Arch Manning and Texas hit a new low with back-to-back losses to unranked opponents
After starting 4-0, the Longhorns have suffered two consecutive losses, with Manning playing terribly this week
The Texas Longhorns hit an alarming new low on Saturday after suffering a second consecutive agonizing setback, falling 27-24 to unranked Florida at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium .
The shocking defeat closely mirrored their 27-24 loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry just seven days prior, sending shockwaves across the college football landscape and virtually guaranteeing that Texas will plummet completely out of the top 12 Playoff bracket in the upcoming AP Top 25 poll .
The dramatic collapse is particularly devastating given the sheer difficulty of the remaining schedule for head coach Steve Sarkisian's squad. Over the next month, the Longhorns face a brutal SEC gauntlet featuring back-to-back home clashes against ranked foes in Ole Miss and Mississippi State, followed by daunting road trips to battle Missouri and LSU .
The loss ended a 22-game home winning streak vs. unranked teams for Texas, which became just the third team in AP Poll history , since 1936, to be ranked No. 1 and then lose consecutive games to unranked opponents, according to ESPN Research .
Arch Manning Struggles Under Pressure in Back-to-Back Losses
At the center of Texas' sudden downward spiral are the ongoing struggles of starting quarterback Arch Manning , whose sophomore campaign has taken a major hit over the last fortnight.
After mounting an impressive start to the season highlighted by strong statistical outings in wins against Ohio State and Tennessee , Manning's rhythm has vanished under the weight of relentless defensive pressure and costly mistakes.
Against Oklahoma, Manning tossed two costly interceptions while completing just 19 of 31 passes , and those turnover issues followed him into Saturday's loss to Florida, where a late fourth-quarter fumble inside Texas territory extinguished a 17-3 Longhorns lead and allowed the Gators to complete a stunning comeback.
Through six games this season, Manning's cumulative numbers reflect a signal-caller in the midst of a steep learning curve against SEC competition. While he has accumulated 1,326 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes, his six interceptions and three lost fumbles across six starts have put enormous strain on the Texas defense.
Across these back-to-back defeats, the Longhorns' offense has converted on just 6-of-27 third-down opportunities , underscoring a complete breakdown in execution during high-leverage situations.
With their national title hopes now hanging by a thread and top-ranked SEC opponents looming, Sarkisian and his staff must conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the offense before their upcoming matchup against Ole Miss.
