After an electric college football win for Texas over Ohio State, Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning found himself in the middle of some serious heat. His head coach was super hyped up, so much so that he just blew off ESPN’s Holly Rowe. That moment created a ton of backlash, and then Manning got pulled right into the controversy. When asked about an AI video showing coach Steve Sarkisian hitting Rowe, Manning actually laughed and confirmed he had seen it! This blew up even more backlash toward the Texas squad. Manning later apologized to Rowe and clearly took a much more conservative approach in his media sessions after that.
The “Fanboys Drooling Over His Sweat” Blame Game
The whole situation sparked a ton of conversation and criticism around Manning, but ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum wasn’t having it. Finebaum absolutely blasted the media members who put Manning in that impossible spot and went hard defending the Texas quarterback. Finebaum didn’t hold back, saying, “Arch made fools out of everybody in that room because they helped make him look like a fool last week with the Holly Rowe situation. They all laughed and he took all of the heat … Don’t criticize the subject if you ask stupid and bogus questions, which I heard on most of those … If you ask Arch Manning a pertinent question, maybe he will answer them. If you don’t sit there like a bunch of fanboys drooling over his sweat, maybe he’ll give something back in return.” He basically laid it all on the media for asking “stupid and bogus questions” and acting like “fanboys.”
A Hard Lesson and a Big SEC Showdown
Listen, this was a tough lesson for Manning, no matter how he got into that mess. In a world where every single word, action, and even a gesture gets put under the microscope, Manning’s honest answer was fair game. Was that question even necessary? Absolutely not, come on. It was about an AI video that never should’ve existed, and that question should’ve been shut down immediately. But Manning answered it, and what transpired was something he was bound to learn from. He’s football royalty, a Manning for crying out loud, but even he isn’t immune to these types of media moments. Heck, his uncle Peyton had his share of interesting mic’d-up moments in the NFL too.
The good news is the page is turning fast: Manning and Texas are off to Tennessee for an afternoon SEC showdown. The top-ranked Longhorns can snag a huge win against a College Football Playoff contender, proving they’re for real this season. You know they’ll be looking to make a statement on the field after all this off-field drama.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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