As the season approached, many members of the Manning family were urging caution regarding the excitement surrounding Arch Manning’s inaugural year as a starter at Texas, and it seems the betting crowd might have benefitted from listening to the wise words of the senior Mannings.
Arch’s debut as the starting quarterback for the top-ranked Longhorns occurred in a challenging environment against third-ranked Ohio State, where the junior experienced significant difficulties in a 14-7 defeat. Manning completed 17 of 30 passes for 170 yards, one touchdown, but also threw a troubling interception in the third quarter.
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Although the overall statistics weren’t disastrous due to a couple of late significant plays, it was a tough first start for Manning that dimmed his public image as the potential next elite quarterback in college football.
This was particularly evident in the betting odds, as after beginning the day as the 5-1 frontrunner to secure the Heisman Trophy at DraftKings Sportsbook, Manning saw his odds drop to seventh at 18-1, falling behind new frontrunner Garrett Nussmeier (8-1).
Revised Heisman Trophy odds
It’s worth mentioning that if there was a suitable moment to underperform in the Heisman race, it’s during Week 1 on the road, but Manning will need to deliver standout performances to wipe this outing from the minds of voters as the season progresses. With that said, anyone holding a preseason Heisman bet on Manning will likely be discarding that after Saturday.
More crucially for Texas, Manning must find his rhythm and perform significantly better if the Longhorns aspire to meet their objectives this season. The Texas defense appeared solid enough against Ohio State, but they received little support from their offense.
