There's no hiding the fact that Arch Manning did not meet expectations during his first game as the true starting quarterback of the Texas Longhorns.
With just 17 completions on 30 pass attempts and the same number of interceptions as touchdowns (one apiece), Manning's performance against the Ohio State Buckeyes was far from ideal. However, at the end of the day, Ohio State is the defending National Champion and has some of the best college football players in the country.
That includes safety Caleb Downs, who helped contain Manning to the 170 passing yards that he earned in Week 1.
Yes, Downs had a great game against Texas and Manning, but one CBS analyst had a massive overreaction to how the Longhorns' quarterback performed against one of the best defensive backs in the world.
The Buckeyes' defense was phenomenal despite losing eight starters from last season. That secondary, returning two starters, is elite, and held Texas in check with four fourth-down stops," CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello wrote. "Arch Manning was flustered and had eyes on safety Caleb Downs all afternoon."
Of course, Manning kept his eyes on Downs; he was on the field for almost every single one of Ohio State's defense snaps and is an absolute ball hawk. It would have been much, much worse if Manning refused to give Downs the credit he deserves.
Caleb Downs college career stats
- 193 total tackles (121 solo)
- 9 pass deflections
- 4 interceptions (18 yards)
- 1 forced fumble
- 0.5 sacks
Against Texas in Week 1, Downs earned just five total tackles, and Manning avoided targeting receivers in his vicinity, reducing him to zero pass deflections or interceptions. When the Horns played the Buckeyes in the Playoffs last season, he brought down an interception for seven yards.
Also read: Steve Sarkisian has a lot to work on but feels 'fine' after Week 1 loss
Manning did the right thing by keeping an eye out for Downs, and Marcello's opinion that it was a sign of fear or that the young quarterback was flustered is entirely incorrect. It's a sign that he had good field vision and awareness, even if it didn't pan out on every play.