Paul Finebaum Makes Desperate Attempt to Salvage Arch Manning’s Image After Texas QB Blamed for $1M Loss

Just a few hours before Texas faced Ohio State in Columbus, Paul Finebaum, from the ‘SEC Nation’ show, made a big statement on Arch Manning. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is the best player we have seen from every aspect since Tim Tebow.” Some hours later, the Ohio State defense, led by Matt Patricia, caged Arch Manning and the Texas offense, as the team lost 7-14. Arch, contrary to Finebaum’s prediction, completed just 17 of the 30 passes for 170 yards and gained 38 yards on the ground. Despite that performance and a seven-figure loss, Paul Finebaum is still rallying behind Arch Manning.

Finebaum appeared on the 31st August episode of ESPN’s podcast and shared his opinion about Arch’s performance against OSU. The veteran journalist accepted that the QB had “more commercials in the first quarter than he did completions,” but called for patience for Arch to perform. “Ultimately, he was terrible. There’s no getting around it, and all the predictions that some people made were shatteringly wrong,” said Finebaum. However, he still predicted young Arch to lead Texas to its third consecutive playoffs in December.

“I don’t think everybody should panic yet. This is the first game as a full-fledged starter. I believe Texas will be in the playoffs in December, and I think Arch Manning will learn from this. And I’m not saying that like a parent. He’s not my son or grandson, although I wish he was. He will get better. He just simply got bamboozled by a much better defensive coordinator,” declared Paul Finebaum. So, was Arch Manning’s supposed regression his own fault?

Not really, the whole Texas vs OSU game had ‘defense’ written all over it before it even started. The plan was for both defenses to bring out their best and then hope the offense converts one or two touchdowns, as the defense holds the fort. That’s exactly what we saw as OSU’s defense dominated, not giving separations to Texas’s players, disguising coverages, and stopping Texas on fourth-down situations. It was truly a masterful class of defense from Matt Patricia, a big feat for a new defensive coordinator. Moreover, it’s not like the Ohio State offense didn’t struggle early on!

In the first half, both teams combined for 182 yards, with OSU notching 103 yards while Texas got 79 yards, signaling offensive regression for both teams. Still, Texas struggled in third-down situations, converting just one of the 7 third downs with Arch Manning completing 5 of the 10 passes. Even in the second half, when Texas showed some signs of revival, driving 70 yards, and Arch scrambled for a critical 1st down and later completed a crucial pass. Despite that, Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling showed its usual signs of struggles in the red zone, as we saw in the 2024 season. All in all, the loss is not all on Arch Manning, and the QB would surely improve. But before that happens, Texas’s loss has led to a financial loss of $1 million for a high-stakes Texas fan.

Arch Manning’s failed outing against OSU leads to a seven-figure loss

If anything, the Week 1 loss against OSU will lead Steve Sarkisian back to the drawing board, acting as a premonition for the rest of the season. Considering the roster that Texas has, making the playoffs won’t be a Herculean challenge. Still, there are always some uncertainties attached to these games. And the same uncertainties have led to a whopping $1 million loss for a Texas fan who wagered in favor of Arch’s success.

The bet came in quite early on Saturday before the game, placed by an unnamed “high profile” Texas fan. Courtesy of that bet, the spotlight in the betting market quickly turned towards Texas with the odds swinging around at -105. It could have been a massive return for the guy, but unfortunately, the team lost, and whoever the “high profile” person would have been, became $1 million poorer in his wealth. That said, the road ahead for Texas won’t be too difficult, at least for a few games.

Texas will face San Jose State in Week 2, followed by UTEP and Sam Houston, making the games a chance for Arch Manning to hone his skills and take a breather after the tough OSU outing. This could also be a time when Steve Sarkisian can work on some of his red-zone conversion issues and come back strong against Florida. Still, the Florida game in Gainesville would be challenging enough and would be the ultimate test of Arch’s brilliance. Failing that could lead to strong disruptions in the “hype” market of Arch Manning.