Texas quarterback Arch Manning is heading into his first season as the full-time starter for the Longhorns. He has a lot of hype around him, with some analysts anointing him as the best QB in college football. However, there are others who think he could go through some early struggles, partially because of a tough first matchup.
On Saturday, analyst Emory Hunt appeared on CBS Sports and predicted that the Texas Longhorns would lose their first game of the season against Ohio State.
“I can see this one from a mile away,” Emory Hunt said (0:55). “Give me that Texas-Ohio State game. I think that’s where the first loss happens for Texas. And the reason why, Ohio State’s defense does a great job versus the mobile quarterback and that’s what Arch Manning is. I think that’s gonna be the matchup for Arch Manning to overcome.
“This is his first time playing a full game first this caliber of opponent. I made jokes all summer about how he racked up these TDs and big plays against less opponents, but this is a big-time opponent. He’s gonna play the full game. They’re gonna throw the kitchen sink at him and the reason why I like this for the first loss for Texas because they have all offseason to focus on one opponent. This is why you want to play the best teams in Week 1 or Week 0 because you have all spring and summer to prepare.
“I think Aug. 30, they’re gonna lose a close game and people will flip out about how Arch Manning wasn’t that good and that’s not the case. This is just a tough matchup in your opener.”
Arch Manning Is the Heisman Favorite Entering the 2025 Season
Despite never starting a full season of college football before, Arch Manning is the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. He has +700 odds to win the award, which puts him ahead of his two closest contenders, Clemson QB Cade Klubnik and LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, who have +900 odds.
The hype for Manning comes from a lot of places. Part of the reason is undeniably because of the fact that he is related to former NFL star QBs Peyton and Eli Manning. However, Manning has also shown that he has incredible athletic ability, performing well when Quinn Ewers was injured last season.
Manning will have a tough test in his first game this season against Ohio State. If he can help the Longhorns pull off the win, the hype will only get bigger.
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