On August 30, college football fans across the country will be tuning in at noon (unfortunately) to witness Arch Manning take on OSU. All the clamour around his debut and the delay in taking up Texas’ QB1 job will take a step aside. Because one of the most celebrated figures in college football will be facing off against a National Championship-winning team. He will have some help from Quinn Ewers before the much-awaited faceoff happens.

Arch Madness will finally take over college football with the OSU matchup. The odds are different this time, compared to their last meetup at the AT&T Stadium. This time, Manning and the Longhorns will make the trip to Ohio to begin their season in what will be a rematch of their semifinal game in 2024. Manning, making an appearance at the SEC Media Days, had a confident smile while talking about his first game as a starting QB. And, he plans to take notes from his predecessor ahead of the high-stakes game.

“We’re opening with a champ, so it’s gonna be a fun one,” he told the press. “I learned a lot from Quinn. He was damn good on the road. So I’m gonna text him to some of his advice, and go for it. I’m definitely fired up. Ohio State’s a really good team. So, it’s gonna be a good challenge,” he added. He’s just all in for the fun and thrill of the game. But it will come with some learnings after last year’s loss. “I mean, anytime you lose a game, that helps. They have a new OC and a new DC, so it’s gonna be interesting,” And he’s also excited to meet the stars from the other side, who’ll line up against him on that field.

NCAA, College League, USA Football: CFP National Playoff First Round-Clemson at Texas Dec 21, 2024, Austin, Texas, USA Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning 16 prior to the game against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Austin Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20241221_mjr_su5_011

“[They’ve] got a bunch of the same players, Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Smith. So it’ll be a fun one,” Manning said. Jeremiah Smith, after his spellbinding freshman season, returns to wreak havoc on teams once again this year. He is the best receiver in college football at the moment, and Caleb Downs comes into the season as the best defender. Arch Manning could be the best quarterback in the sport after Tim Tebow, according to Paul Finebaum, but he will meet some worthy competition at Columbus. It won’t be an uncontested win for the elite quarterback.

Texas is aiming for the big prize this season, after two back-to-back derailments at the semifinals. Arch Manning already has a taste of what it means to play against a National Championship contender. Texas fell short to make it in that game, with the famed QB1 playing in a limited way. What fans thought to be a serious problem was just the heat of the game, Manning clarified.

Arch Manning addresses the rumors of getting a concussion in the OSU game

Texas might have suffered an embarrassing defeat against Ohio State had it not been for Arch Manning. After going without any points in the first quarter, Arch Manning helped reawaken the Longhorns towards the end of the second quarter. He pulled a quarterback keeper and gained 8 yards and a new set of downs. However, Ohio State’s defense also answered back strongly enough to have fans worried about Manning. After all, it was a defense helmed by the genius of Jim Knowles.

Steve Sarkisian stuck to using the QB on the short-yardage plays, instead of letting him take over. Many suspected that he suffered a concussion in that high-octane game. Now, he’s quashing all those worries. “No, no,” he said, denying having suffered a concussion. “They were hitting pretty hard, but yeah, no concussion,” Manning said. If the game got that intense without Arch Manning being the QB1, it’s only going to get more charged-up this year.

Should Ohio State fans be worried when the star of college football arrives in Columbus to have ‘fun’? Can Arch Manning prove to be better than his elite opponents, or will he meet his match? Being in the system behind Ewers for two years means Manning learnt a lot about being the starter for Texas. But some more tips from his predecessor’s notebook can always help him in some way in his biggest game.