Paul Finebaum spent the better part of the offseason treating Arch Manning like the second coming of Tim Tebow. He called him the most anticipated quarterback since Tebow, praised Texas as having the best roster in the country, and confidently predicted that the Longhorns would steamroll Ohio State in Week One.
Then the game happened, and reality came crashing down on both Manning and Finebaum in equal measure.
Appearing on SportsCenter after Manning’s brutal debut, Finebaum did not backpedal so much as he hit reverse at full speed. “He was underwhelming, he was sub-optimal, just fill in the blank here. Mostly, he was terrible,” Finebaum said. It was a complete 180 from the glowing preseason hype, but the pivot was sharp enough to raise eyebrows. Finebaum went on to say that Manning was “a bust in his first game of this season,” while also insisting that he will not be a bust long term.
He blamed everything from scheme to physical mismatches to the moment itself, but the excuses rang hollow coming from the same analyst who said Texas was ready to compete for a national title right now. Manning, for his part, looked rattled and uncomfortable against a fast, physical Ohio State defense. His turnovers, missed reads, and general lack of poise under pressure were a far cry from the image Finebaum spent the summer selling to the country.
Still, Finebaum tried to salvage the narrative. “There is a lot of time to get better, and I believe he will,” he added, pointing to the expanded 12-team playoff as a reason for long-term optimism. But for now, it is hard to ignore how quickly the hottest offseason has cooled off under the weight of actual football.
Big 12 fans are no strangers to preseason hype getting exposed under the lights. But in this case, it was not just Manning who looked out of his depth. It was Finebaum’s entire Texas forecast that aged about as well as a gas station sandwich.
