The Texas Longhorns kicked off the 2025 season with massive expectations and a strong roster. But college football analyst Josh Pate isn’t sold on the idea yet. After two games of juggling some ups and downs, Pate laid out a specific critique which seems to cause Texas fans to wonder if the Longhorns have what it takes to make the College Football Playoff.
Texas’ season started on a disappointing note with a 14-7 loss to Ohio State on Aug. 30. While the defense kept Texas competitive against a ranked opponent, the offense obviously struggled. The offensive concerns carried over in their 38-7 victory over San Jose State as Pate was puzzled by some of the patterns he saw despite the score suggesting a Texas win.
“(Texas) Still a contender,” Pate acknowledged during his show (0:58).
“I’d give Texas a B-minus. I still don’t fully believe in that offense, something is just it’s not there,” Pate stated bluntly.
“I know there’s injury concern with Arch a little bit. Defense is good. Okay, defense is going to be there. But yesterday, San Jose State, outside of busted coverage plays, there just wasn’t a lot to love about what I watched. Now, again, early in the season, a new starter at quarterback. That’s fine. We’re not even at the quarter poll. I think that’ll come this week,” he further elaborated.
The critique comes at an important time for Steve Sarkisian’s program. Now ranked No. 7 in the country with a record of 1-1, there is a lot of pressure on Texas to see if they belong as one of the best programs in college football. The highly-touted sophomore quarterback Manning carries all that expectation.
Josh Pate Feels Texas Has Room for Improvement
The Longhorns meet UTEP on Sept. 13, then they’ll take on Sam Houston State and have a chance to sort out their strategies.
The schedule gives Texas a great opportunity to solidify their offensive identity. The continued growth of Manning is a critical piece of that improvement, especially considering the injury issues Josh Pate talked about.
“They play UTEP. Then they got Sam Houston. So, I mean, the next really, really tough game they have is not till October, and that’s at Florida. Then they play Oklahoma the next week. So, right now, B minus for Texas. Plenty of room to improve,” Pate graded the Longhorns (1:26).
The defense tells a completely different story. The Longhorns limited San Jose State to just seven points of total offense and created several important stops during the game. Young talent like Maraad Watson anchors a defensive front that is never afraid to pressure the quarterback.
Also Read:
- Texas HC Steve Sarkisian Drops Blunt Response On Arch Manning’s ‘Rapport’ With Ryan Wingo Ahead Of Week 3 Matchup vs UTEP
- Is Arch Manning Injured? Steve Sarkisian Sets Record Straight On Viral Clip Showing Texas QB’s Struggle vs SJSU
- Paul Finebaum Puts Arch Manning Hype On Pause Despite Texas QB’s Massive 4-TD Statline vs SJSU
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