Steve Spurrier calls out preseason Heisman hype for Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier

Texas quarterback Arch Manning and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier entered the college football season as two of the preseason favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Five weeks into the season however and Manning and Nussmeier are nowhere to be found in early season voting for the award.

Manning got off to a rough start in Texas‘ season opener against No. 3 Ohio State, as he passed for just 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Longhorns’ next three games came against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston State, allowing him to pad his numbers a bit. Coming off a bye heading into their SEC opener against Florida, Manning boasts 888 passing yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

Arguably, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has been even more disappointing. Nussmeier, who passed for 300-plus yards in eight games last season, has yet to hit that number in a game this season. His season-high for passing came in a 56-10 win over SE Louisiana, where he totaled just 273 yards.

Through five games, Nussmeier has thrown for 1,159 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. He leads a Tiger offense that is averaging just 27.0 points per game, third worst in the SEC. He was held to just 197 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception in Saturday’s 24-19 loss to No. 13 Ole Miss.

Legendary head coach Steve Spurrier called out the preseason hype for the two Southeastern Conference quarterbacks during the latest edition of ‘Another Dooley Noted Podcast‘.

“Remember in the preseason when they said Arch Manning and Garrett Nussmeier are No. 1 and No. 2?” Spurrier asked. “They’re out of the Heisman talk now.”

There is certainly still time for the arms to right the course and slowly creep back into Heisman conversations, but they are certainly playing behind the 8-Ball. Where those SEC quarterbacks have been disappointing, others have stepped up in their absence to fill the Heisman Trophy talk void. Ole Miss‘ Trinidad Chambliss, Vanderbilt‘s Diego Pavia and Alabama‘s Ty Simpson have all catapulted into the top-10 of voting due to strong performances so far this season.

Manning will start his second ever SEC game on Saturday against a struggling Florida team, led by another disappointing quarterback in DJ Lagway. LSU and Nussmeier are on a bye this week, but he will look to bust out of his slump on Oct. 11 at home against South Carolina.