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Paul Finebaum evaluates Texas’ title hopes with Arch Manning as starting QB
By Crissy Froyd
Published:
Paul Finebaum still sees Texas as a contender for the national championship in 2024, even if Arch Manning has to step in for an injured Quinn Ewers.
Texas has established itself as a top contender for the national title alongside other programs such as Georgia and Ohio State.
Ewers entered Week 2 as the Heisman Trophy favorite, but had to leave Texas’ Week 3 game with an injury. Manning stepped in and lit it up in the 56-7 win over UTSA. He finished the game 9-for-12 passing, throwing for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Even if Texas has to go to its backup quarterback, Finebaum believes the Longhorns are still strong contenders.
“I don’t think they really change,” Finebaum said of Texas’ title odds with Manning under center. “I think he is equal to Quinn Ewers in terms of what he can do … Now, the one thing he doesn’t have is the experience and what would maybe be even more remarkable is that the Heisman favorite at this moment in time gets replaced and doesn’t get his job back.”
With the way Steve Sarkisian does things, Finebaum doesn’t see it likely for Ewers to lose his job out of the gate.
“I think he will get his job back, because that’s the way Sark rolls in Austin, but I don’t think it really matters who the quarterback is in Austin,” Finebaum continued. “They are a really outstanding team and they’ll probably be the No. 1 team in the country by the end of this day.”
With perhaps the most talented starting QB-backup QB tandem in the nation, Texas is a fine position as the current top team in the country to make a run for it all.
Crissy covers SEC football news for Saturday Down South.
