'The bench is a good motivator': Nick Saban advises Texas to use hard-line approach with Arch Manning

Saban had no problem benching high-profile players in big spots during his legendary coaching career Arch Manning's inconsistency has plagued the Texas offense this season, and a recent threat from Steve Sarkisian potentially prompted the former five-star quarterback to play with more poise last time out, according to Nick Saban. Saban was no stranger to benching players in his time at Alabama. He famously sat Jalen Hurts in favor of Tua Tagovailoa at halftime of the Tide's 2018 national title game against Georgia, prompting a memorable comeback win. "I always say the bench is a pretty good motivator, especially if the guy's a great competitor, which I think Arch is," Saban said Friday on ESPN.

"The threat that he might not be entitled to the job may be something that motivates him and keeps him motivated through the rest of the season. He's going to have to play well for them to be able (to win out)." Backup KJ Lacey has played sparingly this season despite a recent reported uptick in first-team reps during practice, and hasn't faced the complexity of live SEC rounds like Tagovailoa. In both of the Longhorns' losses this season, Manning made critical fourth-quarter mistakes that swung the game's momentum, and he did it against Ole Miss too with the game tied, but Texas escaped. "Sark