The 2025 college football season might still be months away, but the debates are already heating up.
According to the latest odds from ESPN Bet, Ohio State leads the pack with +500 odds to win the national championship. Texas is right behind them at +550. But if you ask David Pollack, those numbers are flipped.
On his podcast See Ball, Get Ball, Pollack didn't mince words:
"I think they've got be great around him [Arch Manning]," Pollack said. "I think they will be. Listen, I put Texas at No. 1. So, you know how I feel about them."
So what makes him so confident in the Horns?
For starters, Steve Sarkisian has built something special in Austin. Since taking the reins in 2021, Sark has led Texas from a forgettable 5-7 start to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. They went 12-2 in 2023, then 13-3 last season.
A big part of that belief centers on Arch Manning, who’s officially stepping into the spotlight this year. After sitting behind Quinn Ewers, Manning is finally getting the keys to the offense. Manning will bring a dual-threat ability to the position that Texas has lacked, but it's also worth noting that the Longhorns lose a lot of production.
Texas is only returning about 45% of its production from last year, and that ranks 103rd in the country.
So, Pollack is counting on talent rather than experience. The good news for him is that there's an abundance of talent in Austin, and there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Longhorns will be right back competing at the top of the SEC in 2025. In a lot ways, though, it will depend on Arch Manning and his development.
Interestingly enough, Texas will open up the 2025 season on the road at Ohio State, so that will give a little bit of a glimpse into who should truly be No. 1 just one week into the season. Until then, though, we're all left talking.