The Ohio State win was supposed to be Texas’s defining moment. Instead, the celebration spiraled into controversy after Steve Sarkisian’s exchange with Holly Rowe inspired a fake AI video and Arch Manning’s ill-fated reaction. Manning apologized, Rowe accepted it, and the dust appeared to settle, until his latest media appearance reopened the conversation.
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In a recent video clip shared on X, Arch Manning answered questions about the Longhorns’ next game in Knoxville, saying he has never been there and is excited for the game against the Tennessee Volunteers.
However, the interview was far from normal. Manning never really smiled or showed any other expression. Instead, he just sat there like a robot, answering every question with humility. He wasn’t rude or formal. The smile was there throughout, but every response felt restricted.
This is the first time Arch Manning has faced the media after making those comments about Holly Rowe, and it looks like he has been media-trained now. However, the fans are not loving this version of Arch Manning, and they are blaming the ESPN reporter for the fiasco.
“Holly Rowe nuked his brain,” a fan wrote on his X handle, as he believed that the back-and-forth from last week was a bit too heavy for the young Manning. Another Texas fan came forward to resonate with the same feeling, saying, “The media really did unfairly hurt this kid. Got him scared even to speak now. Sc–w Holly.”
One fan tagged Holly Rowe in the comments section and bashed her for treating the kid that way, writing, “@sportsirenthanks for murdering another great personality in sport, you truly know how to ruin everything.”
Doubling down, another fan said, “Thanks, Holly. Barely even a smile out of the kid, and you can see his nerves. But at least he apologized for laughing at a fake f—–g video.”
It’ll be wrong to put the entire thing on the ESPN reporter. Holly Rowe never spoke about the controversy. Her only comment was in response to Arch Manning’s apology. No one would have known about the AI video had the Texas QB not called it ‘hilarious’ in front of the media.
The anger from the fans is also a reaction to Manning’s performance against UTSA. While the Texas Longhorns secured a 30–6 victory, the Texas QB struggled throughout the game. Head coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged that the distractions from the previous week had understandably made things more difficult for the quarterback.
“I think he’ll get back on. It was a long week for him, too, understandably. A lot of distractions that way, and the stuff he had to deal with,” Sarkisian said after the game.
Manning arrived at the UTSA matchup after leading Texas back from a 20-point deficit against Ohio State, throwing a key 21-point fourth quarter. The 24-23 win elevated the Longhorns to No. 1. Days later, Manning faced criticism after calling an AI-generated clip falsely depicting Steve Sarkisian attacking Holly Rowe “hilarious” and laughing about it.
Just a day later, Manning apologized for his mistakes, and Rowe accepted his apology. However, this week has clearly taken a toll on him.
Against UTSA, Manning finished 17-of-33 for 164 yards and two touchdowns, while missed opportunities and inaccurate throws repeatedly disrupted the offense. He absorbed several hard hits, including one that knocked off his helmet, before leaving the game with six minutes remaining as Texas had a big enough lead.
“I didn’t play well,” Manning said. “The offense has to play better if we’re going to beat Tennessee.”
In his first year as the QB for the Longhorns, the media had unrealistic expectations of him, and when he failed to meet them, some were quick to label him one of football’s biggest failures. This year, however, he has been performing better, yet he already appears to be emotionally exhausted by everything that has come his way.