Listen, Quinn Ewers ain’t a bad QB. Yes, after that SEC title loss to Georgia with 6 sacks and 2 interceptions from Ewers, Texas fans might think otherwise, but this still is the guy who has been carrying Steve Sarkisian‘s squad throughout most of the season. Now, see, every QB1 from last season has faced some problems this year. Quinn Ewers had the same fate. Massive falloff mid-season with the entire injury that pushed him back. What Steve Sarkisian should’ve done is put Ewers to rest for a few games, then let him start again for the Longhorns, but here we are. That ankle still ain’t looking great, and even though Ewers did get a ton of rest for the Longhorns first round game, will it be enough to let him pull Texas to the semi, or should Steve Sarkisian keep his favorite QB on a short leash?

As much as people like to hate on Paul Finebaum, you still have to admit that this man has some good takes. And with the entire Sark and Ewers debate, Finebaum pointed out something important. “I would have him on a very short leash… because Quinn has had, uh, an up and down year. He’s been banged up most of the year, and I think that’s really the question,” Finebaum pointed out on ESPN. The injury issue. We pointed this out early as well, and this is something Texas has had to deal with since last season. Back in 2023, Ewers managed to get his shoulder injured during the Houston game, and he was out for the next 2 Texas games.

And now, in 2024? The same problem happened during the UTSA game, but this time, Ewers had an oblique strain. Backup QB Arch Manning had to come out during that showdown to save Texas from an embarrassment. Yeah, the Longhorns wouldn’t have lost to the Roadrunners, but you still can never be too sure.

While all of this might look like something minor, when a Texas staff starts pointing out the glaring problems this causes, then you better start taking it seriously. It’s kind of weird that Sark is so hyper-fixated on Ewers.

It kind of paints the Matt Rhule and Dylan Raiola picture. If your QB1 ain’t doing good, then just fall back on your backup. As Finebaum mentioned, “He has the best backup in America.” Every Texas fan knows that even without Ewers, Sark has a shot at winning the natty, and it is all because of Arch Manning.

Arch Manning, to save the day against Clemson?

Here is the thing. While Sark has said multiple times that he is going to rely on the QB who has the most shot at leading the Longhorns to a natty, we all still know that Ewers’ name will always come first. Those 900+ yards and 67.8% completions Manning has pulled are pretty much nothing.

So, is this safe? Let’s be real here. Texas had a massive shot at winning the SEC title game and securing a bye week. Georgia lost Carson Beck in that game because of the arm injury, and all Ewers had to do was land some throws. He just couldn’t.

Against Clemson, all of this could come back to plague him. This is just a theory, but what if Quinn Ewers chokes on the Tigers game? Yes, the Texan defense will keep the team spirit alive because it is still the 2nd highest-scoring defense in the country, but in a “what if” scenario, could we finally see Manning pull a Big W for Sark?

At this point, it feels like if Sark doesn’t use Arch anymore, he might end up hitting the portal. Why bother staying in a team where you are only called on for important games? Regardless, we are pretty sure every Texas fan out there still wants Manning to have his big moment, and on Saturday, we might see it happening.