Arch Manning sends clear message on CFP ‘worthiness’ as Steve Sarkisian divides fans with Texas plea

The Texas Longhorns have kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 24-17 win over the No.3 Texas A&M Aggies.

The Longhorns were 10-3 down going into halftime, but their offense stepped up in the second half to turn the game around and outscore the Aggies 24-7 to clinch victory over their bitter rivals in the Lone Star Showdown.

Getty

Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning was particularly impressive, finishing the game 14-of-29 for 179 yards with two touchdowns and 53 rushing yards.

In fact, it was his 35-yard touchdown on third down with seven minutes left that made victory all but a guarantee as it stretched the lead to two scores.

The Longhorns immediately celebrated the win, getting so loud at one point, it interrupted Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko’s press conference.

Manning, who is one of college football’s most hyped quarterbacks and the nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, spoke to the media after the game about how he feels about the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff chances.

“We’re a good team… we’ve played a lot of good teams. We’re only getting better, and if you let us in, we can beat anyone,” the $3.6 million NIL signal caller said.

“I really hope this works out because we’re trending in the right direction. We’re playing our best football.

“We didn’t even play that well tonight, especially me… but this team never loses the fight. It’s fun to be a part of it.”

The Longhorns should have already clinched a playoff berth if their preseason hype was anything to go off, but instead, their postseason hopes are largely out of their control.

It’s the selection committee which will decide the College Football Playoff field, when they announce the updated rankings.

For Texas to make the next bracket, they need to surpass the BYU Cougars in the rankings, who only have one loss this campaign, ahead of their game against the UCF Knights on Saturday.

Getty

Getty

Meanwhile, the Longhorns already have three losses this season, with a Week 1 loss to Ohio State, along with setbacks against the Florida Gators and No.5 Georgia, hurting their overall resume.

Nevertheless, they have impressed at times during the course of the season, as their win over the Aggies demonstrated.

Overall, they are 9-3 and have a 6-2 record in the SEC.

Steve Sarkisian makes his case for Texas as a CFP team

Manning’s sentiment about the Longhorns being deserving of a spot in the CFP is something echoed by head coach Steve Sarkisian.

“If we’re a 10-2 team, it’s not a question,” Sarkisian said.

“But we were willing to go play that game. So, is that what college football is about? Don’t play anybody and just have a good record? Or play the best and put the best teams in the playoff? And we’re one of the best teams.”

Getty

Sarkisian was armed with evidence as he even called out Notre Dame for being in the playoffs last year after losing to Northern Illinois.

He believes that Texas’s shocking loss to the Gators is similar to the Irish’s stunning defeat to the Huskies.

“This whole idea that, ‘Well, you lost to Florida.’ Well, the team that played for the national championship last year lost to Northern Illinois at home,” Sarkisian added.

“So you’re going to punish us and you don’t want to punish them, but they were good enough to go play for a national title?

“So I have no doubt in my mind that the team we have in that locker room downstairs is a Playoff football team and worthy of an opportunity to play for a national championship.”

College football fans take issue with Sarkisian’s plea

Sarkisian’s comments quickly surfaced on social media and it’s safe to say not everyone agreed with his take.

“You can’t discredit losses any more than you can discredit big wins. And this was a big win for Texas. The Florida loss was a BAD LOSS,” one fan wrote on X.

“I love the “if we were 10-2” argument. You’re not. You can debate schedule all you want. You’ve lost 3 times. Sorry,” another said.

“Except that was ND’s only loss. They didn’t lose again until the National Championship and absolutely destroyed people. How many times has Texas struggled with bad teams this year?” another wrote.

The College Football Playoffs begin on Dec. 19, and the National Championship game will be played on Jan. 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Stay up to date with the latest from college football across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.