Arch Manning had the kind of fourth quarter that can change the conversation around a QB. Texas was buried. Ohio State had a 23-3 lead, the Longhorns could barely sustain a drive, and he had already thrown an interception. Then, the game flipped with Hollywood Smothers finishing the comeback with 25 seconds left. It became a close 24-23 victory. 

It was a spectacular comeback, but it was also not a clean Arch Manning performance. That’s what FOX analyst Joel Klatt noted. After watching the game, he pushed back against the easy version of the story during his appearance with Colin Herd via CFB on FOX. While he acknowledged how good the Texas QB was when the game was hanging in the balance, he said there was still a major part of his play that needed work.

“I thought that that last quarter was fantastic from a grit perspective,” he said. “But I have major questions about the way he played before that.”

For roughly three quarters, Texas’ offense was stuck in mud. Joel Klatt pointed to the Longhorns’ opening eight possessions, when they ran only 38 plays and averaged just over three yards per snap. His biggest concern wasn’t Arch Manning’s willingness to make difficult throws. It was what happened before those throws.

“Arch needs to anticipate windows better,” he said. “In the 1st, 2.5 quarters, 3 quarters, he did not do a good job of anticipating windows. He wanted to see the throw, then make the throw, and because of that, Texas’s offense was very stagnant.”

That hesitation can make it quite hard for a QB. A WR may be open for a split second, but by the time the QB confirms it, the window is shrinking. Against elite defenses, that difference can wreck a whole drive. And that was what Texas looked like for long stretches against Ohio State.

“If you actually watch the game tape, there were some real struggles,” Klatt added. “And he’s gotta develop and the most development that he needs to make is the anticipatory throw. He doesn’t make that very often.”

Arch Manning’s night started badly. His opening completion was fumbled away, and an interception a few plays later helped Ohio State build its early advantage. By the end of the third quarter, the Buckeyes were sitting on a 23-3 lead. Then he “let it rip,” and that’s when things began to change. 

Arch Manning completed 11 of his final 15 passes and directed three touchdown drives, with Texas covering 91, 72, and 73 yards on those possessions. He made a few big fourth-down throws and ended the night 23-for-37 with 196 yards, a touchdown and an interception. And the comeback was no small thing. 

Texas came back from 20 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the No. 1 team in the country. It was the biggest fourth-quarter comeback ever against an AP No. 1 team. Smothers scored twice in the final quarter, including the go-ahead touchdown with 25 seconds remaining. So there is plenty to celebrate. But Joel Klatt simply does not think the fourth quarter should erase everything that came before it.

Still, Arch Manning did not fold when Texas was three scores down. He kept taking hits, kept attacking fourth downs, and eventually put the Longhorns in position to win. 

“It was a weird start,” he said afterward. “I’m really proud of the way we responded.”

That may ultimately become the most important part of the night. The Ohio State win gave Arch Manning an epic comeback. The talent is obvious. But if he wants to turn moments like that into consistent QB play, the next step is not simply making more spectacular throws. It is learning to make the right throw before the window disappears.