The No. 7 Texas Longhorns entered the weekend coming off a dramatic loss to their rival, the Oklahoma Sooners, last week.
Things only got worse Saturday, as Texas suffered back-to-back losses to unranked opponents, falling to the Florida Gators 27-24 after blowing a 17-3 lead.
Texas is now 4-2 overall, and quarterback Arch Manning struggled again. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown but lost a crucial fumble with roughly two minutes remaining while Texas trailed by three.
Steve Sarkisian Drops Honest Quote on Manning
After the game, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian took most of the blame but acknowledged that Manning and the rest of the team needed to play better.
When reporters asked whether he would consider replacing Manning as the starter, Sarkisian didn’t rule it out.
“We’re not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated,” Sarkisian said, via Inside Texas.
Steve Sarkisian is asked if he thought about replacing Arch Manning:
“We’re not playing good offensive football right now, so everything is going to be evaluated.”
— Inside Texas (@InsideTexas) October 17, 2026
Reporters followed up by asking whether that included Manning, and Sarkisian quickly responded, “Everything means everything.”
Manning’s Ongoing Struggles With Texas
In his second full season as the starter, Manning simply hasn’t lived up to expectations. Some of those expectations have been lofty and perhaps unfair given his last name.
However, after an early-season win over Ohio State at home, things haven’t gone well for the Longhorns’ offense. Manning has played a key role in both losses over the past two games, making costly mistakes late in each contest.
Looking at Texas
The Longhorns will likely drop significantly in the rankings, putting their College Football Playoff hopes in greater doubt.
The Longhorns still have several major SEC matchups ahead, including home games against No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 16 Mississippi State over the next two weeks. They’ll then hit the road to face No. 13 Missouri and No. 22 LSU.
Texas’ Steve Sarkisian Drops Honest Quote on Arch Manning After Florida Loss