Arch Manning’s debut as the Texas Longhorns' starting quarterback was a rough one.
Manning, who is the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, struggled in his Longhorns debut, especially in the first half, when he only completed five passes for 26 yards.
In the second half of the game, especially in the closing minutes of the game, Manning started to show why he is the Heisman front-runner.
He made a couple of impressive throws, including a touchdown pass and runs that should give Longhorn fans some hope that all is not lost; in fact, it was probably the best thing to happen to him.
Coming into this game, the expectations were high. Paul Finebaum said he might be the best player coming into the SEC since Tim Tebow. That’s a lot of pressure for a guy who is having his first real road game as a starter against the defending national champions.
Manning didn’t live up to the hype, and that’s probably a good thing. Now, the pressure is off of him and the Longhorns. The hype is over, and now Manning can just go out and play and prove all his naysayers wrong.
ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers warned this could happen because most of the teams he faced weren’t the quality of Ohio State, and when he faced Georgia, he struggled.
Texas has struggled in big games like this, so it shouldn’t be a surprise, but the Longhorns still have a long way to go. The key for Manning is to learn from this and come back better and continue to grow.
This disappointment of the team and their quarterback shouldn’t do anything but help them if they handle it right. Now that the pressure is off and expectations are gone, all they have to do is just play.