Trouble Brews for Arch Manning's Texas as ESPN's Stephen A. Smith Delivers Blunt Verdict

The ghosts of Arch Manning's disappointing season seemed to disappear the moment Texas took the field against Texas State, defeating them 59-7. The Longhorns' young quarterback was in command with four passing touchdowns. Still, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has brought a ghost of the past to the celebration, delivering a warning to Manning and head coach Steve Sarkisian. Watch What's Trending Now! 'Last year there was a dereliction of duty. People don't talk about this enough, guys. He [snorts] was more rattled coaching Arch Manning than Arch Manning was rattled quarterbacking the team because everybody walked in with these expectations, and he was so protective of Arch Manning that I'm making the accusation that he was negligent with other facets of the football team,' said Smith in his conversation on ESPN First Take. ADVERTISEMENT Stephen A. Smith went further into the conversation, expressing that while the expectations surrounding Manning are still high, head coach Steve Sarkisian will have to prove his worth as a leader this year, especially against their upcoming opponent, the Ohio State Buckeyes. 'But I'm telling you, Steve Sarkisian's got some stuff to prove. He's got some stuff to prove before I'm able to sit up there and say we should be more confident in Texas than Ohio State,' Stephen added. ADVERTISEMENT Smith has one piece of advice for the head coach: stop treating Arch Manning like a baby and make sure he faces the real threats of the game. Smith made a similar statement back in July as well, when he said, 'If you believe that much in Arch Manning, then don't baby him. Don't pacify him,' While the Longhorns certainly made a statement with their 59-7 victory over Texas State, there were some pain points from the game as well, especially surrounding Arch Manning. ADVERTISEMENT The young QB threw a costly interception right before halftime, though it didn't hurt against Texas State. Last year, Manning struggled heavily against Ohio State, finishing the day 17-of-30 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a 14-7 loss in Columbus. ADVERTISEMENT Interestingly, Paul Finebaum still has faith in Arch Manning. During his appearance on 'Get Up,' he revealed that he had spoken with Steve Sarkisian, and according to the head coach, Manning is doing fine in training. 'I hate to come down on Arch, but he has to have a monster game because that game last year still shadows him a little bit,' Finebaum said. ' Steve Sarkisian told me a couple of months ago that game probably helped Arch Manning more than any other game.' ADVERTISEMENT The insider, however, added that if Manning were to lose his matchup against Ohio State, it would be really bad for both him and the head coach. The young QB will have a chance to prove everyone wrong on September 12, when Ohio State visits Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. Will Manning finally get his revenge, or will there be another upset?