College football insider not throwing in towel on Arch Manning, Texas’ championship hopes

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ESPN college football analyst Heather Dinich is not ruling out Texas Longhorns’ national championship hopes despite its recent offensive struggles and disappointing loss to Oklahoma.

Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Dinich acknowledged the Longhorns have significant problems to address. However, she thinks their remaining opportunities could keep them in the College Football Playoff conversation.

“A lot to clean up… [But] they still have a lot of opportunities that they can impress the College Football Playoff selection committee,” Dinich said.

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Texas fell to Oklahoma 27-24 in the Red River Rivalry, dropping from No. 1 to No. 7 in the AP Top 25. Arch Manning threw three touchdown passes but also committed two costly interceptions.

One interception became a 42-yard pick-six that gave Oklahoma the lead. Manning then threw another interception late, allowing the Sooners to secure a game-winning field goal.

The defeat exposed familiar concerns about Texas’ offensive execution. The Longhorns struggled to sustain drives and failed to capitalize on several opportunities.

Dinich pointed directly to those issues when assessing their championship chances.

“They didn’t convert on third downs. They couldn’t sustain drives,” she said. “This is one of the least explosive offenses in the country, which is absolutely shocking considering the talent that’s on that team.”

Texas must fix its offense to stay in the title race

Dinich noted that Texas is averaging just 5.6 yards per play. Penalties and inconsistent execution have also prevented the offense from matching its talent level.

“All of these basic football qualities that usually translate into a national title contender. Texas isn’t doing it,” Dinich said.

Those concerns extend beyond Manning. Protection problems, inconsistent play-calling and an unreliable running game have made it difficult for Texas to establish offensive rhythm.

FOX analyst Joel Klatt also questioned Manning’s decision-making after the Oklahoma loss. He said Manning sometimes struggles to process information quickly, creating a significant gap between his best and worst performances.

“Actually, there are some things that are worrisome,” Klatt said. “He doesn’t process information all that quickly. His eyes tend to be in the wrong spot at times. You saw that on the last interception.

“There are some brilliant throws. So you see the ceiling of Arch, but then the floor is really low.”

Still, Texas has a potential advantage on defense. If the offense improves its third-down efficiency and limits turnovers, the Longhorns could remain dangerous against quality opponents.

Dinich emphasized that possibility, saying, “If they can put it together offensively with one of the nation’s best defenses, look out.”

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Texas must now prove that improvement is possible. Its championship hopes remain alive with a 4-1 record, but the Longhorns cannot afford repeated mistakes against strong competition.

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