Paul Finebaum Names College Football Program That Has Nothing to Prove originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2024 college football season was a year for college football programs to prove that their success in 2023 was not a fluke.
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The Texas Longhorns made their first College Football Playoff appearance in 2023. In 2024, during their first year in the SEC, they reached the SEC Championship Game and returned to the College Football Playoff.
There is significant hype surrounding the Longhorns as they enter the 2025 season. On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the SEC Network analyst was asked if there is anything additional Texas needs to demonstrate this year.
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.© Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
“This is not a prove-it year for Texas,” Finebaum said. “Texas has proved it already. Hiring Steve Sarkisian was the moment that they needed. They quit screwing around with a bunch of coaches who looked good on paper, or at least the press conference, and ultimately don’t pan out.”
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Finebaum has a lot of confidence in Texas this season, frequently labeling them as the best team in the country. However, the team is dealing with substantial roster turnover as they start the season, having lost a significant amount of production from the previous year. Texas ranks No. 103 in returning production, with only 29 percent of its offensive players coming back. This puts them as low as No. 126 in terms of returning offensive production.
Quinn Ewers, who served as the starting quarterback for the past three years, has moved on to the NFL. Furthermore, the Longhorns have lost four of their top six receivers, their second-leading rusher and four of the five starting offensive linemen. Despite these challenges, Texas has excelled in recruiting and has secured the top recruiting class in the nation for 2025, according to 247Sports.
The Arch Manning Era Has Begun in Austin
The Longhorns are entering the Arch Manning era. The grandson of legendary college football quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of NFL icons Peyton and Eli Manning is poised to be the full-time starter for the first time in his career. In his first two years, during which he had limited playing time, he threw for a total of 969 yards, recording nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
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Manning will make his first start of the 2025 season on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes. This matchup is a rematch of the College Football Playoff semifinal and is scheduled for Aug. 30 at noon ET.
Related: Paul Finebaum Reveals How He Thinks Texas Will Perform In Year 1 of the Arch Manning Era
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
