Arch Manning was maybe the most hyped college football player of the season. After showing flashes in limited action off the bench in 2024, Manning entered the starting role for the number one team in the country. Analysts, namely Paul Finebaum, were ready to hand him the Heisman right away.
He responded by going 17/30 with one touchdown and one interception, and his team scored seven points and lost. It was an ugly, disappointing game, and it's worth wondering if this should kill the hype for Manning. ESPN's Bill Connelly said it might be an overreaction, but Manning "stinks."
Connelly added, "There might be a little hyperbole there. But it's like Saturday's Texas-Ohio State game -- a 14-7 win for the defending national champs over the visiting Longhorns -- was designed in a lab to maximize the potential takes emanating from it."
"New Texas starting quarterback Arch Manning, after an offseason of limitless hype, laid an egg on national television," he said after praising the defensive effort by Ohio State, led by former NFL coach Matt Patricia as the defensive coordinator.
"Manning was nervous and inaccurate for large portions of Saturday's affair, and when he had time to look for an open receiver, none came open," Connelly said, at least spreading some of the blame around after the Longhorns' dreadful week.
"With Ohio State's all-world safety Caleb Downs lurking in the back, leading returning receivers DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ryan Wingo combined to catch four of 12 passes for 41 yards, and the Buckeyes secondary blanketed Manning's options," he added. That made life difficult for Manning, who looked bad but might've had a couple of excuses. Still, the Heisman campaign and hype train ground to a halt in The Shoe.