COLUMBUS, Ohio – Texas sophomore quarterback Arch Manning made his long-awaited debut as a first-time starter against No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday.
Remember to over-react as hard as possible. The Buckeyes beat No. 1 Texas 14-7 at Ohio Stadium, and Manning struggled in his debut. That is without question. He also was on the road against the defending national champions, and there is a full season worth of forgiveness in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
"I gotta play better for us to win," Manning said afterward.
That progression is worth watching, too. React accordingly.
Manning could not find a rhythm in the first half against a defense that looked just as good as the one that allowed a FBS-low 12.9 points per game and helped the Buckeyes win the national championship in 2024. He hit 5 of 10 passes for 26 yards in the first half, and the Buckeyes led 7-0.
The Longhorns missed two chances to score in the third quarter. Manning was stuffed on a fourth-down sneak, and he threw an interception on a deep pass. From there, he tried to rally the Longhorns back from a two-TD deficit in the fourth quarter. Manning threw a four-quarter TD, but a final two-minute drive fell short.
Arch Manning's stats against Ohio State
Manning finished 17 of 30 passing with 170 yards, a TD and an interception. He added 10 carries for 38 rushing yards.
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Arch Manning's first quarter: C
Manning struggled to settle in early against a rowdy noon crowd of 107,254 at Ohio Stadium. He missed DeAndre Moore Jr. on the first play from scrimmage. Manning picked up a first down on a fourth-and-1 sneak, but the Longhorns' first two drives stalled after false starts.
On Texas' third drive, Manning missed tight end Jack Endries, which led to a three-and-out. Texas was 0 of 4 on third down in the first quarter.
First-quarter stats: 3 of 5, 13 yards, 2 carries, 2 yards
Arch Manning in second quarter: C
Manning didn't get the ball back until there was 8:57 left in the second quarter. He converted Texas' first third down on a third-and-3 and took a nasty shot from Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. That was the Longhorns' only third-down conversion in seven tries in the first half.
Manning tried to hit sophomore receiver Ryan Wingo on a deep pass on the next play in double coverage, which missed, and was sacked on third down by Arvell Reese. The Buckeyes pressured Manning effectively with new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
Arch Manning in two-minute drill: C-
The Longhorns missed an opportunity for points after taking over at their own 47-yard line with 1:54 remaining in the first half. Manning sailed a first-down pass intended for Parker Livington, then made a check-down shovel pass to CJ Baxter on third-and-8 for six yards.
On fourth-and-2 from the Ohio State 45-yard line, the teams traded timeouts, and Texas opted to punt with 43 seconds left in the half. Why did Steve Sarkisian opt to punt there? Those third-down struggles likely factored in. We can't penalize Manning for not getting that chance.
Second quarter stats: 2 of 5, 13 yards, 3 carries, 11 yards
Halftime stats: 5 of 10, 26 yards, 5 carries, 13 yards
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Arch Manning in third quarter: D
We got the answer in the first drive of the third quarter. Manning warmed up by hitting 4 of 4 passes on Texas' first drive, and he preserved a drive with a play that showcased his mobility. On second-and-13, Manning side-stepped a middle blitz by Styles, then scrambled 15 yards for a first down.
He had a quick 9-yard pass to Moore on a run-pass option.
Texas drove into the red zone, and Manning had a pair of runs inside the 10-yard line. On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Manning tried a quarterback sneak but was stuffed at the line of scrimmage.
"Anytime you have fourth-and-inches from the goal line, we gotta have those and I gotta make more of a push because that was a big swing in the game," Manning said.
The Longhorns held and had the ball at the 50-yard line, but a holding penalty forced a second-and-13. Manning under-threw a deep corner route to Wingo, which was intercepted by Jermaine Matthews with 3:01 left in the second quarter. Did the wind knock that down a touch?
The issue here is Texas had two chances to score -- including a red-zone trip -- and came away with no points.
Third quarter stats: 4 of 5, 12 yards, INT; 4 carries, 21 yards
Stats heading into fourth quarter: 9 of 15, 60 yards, INT, 9 carries, 34 yards
Arch Manning in fourth quarter: B-
The Buckeyes increased the lead to 14-0 with 13:08 left in the fourth quarter after a 40-yard TD pass from Julian Sayin to Carnell Tate, which put Texas in hurry-up mode.
Manning hit a perfect 15-yard pass to Livingstone on a deep out. On the next play, Manning threw what appeared to be an interception to Styles on a pass intended for Wingo that was tipped by Matthews at the stem, but the play was ruled an incomplete pass after review.
The Longhorns pushed into the red zone with the help of a 16-yard pass to Endries, but on fourth-and-3 from the 9-yard line Manning just missed Wingo in the corner of the end zone. That marked the second red-zone trip Texas failed to score.
Manning did guide a TD drive by hitting 3 of 4 passes on the next drive with a 28-yard pass to Wingo and 32-yard TD pass to Livingstone. Texas then got the ball back with 2:26 remaining. After a 30-yard pass to Endries, the Buckeyes held on a fourth-and-5.
ARCH MANNING WITH A STRIKE FOR THE TOUCHDOWN ‼️
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) August 30, 2025
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Fourth-quarter stats: 8 of 15, 110 yards, TD 1 carry, 4 yards
Final stats: 17 of 130, 130 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 10 carries run, 38 yards
What's next for Arch Manning?
It's one start – but Manning offered a glimpse of what is to come when he gets the timing down with Wingo, Moore and Endries. He struggled on third down and the Buckeyes' pressure was unrelenting.
Texas also missed several opportunities in plus-territory. Yet Manning did make it a one-score game with a potential game-tying drive late. Treat it as the ultimate learning experience against a top-ranked defense. Manning now can settle in against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston before the Oct. 4 trip to Florida. In short, this was not a flop, and the drop in Heisman hype could turn out to be a blessing.
In other words, our quick reaction is Manning will still have an opportunity to lead an SEC championship and College Football Playoff run. There is nowhere to go but up.