In his first game as the starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns, Arch Manning had a less-than-memorable game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Manning and Texas lost to the defending national champions, with the quarterback throwing 17/30 for 170 yards, an interception, and the Longhorns’ lone touchdown.
Now heading into Week 2 against San Jose State, Manning and Texas expect to win handily and return to the top of the AP Rankings. Head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders, sent a message to Manning ahead of what he hopes to be a bounce-back game.
“Be you,” Sanders said. “Don’t placate to others, be you, and be the best you that you could possibly be.”
It didn't go Arch Manning's way in Week 1:
17/30
170 Pass Yds
1 INT
1 TD pic.twitter.com/EIGTh7QEHg— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) August 30, 2025
Sanders understands the expectations placed on quarterbacks with a family history of success in football. His son, Shedeur Sanders, has been one of the most criticized and covered players in both college football and the NFL over the past few years.
Deion Sanders’ Message To Arch Manning
Though beginning his junior year, Manning appeared in just 11 games in his first two years with the Longhorns, with only two starts, while he was behind Quinn Ewers.
Now the leading man for one of the biggest programs in the country, Manning entered the season as a Heisman candidate and Texas as a top national champion favorite. But after the 0-1 start, the pressure has quickly begun to build for the 21-year-old.
Sanders understands the type of pressure Manning is facing on the Longhorns. His message to the quarterback was to continue to be himself, regardless of how he is discussed in the media.
“Quit trying to be whatever it is for them,” Sanders said. “And not that [Manning’s] doing that, but that’s what I told my sons. That’s what I tell my team. That’s what I tell everybody.”
“There’s so many people trying to pretend and trick or treat right here. It ain’t even Halloween and be something that they’re not,” Sanders added. “The way you succeed in life is to be the best you that you could possibly be consistently.”
Texas’ 14-7 loss to the Buckeyes marked the first time in 35 years a preseason number one team lost in Week 1. While Ohio State was ranked third and coming off a national championship, the o-1 start isn’t what Longhorns fans wanted or expected, especially considering Manning’s stat line.
Colorado After The Week 1 Georgia Tech Loss
The Buffaloes lost their Week 1 matchup to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, in part due to poor clock management near the end of the game. Speaking about his decision-making, Sanders said if the team had made better plays earlier in the game, the criticism of his play-calling in the fourth would not have received as much attention.
“If we hit the darn plays, we wouldn’t be asking these questions. We had the plays. We just didn’t make it happen,” Sanders said. “Do you call a timeout there? No, you’re right there. You don’t call a timeout there. You’ve got to go. You’ve got to go. You’re running tempo.”
In their 27-20 loss to Georgia Tech, Colorado was led by transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter, who completed 17 of his 28 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. In the days after the game, Sanders announced that he expects to play five-star freshman Julian Lewis in their Week 2 matchup against Delaware.
“He’s playing. He’s playing this week for sure,” Sanders said during his Tuesday press conference.
Lewis arrived at Colorado as the highest-rated quarterback in school history. The number ten quarterback in the nation committed to Colorado in November 2024 and expects to get snaps against their FCS opponent.
After two Week 1 losses to formidable opponents, both Texas and Colorado are entering a lighter part of their schedule, both hoping to bounce back in a year with high expectations.
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