Tim Tebow Calls Out Arch Manning Criticism and 'Pure Chaos' in SEC amid CFP Bracket Predictions

Legendary Florida Gators Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and current ESPN college football analyst Tim Tebow went to bat for Texas quarterback Arch Manning on Saturday.

During an appearance on SportsCenter, Tebow acknowledged that Manning has to play better on the heels of the Longhorns losing back-to-back games, but he also placed the onus on the Longhorns' offensive line.

"I definitely think that Arch has to play better, I think he needs to play better, and I do think we will see him play better down the stretch like he did last year," Tebow said. "I think it's easy for everyone to just jump on, 'Arch needs to do more.' And I don't think it's all on him. I think when you look at it, it comes down to sometimes play calling, I think it comes down to receivers making plays, Arch making better decisions. But I want to share something that I think gives more context. In the last three weeks, the pressure percentage for Texas' offense is 137th in the FBS. Their sack rate, 135th in the FBS. The yards per contact per rush 0.5, 127th in the FBS. So when you look at that, what is it saying?

"It's saying that this offensive line hasn't done close to their job, they have to get better. So, it's easy to point the fingers and say the quarterback's got to play better, and I do think he needs to, and I think he will, but it's also the team. That's why we love the game, it's a team sport. And when their offensive line the last three weeks has been one of the worst in every statistical category in the FBS, that's also very difficult on your quarterback. So, I think today, it's got to be a team effort, and everybody's got to stand up, starting with this offensive line and Arch."

After falling to Oklahoma and Florida the past two weeks by a combined six points, Texas is well down the SEC standings at 1-2, while Georgia and Kentucky currently lead the way at 4-1.

There is a great deal of unpredictability in the deep and talented SEC, though, and Tebow discussed the chaos that has and may continue to rule the day in the conference moving forward.

"I would lean towards Georgia as the most complete team, but I think when you look at it there's more parity in this league than maybe any other time in the last decade," Tebow said. "I think if you take away Arkansas and Vandy, I think anybody else in the SEC could win any given weekend. This league is so deep with so many good teams, but we're still waiting for the team that's going to be exceptional, that's going to be elite.

"I think there's strengths to all of those teams, but I don't know that any of them are necessarily looking like that championship team. I think a lot of them have that chance, but the SEC is pure chaos right now. I think they are actually beating each other up so much that it might really hurt coming down the stretch for the college football playoff. A couple of weeks ago they were predicting six SEC teams, I think now there's a chance that there could only be two or three because they're beating each other up so much."

Although the first College Football Playoff rankings for the 2026 season have yet to be released, the Associated Press Top 25 Poll suggests that three SEC teams would make the CFP if the season ended today.

While Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee would be in, perennial powerhouses like No. 13 Alabama and No. 19 Texas would not.

Based on the AP Top 25 Poll, the CFP field currently stacks up like this:

1. Miami (Fla.)

8. Texas Tech vs. 9. UCLA

5. Georgia vs. 12. Boise State

4. Notre Dame

2. BYU

7. Ole Miss vs. 10. Utah

6. Indiana vs. 11. Tennessee

3. Ohio State

While Texas is not out of it yet, it can ill afford another loss, as finishing inside the top 11 may not be possible with three defeats.

Florida Gators - Texas Longhorns Highlights

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The Longhorns do have the benefit of victories over a pair of top-11 teams in Ohio State and Tennessee, though, which suggests that winning out could be enough to get the Longhorns into the field.

Manning entered the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate, but he has not lived up to that billing.

He is completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 1,295 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, while rushing for 108 yards and no scores.

Manning's past two outings have been particularly rough, as he threw two interceptions in the three-point loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry game before throwing for just 173 yards in a three-point loss to Florida.

The competition does not get any easier for Manning and the Longhorns, as they host No. 7 Ole Miss this week and also have future games against No. 22 Missouri and No. 18 LSU.

Texas has a lot of work to do in order to get back into the CFP race, and as Tebow alluded to, it'll require a total team effort by Manning and those around him.