Arch Manning entered the season with as much hype as you will find in college football. Born into football royalty, Manning took over the Texas starting quarterback job this year after sitting behind Quinn Ewers for the past two seasons. Texas entered as the Number One seed in the AP Poll for the first time in program history, and Manning opened up as the Heisman favorite at +650 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook entering Week 1.
Unfortunately, it was not the desired start to the season the Heisman hopeful imagined.
Ohio State held control of the matchup from just about the start to the finish, with neither offense having much success. The defending National Champions secured a 14-7 win to get their season off on the right track, with their defense giving the Longhorns fits.
Manning was at the epicenter of these struggles, completing just 17 of his 30 pass attempts for 170 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. He also added 10 rush attempts for 38 yards. The 21-year-old provided a late glimpse of hope and made his stat line more respectable, but was erratic with his accuracy all game long. Entering the fourth quarter, he had completed just nine of his 15 pass attempts for 38 total passing yards. Manning did not complete a pass longer than 15 yards until 4:10 left in the game.
Following the frustrating 2025 debut, Arch Manning’s Heisman odds slipped from +650 to +1400 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Expect these odds to remain fluid as the rest of the college football schedule is played out, and with plenty of meaningful football remaining this year. Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik have leaped to the current co-favorites at +700 odds, but there is sure to be some sort of change after the two face off in LSU vs. Clemson’s opening matchup tonight.
Don’t completely write off Arch Manning just yet. It was a tall ask for him to get the season started against the reigning National Champions and one of the best defenses in all of college football. The lack of consistency with his arm was concerning, but his strong fourth-quarter effort will be a positive that Texas can build off. Manning managed to lead Texas to a touchdown drive with 3:28 remaining in the game and got the ball back with 2:26 remaining and a chance to tie. The Longhorns failed to pick up a 4th and 5 with 1:27 remaining to cement the loss, but moved the ball 38 yards and almost crossed the 50-yard line in a timely fashion.
Both Texas and Ohio State will continue to be looked at as legitimate National Championship threats and could meet again in the College Football Playoff if fate aligns. The Longhorns still have high-profile matchups against teams like Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Texas A&M, where Manning will hope for better performances. For the time being, the redshirt sophomore will return to the film room and prepare for Texas’s matchup with San Jose State next week. The Week 1 opener was a huge hit to Arch Manning’s Heisman chances, but there is still plenty of time to right the ship for the star quarterback and Texas as a team.
