Quinn Ewers uneven play over the last month of the 2024 season has opened back up questions about who should start at quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. With every Ewers misstep, the calls for Arch Manning grow louder.
Now, Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY Sports is using a moment from the Alabama Crimson Tide dynasty as an example and a road map for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. He suggests Sark be ready to make the same tough decision former Bama coach Nick Saban did in 2017. Remember when Saban replaced Jalen Hurts with Tua Tagovailoa in the national title game?
“Nick Saban made the best decision of his career when the stakes were highest.
Saban benched a quarterback who had a 25-2 record as his starter at halftime of the national championship game against Georgia at the end of the 2017 season.
Winning move.
Jalen Hurts watched from the sideline while true freshman Tua Tagovailoa rallied Alabama past a 13-point halftime deficit in that title tilt against Georgia. The Crimson Tide won 26-23 in overtime when Tagovailoa made one of the most memorable throws in Alabama history, a 41-yard touchdown strike on second-and-26.”
— Blake Toppmeyer
Sark wouldn’t join the Alabama staff until the next season, but he obviously knows the story. “The Texas coach would do well to remember it as his fifth-seeded Longhorns set off on their College Football Playoff course,” Toppmeyer says.
Hurts had done nothing but win at Alabama, but Saban recognized how the game was trending and turned to Tua. Ewers, with some help from Manning, has captained Texas to the college football playoffs. He has three full seasons and a college football playoff game of experience under his belt. But if the game against the Clemson Tigers isn’t trending his way, Toppmeyer suggests he turn to Arch. “Manning, in two seasons as a backup, has amassed more experience than Tagovailoa had before he rescued Alabama,” he says.
Of course, Sark doesn’t need anyone’s help and he doesn’t listen to outside voices. The Texas coach told Rich Eisen that’d it would be an “emotional nightmare” if he listened to everyone’s opinion. “I’m not really one to buy into the opinions of others or the criticism of others that I would never ask advice from,” Sarkisian said.
“Certainly, it’s fine – recommended, even – that Sarkisian tune out us hacks, as long as he doesn’t tune out reality, too, if Texas finds itself needing a spark the playoff.
With Ewers taking most of the snaps, Texas twice lost to Georgia, the only playoff team it faced all season. … Might the Longhorns have won that game if Sarkisian had benched Ewers in the second half in favor of Manning? Maybe, maybe not …”
— Blake Toppmeyer
Would getting replaced in the playoffs hurt Ewers’ career? It didn’t really Hurts. Hurts transferred to Oklahoma and has now been the starting QB for the first place Philadelphia Eagles for several years.
“Possessing two good quarterbacks on the same college roster should be a blessing, not a nightmare, but it only helps if a coach will trigger a quarterback change if the situation calls for it.
If Ewers struggles, Sarkisian must take inspiration from Saban.
The playoff favors the bold.”
– Black Toppmeyer.
Texas hosts Clemson at DKR Saturday afternoon at 3pm CT on TNT.