Is Texas out of the College Football Playoff? Longhorns, Arch Manning flop against Florida
Arch Manning and Texas come up short in the fourth quarter again.
In a surprising upset, Florida beat No. 7 Texas 27-24 on Saturday, leading to significant concerns about the Longhorns' chances in the College Football Playoff for 2026. This is the second consecutive loss for Texas, following their defeat to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry last week. Quarterback Arch Manning had a chance to orchestrate a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter but instead fumbled with 1:58 remaining, contributing to the Gators' second straight triumph over Texas.
The Florida offense built a 17-3 halftime lead, largely due to a 32-yard touchdown run by Raleek Brown and a 64-yard punt return touchdown by Ryan Niblett. Backup quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. added two more touchdowns with passes to Lacota Dippre and a 28-yard field goal by Patrick Durkin, putting Florida ahead 20-17 with just 10:40 left in the fourth quarter.
Manning completed 10 of 14 passes for 77 yards by the time Florida took the lead, and the Longhorns failed to pose a significant threat in the air. With only one completion over 20 yards, Manning's passing game struggled in the second half. Manning's performance raises questions about his future with Texas, especially considering he is a projected first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
The Longhorns still face a challenging schedule with four ranked opponents in their remaining games, starting with No. 9 Ole Miss next Saturday.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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