"Texas would have been defending champion instead of OSU": Paul Finebaum incessantly pilots Arch Manning hype train with bold remarks

ESPN's Paul Finebaum gave more bold claims regarding Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning ahead of the 2025 season. The analyst said he believes Texas would've won a national championship last season if Manning had the starting role.

"He should have played more, and had he played more, it's very possible that Texas would be the defending champions right now instead of Ohio State, because Quinn Ewers was awful," Finebaum said on Wednesday (02:56), via "First Take." "He made a mess out of that game against Ohio State in the semifinals of the Cotton Bowl."

Finebaum also criticized Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian for allowing Quinn Ewers to lead the team over Manning. Ewers ranked 14th in the nation in passing yards with 293 completions for 3,472 and 31 touchdowns.

On Jan. 10, he played his last game with Texas in its 28-14 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl. Ewers completed 23 of 39 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. His performance in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff drew criticism from analysts like Shannon Sharpe.

Sarkisian announced that Manning will have the starting role for the upcoming season, following Ewers' declaration for the 2025 NFL draft. Finebaum has expressed his optimism that the sophomore quarterback will be successful despite the skepticism of his peers.

He claimed on the July 1 episode of "Get Up" that Manning is the best quarterback in college football since Tim Tebow. However, he received a pushback from ESPN's Heather Dinich.

The Longhorns fan base is hopeful that Manning can live up to Finebaum's expectations and help the team win a national championship.

Paul Finebaum addresses the skepticism of Arch Manning's lack of experience as a starter for the Texas Longhorns

Fans who have doubts about Arch Manning becoming a top quarterback in the nation have pointed out his lack of experience. Paul Finebaum responded to the criticism, saying that he feels Manning is ready for his new role with the Texas Longhorns.

"He's a great student," Finebaum said on Wednesday (03:23), via "First Take." "Is that because he's a Manning? No. That's what Steve Sarkisian told me yesterday. Nobody is better prepared. Nobody has been studying the game longer. He texts every day with Archie Manning."

He also believes Manning has a reasonable chance of winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Manning recorded 61 completions for 939 yards and nine touchdowns in his freshman year.

One of his best performances was in the team's 35-13 win against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sept. 28. Sarkisian allowed him to start as Ewers was inactive due to an injury. Manning completed 26 of 31 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns.

He'll have an opportunity to silence his doubters if he has a strong performance in the season opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Aug. 30.