Steve Sarkisian said Monday that Arch Manning is still Texas' starting quarterback, but that the senior has to play better. "I think there's no doubt about it — Arch can play better for us," Sarkisian said, per Burnt Orange Nation. "He's our starter, but I need […]" The feed excerpt cuts off there. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford reported that Sarkisian "went long" on the quarterback situation and said he needs a "better version" of Manning going into Saturday's game against Ole Miss.

Yahoo Sports is running a different angle. One item says Texas has "reportedly" made a decision on Manning. It says his job security is in question and that the Longhorns are at least preparing for a possible change under center. Yahoo's summary is cut off before it says what Texas is expected to do. A second Yahoo piece only says the situation is "heating up" and mentions a new report. Neither summary says who is behind the reporting or who the alternative would be. Sarkisian's on-record comments, as quoted, back Manning for now. Yahoo says the contingency planning is happening anyway.

The game behind the questions was Saturday's 27-24 loss to the Gators. Manning went 14 of 20 for 173 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. His 8.7 yards per attempt was well above Florida's 4.4. He also lost a fumble, Texas' only turnover, and ran 10 times for 0 yards. The Longhorns converted 2 of 10 third downs, against 8 of 19 for Florida. They held the ball for 21:49 to Florida's 38:11, and were outgained 313 yards to 272.

Over six games Manning has 107 completions on 167 attempts for 1,299 yards, 11 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. His best game was the opener against Texas State: 305 yards and four touchdowns. His worst was the Oct. 10 game at Oklahoma, where he threw three touchdowns and two interceptions. That game ended 24-24 in our records. Yahoo calls the recent run "back-to-back losses," but our table shows a tie followed by the Florida loss. Texas is 4-2 and 1-2 in SEC play, 11th in the conference, and its streak is listed as L2.

The next test is a hard one. Ole Miss is 5-1, fourth in the SEC, and coming off a 31-3 win over Missouri and a 52-17 win at Vanderbilt. Its one loss was 52-28 at Florida on Sept. 26. Texas hosts the Rebels on Saturday, Oct. 24. Sarkisian's comments suggest Manning starts, and the Yahoo reports suggest his hold on the job may depend on how he plays.