Paul Finebaum puts more pressure on Texas than LSU in 2026 due to Arch Manning

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum put more pressure on Texas than LSU this coming college football season due to QB Arch Manning. Both schools have major expectations for the fall, like winning a national championship.

Texas could be in position to do so with Manning under center and head coach Steve Sarkisian making the CFP multiple times with the Longhorns. BUt LSU is a different animal, bringing in Lane Kiffin to win it all after the failed Brian Kelly experiment.

Still, for how much Kiffin is a lightning rod, Finebaum put the onus on Texas to get it done. This is their last shot with Manning.

“I’d love to put it on Lane Kiffin, because it’s been – we’ve been beating him up like a pinata the last few weeks, but I’m going with Texas, because of Arch Manning,” Finebaum said on SportsCenter. “You can’t waste one of the greatest players in college football history, at least name-wise, and I think ultimately potential wise, and not compete more seriously for a national championship. Last year, Texas went 9-3, didn’t make the playoffs. They need to make the playoffs, and they need to make a long run, like to the championship game.”

Kiffin brought in QB Sam Leavitt and many other transfers to retool the Tigers’ roster. There are expectations to make the CFP right away, like Texas had with Sarkisian, but it might be a “year away” scenario in Baton Rouge.

Finebaum noted how Sarkisian has been successful at Texas despite the lack of a national title. With running it back one more time with Manning on the table, the Longhorns are in a position to win it all.

“He’s still been to the playoffs twice. Last year was not a disaster, in spite of the opening loss, and then the Florida loss, but I think they have the capacity to win the national championship,” Finebaum said. “I just want to know what is different, and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot about Will Muschamp. I’m sure we’ll hear a lot about Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers, a lot of names that are probably going to make them a little better, a much better team, I should say.”

Fans held their collective breath in the spring, though, as Manning missed some practices due to injury. But Sarkisian said the key to the national title hopes is fine and fans were overreacting.

“I’d say on Arch, just in general, because I’ve heard some of the same sentiment you heard,” Sarkisian told Craig Way of AM 1300 The Zone. “People are overreacting way too much to this. The guy had a foot issue that we didn’t want to do last year, obviously, right before the season or during the season. We waited until after the season. He could’ve been back in spring practice, probably in Week 3. But again, he’s in Year 4 in our system… Rest assured, Arch Manning is fine. He looks great.”