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The inevitable became reality on Saturday when the Arch Manning hype reached insane levels after the Texas quarterback came in for injured starter Quinn Ewers. Five touchdowns (four rushing) later, Manning has entered the Heisman Trophy race.

No, seriously, he’s in the Heisman Trophy race. Manning is now +1600 to win it – the exact same odds as Ewers. Those are better odds than USC quarterback Miller Moss (+1800), Ohio State quarterback Will Howard (+2200), Shedeur Sanders (+6600) and several other high-profile players. 

The big question is … “why?”

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 09:  A general view of the Heisman Trophy.  (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Manning has taken significant snaps in a grand total of one college football game. ONE. Sure, it was a great performance. Was that enough to warrant Heisman hype? No. Was that enough to put him in the upper-echelon of college football quarterbacks? No. It was one good game against UTSA. It’s not like he did it against a superpower.

Ewers is “week-to-week” with an abdominal strain according to multiple reports, and coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday that Ewers status for this week vs. UL-Monroe is up in the air.

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“There was a non-contact deal, which we touched on,” Sarkisian said. “The oblique strain there. When you guys get your injury report next Wednesday when that officially begins, he would be listed as ‘questionable’.”

It isn’t very hard to read between the lines. That means that Ewers is still “the man” in Austin and Sarkisian is going to stick with him as long as he’s healthy – as he should. Ewers led Texas to the College Football Playoff last year, topped Alabama by double-digits in Tuscaloosa and has been the centerpiece of Texas’ journey back into the college football spotlight.

Manning is just a backup who had one great game in a pinch in relief of a superstar. 

ANN ARBOR, MI – SEPTEMBER 07: Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) looks on before a college football game against the Michigan Wolverines on September 07, 2024 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Don’t get me wrong … it was awesome to see Manning step into the spotlight and succeed in the way that he did. There’s an old adage that the backup quarterback is always the most popular player on the roster, and that is exactly what is at play here. 

The truth is that neither Manning nor Ewers should be considered for the Heisman trophy at all for now. If Ewers is week-to-week, that means that he might miss enough time to allow others to jump ahead of him on the odds board and never look back. Manning’s only shot is if Ewers is out for the season, and there’s nothing to suggest that he is at this point in time.

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If you bet on Manning, you’re throwing your money away. That’s not exactly the case with Ewers. But it’s not like it’s responsible to invest in a player who might not play for multiple weeks either.