuffed on a crucial fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
It’s only one game, but Manning’s performance today raises questions about whether he’s really an elite pro prospect, or if he was overhyped because of his last name and the lineage of grandfather Archie Manning and uncles Peyton and Eli Manning. Archie Manning said before the season that he didn’t think Arch would enter the 2026 NFL draft, and on the basis of today’s game, Archie was perhaps even more correct than he knew: Arch doesn’t look ready to be in the NFL next year.
Ohio State is the defending national champion and may prove to be the best team in college football this year, too. Perhaps Manning just ran into a tough opponent in the season opener and will bounce back over the course of this season. But it was a poor showing for a big-name quarterback whose play didn’t live up to the name.
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