Paul Finebaum on Arch Manning's eventual Heisman chances: 'He's gonna win'
Paul Finebaum joined SportsCenter on Sunday morning and declared himself ‘Paul In’ on Texas quarterback Arch Manning winning the Heisman Trophy one day.
He joined the Matt Barrie Show and doubled down on his proclamation.
“He’s gonna win,” Finebaum told Barrie.
Manning’s odds to win the Heisman Trophy this season have jumped to sixth best in the country after his performance against UTSA on Saturday, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. He replaced the injured Quinn Ewers, who left the game early with a strained abdomen, and scored five touchdowns during his first prolonged collegiate appearance.
He completed 9 of 12 passes for 223 yards for four touchdowns through the air and rushed for 53 yards and another touchdown on the ground. That included a 67-yard highlight reel touchdown run, although his final numbers are sack-adjusted.
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Still, even though Ewers is expected to miss Texas’ Week 4 matchup against Louisiana Monroe, many expect him to retake his spot as starting quarterback regardless of Manning’s success.
On the season, Ewers is 58 of 79 passing (73.4 percent) with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. For Manning, he’s 14 of 18 for 318 yards with five touchdowns and no turnovers. Finebaum believes Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian can’t go wrong either way.
“I mean, I don’t think they look any different,” Finebaum said. “Now, I’m sure, the the old timers will say — not that I’m a new timer — ‘Hey, that experience of Quinn Ewers.’ But Arch Manning looks like he’s been around and I think Texas is in great shape.
“As I remember, Spencer Rattler, wasn’t he the Heisman favorite going into the season? And he got replaced by Caleb Williams. So, I mean it’s happened before, but I’m sure Sark will figure this out. It doesn’t matter. Texas doesn’t have much on their dance card until we get to October, so they’re in good shape.”
Texas will take on Oklahoma and Georgia in the toughest two-week stretch of their season on Oct. 12 and 19.
Before they get there, however, it appears that Manning will prepare as the starter for Week 4 against ULM. According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Sunday, Ewers’ injury is not as serious as initially thought. He is expected to be rested ahead in the hopes of him being fully healthy for Week 5’s SEC opener against Mississippi State.
Kickoff between the Longhorns and Warhawks is set for Saturday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. ET live on ESPN+.