By Rock Westfall
The adage that “timing is everything” is about to be put to the test on Saturday when the Texas Longhorns face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry showdown in Dallas.
Starting quarterback Quinn Ewers has been out of action since suffering an oblique injury on September 14 in a Texas win over UTSA . Arch Manning started the two games that followed and played well.
Ewers is expected to start for the Longhorns. While head coach Steve Sarkisian's decision is sensible, there is plenty of debate about whether it is the right choice.
Ewers, a junior, led Texas to the College Football Playoff last year in a breakout season. This included a 34-24 road win against the Alabama Crimson Tide , in which Ewers threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Last year in the Red River Rivalry, Ewers threw for 346 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice in a 34-30 loss.
Ewers has the important credibility of experience and performance. But Manning, a redshirt freshman, is the matinee idol of the Longhorns and the potential Caitlin Clark of college football. Arch is the people’s choice. But would he be the right choice on Saturday?
In the biggest game of the year for Texas, a potential quarterback controversy could blow up its season and split the team and fans in two.
Is There a Difference?
Manning has slightly better numbers than Ewers. Overall, this season, Manning has completed 70.5% of his passes for 11.6 yards per attempt, nine touchdowns, two interceptions and a rating of 200.5. In comparison, Ewers has a 73.4% completion percentage, 8.7 yards per attempt, eight touchdowns, two interceptions, and a rating of 175.2.
However, Ewers led Texas to its biggest win of the year so far when the Longhorns won impressively defeated the Michigan Wolverines 31-12 on the road. Ewers lit up the best defense Texas has faced in 2024, going 24-of-36 for 246 yards and three touchdowns. His rating in the game was 151.6.
Manning played against weaker competition compared to Ewers in wins against putrid Louisiana Monroe and Mississippi State , perhaps the worst program in the SEC . While that is not Arch’s fault, Ewers would have the tiebreaker with his performance at Michigan and his superior resume.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian has been somewhat coy about Ewers and the potentially combustible quarterbacking situation .
"I thought he looked good coming off the bye," Sarkisian said. "I think if anybody benefited from the time off, it was probably him. We're going to monitor him daily just to kind of see how he continues to progress, but I feel good about how he was [Monday]. "I feel good about him going into Saturday, but that remains to be seen."
Sarkisian also seemingly believes that he has an ace up his sleeve if needed.
“I have no hesitation with Arch going into the (OU) game,” Sarkisian said. “I think he's proven that to us over 2 1/2 games of football that he's really played in and competed in that he can run our offense, and he can be successful.
“We're fortunate to have — to be in the position that we're in, to have two quality players at the quarterback position that we have confidence in and that their teammates have confidence in,” Sarkisian said.
Sarkisian continues to walk a fine line between his two elite QBs. The more he speaks, the more you sense he is negotiating a high-wire act against heavy winds.
“Quinn has earned and deserved that right to be our starting quarterback,” Sarkisian said. “Arch has continued to work really hard, and like I said, we're fortunate to have him and the player that he is and the leader that he is as well.”
Does Texas Have Too Much of a Good Thing?
Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers have become fast friends and have supported each other throughout their journey. Manning and his family have been adamant about Ewers remaining the starter and that they are “old school” in that a player should never lose a job because of an injury.
While all of that is good, there is a legitimate fear that Ewers may be rusty on Saturday, having not played since September 14. Texas has had notorious problems with Oklahoma, losing five of their last six in the Red River Rivalry .
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is a defensive mastermind who will undoubtedly have some tricks up his sleeve against Ewers and the Longhorns. If Ewers stumbles out of the gate, half of the Cotton Bowl dressed in burnt orange will be screaming for Arch to save the day.
Will Sarkisian hold firm for Ewers, or will he crack and give in to the people’s choice?
More importantly, will the Texas asset of having two elite, SEC-level championship quarterbacks blow up into a liability that could destroy its season?
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