Paul Finebaum Questions Arch Manning’s Performance After Texas Loss to Oklahoma

Paul Finebaum expressed concern about Arch Manning’s performance following Texas’ loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. The Longhorns, ranked No. 1 nationally, were defeated 27-24 after the Sooners overcame a 10-point halftime deficit. Manning threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter at the Cotton Bowl.

Finebaum, who previously predicted Manning could win the Heisman Trophy, challenged the quarterback’s abilities on ‘The Matt Barrie Show.’ He remarked, “We showed arrogance in believing that Arch Manning could do anything, and he almost did, except he finally got in the way of himself. I was really troubled by how he had played up to this point. I came away thinking, ‘I don’t know what this guy is going to do.’ Because he is not the elite player that we all tried to make him out to be.”

Despite this critique, Manning made significant plays during the SEC matchup, completing 19 of 31 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. However, he has yet to achieve stardom, averaging 7.7 yards per pass attempt in his junior year.

Finebaum has not observed sufficient consistency from the 22-year-old quarterback to regard him as a top-tier talent. He commented, “He can be great in moments, as we saw near the end of the game when he threw that great play that set up the touchdown. But he can just be downright stupid in others.”

Manning managed a 75-yard drive to tie the game at 24-24 with 3:35 left, but the Longhorns only gained 64 combined yards in four other fourth-quarter drives. His second interception occurred in the final minute, leading to Tate Sandell’s 47-yard game-winning field goal as time ran out.

Manning and the Longhorns aim to recover when they host the Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon.