Will Texas bench Arch Manning? Star QB likely on short leash vs. Ole Miss as K.J. Lacey gets first-team reps

Manning will get another start against Ole Miss, but Lacey waits in the wings if the Longhorns At 4-2 and coming off of back-to-back losses to unranked opponents, Texas Longhorns has already exhausted its margin for error to make the College Football Playoff at the midway point of the season. As the Longhorns get set to face No. 7 Ole Miss on Saturday, the pressure is on Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Arch Manning to perform, and the latter's hold on the starting job in Austin has never been more tenuous. Sarkisian's seat has warmed up considerably in Austin in what was supposed to be a make-or-break year for the Longhorns, who invested heavily to give Sark one of the nation's most talented (and expensive) rosters.

While there's a chance Texas can make it into the College Football Playoff with three losses, the Longhorns' schedule still includes road trips to Mizzou and LSU, making this week in Austin a near must-win. Sarkisian is fully aware of that, and while Manning will be back under center to start the game, there aren't guarantees he'll finish it. "Arch can play better for us; he's our starter, but I need to see a better version of Arch Manning," Sarkisian said Monday. "Like I need to see a better version of a lot of guys