Texas quarterback Arch Manning fell back on two go-to responses in his press conferences after the Longhorns 14-7 loss to No. 3 Ohio State on Aug. 30.
"It took a whole half for us to get the ball down the field," Arch Manning said. "That starts with me. We've gotta go back to square one and go prepare for San Jose State."
"That starts with me." Manning used that repeatedly and mixed in, "I gotta play better." He held himself accountable for a rough debut as a full-time starter. He finished 17 of 30 (56.7%) for 170 yards, one TD and one interception. That led to more questions outside the press interview room, where the preseason Heisman Trophy front-runner and heir to the Manning QB legacy is being tabbed a five-star bust.
Be smarter than that, please. It's OK to trust Arch Manning to bounce back, and the family track record can be used here. Peyton Manning and Eli Manning had their struggles in early college starts, too. Arch Manning showed some signs late against the Buckeyes – who have arguably the best defense in college football – that he will be fine heading into the non-conference portion of the schedule.
If it's anything like Peyton and Eli, then Arch will be fine.
MORE: Arch Manning's Week 1 report card isn't pretty
Where Arch Manning needs to improve
Manning had 13 incompletions against Ohio State, He was inconsistent with his accuracy on the road. Five passes were under-thrown, and three passes were over-thrown. He had two low passes, a throw into double-coverage, a red-zone miss and an interception. This is a subjective chart, but it's all over the place. How much of that was because of Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia?
"Their ability to disguise coverages in the first half was at an elite level," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. "I wouldn't say good level, I'd say elite level, and that starts with that they've got Caleb Downs."
Every Arch Manning passing attempt vs Ohio State 🎯
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 31, 2025
What grade would you give his performance in week 1? pic.twitter.com/4yGpm15uoT
It was not all bad. Manning hit three chunk plays in the passing game in Texas' final two drives – including a 28-yard pass to sophomore Ryan Wingo, a 32-yard TD pass to Parker Livingstone and a 30-yard wheel route to tight end Jack Endries. Those were elite throws.
According to Pro Football Focus, he was 3 of 6 for 90 yards on passes of 20 yards or more but just 1 of 5 for 15 yards in the intermediate range. He needs to get better there. He was also 3 of 8 for 54 yards when blitzed – but that did include the TD to Livingstone.
It's just more reps. That was the case with his uncles, too.
| First Half | Second Half | |
| Completions | 5 | 12 |
| Attempts | 10 | 20 |
| Passing Yards | 26 | 104 |
| TD | 0 | 1 |
| Rushing Yards | 13 | 25 |
MORE: Ohio State shows defense still wins championships
How Peyton Manning fared after first start at Tennessee
Manning made his first career start against No. 17 Washington State on Oct. 1, 1994. Manning finished 7 of 14 for 79 yards, but the Volunteers won 10-9. The following week, Manning improved.
He hit 12 of 18 passes for 157 yards and two TDs in a 38-21 victory against Arkansas.
On Oct. 25, 1994, Manning faced his first top-10 opponent in No. 10 Alabama. The Crimson Tide won 17-13. Manning finished 10 of 18 for 138 yards and two interceptions. What did Peyton say afterward?
"I got my first taste of a great rivalry tonight," Manning said. "We played our hearts out. Our game plan was good. We just got beat."
It reads in almost the same cadence as Arch on Saturday. Oh, and Manning won the next three against the Crimson Tide with an average of 260.3 yards per game, seven TDs and one interception.
Peyton finished 2-5 against top-10 teams at Tennessee, and that included three losses to rival Florida.
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Eli Manning found success early at Ole Miss
Like Arch, Eli had to wait for his chance to start. The redshirt freshman passed for 271 yards, five TDs and no interceptions against Murray State in his debut. On Sept. 8, 2001 Eli made his first start against a power conference school.
He was 24 of 39 for 265 yards, one TD and one interceptions in a 27-21 loss to Auburn on Sept. 8, 2001. Manning did nearly rally the Rebels from a 27-0 deficit in that game.
The following week, Manning hit 19 of 36 passes for 268 yards and two TDs. That was part of a five-game win streak that ended in a seven-overtime thriller against Arkansas on Nov. 3, 2001. Ole Miss lost, but Manning finished 27 of 42 for 312 yards and six TDs.
Manning led Ole Miss to a 17-14 upset against No. 6 Florida on Oct. 14, 2002 in his first start against a top-10 team. Manning was 18 of 33 for 154 yards, but the Rebels took advantage of four interceptions by Rex Grossman. Manning finished 1-2 against top-10 teams at Ole Miss.
MORE: The Sporting News 136 ranking after Week 1
Why Arch Manning will bounce back after Ohio State struggles
Tennessee finished 8-4 in Peyton's first season. Ole Miss finished 7-4 with Eli in 2001. Arch is expected to lead Texas to a national title in a completely different era of football. That is why the comparisons are absurd. The expectations around Arch are heightened because of the success Peyton and Eli had at the NFL level – and sometimes it's easy to overlook the growing pains those two QBs had in college.
Arch Manning will get more comfortable the next three weeks. Texas plays San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston. That is more than enough time to improve timing with a loaded group of receivers that includes Wingo, Endries, Livingstone and De'Andre Moore. The offensive line also will build more continuity, and the running back tag-team of Tre Wisner and CJ Baxter will be dynamic. This offense can still be elite, and they will probably show that against San Jose State.
The next game against a ranked team will be a road trip to The Swamp against No. 13 Florida on Oct. 4, which will be followed quickly by the Red River Rivalry against No. 18 Oklahoma on Oct. 11. Arch will have more than enough chances in the spotlight this season – and he might not face a defense as good as Ohio State again. We are confident he will play better moving forward.