‘Arch Manning Needs to Come Back,’ ‘Another Year Won’t Help Him’ — Fans Push Back on Robert Griffin III After Texas’ 27-24 Loss to Oklahoma

Texas quarterback Arch Manning threw three touchdown passes Saturday in Dallas, but his two fourth-quarter interceptions led to 10 of Oklahoma’s points in a 27-24 upset of the top-ranked Longhorns.

After Tate Sandell’s 47-yard field goal won it on the final play, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III wrote on X that the loss showed why Manning should play another college season.

Manning redshirted in 2023 and has eligibility through the 2027 season, and Griffin, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor, has made the case for using it since late September.

Fans React to Robert Griffin III Urging Arch Manning to Return

“And that’s why Arch Manning needs to come back for another year of college football,” Griffin wrote.

Griffin made the same argument on The Herd with Colin Cowherd in late September, when Texas was 4-0. Quarterbacks who are ready for the NFL make college football look easy, he said, and “it doesn’t look easy for Arch yet.”

Manning hit Cam Coleman for a 41-yard touchdown and Ryan Wingo for a 34-yarder as Texas built a 17-7 halftime lead. The Longhorns then punted on their first four possessions of the second half as Oklahoma pulled even at 17, and Peyton Bowen’s 42-yard interception return for a touchdown put the Sooners ahead 24-17 with just over 10 minutes left.

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Manning’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Bishop Jr. tied it at 24 midway through the fourth quarter. After Gianni Spetic missed a field goal wide right with less than two minutes to go and Oklahoma went three-and-out, Courtland Guillory intercepted Manning with 19 seconds remaining. Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer’s completions of 13 and 20 yards to Isaiah Sategna III set up Sandell.

“Texas don’t want him and we don’t need him,” one Texas fan replied to Griffin.

Manning chose to stay once already, returning for a second full season as coach Steve Sarkisian’s starter after improving through 2025.

Before last season’s Citrus Bowl, Manning explained why. “There’s no reason to leave. I feel like I got a lot more football left to play, and excited to still be a part of this team.”

Another fan saw Sarkisian as part of the problem and said Manning needs to go pro. “Texas isn’t winning anything with him at the helm. Problem is they likely won’t with Sark in charge either, and he’s not going anywhere.”

Running is part of Manning’s game. He ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns, including a 60-yard score, in the 41-27 Citrus Bowl win over Michigan, but he carried seven times for 20 yards Saturday.

“He needs to come back…with a different coach,” another wrote, calling for one who would use Manning’s strengths instead of taking them away.

Manning’s Numbers and Questions About His Progress and His Name

Manning’s 2025 season ended on an upswing, with 14 touchdown passes and two interceptions over Texas’ final six games against power-conference opponents. He entered Saturday with 862 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions through four games, then went 19-of-31 for 260 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against Oklahoma.

Before Saturday, our PFN Impact metric graded Manning in the top half of FBS quarterbacks this season, with his PFN Impact grade of 79.1 ranking 55th of 165 graded and qualified quarterbacks. But that’s really all it says: top half of ALL QBs; 55th isn’t the stuff a first-round QB is made of.

“Another year won’t help him, he isn’t getting better,” one fan wrote, adding that Manning looks the same and makes the same mistakes.

Griffin has pointed to the expectations that come with the name, saying on The Herd that Manning was still feeling “that pressure of having to go out and throw for 350 yards and five touchdowns every single game to justify the attention that he gets because of the name on the back of his jersey.”

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“If the guy’s name was Joe Smith he wouldn’t even be remotely considered for the 1st round,” another fan wrote after watching the finish.

USA Today’s Paul Myerberg made a related point after the game, writing that Manning has played like an SEC starter only a bit better than average, one whose recruiting status and last name have likely helped his job security.

Looking Ahead in Week 7 to Florida

Texas (4-1, 1-1 SEC) returns to Austin for next Saturday’s Week 7 game against Florida (4-2), which has lost two in a row. The Longhorns then host Ole Miss and Mississippi State before trips to Missouri and LSU.

PFN’s College Football Playoff Meter, as of Oct. 10, 2026, gave Texas a 72.2% chance to beat Florida and an 84.5% chance to make the playoff in the event of a loss to Oklahoma.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.