Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman on quarterback Avery Johnson at Big 12 Media Day
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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
College football Top 25: The Arch Manning era begins in earnest at No. 3 Texas
College football officially begins this month. Now that it's August, there are less than two weeks until Kansas State and Iowa State meet in Dublin to begin the 2025 regular season. And since the season is quickly approaching, we're rolling out our preseason Top 25. Next up in our rankings is the No. 3 team, and the rest will be revealed in the coming days. (All odds are from BetMGM.) Previously: Nos. 11 through 25, No. 10 Miami, No. 9 Alabama, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 7 LSU, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 5 Georgia, No. 4 Oregon No. 3 Texas 2024 record: 13-3 National championship odds: +475 Odds to make College Football Playoff: -310 2024 in 100 words The Longhorns started the season 6-0 in a stretch that included a convincing 31-12 win over Michigan and an even more convincing 34-3 win over Oklahoma. However, those teams weren't close to being playoff contenders. Texas got its first dose of Georgia on Oct. 19 when the Bulldogs just bullied the Longhorns' offense in a 30-15 loss. Texas then won five more games to make it to the SEC title game and face … you guessed it, Georgia. The Bulldogs again got the better of the Longhorns in a 22-19 win without Carson Beck for the second half. Even so, Texas won two playoff games to advance to the national semifinals, where it lost 28-14 to eventual champion Ohio State. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The quarterback Arch Manning What is there left to say about Arch Manning before the season begins? The buildup to his first season as Texas' full-time starter is unlike anything we've seen in recent college football history. Manning is the Heisman favorite at +600 despite throwing fewer than 100 career passes in college football. Many of those passes came early in the 2024 season after Quinn Ewers suffered an oblique injury. Manning sent the hype machine into overdrive immediately after he replaced Ewers against UTSA when he was 9-of-12 passing for 223 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing three times for 53 yards and a score. He started the next two games for the Longhorns as Ewers recovered and one was better than the other. Against Louisiana-Monroe, Manning's first college start was pretty pedestrian. He was 15-of-29 passing for 258 yards and 2 TDs and 2 interceptions in the 51-3 win. He was much better the next week against Mississippi State. Manning was 26-of-31 for 325 yards and two scores against the Bulldogs while also rushing six times for 33 yards and a TD. There was a moment in the first loss to Georgia where it looked like Texas coach Steve Sarkisian could be making the switch from Ewers to Manning late in the second half. Georgia's relentless pressure had put Ewers and the Texas offense into a funk and Sarkisian inserted Manning into the game. A spark didn't happen. Manning was 3-of-6 for 19 yards and fumbled with 25 seconds to go to set up a Georgia field goal and a 23-0 halftime lead for the Bulldogs. With Ewers off to the NFL, the time is now for Manning. And it sure looks like this will be the first of two seasons as Texas' starting quarterback given what his grandfather Archie said to Texas Monthly. Arch, meanwhile, said at SEC media day that he's learning to become more of a vocal leader now that he's the starter. 'I think as much as it wasn't always easy, those two years I kind of feel like I got a lot of respect from the team,' Arch said of his two seasons as a backup. 'Now being more of a vocal leader, they know it's coming from a place of love. When I get on someone, they know I'm not just being a turd.' Non-QB to watch WR Ryan Wingo The Longhorns lose their top three receivers from 2024 in Matthew Golden, Gunnar Helm and Isaiah Bond. All three each had more than 500 yards receiving and combined for over half of Texas' receiving TDs. Enter Wingo, who played a significant role as a freshman. Wingo had 29 grabs for 472 yards and two scores and was also used as a changeup on wide receiver runs. He had five carries for 100 yards thanks to a big 55-yard dash in the Week 2 win over Michigan. The former four-star recruit will team with DeAndre Moore Jr. on the outside while five-star freshman Kaliq Lockett could also push for playing time. Best position group Linebackers Anthony Hill leads the position group after he was everywhere in 2024. Hill had 113 tackles, eight sacks and an interception as the leader of Texas' defense. He should again be the team's leader in tackles and an All-American candidate. Liona Lefau is also back after he had 63 tackles last season and Jelani McDonald should step into a bigger role after he had 33 stops as a true freshman. Behind Hill and Lefau, Texas also has a ton of depth at the position. This was an easy choice on what could be a stacked defense. Biggest game Oct. 11 vs. Oklahoma No, we're not forgetting about the Week 1 showdown at Ohio State or the Week 12 game at Georgia on Nov. 15. Both of those games are massive and worthy of inclusion as the biggest game of the year. But it's conceivable that Texas could lose both of those road games and still be in the thick of the SEC title race and the playoff race. Losing to both Georgia and Oklahoma will complicate Texas' road back to the SEC championship game. The Oklahoma game also comes in the middle of a four-game stretch that doesn't include a home game. Texas plays at Florida on Oct. 4 before the annual game in Dallas and then plays at Kentucky and at Mississippi State over the following two weeks before a home game against Vanderbilt. Oklahoma should be much improved in 2025 and give Texas a much better game. Winning is imperative for bragging rights and Texas' hopes of a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. Why Texas is No. 3 For all the attention that will be paid to Manning and the Texas offense this season, the biggest reason for Texas' ranking is its defense. Just ask Sarkisian. 'This is probably the deepest and most talented defense that we've had, and we've made incremental growth on the defensive side of the ball now through four years,' Sarkisian said at SEC media days. 'And we're going to need to do that again. I think championships are won on the defensive side of the ball, and we've got a defensive football team that we're very excited about.' That defense could be what gives Texas the edge in Week 1 against the Buckeyes, even if the Longhorns are slight underdogs. Whoever starts at QB for Ohio State will also be very inexperienced, and the Buckeyes have far more turnover on the defensive side of the ball than the Longhorns. Texas gave up just over 15 points per game in 2024 and that number should be similar in 2025. Opposing offenses averaged 283 yards per game — only Ohio State and Indiana allowed fewer yards a contest. This is a well-rounded football team that should be going for a top-four seed in the College Football Playoff.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
College football Top 25: The Arch Manning era begins in earnest at Texas
College football officially begins this month. Now that it's August, there are less than two weeks until Kansas State and Iowa State meet in Dublin to begin the 2025 regular season. And since the season is quickly approaching, we're rolling out our preseason Top 25. Next up in our rankings is the No. 3 team, and the rest will be revealed in the coming days. (All odds are from BetMGM.) Previously: Nos. 11 through 25, No. 10 Miami, No. 9 Alabama, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 7 LSU, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 5 Georgia, No. 4 Oregon No. 3 Texas 2024 record: 13-3 National championship odds: +475 Odds to make College Football Playoff: -310 2024 in 100 words The Longhorns started the season 6-0 in a stretch that included a convincing 31-12 win over Michigan and an even more convincing 34-3 win over Oklahoma. However, those teams weren't close to being playoff contenders. Texas got its first dose of Georgia on Oct. 19 when the Bulldogs just bullied the Longhorns' offense in a 30-15 loss. Texas then won five more games to make it to the SEC title game and face … you guessed it, Georgia. The Bulldogs again got the better of the Longhorns in a 22-19 win without Carson Beck for the second half. Even so, Texas won two playoff games to advance to the national semifinals, where it lost 28-14 to eventual champion Ohio State. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The quarterback Arch Manning What is there left to say about Arch Manning before the season begins? The buildup to his first season as Texas' full-time starter is unlike anything we've seen in recent college football history. Manning is the Heisman favorite at +600 despite throwing fewer than 100 career passes in college football. Many of those passes came early in the 2024 season after Quinn Ewers suffered an oblique injury. Manning sent the hype machine into overdrive immediately after he replaced Ewers against UTSA when he was 9-of-12 passing for 223 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing three times for 53 yards and a score. He started the next two games for the Longhorns as Ewers recovered and one was better than the other. Against Louisiana-Monroe, Manning's first college start was pretty pedestrian. He was 15-of-29 passing for 258 yards and 2 TDs and 2 interceptions in the 51-3 win. He was much better the next week against Mississippi State. Manning was 26-of-31 for 325 yards and two scores against the Bulldogs while also rushing six times for 33 yards and a TD. There was a moment in the first loss to Georgia where it looked like Texas coach Steve Sarkisian could be making the switch from Ewers to Manning late in the second half. Georgia's relentless pressure had put Ewers and the Texas offense into a funk and Sarkisian inserted Manning into the game. A spark didn't happen. Manning was 3-of-6 for 19 yards and fumbled with 25 seconds to go to set up a Georgia field goal and a 23-0 halftime lead for the Bulldogs. With Ewers off to the NFL, the time is now for Manning. And it sure looks like this will be the first of two seasons as Texas' starting quarterback given what his grandfather Archie said to Texas Monthly. Arch, meanwhile, said at SEC media day that he's learning to become more of a vocal leader now that he's the starter. 'I think as much as it wasn't always easy, those two years I kind of feel like I got a lot of respect from the team,' Arch said of his two seasons as a backup. 'Now being more of a vocal leader, they know it's coming from a place of love. When I get on someone, they know I'm not just being a turd.' Non-QB to watch WR Ryan Wingo The Longhorns lose their top three receivers from 2024 in Matthew Golden, Gunnar Helm and Isaiah Bond. All three each had more than 500 yards receiving and combined for over half of Texas' receiving TDs. Enter Wingo, who played a significant role as a freshman. Wingo had 29 grabs for 472 yards and two scores and was also used as a changeup on wide receiver runs. He had five carries for 100 yards thanks to a big 55-yard dash in the Week 2 win over Michigan. The former four-star recruit will team with DeAndre Moore Jr. on the outside while five-star freshman Kaliq Lockett could also push for playing time. Best position group Linebackers Anthony Hill leads the position group after he was everywhere in 2024. Hill had 113 tackles, eight sacks and an interception as the leader of Texas' defense. He should again be the team's leader in tackles and an All-American candidate. Liona Lefau is also back after he had 63 tackles last season and Jelani McDonald should step into a bigger role after he had 33 stops as a true freshman. Behind Hill and Lefau, Texas also has a ton of depth at the position. This was an easy choice on what could be a stacked defense. Biggest game Oct. 11 vs. Oklahoma No, we're not forgetting about the Week 1 showdown at Ohio State or the Week 12 game at Georgia on Nov. 15. Both of those games are massive and worthy of inclusion as the biggest game of the year. But it's conceivable that Texas could lose both of those road games and still be in the thick of the SEC title race and the playoff race. Losing to both Georgia and Oklahoma will complicate Texas' road back to the SEC championship game. The Oklahoma game also comes in the middle of a four-game stretch that doesn't include a home game. Texas plays at Florida on Oct. 4 before the annual game in Dallas and then plays at Kentucky and at Mississippi State over the following two weeks before a home game against Vanderbilt. Oklahoma should be much improved in 2025 and give Texas a much better game. Winning is imperative for bragging rights and Texas' hopes of a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. Why Texas is No. 3 For all the attention that will be paid to Manning and the Texas offense this season, the biggest reason for Texas' ranking is its defense. Just ask Sarkisian. 'This is probably the deepest and most talented defense that we've had, and we've made incremental growth on the defensive side of the ball now through four years,' Sarkisian said at SEC media days. 'And we're going to need to do that again. I think championships are won on the defensive side of the ball, and we've got a defensive football team that we're very excited about.' That defense could be what gives Texas the edge in Week 1 against the Buckeyes, even if the Longhorns are slight underdogs. Whoever starts at QB for Ohio State will also be very inexperienced, and the Buckeyes have far more turnover on the defensive side of the ball than the Longhorns. Texas gave up just over 15 points per game in 2024 and that number should be similar in 2025. Opposing offenses averaged 283 yards per game — only Ohio State and Indiana allowed fewer yards a contest. This is a well-rounded football team that should be going for a top-four seed in the College Football Playoff.
USA Today
19 hours ago
- USA Today
College football preseason poll ranking errors include Tennessee, Oklahoma, Clemson
Media members voting in college football's AP Top 25 followed the lead of the US LBM Coaches Poll by anointing Texas as the preseason No. 1. You'll get no objection from me. The Longhorns possess the coach, the roster and the quarterback to pursue a national championship. After the No. 1 spot, though, the two polls featured several discrepancies. Oklahoma became subject to the biggest disagreement. The Sooners went unranked by the coaches, but landed No. 18 in the AP poll. Here's a look at the eight biggest discrepancies between the polls, with my ruling on which poll got it right: Clemson Coaches: No. 6 AP: No. 4 Who got it right?: AP Clemson finished with four losses last season, but never mind that fading object in the rearview mirror, because Dabo Swinney retained a talented roster that's now more experienced. He even added some polish with a few transfers. Clemson touts the nation's best defensive line, along with arguably the nation's top quarterback, Cade Klubnik. The Tigers aren't just contenders inside the ACC. They're national championship contenders. Florida Coaches: No. 17 AP: No. 15 Who got it right?: Coaches Both poll services overrated the Gators, but the coaches came closer to the mark. Florida ended last season playing well. DJ Lagway is one of the nation's most promising quarterbacks, but he rehabbed injuries throughout the offseason, and after an underwhelming transfer haul, I question whether Lagway enjoys enough support on either side of the ball to justify these rankings in the face of a daunting schedule. Texas A&M Coaches: No. 21 AP: No. 19 Who got it right?: Coaches Texas A&M being overrated is an August tradition. The Aggies were ranked in the preseason polls in each of the past six years. They finished the season ranked only twice during that span, and only once did they finish higher than their preseason ranking. That doesn't mean these Aggies will stink. They're equipped with a solid offensive line and a strong backfield. But, combine how they buckled at the end of last season with their history of failing to meet projections, and the AP awarded too much respect. Kansas State Coaches: No. 20 AP: No. 17 Who got it right?: AP Kansas State unraveled last November but still finished 9-4, and the Wildcats returned a bulk of their production, including quarterback Avery Johnson. That helps explain why the Wildcats are an oddsmaker front-runner to win the Big 12. Kansas State's run game and rushing defense each should rank near the top of its conference. The coaches underrated the Wildcats, and the media corrected that. Brigham Young Coaches: No. 23 AP: Unranked Who got it right?: AP The coaches' ranking is out of touch with the reality that the Cougars' planned starting quarterback, Jake Retzlaff, transferred to Tulane this summer, rather than face an honor code suspension at BYU. Given that late roster twist, a different Big 12 team, Baylor, would be a better choice in the rankings than BYU. The Bears went unranked in both polls. BYU's coaches poll ranking honors its 2024 performance rather than its 2025 reality. WHO PREVAILS?: A scavenger hunt to locate the next national champion Mississippi Coaches: No. 15 AP: No. 21 Who got it right?: Coaches Lane Kiffin plays transfer roulette as well as anyone, and he assembled another impressive haul to replace the significant loss of talent from last season's 10-win team. Whether you think the AP or coaches ranking is more appropriate depends on whether you're a believer in quarterback Austin Simmons, a first-year starter. I'm a believer, after watching Simmons thrive in a relief appearance against Georgia. He'll enjoy a sufficient supporting cast. Tennessee Coaches: No. 18 AP: No. 24 Who got it right?: AP Ideally, split the difference between these two rankings, but, forced to choose one, I'd say the AP rankings are closer to the mark after Tennessee endured significant losses from its playoff team, including the April departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Coach Josh Heupel's track record indicates a high floor, but combine the Vols' meek transfer haul with the quarterback uncertainty, and the coaches' ranking seems too bullish. At least the schedule is accommodating, by SEC standards. Oklahoma Coaches: Unranked AP: No. 18 Who got it right?: AP Embattled coach Brent Venables used the offseason to seed a revival, after the 2024 season went bust. Sweeping roster changes include the additions of star quarterback John Mateer, a transfer from Washington State, and Jadyn Ott, a former All-America running back for California. The AP ranking might be a smidge lofty for a team facing Oklahoma's brutal schedule, but it's closer to the mark than the Sooners being omitted from the coaches poll, where they received the most points among unranked teams. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
