Texas might be fighting for its College Football Playoff life Saturday when it hosts Ole Miss. Just two weeks after ranking No. 1 in the polls, back-to-back losses to unranked teams have pushed the Longhorns into fight-or-flight mode.
While outside perspective on The Forty Acres focuses on coach Steve Sarkisian’s performance and quarterback Arch Manning’s starting spot, internal sentiment differs. Two days before the second half of the season kicks off, the Longhorns’ athletic director evaluated the football program’s current state.
“Phenomenal,” Chris Del Conte told CBS Sports on Thursday.
The rest of college football might see things differently.
The No. 19 Longhorns (4-2, 1-2 SEC) have struggled to score, and Manning has taken the brunt of the fallout, as Sarkisian has promised to “evaluate everything” after last week’s 27-24 home loss to Florida. Backup KJ Lacey Jr. has received more first-team reps in practices over the last two weeks, but Sarkisian is expected to start Manning against No. 7 Ole Miss (5-1, 3-1).
Texas was among the five teams ranked in the AP poll’s top seven to lose last week, the most ever. Del Conte pointed that out while defending Sarkisian.
“We all expect to win every single game,” Del Conte said. “They got good players. We got good players. Things happen within a game.”
He added: “Rome is not burning. Expectations should be high. They’re high for us, too. That’s why you come to University of Texas. But the noise is a lot greater outside than it is in our building, than it is on the Forty Acres.”
Del Conte has backed his coach through a slide before, penning a letter to fans in 2021 asking them not to “splinter or pull apart” during a five-game losing streak. Things aren’t that dire in Austin today, but the context is very different. Texas missed the College Football Playoff in 2025 after starting the season No. 1 in the polls. In July, players openly admitted anything less than a national championship this season would be a disappointment.
Now the Longhorns are on the cusp of missing the playoff again, despite having one of the sport’s most expensive and talented rosters.
The skid began Oct. 10 in Dallas at the annual Red River Rivalry. Texas led Oklahoma 17-7 at halftime and outgained the Sooners 382-238, but the Longhorns melted in the second half and lost 27-24. Oklahoma scored on a blocked punt, then took its first lead when Manning threw a pick-six in the fourth quarter. Manning answered with a throw to Jermaine Bishop Jr. to tie the game, but then threw an interception with 19 seconds remaining, setting Oklahoma’s Tate Sandell up for the game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired.
“I think we got to do a better job, especially me not being loose with the ball,” Manning told reporters after the first loss. “I think we beat ourselves a lot tonight.”
The performance against Florida was perhaps worse. Gators freshman Tramell Jones Jr. made his first career start at quarterback with injured starter Aaron Philo on the sideline. Florida’s defense entered the game allowing the most passing yards in the SEC.
Texas built a double-digit lead again, and then lost.
Manning was sacked five times, the last a strip-sack that ended Texas’ final possession. The Longhorns ran 50 offensive plays, their fewest under Sarkisian, who promised to evaluate himself as a play-caller and Manning as his quarterback.
“Everything means everything,” Sarkisian said after the game. “It would be easy for me to say, ‘Hey, Arch was the problem today.’ Was Arch perfect? No. But nobody was perfect on offense today.”
The evaluation has produced few changes so far. On Monday, Sarkisian reiterated Manning would start against Ole Miss. Sarkisian also said he will keep calling plays.
“I think there’s no doubt about it, Arch can play better for us,” Sarkisian said. “He’s our starter. I need to see a better version of Arch Manning. I need to see a better version of a lot of guys on our offensive football team right now.”
Manning, Archie Manning’s grandson and Peyton and Eli’s nephew, entered the season projected as a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. He threw 15 touchdown passes and two interceptions over Texas’ final eight games last season. He seemed primed to improve after he led the Longhorns back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat then-No. 1 Ohio State 24-23 in Week 2.
But the offense hasn’t hit a second gear, stalling at 22.7 points per game against SEC opponents. Manning threw seven interceptions in 13 games last season, but is up to five picks through six starts this fall.
Texas also feels the loss of its top defensive player. Pass rusher Colin Simmons is expected to miss Saturday with an ankle injury after leading the FBS with 10.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
Parity has ravaged college football this season. UCLA is the only remaining undefeated team from the two most powerful conferences, the Big Ten and SEC. As the conference begins the second half of its schedule, no SEC team holds an unblemished record. It’s the earliest point since 2007 that every team in the conference has suffered a loss.