The season certainly didn’t start how Texas Longhorns’ fans expected it. Despite being the No. 1 ranked program in the nation, Steve Sarkisian’s team fell to No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes in the most anticipated game of Week 1 of college football.
Adding insult to injury, the Longhorns not only fell to the Buckeyes but their starter, Arch Manning, looked very uncomfortable facing the defense of the reigning national champions.
DEFENDING CHAMPS STILL ON 🔝
NO. 3 OHIO STATE TAKES DOWN NO. 1 TEXAS‼️ pic.twitter.com/4LvV7jl3Bg
— ESPN (@espn) August 30, 2025
Fans were quick to react to Texas’ debacle, with some calling for Steve Sarkisian’s job.
“FIRE SARKISIAN AND HIRE @NickSaban,” demanded one fan.
Others seem to think that Arch Manning is the one to blame.
“Arch let the whole team down Defense only gave up 14 points you should win,” explained someone else.
“Arch Manning exposed?” asked one fan.
“Arch is washed” said someone.
Maybe Texas was overrated?
“Texas should have never been ranked No. 1 the disrespect to the defending champs,” said one fan.
Some fans thought that neither team looked good.
“Both of them frauds,” claimed one person.
“Both teams looked atrocious” complained one individual.
Also Read: 10 Hilarious Arch Manning Jokes That Left Fans in Stitches Over Struggle During Ohio State Matchup
Arch Manning fails to bring Texas offense to life in Week 1 encounter against Ohio State
The Ryan Day ‘s Ohio State Buckeyes ended up winning the game 14-7, in a game that was won in the trenches and in which defense was the name of the game. Both Arch Manning and Julian Sayin had a rather quiet game this Saturday afternoon, with the difference that the Buckeyes signal-caller was by far the safer pair of hands.
Speaking after the game, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian didn’t seem bothered and said that he could see glimpses of greatness in his quarterback’s performance:
“We saw some real flashes and glimpses of the type of player that he’s going to become here,” Sarkisian said in the postgame press conference. “Sure, he’s going to watch the tape and say ‘man, I wish this. I wish that.’ That’s the life of a competitor, but I think there’s a lot to hold onto of what the future is going to look like for Arch Manning here.”
Late in the game, Manning did lead the Longhorns in a succesful four play drive, in which they advanced 60 yards and got on the scoreboard for the first time. The highlight of the drive, was a 32-yard touchdown pass to Parker Livingstone with 3:28 left on the clock.
However, Texas failed to capitalize. While they quickly forced a punt from Ohio State in the next drive, they gave up a turnover on downs in their next possession.
Read More:
- “Arch Manning Wishing He Would Have Hit That Portal”: Fans React As Texas Star Struggles Early Under Pressure vs Ryan Day’s Ohio State
- Arch Manning’s Rude Awakening to Post-Quinn Ewers Era Draws ‘Concerning’ Reaction From Skip Bayless
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