Since the Longhorns two-game losing streak in October, there's been a lot of criticism directed at Texas quarterback Arch Manning and the way Steve Sarkisian has handled him. Sark even threatened to bench Manning if he didn't play better. But legendary coach Nick Saban likes how Sark has handled his starting QB.

“Sark made it very clear when he had a meeting with Arch and said to him, ‘Look, we can't win with this guy, this guy that's playing like he played in a couple of the games, we can't win with that guy.’ And it's always a tough decision for a coach to make a change like that when you have a high-profile player who's very capable and is showing at times he's very capable." - Nick Saban

Indeed, after back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Florida, Sarkisian gave backup QB KJ Lacey more snaps in practice with the threat of benching Manning if he struggled against Ole Miss.

The result? Manning played better in the Longhorns win over Ole Miss. But Manning still has a ways to go. Manning still had three turnovers against the Rebels, including a fumble that was recovered for a touchdown by Mississippi.

"I think if Arch doesn't continue to play with consistency, Sark's gonna keep it in the bag. And I always say, the bench is a pretty good motivator, especially if a guy is a great competitor, which I think Arch is." - Nick Saban

The threat of getting benched gave Manning an edge to his play fans haven't seen in almost a year. Sark liked the "Edgy Arch" he saw last week at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium.

"One thing I know about Arch Manning, he's a fighter. I like the edgy, kind of borderline arrogant, full-of-swagger Arch. I just feel like that's when he's at his best." - Steve Sarkisian

Saban agrees. He thinks Manning has to be afraid of losing his starting spot in order to play well the rest of the year.

“The threat that he may not be entitled to the job may be something that motivates him and keeps him motivated through the rest of the season because it's gonna be important that Texas win out to be able to do that. And he's gonna have to play well for them to be able to do it.” - Nick Saban

Manning will lead the Longhorns against the Mississippi State Bulldogs tonight at 6:30 p.m. CT at DKR.