Skip Bayless returned to ESPN’s First Take today and spent no time dropping a pretty hot take about one of college football’s most talked-about quarterbacks: Texas QB Arch Manning.
In a preview segment of Saturday’s big Texas-Tennessee game at Neyland Stadium, Bayless asserted that the Manning scion hasn’t shown him the “poise that a Manning should have.” He said that he doesn’t trust Manning to have a good game against the Volunteers on Saturday.
“When I watch Arch Manning he makes me nervous… I liked his uncles and I loved his grandfather and he’s ‘next in line’ and yet his accuracy comes and goes… I don’t see the poise that a Manning should have,” Bayless said.
Does Bayless have a point?
Arch Manning has been a fairly polarizing quarterback since he became the full-time starter in 2025 (and even when he filled in for Quinn Ewers in 2024). Some fans believe that his skills might translate better to the NFL while others think his occasional struggles bode poorly.
As a result, there’s been plenty of discourse over whether Manning does have what it takes to lead Texas all the way to their first national title in two decades.
Though as far as Skip Bayless’ take goes, most of Arch Manning’s fans dismissed him as being an Oklahoma homer or wrong about past takes:
“Same clown that said Tebow and Manziel were going to be can’t miss bonafide greats,” one user wrote. “Zero credibility- yet another embarrassment to a now embarrassing show.”
“Bro he’s still a kid calm tf down skippy,” wrote another.
“OU fan by the way,” a third pointed out.
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The Longhorns are 5.5-point favorites against the Volunteers in this battle of undefeated SEC contenders. It’s worth noting that Tennessee beat the last No. 1 ranked team that came to visit them at Neyland Stadium, though that was just the second win in the last 12 times they’ve hosted such a team.
Manning and the Longhorns will have their hands full even if he does show the “poise” that Bayless thinks he lacks.
