How Texas Is Botching This Season and Failing Arch Manning

Let's make something clear before things take a turn, and they will momentarily. Steve Sarkisian is not on the hot seat. Not now. Not yet.

It doesn't matter how many more interceptions Arch Manning throws. It doesn't matter how low a season with such enormous expectations dips. The head coach isn't going anywhere unless he does so of his own accord.

Change is necessary, though, and it should be exercised before desperation truly arrives. That starts with making a switch at quarterback for the betterment of the program and likely the player himself.

Either way, the discussion has started, and it rarely stops once it begins.

This conversation, the one surrounding his 3-2 Longhorns, fresh off a humiliating, mistake-filled loss against Florida, has made many question the direction of the coach, the quarterback and the program as a whole.

One thing that may be helping Sarkisian at the moment is the attention on other football calamities. In fact, he might as well send James Franklin a gift basket for diverting the message-board spotlight this past weekend.

But here we are, deep into Sarkisian's fifth year at Texas. And for the first time in a long time, momentum has been halted.

On the one hand, this resource-rich program is in much better standing than when he took over. Texas went 5-7 in his first year. The Longhorns improved to 12-2 two years later and parlayed that into a 13-win season last year.

Is Texas back? Sort of.

One can't help but wonder what might have happened if the Longhorns conquered Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, and the team was a late fumble away from finding out. A few plays here and there, and Ryan Day would be the one trying to stay clear of a conversation he knows all too well.

The only way Day ended the discussion, at least for the foreseeable future, is by winning a national championship. And the only way Sark will ever follow suit is to do the exact same thing.

Barring something completely unforeseen, it's safe to say that won't be this year. Texas began the season ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll; the Longhorns are unranked six wins into the season, and more losses could come soon.

After Oklahoma, Texas still plays Kentucky, at Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, at Georgia and Texas A&M. At this specific moment, with the nation's No. 63-ranked scoring offense, none of those feel like a gimmie.

The blame for this gargantuan mess cannot simply be attached to one player. The defense, which still holds up metrics-wise, hasn't been as good as advertised. The talent surrounding Manning has also underwhelmed.

These aren't excuses; it's a reality. Manning certainly hasn't helped, although he is merely a piece of what needs to change.

With that in mind, Sarkisian can't wait for drastic change. If he does, the conversation will intensify. And a few additional losses will only elevate this chatter over the offseason.

Now is the time to get desperate, and it starts in the most obvious place. Let's be honest: If Arch's last name wasn't Manning, he might have been benched by now.

The QB has accounted for 18 touchdowns this season, although 13 of those came against San Jose State, UTEP and Sam Houston State. He's thrown an interception in all but one game, and his 60 percent completion percentage currently ranks No. 94 in all of college football.

His mechanics are inconsistent. His play is sporadic. And now, unquestionably, he's lost confidence as one only would.

Sarkisian has defended Manning when he can, which he absolutely should. Even after throwing two interceptions on Saturday, his head coach stood behind him.

ld"I thought [Arch] completed his heart out," he told reporters. "Don't question his heart at all. He battled tonight."

Manning, to his credit, has battled. And the weight of all that he has endured is unimaginable. The blessings of carrying this last name are significant, but the fine print is diabolical.

By all accounts, he has said the right things. He has done everything he possibly can since he arrived in Austin.

In many respects, though, Manning's struggles should come as no surprise. The fact that he served as the backup for two years behind Quinn Ewers, given what we've seen, starts to make more sense.

Manning wasn't ready then, and he's not ready now. Playing him could have diminishing returns on both the player and the program in the short and long term.

At this point, Sarkisian has no choice but to sit him. And given how much pressure he will be under over the next 18 months, it's fair to question whether Manning is at Texas three months from now.

Players can improve, and situations can evolve. Of course they can. But does this feel like it's going to improve dramatically anytime soon? Is there hope—true hope—that the quarterback's mechanics will suddenly improve and all will be right again?

Let's put it a different way. Can Sarkisian feel comfortable signing up for another year with Manning? And from the player's side, does he really want to endure more of this for much longer?

Sometimes, the hardest decisions are actually quite simple at their origin. Manning isn't ready, and Texas is not a program that can wait. Something has to give, and it should before for the betterment for all parties involved.