Video 'Fear Arch Manning' 👀 USC a CFP sleeper, can Indiana repeat as National Champions, Notre Dame | FTF FOX Sports CFB analyst RJ Young joins First Things First to discuss his 138 CFB rankings, along with Indiana's odds of repeating as National Champions. He then breaks down what is stopping Notre Dame from winning it all, along with the Big Ten's new rule regarding players returning to CFB from the NFL. RJ then explains why Arch Manning will live up to the hype, along with how the 2026 season will be the most competitive year in CFB history. He also unveils his dark horse National Championship Winner. (00:00) Intro (00:26) RJ's 138 CFB Rankings (01:29) Indiana Going Back-to-Back? (02:34) Notre Dame's Limitations (03:50) Big Ten's New Rule (06:40) Will Arch Live Up to Hype? (08:00) Most Competitive CFB Season Ever? (10:44) Dark Horse National Championship Winner
Expectations for the Texas Longhorns football program have reached a fever pitch, with star quarterback Arch Manning heading into his second year as the starting quarterback.
The Longhorns are expected to once again have one of the best defenses in college football, brought in a top six recruiting class, and some services believe Texas has the most talented roster in the sport. At least by recruiting rankings. They also finished out their 2025 season with wins over Texas A&M and Michigan, taking some momentum into a pivotal 2026.
Unfortunately, despite all these factors aligning in their favor, the Longhorns also have arguably the toughest schedule in the country. They host Ohio State, play at Tennessee, have the traditional Red River Shootout against Oklahoma, host Ole Miss, play at LSU, and at Texas A&M. With that schedule, the Longhorns could be a significantly improved team from 2025 and still finish 9-3 without playing poorly.
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Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns on the field prior to a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Nov. 22, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
But that might not be the biggest hurdle in head coach Steve Sarkisian's quest to bring a national title home to Austin. It's being mentally tired. Seriously.
Sarkisian revealed on a recent podcast that their loss to Ohio State in the 2024-2025 College Football Playoff was due to the Longhorns being "tired."
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"I felt like the year we played Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, we were tired, and not necessarily physically tired," Sarkisian said. "We were mentally fatigued as well. That’s a long season. We had so many big games. So I think managing it this time around, how we manage their energy level, is as important as how we manage their legs and the physicality."
Every team is tired at the end of a college football season. Every team deals with injuries and mental fatigue. And it's the job of a coach to prepare the players for each and every challenge. Specifically, if you can't overcome fatigue and being "tired" in the literal College Football Playoff semifinal, how can you ever?
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) on the field. (Kyle Robertson/Imagn Images)
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Not to mention, Ohio State was likely "tired" too. The Buckeyes finished their season with a top-5 Indiana team, rivalry game against Michigan, playing Tennessee in the first round, then the number one seed in the tournament, Oregon, in LA, then had to travel to Texas to play the Longhorns in what should have been an effective home game for Sarkisian just 200 miles from campus.
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There's no doubt Texas had a tough stretch to finish their season as well, but they played their final games either in Texas or Atlanta. And despite the easier travel schedule, they were very fortunate to escape with a win over Arizona State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
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Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks to make a pass during the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on Nov. 15, 2025. (Dale Zanine/Imagn Images)
It's not encouraging that, with Texas heading into what's likely their toughest schedule over the past few seasons, their head coach is explaining the team has been fatigued and tired for their biggest games. Whatever it takes, Sarkisian will apparently have to get them more rest to bring home a championship.
