The University of Texas football program is under scrutiny after back-to-back losses to unranked teams. Quarterback Arch Manning and coach Steve Sarkisian face criticism over offensive performance, though the athletic director defended the program's state.
Sunday, October 25, 2026. Texas hosts No. 7 Ole Miss football game (Austin, Travis County)2
Who's involved
Steve SarkisianTexas football coach
Arch ManningTexas quarterback
Chris Del ConteTexas athletic director
Brian KellyFormer LSU coach, pundit
Josh HeupelTennessee football coach (comparison example)
The facts
Texas is ranked No. 19 with record 4-2, 1-2 in SEC as of Oct. 23, 2026.2
Texas lost 27-24 to unranked Florida at home the prior week.2
Texas lost to Oklahoma 27-24 in Dallas Red River Rivalry on Oct. 10, leading 17-7 at halftime.2
Manning threw a pick-six in the fourth quarter of Oklahoma game.2
Texas ranked No. 1 in polls two weeks before Oct. 23.2
Backup KJ Lacey Jr. received more first-team reps in recent practices.2
Five teams ranked in AP poll's top seven lost in the week prior to Oct. 23, the most ever.2
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Brian Kelly Play-caller takes responsibility; offense should fit Manning's abilities.1
Steve Sarkisian Need to see better version of Manning this week; player is inside the uniform.1
Chris Del Conte Program state is phenomenal; Rome is not burning; expectations high.2
Where the sources disagree
Responsibility for Texas offensive struggles Brian Kelly attributes it to play-caller Sarkisian [1]; USA Today columnist sees blame on both Sarkisian and Manning [1]; Sarkisian attributes it to Manning's execution [1]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Arch Manning saga at Texas gains new critic, and he's blaming Steve Sarkisian
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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