Arch Manning Sends Strong Message After Texas’ Upset Win ...

By Cole SullivanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

The No. 16 Texas Longhorns have now made things very interesting for the College Football Playoff committee after pulling off a stunning upset on Friday night over the previously undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies.

Texas won 27–17 behind its defense, while the offense came alive in the second half after trailing 10–3 at halftime.

Led by quarterback Arch Manning, the Longhorns outscored the Aggies 24–7 after the break. Manning finished 14-of-29 for 179 yards, two total touchdowns, 53 rushing yards, and no turnovers.

He sealed the win with a 35-yard touchdown run on third down with just over seven minutes left, stretching the lead to two scores and putting the Longhorns firmly in control.

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After the game, Manning spoke to the media and echoed the sentiment of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, who emphasized that the Longhorns, despite their three losses, deserve a spot in the College Football Playoff.

“We're a good team… we've played a lot of good teams. We're only getting better, and if you let us in, we can beat anyone,” Manning said postgame. “I really hope this works out because we're trending in the right direction. We're playing our best football. We didn’t even play that well tonight, especially me… but this team never loses the fight. It’s fun to be a part of it.”

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Manning isn’t wrong. The Longhorns are certainly trending in the right direction and playing some of their best football, but it still might not be enough unless they get some help.

While their Week 1 loss to Ohio State isn’t a major setback, defeats to the Florida Gators (3–8) and a 25-point loss to No. 5 Georgia are blemishes that stand out and hurt their overall resume. That said, Texas has also racked up some impressive wins, with the upset over Texas A&M now by far the most significant way to cap off their regular season. The Longhorns will now have to play the waiting game until Dec. 7, when the 12-team College Football Playoff field is announced.

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