COLUMBUS, Ohio — With two Texas state troopers on his hip and tears welling in his eyes, Arch Manning took one last glance toward the Ohio State fans hanging above the tunnel as he exited Ohio Stadium here Saturday.
It’s a sight that may stick with him forever, a sort-of nightmarish portrait — a blanket of Scarlett-clad kids having rotated upside down their balled fists, extended index fingers and outstretched pinkies.
Horns down.
In one of the most anticipated moments for any quarterback in the annals of college football history, Arch, the kid with the famous last name, the former five-star talent, the latest product from the first family of football quarterbacks, experienced a veritable nightmare.
No matter what happens next — remember, Texas is still very much alive to win everything — this is how Arch Manning’s debut as the Longhorns starting quarterback will forever be enshrined in the history books: Ohio State 14, Texas 7.
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The christening of the next great Manning, the first chapter in what so many predict to be a legendary career, did not go as planned. Unless, of course, you were Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes’ crafty first-year defensive coordinator and former NFL head coach who schemed well enough to make the Longhorns look silly at times.
For instance, Manning didn’t complete a pass longer than 10 yards in the air until the fourth quarter. He missed his receivers wide, threw short and long of them, tossed a costly interception and overall seemed rattled.
Despite only throwing nine college touchdowns entering the game, Manning was the preseason betting favorite for the Heisman. By the third quarter, he was fourth betting favorite.
Perhaps it was all those lofty expectations. Maybe it was the more than 107,000 here roaring with every Manning misstep. Or a defensive secondary that, at least in the first half, clearly confused the third-year sophomore QB.
The truth: It was everything, all of it toppling onto his shoulders, weighing him down and forcing him into costly miscues.
But don’t write him off yet, his coach said afterward. After all, this is a small sample size, maybe even a one-game aberration on the road at the defending national champs. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian says he’ll board the plane to Austin with positive feelings for the way his team — and Arch — fought in the second half, the way he grew. He sees encouragement.
“The growth throughout the game for Arch was really encouraging. We are going to be fine,” Sarkisian said. “For Arch, the expectations were out of control on the outside. I’d say let’s finish the book before we judge him. That’s one chapter.”
An unforgettable one for the Buckeyes, no doubt.
