Paul Finebaum Questions Arch Manning After Loss to Oklahoma

Paul Finebaum voiced skepticism about Arch Manning following Texas’ recent defeat to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. This loss resulted in the Longhorns losing their No. 1 national ranking after a 27-24 defeat at the Cotton Bowl. The Sooners overcame a 10-point halftime deficit, intercepting Manning twice in the fourth quarter.

Finebaum, who previously praised Manning as a potential Heisman Trophy contender, expressed his concerns about the quarterback on “The Matt Barrie Show.” He commented, “We showed arrogance in believing that Arch Manning could do anything. And he almost did, except he finally got in the way of himself. I was really troubled by how he had played up to this point. I came away thinking, ‘I don’t know what this guy is going to do.’ Because he is not the elite player that we all tried to make him out to be.”

Manning demonstrated moments of brilliance in the SEC matchup, completing 19 of 31 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. However, the former five-star recruit has not yet reached a superstar level, averaging 7.7 yards per pass attempt during his junior year.

Finebaum noted that the 22-year-old lacks sufficient consistency to be considered an elite passer. “He can be great in moments, as we saw near the end of the game when he threw that great play that set up the touchdown,” Finebaum added. “But he can just be downright stupid in others.”

While Manning led a 75-yard drive to tie the game at 24-24 with 3:35 remaining, the Longhorns managed only 64 combined yards across four other fourth-quarter drives. His second interception in the final minute enabled Tate Sandell to secure the win for Oklahoma with a 47-yard field goal as time expired.

Manning and the Longhorns aim to bounce back when they host the Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon.