They say it's not how you start, but how well you finish. Well, Texas quarterback Arch Manning tried to epitomize that quote in the fourth quarter of Saturday's season-opening face-off with Ohio State. Following a brutal beginning to his tenure as full-time starter, the much-discussed 21-year-old started to make headway against an imposing Buckeyes defense. His highlight, which will be overshadowed by a 14-7 Longhorns loss, came late in the game.
Manning, with some time to throw the football, launched a 32-yard touchdown pass to Parker Livingstone with less than three and half minutes remaining on the clock. This is what Texas football fans, and people all around the country, were waiting to see. The play demonstrated Manning's arm talent and gave everyone a peak into how he might handle significant adversity. Most importantly, it cut the deficit to one possession.
ARCH MANNING TO PARKING LIVINGSTONE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN@Texasfootball takes one back 🤘 pic.twitter.com/AqihAtErFO
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025
An impactful Longhorns defense, which more than did its job on Saturday afternoon, gave the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite an opportunity to tie the game in Columbus' Ohio Stadium. He threw behind an open Ryan Wingo on a critical third-and-5. A short fourth-down completion was not enough to move the chains, and the 2024-25 national champions celebrated a hard-earned victory in The Horseshoe.
No. 1 Texas goes down in a marquee matchup once again, continuing a troubling trend that has seen the program fall short in the College Football Playoff Semifinals in the last two years. Steve Sarkisian and company are supposed to complete the mission this season. Although there is talent aplenty on this roster, how Manning plays could determine if the Horns finally return to the summit.
Arch Manning showed some flashes despite struggling overall
The redshirt sophomore completed 17-of-30 passes for 170 yards and threw one touchdown and one interception each, doing his best to salvage an overall rough outing. Texas will have to wait months before possibly getting another crack at the champs — the Buckeyes are now responsible for the squad's last two losses — but there is reason to have optimism about the rest of the campaign.
After stumbling profusely in a difficult environment, Arch Manning found his rhythm and started to look more like the man that is tapped to be the future of the sport. He can build on his fourth-quarter TD and prepare himself for the next daunting challenge that awaits him and Texas football.
Fortunately, that should not be any time soon. The Longhorns face San Jose State next Saturday at noon.
