Paul Finebaum recently expressed uncertainty regarding Arch Manning’s performance after Texas lost during the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma last Saturday. The Longhorns surrendered their top national ranking following a 27-24 defeat at the Cotton Bowl. Despite an early lead, Texas fell short as the Sooners turned around a 10-point halftime deficit and intercepted Manning twice in the crucial fourth quarter.
Finebaum, who previously praised Manning as a possible future Heisman Trophy recipient, scrutinized the quarterback during a discussion on “The Matt Barrie Show.” Finebaum remarked, We showed arrogance in believing that Arch Manning could do anything. And he almost did, except he finally got in the way of himself. I was really troubled by how he had played up to this point. I came away thinking, ‘I don’t know what this guy is going to do.’ Because he is not the elite player that we all tried to make him out to be.
Despite the criticism, Manning executed notable plays during the SEC face-off, completing 19 of 31 passes for 260 yards with three touchdowns. However, as a junior, he has yet to rise to stardom like many anticipated, averaging 7.7 yards per pass attempt.
Finebaum voiced concerns about the lack of consistency from the 22-year-old quarterback to qualify him as a top-tier passer. He can be great in moments, as we saw near the end of the game when he threw that great play that set up the touchdown. But he can just be downright stupid in others,
Finebaum noted, highlighting the player’s mixed performance.
While Manning managed a 75-yard drive to bring the game level at 24-24 with 3:35 left on the clock, the Longhorns faced challenges with only 64 yards accumulated in four other fourth-quarter drives. His final interception in the closing moments allowed Tate Sandell to secure victory for Oklahoma with a 47-yard field goal as time ran out.
Manning and his team aim to recover from this setback when they face the Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon.