Era of Another Manning QB Doesn't Start Well

Saturday was supposed to mark the start of a triumphant "Arch Manning era" in college football, writes Laine Higgins in the Wall Street Journal. Instead, it ended with a loss for his No. 1 Texas Longhorns. After two years as a backup, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning is the starting quarterback for Texas, and he opened the season on the road against defending champ Ohio State. The Buckeyes won, 14-7.

• "This wasn't what Manning had in mind—a pedestrian performance after all of the hype that ended with him finishing just 17-of-30 passing for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception, in addition to Ohio State stuffing him on the goal line for a potential third-quarter touchdown," writes Grace Raynor in the Athletic.
• "I've got to play better for us to win," he said after the game. "I thought we beat ourselves a lot, and that starts with me."
• Texas coach Steve Sarkisian would like all the naysayers to calm down. "For Arch, the expectations were out of control on the outside," Sarkisian said, per ESPN. "I'd say let's finish the book before we judge him. That's one chapter." About those expectations: Not only is Texas seen as a potential national champion this year, Manning is a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and to be the top pick in the 2026 NFL draft.