Should Texas Bench Arch Manning After Second Straight Loss?
Texas quarterback Arch Manning faces mounting pressure and potential demotion after the seventh-ranked Longhorns suffered a 27-24 loss to unranked Florida on October 17, 2026, dropping their record to 4-2 and leaving the team's season prospects uncertain.
Consecutive Losses Equal Score
One week after losing 27-24 to its archrival Oklahoma, Texas returned to Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday and posted the exact same losing score against a reeling Florida squad. The Gators played without their starting quarterback and best wide receiver, yet stunned 103,989 fans in Austin by erasing early deficits and handing the Longhorns their second straight defeat to an unranked opponent.
Texas fell to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in SEC play, while Florida improved to 5-2 and 3-2 in the conference. The loss also ended a 22-game home winning streak for the Longhorns against unranked opponents. Adding to the physical toll, Texas lost edge rusher Colin Simmons to a leg injury early in the third quarter.
Evaluating Every Roster Option
Head coach Steve Sarkisian acknowledged the severity of the offensive slump during his postgame remarks. The sixth-year coach stated that every position is subject to review ahead of the team’s upcoming home game against Ole Miss.
“We’re not playing great offensive football right now, so everything is being evaluated,” Sarkisian said. When specifically asked if evaluation included the possibility of benching Manning, Sarkisian replied, “Everything means everything.”
Heavy.com reported that Manning struggled significantly during the contest, including a fumble on the final drive that eliminated a potential game-tying or winning scoring opportunity. Analysts cited by Heavy.com noted that Manning’s professional prospects may have changed, with one suggesting he would likely be a project on a quarterback-desperate franchise.
Texas Risks Missing the College Football Playoff
The current struggles stand in stark contrast to the start of the 2026 campaign, when Texas climbed to No. 1 in both major polls following a comeback victory over Ohio State. Entering the year with one of the five largest payrolls in college football, the Longhorns now risk missing the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year.
Sarkisian defended his quarterback prior to Saturday’s defeat by pointing out the immense weight of the player’s family legacy. “I think if you took the name off the back of his jersey and you said, ‘Here’s Joe Smith playing quarterback at the University of Texas and here’s a guy who’s beaten four top-10 ranked teams in his last 13 starts,’ we’d be praising the guy,” Sarkisian remarked earlier in the season, according to Heavy.com. “But the expectations are high for him, and he understands that.”
With consecutive losses for the first time since a 5-7 campaign in 2021, the coaching staff faces critical roster decisions as conference play continues.