Through her official X account, Rowe reposted Manning’s message and thanked him for his apology: “Thank you Arch. I appreciate our conversation about this, which will remain private. Apology accepted. We move forward with respect and and kindness for one another.”

Rowe’s years of experience in the media led her to put an end to this unfortunate episode. For Manning, the next step is to learn from what happened and make sure he doesn’t repeat the same mistakes.

Sarkisian’s snub

In an era when social media and artificial intelligence are part of everyday life, the recent incident at the Longhorns’ stadium did not go unnoticed. Following the thrilling victory over the Buckeyes, Rowe attempted to interview Steve Sarkisian, who, caught up in the excitement, quickly walked away. The moment was then parodied by various users, including one AI-generated version that ultimately prompted a reaction from Arch Manning.

Eyes on what’s ahead

After knocking off the Ohio State Buckeyes in that thriller, the Texas Longhorns can breathe a quick sigh of relief before the heat turns back up. They get a manageable tune-up against the UTSA Roadrunners back at DKR to keep the momentum rolling, but nobody’s taking their eyes off what’s right around the corner.

A brutal SEC road trip to Knoxville to face the Tennessee Volunteers comes next, followed by a bye week to prep for the annual Red River brawl with the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Safe to say Coach Sark and the boys can’t afford any emotional hangover with that gauntlet waiting for them.

“So proud of our guys,” Manning said to the reporters once the game concluded. “In all three phases. It wasn’t very pretty but we found a win to win. That’s what good teams do.”

In some way, No. 16 made it clear that they got revenge for what happened the last time the Longhorns and Buckeyes met on the field: “We couldn’t lose to them again. I had nightmares about that game last year. So, we’re glad to get a win tonight. We’ll have a good night in Austin.”

Manning’s performance against Ohio State

Arch Manning had a wild night in Texas’ epic 24-23 comeback win vs Buckeyes, proving he’s got that clutch gene when it matters most. After a brutal start where the Longhorns found themselves trailing 23-3 entering the fourth quarter, Arch completely flipped the script.

He finished the game 23-of-37 for 196 passing yards, one touchdown, and an early interception. The stat line overall looks pretty average on paper, but his fourth-quarter heroics were insane: he went 8-for-11 for 91 yards down the stretch, throwing a slick 3-yard TD pass to Ryan Wingo and pulling off two massive fourth-down conversions to seal the largest fourth-quarter comeback against a No. 1 team in history.

What’s next for the Longhorns?

Two wins in two games, and the contender label is slowly beginning to be applied to Steve Sarkisian’s team. These are the upcoming games the Longhorns have ahead, as they look to continue building on their winning record.

• vs UTSA, September 19
• at Tennessee, September 26
• vs Oklahoma, October 10 (Cotton Bowl)
• vs Florida, October 17
• vs Ole Miss, October 24

Sarkisian wants to face the best

The nature of college football often leads programs to face teams from higher tiers, as well as weaker opponents. Sarkisian, an experienced coach, does not want to take the easy route. Instead, he chooses to face quality opponents and set the bar as high as possible.

“We could be like other teams and play Jones Junior High tonight and win 66–0. I don’t know what that does for us. What I think it does for us, is we found out we can (win big games),” Coach Sark revealed during his press conference.

For Ohio State, the matchup represents an early opportunity to strengthen its position as the No. 1 team in the country. A victory on the road against another top-five program would immediately give the Buckeyes one of the strongest wins available on their résumé and could keep them firmly in control of the national championship conversation.

Texas, meanwhile, has an opportunity to make one of the biggest statements of the season. The Longhorns are already ranked No. 4, but beating the No. 1 team at home would dramatically elevate their résumé and could establish them as one of the favorites to reach the College Football Playoff. The result could also have a significant effect on both teams’ rankings heading into Week 3.

What happens if Texas loses vs Ohio State today?

If Texas loses to Ohio State, the Buckeyes would emerge with arguably the most valuable win of the early 2026 season. Beating a top-four opponent on the road would give Ohio State an enormous résumé boost and strengthen its case to remain No. 1 in the AP Top 25. More importantly, it would give the Buckeyes a major advantage in the race for a high College Football Playoff seed.

Texas would suffer its first loss of the season, but the damage would not necessarily end its playoff hopes. Losing to the No. 1 team would be far less damaging than falling to an unranked opponent, especially if the Longhorns remain competitive throughout the game. However, Texas would likely fall several spots in the rankings and would have less room for error during the rest of the season.

What happens if Texas wins vs Oho State today?

If Texas defeats Ohio State, the Longhorns would make an enormous statement by taking down the No. 1 team in the country at home. A win of that magnitude would likely push Texas into the top spot or very close to it in the AP Top 25, depending on how the rest of the weekend unfolds. It would also immediately become the centerpiece of the Longhorns’ playoff résumé.

For Ohio State, the consequences would be much more significant. The Buckeyes would lose their No. 1 ranking and suffer their first defeat of the season, while Texas would take over the spotlight in the national championship race. Ohio State would still have plenty of time to recover, but its margin for error would become smaller, particularly if other Big Ten contenders continue winning.

Texas would have everything to gain from this result because a win over Ohio State could provide the kind of résumé foundation that separates playoff contenders from the rest of the field. The Longhorns would still need to navigate the SEC schedule, but beating the No. 1 team would put them in an extremely strong position for the CFP conversation and could make them one of the teams to beat nationally.

What happens if Ohio State and Texas tie today?

If Ohio State and Texas are tied after regulation, the game would not finish as a tie. College football uses overtime to determine a winner, with both teams getting opportunities to score until one team finishes the overtime period ahead.

“Did some really good things in the first game of the year this past Saturday. He can beat you with his legs. He can beat you down field. He can make the throws when he needs to. He’s really improved,” the head coach said via on3.com.

Day also added: “And giving him a lot of credit for putting the work in, and then also give Sark and his staff credit for continuing to develop him. So he’s gonna have a great season, and he’s gonna be a great challenge for our defense.”

Visiting Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is always a risky proposition for any team, even for a contender like the Buckeyes. Ryan Day is expecting a great spectacle in Texas: “Everybody’s getting fired up to go play down there.”

Ryan Day’s record against the Longhorns

Ryan Day boasts a perfect 2-0 record against the Longhorns as head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. His first victory came in the 2024 College Football Playoff semifinals, where Ohio State ended Texas’ season with a 28-14 win.

He followed that up in the 2025 season opener, guiding the Buckeyes to a 14-7 victory over Steve Sarkisian‘s squad in Columbus. Day has consistently had the upper hand against the Longhorns in these high-stakes, marquee matchups, holding a pristine mark as they head into their next scheduled showdown in Austin.

Manning had a smooth debut

Arch Manning kicked off Texas’ 2026 season in dominant fashion, leading the Longhorns to a 59-7 blowout victory against Texas State. Playing with sharp efficiency before resting in the third quarter, Manning completed 20 of 27 passes (74.1%) for 305 yards, throwing 4 touchdowns and just 1 interception for an impressive 210.4 passer rating.

A highly anticipated showdown

Nearly 100,000 fans are expected to attend the highly anticipated showdown between Texas and Ohio State, with an even larger audience expected to watch the game on television. “I bet there’s close to 20 million people that watch this game,” Sarkisian said to the press. “That’s pretty cool when you think about it.”

Asked about the biggest controversy in Week 1 of the NCAA campaign, Michigan‘s last-second Hail Mary victory over Western Michigan in Ann Arbor, Sarkisian delivered a sincere, confused answer that only expressed concern about the Big Ten officiating crew responsible for adding one second to the clock and allowing the miraculous touchdown catch.

“I still don’t understand or get the final ruling of it all,” Sarkisian said about the controversial call, via On Texas Football. “Unfortunate for Western Michigan, to play their tails off the way that they did and to lose like that.

“I’ve lost a game on a Hail Mary before and that definitely sucks. I don’t know the exact ruling on the timing. There’s a lot of moving parts that I’m not going to pretend to know everything about. My biggest shock was that they stormed the field.”

Sarkisian’s comments mean more before Ohio State game

With the matchup against the Buckeyes looming on the immediate horizon, Sarkisian’s statement on the officiating crew carries much more weight. Hosting No. 1 Ohio State, there is a lot for No. 5 Texas to be anxious about.

Not only will the Longhorns be taking on whom Sarkisian considers to be the best wide receiver in college football in Jeremiah Smith, but they’ll also face a squad filled with five-star talents that defeated Texas and really made the Longhorns look bad last NCAA season.

In addition to it all, the game at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium will be officiated by a Big Ten crew. That means Sarkisian’s comments on Michigan’s controversial win also hide a dig at those who will be responsible for Texas’ fate next Saturday. By all looks of it, it sure feels like Sarkisian and the burnt orange are keeping their guards up.

Why is Big Ten officiating Ohio State at Texas?

This was agreed upon by both schools when they committed to the home-and-home series for the 2025 and 2026 college football seasons. It’s a common practice across the country for the visiting team’s conference to provide the officiating crew, and this is no different. In fact, it was an SEC officiating crew that was in charge last year when the Buckeyes defeated the Longhorns 14-7 in Week 1.

“I think, one, he garners your attention, and he deserves our attention,” coach Sark, per Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors. “He’s arguably the best player in college football. The challenge is, with him, it’s the size, speed, catch radius. He’s a big, physical guy who can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. It doesn’t always look like it, but it almost feels like it. You can feel his presence on the field.”

Smith is one of the top prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft, thanks to his physical attributes and exceptional talent, which stand out among the receivers in this class. Sarkisian even went as far as comparing him to established stars such as Julio Jones and A.J. Brown.

“When you just talk about body structure, this guy looks like Julio Jones, this guy looks like AJ Brown physically,” the head coach added. “He can cover ground and then, because he’s so strong, 50-50 catches are difficult with him. You have to have a plan.”

How does Sarkisian plan to stop Smith?

Sarkisian made it clear that stopping Smith requires a solid game plan. Names such as Bo Mascoe and Kade Phillips, along with Jelani McDonald and Xavier Filsaime, could be the players tasked with executing it, but they will have to be precise.

“I think like anything when you have a plan against somebody like him, you can’t just throw all fastballs,” Sarkisian said. “As good as a fastball as you have, if that’s all you got, sooner or later you’re gonna hit it.”

An early championship clash

The Longhorns are set to host Ohio State on Saturday, September 12, 2026, under the lights at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM ET, and with a sellout crowd of over 100,000 fans expected, the energy in Austin is going to be absolutely off the charts.

Smith’s projection for the upcoming Draft

Jeremiah Smith is projected as an early first-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft, with most evaluators placing him as a top-two overall prospect. Scouts consider him a rare talent at wide receiver due to his size, route-running precision, and physical dominance at the catch point. Unless a quarterback-needy team holds the top pick, he is widely expected to be the first non-quarterback off the board.

Per Ryan Fowler of NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Giants were among two teams present in the Texas game vs Texas State. The player they were watching: Longhorns WR Cam Coleman. The other team was the Green Bay Packers.

Coleman is one of the best prospects for next year’s NFL Draft in the wideout position. However, he’s been overshadowed by Jeremiah Smith, who is battling Malachi Toney for the Heisman. The Giants, though, think he could be available.

How did Coleman do vs Texas State?

Coleman didn’t see much action due to the blowout. Still, he showed the Giants why he is valued as a first-round pick. Coleman decimated Texas State in only three catches. On those three catches, he racked up 70 yards and two touchdowns.

Texas’ other WR also shone. Ryan Wingo had seven catches for 121 yards and one touchdown. Wingo will also be available in the 2027 NFL Draft. However, Wingo is projected to be a Day 2 selection.

Why would the Giants look for new WRs?

Malik Nabers and Malachi Fields are the two top wideouts on the Giants roster. Both are on their rookie deals, so why would they be eyeing a guy like Cam Coleman? Well, because the rest of the WR room is very old or on short-term deals.

Hence, people like Odell Beckham Jr., Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, and Braxton Berrios could pass the baton to a rookie Coleman. However, Coleman is expected to be a first-half of the round pick. It would be a grand investment.

“Like anything, he’s human. There’s a couple misreads, but geez, you know, he’s over 300 yards, four touchdowns, managed the game really well, and was very efficient,” Sark stated during his press conference.

Manning, for his part, revealed that he felt very comfortable with his team’s offensive firepower: “I like how we got a lot of guys involved. Seems like we have a lot of playmakers.”

It will be a pivotal season for No. 16, with many already projecting him as a potential No. 1 pick in the next draft. Will Manning be able to fix his mistakes and make the big leap in his career?

Arch Manning’s numbers against Texas State

Starting his first full year at the helm, Arch Manning couldn’t have scripted a smoother 2026 debut, leading No. 5 Texas to a dominant 59-7 blowout over Texas State. The n.16 was locked in, slinging it for 305 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and completing 20 of 27 passes before taking a well-earned rest early in the third quarter.

Outside of a single end-zone pick right before halftime, he ran the offense with surgical precision, connecting big with transfer targets like Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo to put the Longhorns up comfortably before gear-shifting into next week’s monster matchup against Ohio State Buckeyes.

Keep moving forward

Steve Sarkisian‘s team got off to a strong start to the season, but what lies ahead will be far from easy. Getting into the SEC title race means picking up as many positive results as possible early in the campaign, something the Longhorns will look to secure in their upcoming games:

• Week 2, vs Ohio State (September 12)
• Week 3, vs UTSA (September 19)
• Week 4, at Tennessee (September 26)
• Week 5, vs Oklahoma (October 10) – Cotton Bowl
• Week 6, vs Florida (October 17)

“Texas star left tackle Trevor Goosby had an MRI on his left knee this morning, and he’s been diagnosed with a bone bruise. His timetable for return will come together in near future,” college football insider Pete Thamel reported on X.

Although Goosby is expected to be sidelined and may miss a game, the hope remains he can be back for Sept. 12, when the Longhorns host the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas is well aware of just how crucial Goosby’s role is, and how his absence could affect Manning in the worst way.

Why Goosby is crucial to Manning’s performance

Not only is Goosby the best offensive lineman on campus, but he’s tasked with protecting Manning week in and week out. Playing left tackle and with Manning being right-handed, Goosby is in charge of the signal-caller’s blindside, which is where quarterbacks face the biggest threat from the pass rush.

It takes time to build that trust between a quarterback and his left tackle, allowing the passer to relax in the pocket knowing the offensive line has his back, especially on the side where he has his back turned.

With Goosby, it remains to be seen how long he will be out, with No. 5 Texas hoping he can be back for Week 2’s massive matchup against No. 1 Ohio State. If he misses more time, then his backup will have to step up to the role and protect Manning’s blindside.

Potential replacement for Goosby

If Goosby is unable to suit up for Week 1’s opener against the Texas State Bobcats in Austin, reports suggest Melvin Siani will get the nod at left tackle. Like Goosby, Siani is a redshirt junior who knows his way around college football.

However, Goosby has spent his entire college career with the University of Texas at Austin, whereas Siani is a Wake Forest transfer who previously spent two years at Temple.

That’s how Livingstone wanted it, as he transferred from the University of Texas in Austin to the University of Oklahoma ahead of the 2026 college football season. For the first time since the transfer to the Longhorns’ foes, Manning broke his silence.

Though they shared a dorm in Austin, the heir to football’s royal quarterback family distanced himself from Livingstone’s decision. Manning made it clear this was all Livingstone, that he would have done things differently, and that even he was taken aback by the news of his transfer to Oklahoma. After all, he may not have known his roommate as well as he thought he did.

“I was a little surprised, but Parker’s a good guy. He’s got a good family. Can’t say I would have done the same thing,” Manning admitted during a press conference. “Obviously, we were roommates, so I wish him all the best. Except when we play the [Sooners].”

Manning and Livingstone’s chemistry

Livingstone redshirted his freshman year in 2024, when Arch Manning spent most of the college football season behind Quinn Ewers on the Longhorns’ depth chart. Thus, both roommates entered 2025 thirsty to showcase themselves. From the get-go, the chemistry between Manning and Livingstone was impossible to miss.

Settling into the pressure of being Texas’ No. 1 quarterback, Manning always looked for Livingstone in crucial stages of games. The Longhorns’ most explosive plays were seemingly always the ones in which the ‘roomies’ connected. Livingstone finished the 2025 NCAA campaign third in receiving yards (516 yards on 29 catches), but with the highest average (17.8 yards per catch) and the second-most touchdown grabs (six).

Whenever Livingstone and Manning shared the gridiron, a big play was waiting to happen. Though Livingstone took a detour, Manning holds no grudge against him. Manning admitted he called Livingstone shortly after the transfer, and they remain in good terms.

New weapons for Manning

In 2026, Manning’s receiving corps will look quite different. Two-thirds of his main receivers (DeAndre Moore Jr. and Parker Livingstone) have transferred out of Texas. However, the arrival of Auburn transfer Cam Coleman may make it all worth it.

The Longhorns landed the No. 1 wideout in the transfer portal, and the junior wide receiver could be all Manning needs to take his game to new heights. With the 2027 NFL Draft looming on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be any better for Manning and Coleman to complement each other and skyrocket their stock.

First things first, though. Fans on the Forty Acres demand a championship, and this year may be the best chance Texas has at capturing its first national title since 2005. Arch Manning was less than two years old back then. Needless to say, it’s been a long time coming for the burnt orange.

“The players in that locker room love him. I mean, he’s a guy’s guy,” Sarkisian said to On3. “That was always the thing that I was on him about, and I love this about Arch, but I would say, ‘You need to go lead. You’re the leader.’ He would say, ‘I just don’t feel like I’ve earned it yet.’

“That’s important to him, that he earns everything he gets. But the players were the ones building him up to go lead. They wanted to follow him, and the moment he did, you could see a difference in our team.”

Growing stronger step by step

Being part of a legacy like the Mannings—with stars such as Eli and Peyton—is no easy task. Arch faced excessive criticism and opinions during his debut as QB1 at Texas, but his coach insists he rose to the occasion.

“Ninety-nine percent of kids would have melted last year if they had to endure what he endured, and all Arch did was get stronger,” Sarkisian told On3’s Chris Low.

Improving on his previous season

After a historic 2025 campaign with the Texas Longhorns, Arch Manning enters the 2026 season as the Heisman frontrunner. Last year, he shattered expectations by throwing for 4,103 yards and 38 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions, leading Texas to a dominant 13–1 record.

Boasting an elite 68.4% completion rate, Manning is now focused on improving his mobility after recording 312 rushing yards and 5 scores on the ground. With a veteran core of playmakers returning, he is poised to elevate his dual-threat production even further within Steve Sarkisian’s high-powered system.

What will Manning do with his future?

Although Arch Manning is eligible for the 2027 NFL Draft, the 2026 season may not necessarily be his last at the collegiate level. Currently a redshirt junior, Manning technically holds an additional year of eligibility for 2027 due to his redshirt status in 2023 and limited snaps in 2024.

While he is widely projected as a potential number one overall pick, his family has historically prioritized completing four full years of college development before turning pro. Ultimately, whether he declares for the draft or returns to Austin for a final season will depend on his performance this year and his desire to follow the seasoned path set by his uncles, Peyton and Eli.