Great news for Texas Longhorns fans: Arch Manning is officially back! After spending the week sidelined in concussion protocol, Eli Manning’s nephew has been medically cleared to start in the upcoming game against No. 9-ranked Vanderbilt. The positive update came Friday evening, putting to rest any worries about his availability. It’s a massive relief for the team and a huge boost as they look to keep their winning streak alive after their Houdini-type overtime escape against Mississippi State. Word on the street (more of a speculation): Arch Manning might have used a trick straight out of Uncle Peyton’s playbook.

Back in 2011, Peyton Manning admitted that he intentionally underperformed his baseline concussion tests. He said he purposely did poorly on preseason tests so that if he got a concussion later, he’d appear to “do better” than his baseline and be allowed to play.

“They have these new (brain) tests we have to take,” he said. “Before the season, you have to look at 20 pictures and turn the paper over and then try to draw those 20 pictures. And they do it with words, too. Twenty words, you flip it over, and try to write those 20 words. Then, after a concussion, you take the same test and if you do worse than you did on the first test, you can’t play. So I just try to do badly on the first test.” This raised major questions about how reliable concussion testing really was.

Arch Manning’s last-minute announcement to start against Vanderbilt draws attention partly because of the Manning family legacy. While there’s no evidence that Arch did anything like Peyton, the connection makes fans and media look more closely at sudden decisions to play.

Also, please keep in mind that Arch’s situation is very different from Peyton’s. The family history adds context, but it doesn’t mean Arch followed the same path. But what we can expect is Arch Manning to ball out like his uncle did after curving the concussion test. And that seems likely considering head coach Steve Sarkisian was left impressed with Arch Manning’s post-concussion practice, saying he “shocked people with how good he looked,” per Molly McGrath from ESPN.

According to McGrath, Arch Manning is planning to double down on his Week 9 performance: “He wants to continue that momentum from a positive performance last weekend.” Manning put up his best performance of his career and threw for 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. With their playoff dream on the line, the Longhorns are expecting Arch Manning to play his best football this weekend.

Still, Arch’s readiness announcement is intriguing not only because of his talent but also because of the Manning legacy. The focus should remain on his health and performance. However, the family connection makes the story a bit more compelling.

Steve Sarkisian is confident in his offense, regardless of who starts

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian expressed confidence in his team and gave his word that they can maintain their offensive rhythm. He acknowledged the situation with his roster but reassured fans that the team’s system remains strong. “We haven’t changed anything we’ve done. Our system has been our system,” Sarkisian said, showing his trust in both the players and the game plan.

The Longhorns have won 3 straight road games. They beat Oklahoma 23-6 at Norman, edged Kentucky 16-13 on tough SEC road, and won a thrilling 45-38 overtime game against Mississippi State last weekend. Sarkisian praised backup Matt Caldwell, who has performed well in practice and could play if needed. “His coaches and teammates have the utmost confidence and respect for Matt Caldwell,” the coach said.

Sarkisian believes the team will continue executing its plan effectively regardless of who starts. “The game plan is the game plan. His teammates have a ton of confidence in him if it’s his time to go,” he added, signaling that Texas is ready to defend home turf and keep their winning streak alive, and make a playoff push.