Paul Finebaum Warns Arch Manning of Brutal Texas Reality After Surprising Heisman Prediction

The off-season saw the loyal SEC magnet, Paul Finebaum, boldly proclaim, “This [Arch] is the best player we have seen from every aspect since Tim Tebow.” But the hype train quickly came to a halt as the Julian Sayin-led offense beat Texas. But after a screeching Week 1 kickoff, Arch Manning is back on the line of scrimmage. Throwing both snaps and hitting it back at the skeptics, he drew his redemption arc. The 38-7 win over the weekend against San Jose saw to that. And the win quickly turned the tide. As it appears, Finebaum never gave up on the Manning legacy.

In an episode of ESPN College Football, Finebaum joined Matt Barrie and laid out his opinion on Manning’s redemption arc. “But the most important thing for him is he got a good game in. He’s back.” The dominating narrative after San Jose might have shifted a bit. He completed 19/30 passes for 295 yards, four touchdowns, and just one interception. Now, this was an improvement compared to the Buckeyes, wherein he mostly appeared confused and missed simple throws. The analyst continued: “To doing things that we expected of him, and ultimately, Arch is going to be tested when they have a good opponent, which they won’t for another couple of weeks. I suspect he’ll be a lot better.”

Coming up next, the Longhorns will square off against the UTEP Miners, Sam Houston, and the Florida Gators. The Sooners might pose a challenge as well. But Georgia is waiting mid-November for another high-stakes clash. But what matters is, “He had a rough week, and he survived it,” as Finebaum put it.

Despite the win, Steve Sarkisian was fuming with the roster. The reason? Those 12 biting penalties cost them 115 yards. His reaction? “My foot’s got to get in their b–t here on Monday morning, like that’s unacceptable, and there’s a standard with which we want to play the game, and 12 penalties does not meet that standard,” he said post-game. The penalties did not affect their winning chances against the Spartans, but they might burn a hole in Sarkisian’s playbook against tough opponents. Already thrashed by Ohio State, they were penalised six times for 50 yards. In 2024 as well, Texas averaged 6.4 penalties and 51.8 penalty yards per game. If not worked upon, going against Georgia will be an uphill battle.

Aside from Sarkisian, even Manning wasn’t fully satisfied with his throws. His reaction? “Sloppy on my part. Can’t turn the ball over in the red area. I made a few more plays (than against Ohio State) but once again wasn’t very efficient,” he added. And maybe because of that self-awareness and always going for improvements, Finebaum has not given up on him being a Heisman contender.

Paul Finebaum gets candid about Arch Manning’s Heisman prospects

Paul Finebaum is still ‘checked in’ and rooting for Arch being a Heisman finalist.“I know the critics are going to ridicule me, but I don’t care anymore, guys. I am staying with Arch Manning,” Paul Finebaum said during SportsCenter on Sunday morning. Before the Week 1 showdown, the Hook’em fandom prided itself on Arch’s No. 1 2026 NFL Draft candidate and his Top 3 Heisman prospect. Then Ohio State happened.

The Arch Madness? It swiftly came to a halt. Following the defeat, Manning, who had been a top Heisman contender, didn’t find his name on On3’s post-week-1 Heisman prospects list, snubbed out straight after game 1. Not just that, his NIL valuation dipped by $485,000, which by far was the highest across the football landscape.

But Finebaum’s faith in Manning never wavered. Yes, disappointed, but he was counting on him to hit back. And he did. Finebaum continued. “He has not been perfect, but — the Heisman doesn’t get voted on until December. So, let’s (quit) all this ‘He’s out of the Heisman race after a bad loss.’ He can come back. I think yesterday was exactly what he needed, and keep your eye on him.” Manning certainly improved against San Jose. All four of his passing touchdowns came in the first half. He picked it up, as compared to the sluggish pace of Week 1.

Key takeaway? “Remember the name Arch Manning. Remember the name,” said a confident Finebaum. No matter if the upcoming clashes bear fruit for the Arch, the Manning legacy will be one of the interesting, polarizing storylines to come out this season.