Arch Manning will create an SEC football frenzy this fall that will probably be compared with the likes of Tim Tebow.
With the last name that wreaks of SEC history and football history in general and playing at a prestigious program like Texas, Manning is going to face a ton of pressure and scrutiny when the games begin. That first game will be against none other than defending national champion Ohio State, in Columbus, so it’ll be the perfect storm of hype for Manning right up until he takes the field against the Buckeyes on Aug. 30.
But maybe the Manning hype machine has already begun. Maybe it really began in earnest on Tuesday, when Manning strolled out to meet with reporters on Day 2 of SEC Media Days in Atlanta. No, it wasn’t a game and, no, there were no defensive players trying to tear Manning’s head off and make a dent in that hype machine.
Manning still felt the heat though, and he even admitted it while walking out with that suit on and not a football uniform. There were plenty of people to shake hands with, and Manning noticed.
“I’m already getting blitzed,” said Manning, perhaps not knowing that his comment was picked up.
Manning was asked about his total SEC Media Days experience.
“It was pretty light early on, now it’s a little more intense,” he admitted. “It’s been fun. At first, I didn’t really want to come, just because the cameras aren’t my favorite thing. But then I realized to represent the University of Texas at SEC Media Days is a cool thing. It’s such a traditional program and storied program.”
With that, Manning was finishing up his SEC Media Days frenzy. Now, in a few short weeks, the on-field frenzy will commence, with plenty of expectations and hype to go with it.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
