David Pollack: Ach Manning ‘not ready for the moment’ as Texas QB vs. Ohio State

Texas fell short on the road at Ohio State during Week 1, losing to the Buckeyes 14-7 in a game that didn’t feature a ton of offense on both sides. The biggest takeaway was the play of Longhorns QB Arch Manning.

However, his season opener didn’t go as expected after throwing for 170 yards, one touchdown and an interception. According to David Pollack on his show, See Ball Get Ball, Manning might not have been ready to meet those expectations at this moment.

“I learned that arch Manning just wasn’t ready for the moment yet,” Pollack said. “And that’s not his fault. I know we were talking about him and all the hopes and all the things, and that’s that’s placed upon him. And everybody talked about him. I heard some grand statements about the generational type of a talent (Manning was).”

From sitting atop Heisman odds this preseason, to having the largest NIL Valuation of any college athlete, to being the top player in the 2023 class, Manning has always had expectations tied to his name. Of course, that comes with having the last name. Many expect him to play football for a long time.

However, this was Manning’s first start in a season opener, or against a top-five ranked team in general. He showed flashes of being the player people believe him to be, but struggled against the elite Buckeyes defense.

“He was sped up. He was hurried. That’s what happens when you go on the road,” Pollack continued. “Man, it’s hard to play on the road, especially at a place like Ohio State with that kind of hype game one. He was off target on about on 30 something percent of his throws, which is not a good number, I would imagine.

“But that’ll be his worst game. Like, period. Will be his worst game of the season, the weapons and him will continue to gel and get better. But the hype was too much. It was not his fault, but he wasn’t ready for that stage yet at this time.”

Manning will have three opportunities to get in reps against, on paper, lower-level competition vs. San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston before beginning SEC play against Florida on the road on Oct. 4. Each of those matchups will prove pivotal for Manning in erasing Week 1’s woes from everyone’s mind, and prove that he’s one of the best quarterbacks college football has to offer.