Be it sports, entertainment, or politics, one can still get severe whiplash of the neck from watching an expert pundit declaring a new athlete, actor, or candidate a “generational talent destined for super-stardom” to that same expert declaring that person a “total bust” after one performance.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I had to apply a good amount of Ben-Gay to the back of my neck after watching and reading all the doom and gloom pronouncements regarding Arch “Guaranteed Heisman” Manning after his multi-universe-hyped opening game was declared a “flop” by said expert class. To paraphrase a cliché: “Those who can, play. Those who can’t, become experts.”
Did Arch Manning make some mis-reads and bad throws in the Texas Longhorns’ 14-7 loss to Ohio State? For sure. Every top-flight college or pro quarterback from Steve Spurrier to Tom Brady has on a regular basis. Why? Because the talent across the line at that level is exceptional.
Not only did Arch Manning have to go up against the defending national champions on the road before 110,000 adversarial fans, but he also had to try to figure out the highly talented Ohio State defense on the fly, which was dissecting his every move. More than that, he had to do so within the crushing expectations bubble he was forced into against his will of: “Is he as good as his uncles Peyton and Eli? Will he win the Heisman Trophy? Will he go No. 1 in the NFL draft?” None of us will ever know what it is like to be in such a bubble.
Since high school, Manning has handled that unimagined pressure and artificial expectations game with humbleness, politeness, deference to those around him and class. Buried deep in the bubble he did not create is simply a young man who loves football and wants to be the best he can for himself and his teammates.
I don’t pretend to know as much about sports as many of these “experts” but way back in the day, I did have enough sports talent to get invited to a few professional hockey camps and one MLB camp. And somehow, back during that time, as a kid who grew up in abject poverty in and around the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, I became a Texas Longhorns football fan. So much so that to this day, I believe that if Colt McCoy had not been hurt in the first series against Alabama in the 2010 National Championship game, Texas would have crushed Nick Saban and the Tide. Just as I believe that former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger – now with the Denver Broncos – has enough talent to be an NFL starter. So yeah, I do have a bit of bias in favor of the Longhorns.
Now, back to Arch Manning and the “humiliating” loss to Ohio State. Regarding the expectations on Manning during the months and minutes leading up to the game, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said in part after the game: “I mean, sure, I always want him to play better. … And so for Arch, the expectations were out of control on the outside …” That being a fact, why not do a better job of managing – and coaching – those expectations from the inside?
Steve Sarkisian talented coach who does not admit mistakes
Over the last number of years, I have come to believe that Sarkisian is a very talented coach. That said, I have also noticed that he does not always seem open to admitting personal fault or mistakes. There is no shame in making mistakes or misjudgments. We are all human, and we all make them. As mentors and coaches preach, it’s all about learning from them. Sarkisian might want to practice what he preaches.
No matter if he admits it or not, Sarkisian’s coaching let Manning down multiple times and exposed him to unwarranted criticism. Nor am I the only one. After the game, former NFL quarterback and ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky posted on X:
“Imagine having a generational talent at QB and having the training wheels on all game.”
That was a rebuke, which seemed to be aimed at Sarkisian and his offensive coordinator.
Via a headline from Sports Illustrated – “Steve Sarkisian Ripped by Fans for Play-Calling on Goal Line vs. Ohio State” – plenty of Texas fans agreed with Orlovsky. And, for very good reasons.
For instance, the Longhorns had the ball first and goal on the Buckeyes nine-yard line with over 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter and came away with zero points. Nothing. With arguably one of the best running quarterbacks in the nation in Manning, Sarkisian went ultra conservative, refused to spread the field and ran the ball down the middle four times into over 3,000 pounds of ripped Ohio State defenders.
I was actually watching the game with my wife who, while an excellent athlete – top skier and tennis player – is not a regular follower of football. But as she watched Sarkisian’s play-calling failure, she asked the question all of the Texas Longhorn nation was thinking: “Why not block and let the quarterback sprint to the side toward the cone at the goal line?”
If only my wife — or one of thousands of Texas fans — could have taken the play-calling away from Sarkisian for that one series, Arch Manning may have been treated a bit better after the game.
Does Manning have a great deal to learn going forward? Yes. Does Sarkisian have even more to learn going forward as the coach of a “generational player?” Yes.
All that said, I do believe Manning is going to evolve into a truly elite quarterback and will fulfill his promise and the out-of-control hype. Just give the kid a break and a few more games under his belt.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Opinion: Arch Manning victim of unrealistic expectations, Texas Longhorns coaching decisions
Reporting by Douglas MacKinnon / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
