Arch Manning vs. Oklahoma in 2026: What Texas' First Four Games Show
Texas is 4-0 entering the October 10 Red River Rivalry, and Arch Manning has helped it win two very different close games. His fourth-quarter passing fueled the comeback against Ohio State. At Tennessee, the Longhorns won 20-17 behind two Raleek Brown touchdowns and a defense that recorded 10 sacks. Those results give a better preview of Manning against Oklahoma than a broad label about how he fares against “elite defenses.”
The Texas cumulative statistics list Manning at 73 completions on 115 attempts, 862 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions through September 26. That is a four-game sample with different opponents and game situations. It shows production, but the moments within it explain more about what Oklahoma may test.
Ohio State showed a late-game answer
Texas trailed Ohio State by 20 points in the fourth quarter on September 12 and won 24-23. Texas’ recap credits Manning with eight completions in 11 fourth-quarter attempts for 83 yards and a touchdown. He found Ryan Wingo for a three-yard score as the Longhorns closed the gap, then completed a 19-yard pass to Emmett Mosley V on the eventual winning drive.
That finish matters because Oklahoma may force Texas to earn points late. It does not mean Manning will repeat a 20-point rally. The useful evidence is narrower: Texas kept throwing effectively when the game required quick possessions, and Manning completed passes on drives with little room for error.
Tennessee showed the cost of stalled drives
Manning opened the September 26 game at Tennessee 6-for-6 for 120 yards, according to the Texas recap. He finished 14-for-19 for 201 yards with one interception and no passing touchdowns. After that fast start, his remaining eight completions produced 81 yards. Texas still won 20-17, with Brown scoring on runs of nine and four yards.
The box score shows Texas converted three of 12 third downs. That number deserves attention ahead of Dallas. A productive opening drive did not turn into steady possession-by-possession offense. Oklahoma’s defense will have chances to create similar long-yardage situations, though Tennessee’s result cannot establish how often it will succeed.
Oklahoma’s defensive results need context
Oklahoma held New Mexico to 185 total yards and six points on September 19, recording six sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the OU recap. A week later, Georgia beat OU 41-13. That score alone hides some of the defensive performance: Oklahoma says it limited Georgia to 308 total yards, while four Sooner turnovers led to 17 Georgia points.
Those two games suggest Oklahoma can disrupt drives, but they do not identify a guaranteed way to stop Manning. Watch whether the Sooners force third-and-long, whether Texas protects the ball, and whether Manning can connect with his receivers after the first scripted possessions. Those are observable tests rather than predictions about an unseen game plan.
Manning has one relevant Dallas reference point. In Texas’ 23-6 win over Oklahoma in 2025, he completed 21 of 27 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown. He went 6-for-6 on the second-half drive that put Texas ahead 10-6. This year’s teams have changed, so that performance is context for his poise in the setting, not a template for the rematch.
The 2026 game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC at the Cotton Bowl. See the game guide for confirmed details and our September matchup checkpoint for the broader team picture.
