AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has troubles.
The preseason No. 1 is now unranked. Preseason Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback Arch Manning has struggled and is taking a beating behind an offensive line that
can't protect him.
Next up: resurgent No. 6 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl in one of the great rivalries in college football. And the Sooners will be eager for payback after taking a beating in Dallas last season.
After two consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff, the Longhorns' season is on the brink at the midway point. The Longhorns (3-2, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) were beaten by Florida last week and now try to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since 2021.
“There’s no such thing as a championship team without going through some adversity,” said Texas safety Michael Taaffe, who also predicted the Longhorns were about to go on a “crazy run” to put the season back on track.
“The only ranking that matters is at the end of the year," Taaffe said.
What ails Texas starts with Manning, who has struggled to live up to the hype.
Manning's 16 total touchdowns and 1,151 yards passing stand up as respectable. But they belie a 60% completion rate, indecisive throws and misfires of open receivers.
Manning has had his moments, and put up a gritty performance against Florida, but he and the entire offense have been inconsistent at best.
A rebuilt offensive line has had him constantly on the run and is committing penalties at an alarming rate. The Gators sacked Manning six times and held the Longhorns to 52 yards rushing.
Still, Manning earned praise from coach Steve Sarkisian and his Longhorns teammates for playing hard while taking so many hits last week.
“I found out he’s a tough dude," Sarkisian said. “He stood in there and showed a lot of contact courage ... Does he need to play better? Sure. We need to play better around him.”
The defense has yet to deliver on its potential as well. A unit led by preseason All-Americans Colin Simmons, Anthony Hill Jr., and Taaffe dominated San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston. But it has no sacks in two games against Power 4 opponents and got pushed around by the Gators, who also ripped the secondary for big plays.
Rivalry week could be a scary prospect for a struggling team, and yet it may be just what Texas needs.
Beat Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0) and the Longhorns are back in the thick of the SEC title chase. And that's the first step into getting the Longhorns back into the march toward the 12-team playoff. Texas made it to the conference title game with one loss last season.
“We’ve got a talented group. We're going to get better each week. We’re going to be tough to beat,” Manning said. “We’re going to play better than (against Florida). I feel confident about that.”
But lose to Oklahoma and the panic in Austin hits new levels in a season that could threaten to mirror 2010.
That year, Texas was coming off an appearance in the 2009 national championship game. The Longhorns started the season No. 5 behind quarterback Garrett Gilbert, a 5-star recruit expected to be the next big thing after Heisman Trophy finalist Colt McCoy.
Texas started 3-0 but was showing early cracks in the armor before cratering to a 5-7 finish.
“You're never going to feel great after a loss, but it's a time to come together,” said defensive lineman Hero Kanu, who transferred from last season's national champion Ohio State. “I need to lean on my brothers right now.”
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