“I love Sark [Steve Sarkisian], he’s done a tremendous job at Texas. They were a sleeping giant…. [He’s] really put them back on the map. I believe he’s the guy to bring a national championship to UT.” NFL MVP Matt Ryan is out here vouching for Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian. And the buzz this offseason is concerning Arch Manning, officially being QB1. Following consecutive College Football Playoff semifinal appearances, the Longhorns are placing a high-stakes wager on Manning’s arm and legacy.

Off the field, Sarkisian and his staff have been aggressive on the recruiting front. And the 2025 schedule is brutal by design. Texas opens at Ohio State, the reigning national champion. Later in the season, in mid-November, they go to Athens to play Georgia, another perennial power. And if things break right, they may get the Bulldogs back in the SEC Championship. The path to a championship goes directly through the best teams and the best coaches—just the kind of gauntlet that makes legends.

But with all this momentum, Andy and Ari of On3 reflected on Texas’s big weakness on the 6th of June. Andy comments, “If Sark gets the red zone stuff figured out, Texas is going to be unstoppable Ari.” “If someone had asked me…. what has prevented Texas from winning a national championship, I don’t know my brain probably wouldn’t have instinctively gone right to they’re not good enough in the red zone,” says Ari Wasserman. He adds, “Last season, and I thought they had a very competitive, exciting football game with a team that was honestly more stacked than it was, and towards the end of the game, I know that that red zone visit is likely the thing that will stick out.”

Red zone woes have haunted Texas at the worst moments, and nowhere was that more glaring than in last year’s semifinal loss to Ohio State. Twice, the Longhorns moved inside the 20 and came away with nothing. The first missed chance came just before halftime: down 7-0, Texas had 39 seconds and the ball on the OSU 18 after big plays from Arch Manning and Silas Bolden. The drive stalled. Then came the final, must have possession. After Matthew Golden’s 27-yard grab set up 1st and 10 at the 13, Texas ran eight plays inside the red zone, none of them resulting in points. The drive ended in a disaster. A strip sack by Jack Sawyer sealed the game. For all the yards they rack up, Texas simply hasn’t turned red zone trips into touchdowns, and in the SEC, that’s a fatal flaw. Sark must figure out a quick fix at the earliest to get rid of this gaping hole.

Ari says, “If you’re five and five you know the red zones at least of your concerns you need to figure out how to get good players when you get good players then you got to figure out scheme then when you figure out scheme you got to figure out how to max up like it gets harder and harder.”

That’s where the grind begins: recruiting. Texas has done it before, and with Sarkisian, they’ve finally built the roster with blue-collar star power, particularly on defense and at skill positions. With the players in hand, the next hurdle is the scheme. Having athletes is not enough—you need to put them in spots to win. Everything counts now. Suddenly, it’s not simply about getting the ball down the 20s; it’s about getting the most out of every single foray into the red zone.

Can Arch Manning overcome the red zone curse?

Arch Manning—the golden-armed son of football royalty—is finally the man under center. Paul Finebaum is all aboard, declaring Texas the “absolute favorites” to claim the national championship with Arch in charge. Finebaum declares, “He is going to be the leader of this team. They reloaded in the portal, to the tune of many millions and millions of dollars. I think Texas, other than having to go to Ohio State Week 1, is in great shape.” But, all of the five-star weaponry, all the preseason hype, and all the Manning magic in the universe won’t count if Texas does not resolve its largest Achilles’ heel—the red zone.

Why is this so important on Arch Manning’s behalf? Because the pressure on this youngster is already through the roof. He’s supposed to be better than Quinn Ewers, take Texas to another title, and do it all under the brightest headlights in the game. But even the greatest quarterbacks in the world can’t overcome a system that stalls when it has to count. The Longhorns were sensational last season in terms of ball movement, but once they made it inside the 20, drives tended to stall. Field goals rather than touchdowns. Missed chances. And for a team with national title ambitions, red zone miscues like these can derail everything.

The pressure is even greater with Arch. If Texas continues to stall in the red zone, the narrative will turn quickly from ‘Arch the Savior’ to ‘Arch can’t finish.’ That isn’t right, but that’s college football. Fixing the red zone isn’t only about a game plan; it’s about keeping your young quarterback safe, building up his confidence, and allowing him to shine when the spotlight is on him.