Austin still holds on dearly to the Quinn Ewers era, who, with his 33-10 record, led the roster to the 2023 Big 12 title. After he moved to the NFL, Arch Manning filled his shoes. The Manning mania took over the pre-season, bestowing him the No. 1 Heisman candidate, but with his present season trajectory, he pales in comparison. Manning and Texas are clearly not living up to expectations. It’s not just analysts questioning the so-called golden kid; even Ewers’ girlfriend has taken a biting dig at the Arch-led program.

Madelyne Barnes, a student at the Oklahoma Sooners, sent a message on her social media. On Gameday, she was clad in Oklahoma colors, sporting two batches on her outfit. “I miss Quinn Ewers,” read the badge, along with an Ewers photograph pasted on it. She had another badge pinned to her outfit, saying, “Beat Texas,” an obvious sentiment at Norman. In the next story, she posted a group photograph with her girl gang, captioning it with, “OU TX BOOMER SOONER,” indicating her strong support for her school. Until last year, when Ewers was still in Austin, she rooted for Texas as well.

Both programs have a storied Red River Rivalry; she was a constant supporter when Ewers played for Texas until last year. She would be at the stands cheering up her beau, supporting her school’s rival on the turf. They made their relationship public back in 2023, when she posted a series of snaps on Instagram. Last year, she even shared a photo with Quinn, captioning, “Lots of horns up this 2024!!”, a crystal clear message, describing Longhorns’ signature hand gesture. But Manning’s present career trajectory, and its impact on Texas, has left a bitter taste. After Quinn left for the pro league, and with Manning’s pre-season hype, which he has been unable to deliver till now, Barnes’s cryptic message is reverberating all across Austin.

Arch Manning was Quinn Ewers’ backup for the last two seasons. But the former star QB sustained a non-contact injury last year, and Manning tasted his first collegiate start. His first career win saw him chip in two touchdowns and two interceptions, with the college football community having a mixed reaction. But coming off as a No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class, Austin was beaming with pride. However, 2-3 seasons, with an upsetting loss against the Swamp. The fandom has been clutching their hand in frustration.

The preseason No. 1 Heisman contender has had a rocky start, with his hype train derailing after every matchup. San Jose saw the Manning mania, with a 55-0 Texas win, raising the hopes for the ‘Hook ’em’ fandom, who have been rallying behind the Manning legacy. Today, the Texas QB will face John Mateer in Dallas, Texas, with he whole of college football will be glued to their seats. If Manning could again make the most of this opportunity, making a turnabout for himself and for Texas.

Arch Manning’s criticism rooted in inconsistency or poor O-line?

“I get frustrated when it’s always attacking the kid,” David Pollack had started on his podcast. Arch Manning has been crushed with biting criticism since the season-opener against the Buckeyes. One of the main criticisms that has emerged over his 20025 season career is his inconsistencies over the past matchups. But in addition to that, his O-line might not be strong enough to buy him more time, to calculate those decisions and throws. “I don’t see a lot of greatness helping him out either around him,” Pollack continued.

A major chunk of veteran offensive members on the offense departed for the league, including Quinn Ewers. We are talking Kelvin Banks Jr., Cameron Williams, and Hayden Conner, with OT Malik Agbo transferring to West Virginia. Against Florida, whose defense is ranked at the bottom of the Power Four ladder in sacks and pressure percentage, Texas pressured QBs 60% of their drop-backs.

Moreover, Texas is ranked No. 9 in sacks allowed in the SEC, in addition to being No. 22 in tackles for loss. Certainly, it’s not just his inconsistencies factoring into major losses over the season. Steve Sarkisian could not haul in an elite offensive tackle for its O-line with all the money and resources poured into the program. Kirk Herbstreit believes that Arch is “trying to overcome a confidence issue and just issues with decision-making and confidence,” he said on the Nonstop podcast.