As Texas football enters a pivotal 2025 season, the stakes are much higher. With Arch Manning stepping into as starting quarterback after Quinn Ewers left, no one appears to want to give the Longhorns a break.
No excuses will take the pressure off of Texas. The Longhorns are positioned to potentially win the College Football Playoff championship this season. Fans are demanding this from Texas. So is On3 national college football analyst J.D. PicKell.
Analyst Issues Ultimatum to Arch Manning, Longhorns Coach to Deliver National Title
Texas football fans have high hopes. PicKell also has high hopes, too, for the Longhorns. He shared his thoughts recently about the Longhorns on On3’s YouTube channel. PicKell reacted to a fan voicemail that perfectly captured the growing pressure in Austin.
“I think a lot of people in Austin are hearing you say that or a lot of people in the college football world hearing you say that and saying a failure with a first-year starting quarterback and all that production you lost from last year – a failure, Carl?” Pickell said on his show.
“And Carl, you know what? I’m with you,” PicKell said. “I stand with Carl on this one, man. If Texas does not win a national championship, it is absolutely fair to call this season a failure.”
That might sound like a bold take. Texas enters its second season in the SEC after reaching back-to-back CFP semifinals. The Longhorns finished 13–3 last year and won the SEC regular-season title, but fell short in the playoffs.
This season, Manning is the main attraction. Manning, a former five-star recruit, threw for 939 yards and nine touchdowns last season in limited action. Texas is rolling out a new offensive setup this season while Manning also has a $6.8 million NIL value. Manning, 21, seems ready to handle the spotlight.
If Arch Manning rolls out there with tights and a towel being worn in the back…Texas is winning the national title. pic.twitter.com/ZxCKQk82Pj
— J.D. PicKell (@jdpickell) May 29, 2025
PicKell also shared a balanced view, saying, “You can have a failure of a season but still have it be a good season overall… but the ultimate goal – you did come up short. You did not check that box. It was a failure relative to your expectations.”
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has built a championship-level roster. In two of the last three years, the Longhorns were among the top three college football recruiting classes.
“This is where you always talked about being,” PicKell said. “This is where you felt like you deserved to be. So people saying, ‘Isn’t this kind of harsh? You’re saying Texas needs to win a national championship or it’s a failure?’ Not really.”
Texas’ schedule this season is no cakewalk. The Longhorns open the season on the road against Ohio State. Texas follows that up with a manageable stretch before tough SEC matchups with Florida and Oklahoma. In November, things get real with games against Georgia and Texas A&M.
With the nation’s best talent, strong coaching, and an estimated $35–40 million investment in the roster, Texas has set the bar high. The math is simple: Win a national championship or call the season a failure.
