This season, the Texas Longhorns’ offensive line hasn’t performed as well as it once did. Injuries and draft loss have made the O-line vulnerable, allowing pressure on 41.9% of Arch Manning’s drop-backs last month, the worst in the SEC and 124th in the FBS. On top of that, a limited running game has forced him into rushed throws and mistakes. Now going up against Georgia, Steve Sarkisian is risking Manning in high-pressure situations once again, with the entire team’s hope sitting squarely on his back.

Arch Manning’s situation turned from best to worst this year, taking 18 sacks in eight games, six of which were against Florida, when the O-line allowed pressure on 58% of his dropbacks. Then he even suffered a heavy hit from two Mississippi State defenders, which ended up putting him in concussion protocol. Winning this game is crucial for Texas if they want a playoff run, and that’s only possible if Georgia doesn’t pressure Manning. “I think that Arch’s performance as well is going to be really important for this game because on the flip side of this, if he’s not pressured, how much does this game end up becoming a shootout? I really think that this game is going to be high-scoring,” Joe DeLeone said on his podcast.

Well, that can be the turning point of the game, as after losing nine starters to the NFL, Georgia’s defensive line has failed to generate significant pressure on the QB. Till now, they just recorded 11 sacks for 34 yards lost. That’s exactly why DeLeone thinks that if that’s the case against Manning, too, then he can easily move around the pocket. “I think that this game could kind of reflect and mirror the Ole Miss-Georgia game/the Texas-Mississippi State game, where both team secondaries may end up giving a lot of big plays up, and who ends up having the ball last and whoever could complete the final drive will end up being the winner,” he said.

The Texas vs. MS State game did go overtime, and Texas held them to 24-7 in the fourth quarter and went 7-0 in overtime. Even in Ole Miss vs. Georgia, the Bulldogs went 17-0 in the last quarter, which adds to DeLeone’s point. But it all depends on how well the offensive line protects Manning and helps him progress through multiple reads, like they did against Vanderbilt, when Manning posted over 300 passing yards with three TDs for the second consecutive game.

That’s right, he just faced pressure on 6 of 34 dropbacks, which is 17.6% pressure compared to his 41.9% in the first eight games, and threw a 75-yard pass to Ryan Wingo on the very first play. Even Steve Sarkisian admitted that it’s the best protection he’s gotten all year. That’s because moving Cole Hutson to left guard and keeping Conner Robertson at center created a veteran trio in the center for him. “Proud of that offensive line,” Sarkisian added. “You’re not a finished product in September and October; we can continue to improve, and that group is an example of that; they’re getting better.”

Things turned so well that even Kirby Smart couldn’t hold back his praise of him.

Kirby Smart praises Arch Manning’s turnaround

Coming into the season, Arch Manning didn’t just have a lot of hype but also made early draft and Heisman buzz. But weeks into the season, things went south, as inconsistency and struggles with accuracy made things worse for him.

It all started with Manning’s poor game against UTEP, where he just completed 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception. But then slowly Manning improved his game, and against MS State, he threw a career-high 346 yards. Looking at that turnaround, even Kirby Smart couldn’t hold back his praise of him. “Yeah, he’s playing with more confidence. He’s getting better protection, he’s seeing things well, he’s making good decisions, and he’s getting the ball out of his hand quickly. I mean, he’s maturing,” he said.

He didn’t just stop there; he praised his accuracy, too. “He’s made some really impressive, wow, throws. You can see he’s much more comfortable in the pocket now.” Now, it will be interesting to see if that remains the same against the Bulldogs or not.