'Arch Manning Hasn’t Done a Thing Yet': Urban Meyer Eyes Low-Scoring Texas–OSU Game

"Arch Manning hasn't done a thing yet."

That was Urban Meyer's blunt assessment of college football's most-talked-about quarterback during a recent appearance on "The Joel Klatt Show." While the Texas redshirt sophomore has only appeared in 12 games with two starts in his collegiate career, his last name and recruiting pedigree continue to generate massive expectations — including being the favorite to win the Heisman in 2025 and to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

But Meyer wants to see Manning play at an elite level before falling for "Arch Mania." In fact, the former Ohio State head coach believes Manning should be managed conservatively by Texas coach Steve Sarkisian in Saturday’s game against No. 3 Ohio State (noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). 

"I’m hearing the word Heisman. I’m hearing the words national champion and first pick overall," Meyer said. "I went back and watched [him] recently. He’s a good player. He's a really good player. But get a couple of first downs."

With Manning now entrenched as Texas’ starting quarterback, the Longhorns enter the season as the betting favorite to win the national championship. However, Meyer pointed to their "good defense" as a reason to keep things simple for Manning in Saturday’s game.

"I'd be shocked if you saw something wild with these two teams early in the game," Meyer said. "I'd be very restrictive as far as throwing that ball between the hash marks. Your heart starts [beating fast]. It’s like that point guard that gets all excited. You know what happens? The ball is bouncing off the back of the rim. Why? Because he’s excited."

As Meyer alluded to there, he would also ask Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin to play a conservative style if he were