The Arch Manning era did not start quite as planned for the Texas Longhorns as the team’s offense struggled against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Texas was held scoreless through the first three quarters as Manning struggled in his debut as the new Texas starting quarterback.
Manning faced criticism from fans and media members alike on social media. Few quarterbacks have been more anticipated than Manning, but the quarterback largely struggled in Week 1.
“Arch Manning looked awful in the first half,” The Athletic’s Tony Jones noted in an August 30, 2025, message on X. “We gotta stop anointing people who haven’t accomplished anything.
“I also thought his coaching staff didn’t do him any favors. They gave him an awful playbook. You can’t put a guy out there and then don’t show confidence in him.”
Here’s what you need to know about Manning’s debut as the Texas starting quarterback.
Texas QB Arch Manning Under Fire Amid Underwhelming Debut as Starter vs. Ohio State
To Manning’s credit, the star attempted to keep a low profile during his first two seasons as the Longhorns backup quarterback behind Quinn Ewers. Manning largely avoided interviews and NIL deals until this college football offseason. Yet, Manning has become more visible in recent months.
“Arch Manning has more commercials in this game that he has completions,” Fox Sports’ Mark Schlereth said on X during the Texas-Ohio State game.
College Football Fans Had Strong Reaction to Arch Manning’s Poor Performance in Texas vs. Ohio State Game
Fans also voiced their frustration on social media. Manning is not being helped by the massive hype the quarterback entered the season with, even if the Texas star had little to do with the media spotlight.
“Very underwhelming game in all aspects,” one person added. “The pace has been awful.”
“Can’t have this kinda hype and come out looking like Garrett Gilbert,” another reacted.
“Me liking all the Arch Manning memes,” said one person.
“Don’t ridicule Arch Manning for struggling in his 1st real start at the defending national champion, ridicule the media that handed him the Heisman & named him the 1st pick of the NFL Draft for clicks,” another added.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian Warned Arch Manning About Potential Backlash When QB Struggles
Manning and the Longhorns will have a bounce back opportunity in Week 2. Texas should have a bit more of an approachable matchup as the Longhorns host San Jose in Week 2. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has attempted to prepare Manning for the potential swing in public perception when the struggles come.
“I tell him all the time, ‘You’re not really a quarterback until they boo you,’” Sarkisian told Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger during an August 28, feature story titled, “The rise of Arch: Manning’s moment has arrived, and the setting couldn’t be more fitting.” “When 105,000 boo you, then you know you’ve arrived.”
Time will tell how Manning and the Texas offense responds to the poor showing at Ohio State. The one thing that appears abundantly clear is that the Longhorns offense cannot get much worse than the showing displayed in Week 1.
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