After a 35-10 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, Steve Sarkisian’s Texas can’t afford to lose the must-win rivalry game against Arkansas if they want to keep their CFP hopes alive. But to win, Arch Manning and Co. must play error-free. SEC Unfiltered founder Chris Phillips pointed out the words of an SEC coach, which could serve as a benchmark to evaluate Manning.

“A lot of these kids want to check. They don’t want physicality. If you have the check and no physicality, you end up with nothing. You’re not just getting checks at our place; we’re hitting people.’ That was Kirby Smart after he whooped your a** in Athens, especially in the fourth quarter, said Phillips on Friday’s appearance. When they put you out of your misery and essentially made you quit.”

In the fourth quarter, on one key drive, Manning’s pass on a fourth-and-6 play fell incomplete. With that, the Texas O-line struggled, turning the ball over on downs and failing to score any points. On the flip side, Georgia outscored the Longhorns 21-0, turning a 14-10 game into a 25-point blowout, while Gunner Stockton added a final TD, a 4-yard run.

Notably, Texas’ 2025 roster is estimated to be between $35 million and $40 million, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. Manning’s performance against the Bulldogs suggests a lack of physicality. But while he was far from perfect, his teammates did him no favors.

Now, against Arkansas (2-8), if Manning and Co. repeat mistakes and fail to win, it would confirm that Texas’s investment has gone to waste. However, this game against Arkansas has a genuine stake, one that doesn’t require chasing the CFP or the conference title.

“It’s a culture game for Texas. How you respond will tell me a lot about what the culture of Steve Sarkisian’s program is,” said Phillips. Every coach sets the tone for a program’s culture. With no winning mentality instilled in the roster, they will face tough times.

Precisely, Arkansas sits at the bottom of the SEC this season without any hope. With that, Sarkisian’s future with the Longhorns could be uncertain. That’s when the Texas HC’s stance on his future gets tested.

Steve Sarkisian faces a tough test

Since arriving in 2021, Steve Sarkisian has posted a 45-20 record. However, the Longhorns entered the year with national title expectations. But currently it sits at 7-3 overall, with an offense averaging 27.6 PPG. Now with the season falling short of expectations, whispers about Sarkisian’s job have grown louder.

On Friday, he shut them down, stating, “I just want to be really clear to everybody out there, like a hook of horns, like, this is where I want to be.”

But this isn’t the first time. Back when the NFL job controversy arose, he also made it clear where he wanted to be. This time, Sark doubled down on his stance regarding his future in Texas.

“We are not going anywhere and are forever grateful and thankful for all those who support us. It takes a lot of people to get done what we want to get done every single day,” said Sarkisian.

Wishing the people from the 40 Acres to the other fans of the program, Sarkisian remains “forever grateful to them. So, we got a lot more games to go win and we got more trophies to put up here.”

Although Sarkisian is doubling down on his commitment to Texas, it won’t mean much if the team struggles to beat Arkansas. Of the remaining two games, losing to Texas A&M might be understandable, given their status as the best SEC team; however, a loss against Arkansas would likely spell the end for Sark.