Ex-SEC QB Warns Steve Sarkisian of Arch Manning Concern as Trouble Looms Over Texas’ Major Weakness

What’s the hottest topic of discussion now that the 2025 college football season has wrapped its Week 1? The big 14-7 Texas Longhorns loss against Ohio State. Former South Carolina and Florida head coach Steve Spurrier, a former Heisman Trophy winner himself, said, “I don’t like their game plan.” Forget others. Sarkisian himself came with a blunt answer, “I was pretty frustrated coming out at the first half.” Looks like the Ohio State blunder is just the beginning. That’s when former SEC quarterback Aaron Murray chimed in to stir some more fear for Sarkisian’s squad. And this time, the Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning became the center of the conversation.  

The Georgia Bulldogs alum is gravely concerned about the Longhorns’ future. When it comes to Manning hype, Murray is not the only one who goes into reverse gear. Urban Meyer, too, tapped into Team Sarkisian’s Quarterback Doubters. However, Murray addresses an overall weakness that’s plaguing the Longhorns’ squad.

On the September 4th episode of The Players’ Lounge podcast,  Murray said, “If you can’t score, you can’t win. That offense doesn’t give me a lot of confidence that they can score points against Oklahoma, that they can score points against Georgia, they can score points against Florida.” Sarkisian’s offense had struggled to move the ball. And it officially put the game out of reach after the Longhorns failed to score on its ensuing drive when Manning’s fourth-down pass into the end zone fell incomplete. So, what’s Murray saying now?

According to the former SEC quarterback, even if Texas’ offense is strong, one can’t rely on it to win if the team can’t put points on the board. There’s no reason to believe they’ll suddenly score against Georgia, Oklahoma, or Florida, all of whom have elite or near-elite defenses. That’s when Knowshon Moreno chimed in to argue in Sarkisian’s defense, “But Murray, how many teams can put up 30 on Ohio State?” But Murray stood firm in his opinion. 

He highlights how the Ohio State defense is the standard for the Longhorns. After all, they face multiple defenses as strong as Ohio State’s this season. If Sarkisian’s offense can’t score against elite opponents, and when it comes to losses, this is just the beginning. He predicts Georgia will beat them, and more losses are likely.

“But like at the same play defenses that are equivalent to Ohio State. Georgia is on the same level as Ohio State. Oklahoma on the same level as Ohio State. Florida pretty damn good defense, A&M gonna be a good defense. Maybe not as good, but still a good defense…they only need to lose two more games and I’m gonna say right now Georgia is going to beat them. So really, it’s just one more game they got to lose,” came the warning. And with this, whose seat has just become hotter?

Arch Manning lands in a sticky spot

Manning fell prey to Ryan Day’s clever decision. The Buckeyes hired Matt Patricia, and it paid off. The coach has been the game changer as he carries a strong resume after having served under Bill Belichick in the New England Patriots. But his USP is something else. As Meyer noted, “So you think his expertise on both sides of the ball, I cannot think of a worse scenario for a young quarterback.”

That’s right. Matt Patricia is well-versed in both sides of the ball. He can craft defensive schemes that throw Sarkisian’s quarterback off his rhythm. That’s exactly what happened with Manning. He looked like a fish out of water. After all, growing up, he was exposed to a system that taught him that if defenders rush at you (a blitz), you read it as pressure. 

Patricia’s disguise made it look like pressure was coming, but instead, extra defenders dropped back. Manning read it wrong, second-guessed himself, and ended up trapped in unfavorable spots. Steve Sarkisian is busy saving his quarterback’s partner in crime. “We just didn’t communicate very well on the last play,” said the head coach. “It looks like it’s all on (Brandon Baker) when in reality it’s really the totality of all of them. It was poor communication, and that’s when your communication has got to be at its best at the critical.” It’s high time Manning makes his plays to take a stand for himself.