After the Texas football team lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in what was a disappointing performance from quarterback Arch Manning, the sports world is questioning whether the hype around the star was exaggerated. As Manning had a rough showing for the Texas football team, analyst Paul Finebaum would speak if the panic button needs to be pushed on the sophomore.
Speaking on “SportsCenter” on ESPN, there was a ton of storyline in college football, like the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide losing to unranked Florida State, but Finebaum would highlight the Longhorns losing 14-7 to the Buckeyes. Finebaum would go as far as to say that Manning was “terrible” in the opener, as he threw for 170 yards with a touchdown and a pick, but it doesn't mean he'll be this way in the long term.
“He was underwhelming, he was sub-optimal, just fill in the blank here. Mostly, he was terrible,” Finebaum said, via On3 Sports. “And I think the biggest problem he had was the other side completely outmatched him, not only offensively, physically, but scheme-wise.”
“And I know a lot of people are hitting the panic button and saying that he will be a bust,” Finebaum continued. “He was a bust in his first game of this season, but I don’t think he will be long-term in the 12-team playoff (era). There is a lot of time to get better, and I believe he will.”
Texas football's Arch Manning is critical of his performance
With Manning and the Texas football team going through the ugly loss over Ohio State, there is no denying that many have been reactionary after the contest, already claiming that the star quarterback is a bust regarding his hype. However, as the signal-caller has limited starting experience and is facing the reigning national champions, expecting an explosive performance was probably not in the cards.
Still, it is no excuse, as even Manning would echo the same sentiments, being very critical of his performance on Saturday, according to Evan Vieth.
“Ultimately, not good enough,” Manning said postgame. “Obviously,y you don’t want to start the season 0-1. They’re a good team. I thought we beat ourselves a lot, and that starts with me. I’ve got to play better for us to win.”
Arch Manning on his first half performance pic.twitter.com/cv0XYYcCNU
— Evan Vieth (@EvanVieth) August 30, 2025
Finebaum would also criticize head coach Steve Sarkisian after the loss, saying that fans should be “concerned” after another team, especially on defense, has “outmatched him.”
“Texas is the story. There’s no getting around it,” Finebaum said. “[Steve Sarkisian], for all the praise that he has received as this new-age play caller, looked pretty bad. This is another big-time, elite defense that outmatched him, and that’s becoming more of a trend right now. And I think if you’re a Texas fan, you need to be concerned.”
At any rate, Manning and the Longhorns look to bounce back next Saturday against San Jose State.
