Kickoff is inching closer for Tennessee vs. Texas and while Steve Sarkisian thinks the outside noise isn't going to keep rising, he's dead wrong. In this case, we're of course talking about Arch Manning and his Tennessee legend of an uncle Peyton, who despite rooting for Texas this weekend is still beloved by the Vols faithful.
The comparisons between the two quarterbacks won't be silenced ahead of kickoff and while Sarkisian is doing his best to keep his junior quarterback focused on just Tennessee, that's much easier said than done. While speaking to the media, Sark indeed tried to make it seem like the family connection isn't a big deal, but it sure is:
"I do think that's important for him is to not to try to be something that doesn't best suit him," Sarkisian said. "I want him to be him. I don't want him to be Archie, I don't want him to be Peyton, I don't want him to be Eli. I don't want him to be Colt McCoy and I don't want him to be Vince Young. I want him to be Arch Manning. Arch Manning is plenty good enough for us to put us in a position to win."
I asked Sark if he talks to Arch about handling always being the headline because of his last name. For example, playing Peyton's alma mater Tennessee on Saturday.
— LeVon Whittaker TV (@levonwhitt_tv) September 21, 2026
"I want him to be Arch Manning. I don't want him to Archie, I don't want him to Peyton, I don't want him to be Eli" pic.twitter.com/4gKkbUDkfj
Arch Manning should understand the pressure that comes with playing against Peyton's alma mater
Hey, it's easy to agree with Sarkisian, as the young Manning has to focus on playing his game and not worrying about what everyone else is saying about his football family royalty. Still, though, the fact that his head coach even had to bring things up tells you that there's going to be a lot of focus on this game, and also a lot of pressure.
Even we hate to admit it, but if Arch struggles, the comparisons to Peyton are going to come in. It's of course going to be on defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to try to rattle Manning on Saturday, as the Tennessee pass-rush is going to have to look electric in getting to the future first-round pick. If consistent pressure is put on Manning, it could be a long day at the office for him.
That's what's going to potentially end up making the difference in the Vols shocking the world or not. What might help Tennessee here too is that Texas looked sluggish in Week 3 despite a lopsided win over UTSA. Add in a tough road environment and the Vols could be in a strong position to dethrone the top team in the country.
It all begins and ends with how Manning plays. Peyton will be on hand, as will other members of the Manning family. The Manning clan being on hand is going to be a major topic of conversation before kickoff, during the action and way after. Arch is going to want to give people something to talk about, though Arion Carter, Knowles and Heupel will work overtime to shut him down. And while Peyton claims he's ready to cheer for Texas, which is fine, it will be on the Vols to make sure he leaves Neyland Stadium a bit disappointed. Let's see how this one plays out.
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