Steve Sarkisian could face college football's hardest call as Arch Manning invokes much higher stakes

I don’t imagine Steve Sarkisian thought, three months ago at SEC Media Days, that Texas’ 2026 season would hinge on one October game amid growing concerns about Arch Manning’s struggles on offense.

At the time, Sarkisian was discussing the Longhorns’ need to break through the College Football Playoff semifinals. Now, the conversation surrounding Texas centers on whether Arch Manning can make it through Saturday night’s showdown against Ole Miss without Sarkisian being forced to turn to backup KJ Lacey.