Arch Manning has been headlining talks about the Longhorns‘ performance in this season’s games. But many experts are saying that Manning isn’t Texas’ main weakness. And he won’t be the source of the problem if Texas loses against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
Instead, the weakness may lie squarely with the offense that Manning has to rely on.
The Longhorns are tied for ninth in SEC sacks allowed (for a total of nine.) And they rank sixth in tackles for loss allowed. They’re ranked 15th for third-down conversions in the SEC, 15th for Red Zone conversions, ninth for rushing offense, and tenth for passing offense. These numbers may not hold up against OU’s defense.
Andy Staples & Joel Klatt Are Both Calling Out the Longhorns’ Offensive Line
On3’s Andy Staples, in a recent episode of his Andy & Ari On3 podcast, pointed out the lack of a new offensive lineman in the transfer portal as a big reason why Manning is struggling.
He said: “Perhaps Texas is not putting the best talent around Arch. I said this on the show yesterday, and I’ll say it again. Where I messed up, and it’s where Texas messed up even more. I messed up in thinking because Texas didn’t go to the portal and get an offensive lineman, that they felt like they were in good shape.”
Offensive tackles Cameron Williams and Kelvin Banks Jr., and guard Hayden Conner, were drafted to the NFL, and Malik Agbo transferred to West Virginia. Replacing them has been difficult, to say the least.
Meanwhile, analyst Joel Klatt is laying much of the blame on the Longhorns’ overall offense, believing they’re to blame rather than Manning for many of the issues this season.
In a recent episode of The Joel Klatt Show, he said: “Arch did not play well — but neither did anybody else. And in a lot of cases, it really wasn’t Arch’s fault, because the offensive line was terrible against Florida… That defensive line for Florida absolutely owned the line of scrimmage. Texas couldn’t run the football. They couldn’t pass protect.”
He added: “They’ve got to fix their offensive line. It was as bad as I’ve seen in a while.”
Offensive Injuries Also Aren’t Helping
But in addition to the overall O-line problem, the team’s offensive injuries aren’t helping matters.
CJ Baxter and Quintrevion Wisner were hyped running backs before the season started. But Baxter suffered a hamstring injury in week three and hasn’t played since. At the moment, he’s still listed as doubtful.
Wisner also suffered a hamstring injury in week one, and his return during Florida’s game was not outstanding, with some concerns that his hamstring could still be bothering him. Wisner is expected to play in the Red River game, but how he will do is up for debate.
The good news is that Parker Livingstone — who has been a solid wide receiver for Manning — is expected to be in the game, SI reported. He took a hard hit to his right leg in the game against Florida, but his X-rays were clear.
Meanwhile, the Sooners have developed a formidable defense that could pose a problem for Texas’ struggling offense if they don’t pull things together.
Before Red River Rivalry, Experts Say Texas’ Biggest Problem Isn’t Arch Manning