As we approach the fourth week of the college football season, speculation surrounding the competing teams and individual players is intensifying. Texas Longhorns backup quarterback Arch Manning emerged as the latest college football sensation, reeling out a bombshell performance with four touchdowns, leading the team to a 56-7 victory over UTSA.

Referring to that brilliance, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum gave him a rare appreciation with his honest prediction. That said, it seemingly didn’t sit well with Stephen A. Smith, another prodigy on the show.

Arch Manning took over the field after Quinn Ewers’ unfortunate benching due to an injury and changed the trajectory of the entire match. Although UTSA was not a very strong opponent against which to score, Finebaum could see that if Manning were given Ewers’ position, he could lead the Longhorns to a National Championship this year. ”What I saw from Arch Manning on Saturday, and what everyone else saw, has me convinced that there’s really not much drop-off,” said Finebaum.“He proved that he can take this team to the national championship.” But he faced a sudden interruption from Stephen A. Smith, who outright declined the statement with a rude shot.

”I was getting ready to ask Paul Finebaum to go get drug tested! I don’t know what the hell he was talking about. I’m like, what are you talking about?” Smith replied with a strong disagreement on September 17th’s edition of ESPN College football discussion. But Finebaum was spot on! Arch Manning showed off his skills last week, completing 9 out of 12 passes for 223 yards and a ridiculous passer rating of 341.1.

But whether he will get his deserved spotlight on the remaining matches will largely depend on Quinn Ewers’ return. While Arch Manning undoubtedly caught a lot of eyeballs of the industry faithful and fans, it is highly unlikely for head coach Steve Sarkisian to let him start with a healthy Ewers roaming around!

Quinn Ewers’ latest injury update

Injury proved to be a consistent buffer in an otherwise seamless flow of the ongoing college football season. In Texas locker rooms, Quinn Ewers became the latest victim of the setback as he suffered an abdominal strain during the game against UTSA Roadrunners last weekend, leading to an early walkout. Initially, the injury was believed to be much more serious. But as per the latest updates, it isn’t as bad as they first thought. He’ll be out for a few weeks, but the team is still not sure when he’ll be back.

Joining forces with the Longhorns back in 2022, Ewers found a strong footing in his new home. In a breakout of 2023, Ewers took the team higher on the ladder with a storybook performance. During the Big 12 Championships, the starting QB scored a huge individual record, finishing 35-46 for 452 yards. Despite the team having to bid goodbye to the college football playoffs in the semifinals, if Ewers comes back in good health, this time, he can do the undone.

But how it will affect Arch Mannings‘ position in the team will be a thing to watch out for. We have to wait till then to watch the debate settled between two marquee college football analysts.