The Arch Manning Heisman hype may have run its course, and even one of his biggest advocates has had to take a step back. Paul Finebaum, who had been leading the charge in pushing Manning as a legitimate candidate, has now admitted the campaign has stalled.
The turning point came after Texas’ loss to Ohio State, a game where Manning was out of rhythm and the Longhorns were exposed under the brightest lights. Manning’s performance was subpar against Ohio and made him an easy target for critics.
Even though he made a strong comeback against the San Jose State Spartans, Finebaum expressed his concerns around Arch Manning’s performances.
“I have been leading the parade on Arch Manning. We all know that. I’m backing up a little bit. I am not that impressed,” Paul Finebaum said. “The bottom line is Arch Manning is not playing like an elite quarterback. He’s barely playing like a pedestrian quarterback.” (3:50)
Finebaum acknowledged Manning’s performance against San Jose State, but he didn’t give much weight to it. He believes that a great quarterback, especially someone worthy of the Heisman, should be in control of their game instead of having momentary outbursts.
“Is he in the Heisman race? No. Arch Manning is not in the Heisman race as of today,” Finebaum added.
Even though Paul Finebaum tried to include a larger section of the media in the act of ‘jumping the gun’, Stephen A. Smith was quick to remind him that he was not a part of it. Smith outlined that it was only Finebaum who made his decision too early by picking Arch Manning.
Paul Finebaum Criticized Steve Sarkisian for His Inappropriate Response
During the Texas Longhorns’ last game, Arch Manning was seen struggling with his shoulder. As the quarterback threw the ball, the cameras caught him with an uncomfortable reaction on his face that suggested he was in pain.
When coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about the same during the press conference, he gave a bizarre response.
“He doesn’t have any [problems],” Sarkisian said. “I’ve never filmed any of you guys when you use the bathroom. So, I don’t know what faces you make when you’re doing that.”
While discussing Sarkisian’s answer on First Take, Paul Finebaum said that he didn’t like the inappropriate response from the coach.
“I thought they were completely and totally inappropriate. And this is coming from someone who is a big fan of Steve Sarkisian. But, what was the point of that?” Finebaum said.
Paul Finebaum stated that if Manning didn’t have any problems, the coach should’ve simply answered that and moved on. Instead, he created a drama out of that situation with his bizarre bathroom analogy.
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