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Arch Manning denies target on Texas Longhorns' backs: 'We have a red dot on everyone else'
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- Arch Manning denies target on Texas Longhorns' backs: 'We have a red dot on everyone else'
Texas will take the No. 1 ranking to Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, but quarterback Arch Manning isn't counting the Longhorns among the nation's hunted teams.
In an Aug. 25 interview, Manning was asked if he was "mentally prepared to have that huge X on your back all season long." With a road game against the No. 2 Buckeyes looming as the first game of the season for the Longhorns , Manning flipped that sentiment around on the reporter.
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Texas isn't the hunted, it's the hunter.
"I think (that target) is always at Texas," he said. "We try to shift the narrative. We're going for everyone else. The target's not on our back -- we have a red dot on everyone else."
Despite holding the preseason No. 1 ranking, Texas will go to Ohio State as underdogs in the eyes of the oddsmakers . According to BetMGM.com, the Longhorns opened at 2.5-point underdogs to the Buckeyes , making them the first No. 1 team to not be favored in their opening game since at least 1978 according to ESPN .
More: Our 5 boldest Ohio State football predictions for 2025 season
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Ohio State is No. 2 in the USA Today US LBM Coaches Poll .
Manning completed 61 of 90 passes for nine touchdowns and two interceptions for Texas last season. He appeared briefly in Ohio State's 28-14 win against Texas in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl , carrying the ball once for eight yards.
Ohio State has named Alabama transfer and former five-star prospect Julian Sayin as its starter for the season after an offseason quarterback battle .
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Arch Manning dismisses Texas being a 'target' ahead of Ohio State game
