In Week 6, Steve Sarkisian’s squad stumbled again as they lost 29-21 against the Florida Gators. When Texas geared up, ranked No. 9 against the Gators, all eyes were on Arch Manning because, against Sam Houston in week 5, Manning actually showed some promise. He completed 18 of 22 passes for 309 yards and scored 3 TDs. But Florida completely dominated him. Manning took six sacks and threw two crucial interceptions. But the loss stung harder in the entire Austin when the AP rankings got out after week 6. With two losses so far, Texas is out of the AP Top 25.

Once the preseason No. 1 with sky-high expectations, they have dropped to 3-2 with no wins against Power 4 opponents. Texas now finds itself unranked for the first time since November 2022. Being unranked is a humbling moment, especially after just being preseason favorites. But you can just imagine how this raises critical questions about Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling duties and Arch Manning’s starting role. Many Longhorn supporters feel Sarkisian is too conservative, especially in crunch time.

The game legit led to fans who were usually patient early in the season now calling for his head in loud, unfiltered ways. “Just fire STEVE SARKISIAN MY GOSH,” a fan said. So, are we hearing hot-seat buzz for Steve Sarkisian now?

To put it in perspective, the Horns haven’t had a losing season since Sark’s first year in 2021, or since the rough Charlie Strong stretch. The Swamp indeed gave some harsh reality checks to the Longhorns. As for Arch Manning, despite gaining 263 yards and two touchdowns, his decision-making and accuracy have come under fire.

Plus, the offensive line that was rebuilt after losing four starters has failed to protect Manning or establish a running game. Even in a close loss to Ohio State (14-7), Texas never led, and now back-to-back defeats have shattered their aura of invincibility. And now the looming Red River Showdown against No. 5 Oklahoma is cranking up the pressure.

Fans double down on Texas’ AP poll slip

Did anyone really think CFB fans would let this AP poll news slide? Absolutely not. “We did not deserve to be ranked #1 with a new o-line,” a fan writes. “A largely untested QB and a new set of receivers. I have no issue being unranked, given the body of work thus far. I hope it’s a wake-up call…” The Longhorns lost four starters on the offensive line after last season, including key players like Andre Cojoe. This shaky line struggled to protect Arch Manning, who is still young and developing in his role as a full-time starter.

Through five weeks, Manning faced relentless pressure. He was legit sacked 6 times by the Gators. So yes, expectations for preseason No. 1 clashed with a roster that was clearly new. “Yet another example of how bad sports media is. Texas and Penn State were actually 1 and 2 preseason,” a fan added. Texas earned the preseason No. 1 spot largely on hype from last season’s strong finish and a loaded defense returning. And on top of that, the Manning surname did its part.

The media projected Texas and Penn State as the top teams based on talent and recruiting. But then the results? The Longhorns are carrying a 3-2 burden, being an SEC powerhouse, and then we have Penn State (also out of the poll), carrying two back-to-back losses in the past two weeks. A fan chimed in, “Lmao, weakest schedule in the SEC btw.” According to ESPN’s preseason Football Power Index and Sagarin Ratings, Texas’s SEC opponents had the lowest average difficulty rating in the conference this year.

While teams like Oklahoma face a brutal slate with top-tier opponents. Lastly, a fan added very honestly, “If Texas wants to be the program they hope to be, it starts with Steve Sarkisian giving up the play calling next year.”