Arch Manning Heisman odds: Texas QB's current ranking in contention for coveted honor after Week 8

Texas quarterback Arch Manning was thrust straight into the heat of battle during the No. 1 Longhorns' 30-15 loss to coach Kirby Smart's No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs in Week 8 on Saturday. Manning replaced Ewers with 4:43 remaining in the first half, with the latter struggling against the Bulldogs' pass rush.

Manning fumbled the ball, leading to a Georgia field goal, which guaranteed that the Longhorns were 23-0 down at halftime. He went 3 of 6 for 19 yards before Quinn Ewers once again replaced him after the break.

Manning's Heisman Trophy odds were +10000 before Ewers returned, but after being benched in the Red River rivalry and only getting a few snaps in Week 8, Manning dropped out of the board.

During his postgame news conference, Sarkisian once again reiterated his decision to keep Quinn Ewers as the QB1 over Arch Manning.

"Quinn's our starting quarterback," Sarkisian said. "I appreciate the fact that we're fortunate enough to have a backup like Arch that can come into the game and provide a spark in some sense, but at the end of the day, Quinn's our starter.

"Quinn's our starter, but I think we've got to do a better job around him," Sarkisian said. "I think he would tell you he can play better, but we've got to coach better. Everybody's got to be better for our offensive football team to perform better."

Steve Sarkisian reveals why Arch Manning replaced Quinn Ewers

The Arch Manning versus Quinn Ewers debate has rumbled on incessantly since last season, and during the QB1's injury-enforced absence, the former performed to such a high level that there were calls by fans to switch the quarterbacks.

The substitution by Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian that saw Ewers benched for Manning before halftime in the defeat to the Georgia Bulldogs was a surprising one.

During his postgame news conference, Sarkisian revealed the rationale behind the substitution.

“My feeling in the game was I felt Quinn was a little uneasy,” Sarkisian said. “I felt like giving him a chance to kind of step back and regroup. I didn’t know if we’d get a series or two with Arch depending on how much time was remaining in the half on the clock.

“So we told Quinn we’re going to go with Arch here and give you a chance to get into the locker room. Let’s regroup and then come back out in the second half, and so that’s what we did. I felt like it was effective. Quinn came out and played a much better second half.”

Arch Manning will likely continue to be embroiled in the battle against Quinn Ewers for the QB1 spot, with the Texas Longhorns now on thin ice for the rest of a season where much is expected of them.