OTF Premium One Burning Question: Can Sark and Arch get on the same page against Florida?

[Jeff Howe]

It’s time to tackle “One Burning Question,” an On Texas Football in-season feature where we’ll examine a question facing the Texas Longhorns as they enter a game.

On Sunday, we’ll revisit the question to see whether Steve Sarkisian’s team answered it successfully.

This week, with No. 1 Texas welcoming Florida to Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday (11 a.m., ABC), the question is:

Can Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning get on the same page?

For all of the talk about personnel packages, the lack of an identity, play-calling concerns, offensive line issues and whether the Longhorns can count on the running game in 2026, the Texas offense won’t go anywhere until there’s synergy between the play-caller and the quarterback.

When the Longhorns turned over a new leaf offensively in the second half of the 2025 season, it felt like Sarkisian understood what he had in Manning, whose playmaking ability became the identity of the offense. By the end of the season, Manning looked primed to take the next step, which led to grandiose expectations for the Texas offense this season, Manning’s fourth in the program and his second full season as QB1.

Unfortunately, the ascent hasn’t happened through five games.

Whether Manning has regressed is subjective. What’s clear is that he hasn’t taken off as expected, eroding Longhorn fans' patience and turning questions about Manning’s development and potential into legitimate concerns.

Late last season, Sarkisian tailored the offense to maximize Manning's skill set. He doesn't fit the mold of the quarterbacks who’ve succeeded in Sarkisian's system, but things were trending upward by the time Manning accounted for 376 yards and four touchdowns in a Citrus Bowl win over Michigan.

Sarkisian’s offense works best when rhythm and timing are keeping things on schedule. Considering the links Sarkisian has to Don Coryell (through Norv Turner), Bill Walsh (through Norm Chow and Pete Carroll) and Kyle Shanahan (who he succeeded as the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator), Sarkisian’s offense blends the discipline and precision of the West Coast offense with Air Coryell’s vertical passing game, topping it off with the running game, RPO and pre-snap elements he picked up from his time in the NFL and when he ran Nick Saban’s Alabama offense.

Manning can do some of those things, but he’s at his best when he can use his athleticism and instincts to thrive in chaos. Down the stretch last season, Sarkisian called more quarterback runs and gave Manning the green light to scramble when opportunities presented themselves, which helped bring balance to an offense that couldn’t rely on a traditional running game.

Coming into 2026, Manning had to improve within a structured offense. Manning's mastery of the offense would make him an extension of Sarkisian on the field. He'd be trusted to get the offense out of bad plays and articulate what he likes and what doesn't in certain situations. Manning's legs and ability to ad-lib when things break down around him would further elevate the offense, with impossible-to-defend aces up Sarkisian’s sleeve, capable of making college football’s best defensive minds wrong on any given snap.

Needless to say, that hasn’t been the case through five games. After last Saturday’s 27-24 loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout, the program is at an offensive crossroads.

Will Sarkisian scheme up easy completions to get Manning into a rhythm early against the Gators? Simpler, quick-developing reads, including deep shots that don’t take as long to develop, could help Manning get his feet underneath him.

Does Sarkisian need to trust Manning to make good decisions before the snap? Or does the quarterback need to do more to show the play-caller he can handle more responsibility than what he appears to have now?

That extends to Manning running the ball. Yes, Manning’s legs are a weapon Sarkisian must incorporate into the offensive play more often, but Manning has to be smart when he takes off and protect himself when he’s vulnerable in the open field.

It also means that when Sarkisian does scheme things open with advantage throws for Manning, he must make his layups.

At some point, Sarkisian and Manning need each other at their best to become the kind of offensive team Sarkisian believes the Longhorns can be. But doing what they’ve done will result in more of what they've produced.

Something has to change.

We’ll see what those changes are in a few hours. When the dust settles, we’ll have a better idea of whether the offense can truly turn the corner in the second half of the regular season.

View full news story

[Jeff Howe]

There are a lot of reasons why the offense has looked disjointed. Sark and Arch not meshing has obviously been a big one.

Something has to give on Saturday. It's a big game for the play-caller and the quarterback.

[nineliveslost]

I say they probably get it done with Florida but it's fool's gold/confirmation bias. Sark will use it as justification with his offense and then use the same philosophy with better defenses and get shut down. 

[ChanmanV]

If they can't this week after a loss and so much scrutiny, I don't think they ever will this season.

[Joe Z]

No

[tsip92]

I realize that this is semantics to some extent, but it’s not that they aren’t on the same page, it’s that this offense is on the wrong page.  

[thatdude2]

@Jeff Howe Go Watch The Greatest Showman