TL;DR
- * Arch Manning had his best performance against Vanderbilt, reigniting Heisman candidacy talk.
- * Manning was the preseason Heisman favorite but fell off after losses to Ohio State and Florida.
- * A comeback win against Mississippi State kept Manning in the conversation.
- * ESPN, the SEC's broadcast partner, is highlighting Manning's performance.
Just when you thought ESPN couldn’t possibly find a way to hype up Arch Manning, the Texas Longhorns quarterback turns around and has his best performance to date against the Vanderbilt Commodores in front of a raucous DKR Stadium crowd.
ESPN's Sean McDonough claimed Manning’s Heisman candidacy had been reignited during a one-sided, dominant performance against the Commodores in Week 10.
"Arch Manning was the preseason (Heisman) favorite... He's fallen completely off the board.... He's on target again and he might be reigniting candidacy with this performance,” McDonough said with the Longhorns up by two touchdowns in the third quarter.
In the preseason, Manning was the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. That quickly changed after the Ohio State Buckeyes handled Texas in a 14-7 Week 1 win in Columbus, and almost dissipated completely after a 29-21 loss to the Florida Gators.
Had the Longhorns not completed a spectacular comeback in a 45-38 overtime win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs last week in Starkville, this wouldn’t even be a conversation this weekend.
Alas, Manning had over 200 passing yards and tossed two touchdown passes in the first half against Vanderbilt. Manning is currently a popular topic of discussion in that same context.
Whether or not it lasts is another question. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and the Indiana Hoosiers’ Fernando Mendoza have better counting stats and records, with Sayin owning the head-to-head matchup win.
ESPN is the SEC’s broadcast partner, though. So, of course, you’ll hear that Manning is a contender again on their airwaves.