Arch Manning’s week went from dream to drama in a heartbeat. After leading Texas past Ohio State and cementing his rising-star status, the quarterback found himself at the center of controversy over comments about an AI-generated video featuring his head coach slapping Holly Rowe. The ESPN reporter accepted his apology, seemingly putting the saga to bed. Yet just when the noise quieted, a former ESPN reporter who was fired from the company turned the spotlight toward Steve Sarkisian.

On September 16, Jason Whitlock discussed the situation on his podcast, saying that Arch Manning was simply a kid who wanted to have some fun after his win over Ohio State. He also pointed out that Manning comes from a family that “does dry humor under bright lights.” Amid all this, he aimed at head coach Steve Sarkisian for not apologizing for his part in the situation.

“The system punished the kid for sounding like his father. Steve Sarkisian has not apologized to Holly Rowe for the real moment that birthed the meme. Cooper has. Arch has. The hierarchy is the story. The boy who giggled at fake violence must kneel. The coach who actually left the reporter standing does not,” said Whitlock.

The controversy erupted after Arch Manning reacted to an AI-generated video depicting Steve Sarkisian slapping Holly Rowe. In reality, Sarkisian had cut Rowe’s live on-field interview short by shouting “Hook ’em!” and walking away.

Many criticized the gesture and called for an apology. But just a day later, the Manning episode took center stage, and the coach’s actions were quickly overshadowed.

Now, Whitlock isn’t the only one calling out Sarkisian amid the Arch Manning controversy. Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken believes it’s time for Sarkisian to apologize as well.

“Because we would not be here if Sarkisian simply acted like a normal human being Saturday night,” Wolken wrote in his latest column. “Though he was understandably frustrated when he had to bail on the standard halftime interview due to technical issues on ESPN’s end, there was no reason for Sarkisian to bigfoot Rowe in the postgame scramble.”

The entire blame cannot be shifted onto Sarkisian himself. Earlier in the broadcast, ESPN faced audio issues that disrupted his scheduled halftime interview, ultimately forcing the Texas head coach to walk away without speaking. Laura Rutledge later apologized on air, acknowledging that the production error had wasted his time.

despite Sarkisian never intending for things to end this way, fans began to believe that there was something personal behind the head coach’s actions. Interestingly, as the first controversy unfolded, Whitlock came forward with a unique perspective on the situation.

“I’m not going to defend Sark… BUT…. Holly Rowe is not some sweet, innocent little auntie. She calls herself a ‘siren’ for a reason. She’s not nice. She plays the nice role because that’s the only role available,” wrote Whitlock on his X handle.

Whitlock is someone who spent decades within the ESPN ecosystem, and that experience means he knows the ins and outs of his former colleagues and producers, even when they maintain a charming and composed personality in front of everyone.

Speaking of Manning, the Texas Longhorns QB took to Instagram just a day after making those comments to personally apologize to Holly Rowe, admitting that his words were insensitive and acknowledging that he should have been more mindful of what he said.

“I made an insensitive comment about an AI video. There is nothing funny about it. It’s easy to say I didn’t mean it, but I know my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people. I do not take that lightly and am deeply sorry for that,” Manning posted on Instagram.

Holly Rowe immediately accepted his apology, revealing that she had met with him privately after the entire fiasco and had made him understand that what he had done was inappropriate.

“Thank you, Arch. I appreciate our conversation about this — which will remain private,” Rowe posted. “Apology accepted. We move forward with respect and kindness for one another.”