The 2025 college football offseason centered on Arch Manning's arrival at Texas and Bill Belichick's move to coach North Carolina, generating intense media hype and high expectations. Arch Manning faced Ohio State and completed 17-of-30 passes in a 14-7 defeat, often appearing confused and uncertain despite polished commercial appearances. North Carolina, under Belichick, suffered a 48-14 home loss to TCU, a game that began with fanfare but ended in disappointment. Both coaches acknowledged responsibility, with Manning saying "Not good enough" and Belichick conceding the opponent was better. Preseason optimism proved premature as performance and execution fell short.
The combination of coach Bill Belichick and quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning won 10 of the 18 Super Bowls from 2001-2019, often going through each other to get there. Now Belichick, 73, was trying to reinvent himself as a college coach at North Carolina. Meanwhile, Arch Manning -- Eli and Peyton's 21-year-old nephew -- was set to take over at Texas as the next generation of the family business, quarterbacking. The hype was breathless. The expectations were considerable.
Then reality hit across Labor Day weekend, leaving the fawning media and preseason predictions to deal with incompletions, interceptions and an avalanche of public scorn. On Saturday, Manning and his Longhorns ran into the brick wall of an Ohio State defense (led by a Belichick protégé, defensive coordinator Matt Patricia). The Buckeyes won 14-7, and Manning went just 17-of-30 passing, often looking confused and uncertain on the field -- although still smooth and polished in television commercials during the game.
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