Being ranked on top in the country usually means a program has little left to prove. But for Steve Sarkisian and Texas, the spotlight is getting brighter for a very different reason. Despite an unbeaten start, a point-blank statement on Arch Manning has raised fresh questions about whether the Longhorns have what it takes to go all the way or if this is just some beginners’ luck.

Josh Pate has given a clear verdict of what the Longhorns’ future might look like if Manning doesn’t get his game straight.

“No, they can’t,” Pate said on Get Up ESPN on October 7 when asked if they can win the national championship with the version of their quarterback that we’ve seen so far. “They could be the No. 1 team in the country in early October. They could beat Oklahoma. So they could make the playoffs. But there’s a big difference between being playoff-calibre and being national championship-calibre, because eventually, someone else has a good defense. So eventually, it’s in the hands of your quarterback. That’s the way this sport has worked for the last several years. It’s the way it works right now.”

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but in the case of Longhorns QB Manning, the weight of his surname always lands him in line of criticism. But Pate isn’t necessarily criticizing the quarterback. Instead, he’s simply pointing out the reality of the situation, one that, frankly, isn’t exactly hidden from anyone. While Arch Manning has thrown for 862 yards and 7 touchdowns to keep Texas undefeated at 4–0, his game-to-game stats tell a very different story.

After his first game against their in-state rivals, Texas State, his graph keeps going down. He started the season with a lot of promise as he took over the Texas State defense with 305 yards and 4 touchdowns with 1 interception. Looking at Manning that night, everyone was confident that he would live up to his off-season hype. However, over two of his last three games against good competition, his completion percentage fell below 61%.

Manning has been sacked many times during this season. When he was playing against Ohio State, he was seen struggling to find options on the field to take a snap at if his first-choice receiver was covered. Another issue that was noticed by many analysts was that his eyes gave away his play without him having to dictate it for them. He stares at his receivers for far too long that the defense gets a hold on where the pass is coming. His game, from a progression standpoint, still needs a lot of growth.

If you keep the QB aside, the Longhorns’ defense is the reason why they have made it so far because they are a wall, and even Pate agrees with that.

“They’re a defensive-orientated team right now. I know that’s unpopular,” Pate continued. “People don’t like to hear that because of the name on the back of the jersey. This is a defensive-orientated team right now. It’s just a much better version than Oklahoma’s. So I think they’ll win against Oklahoma.”

There is no doubt that the defense is holding down the Longhorns’ fort, and a lot of the credit has to be given to their DC, Will Muschamp. There was a lot of chatter when Sarkisian decided to part ways with the former coordinator, Pete Kwiatkowski. However, Muschamp has proved all the neysayers wrong. His defense holds the 1st rank in the SEC for letting fewer points than any other team. They are ranked 3rd on the highest number of sacks. As a unit, they have logged 31 tackles for loss.

While the QB should be the undisputed star of the team, that crown edge rusher Collin Simmons has snatched away from him. Simmons is having a banger season with a total of 7.5 sacks. He completely took over the Tennessee game, recording a record of 5.5 sacks to single-handedly close out the win. It all comes down to how long the longhorn will depend on their defense to do the heavy lifting. This might help them win against the Sooners, but as serious games will close in, they would need to work as a whole. Both offense and defense would need to find a rhythm to reach the national championship calibre