DALLAS — Texas football quarterback Arch Manning gave the Longhorns exactly the performance they needed Saturday against an elite Oklahoma defense. Playing turnover-free football for just the second time this season, Manning managed the game expertly for the Longhorns in a 23-6 win .

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning used a hand gesture toward the crowd of Oklahoma Sooners fans at the Cotton Bowl.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, like any big name in sports, has his fair share of supporters, as well as an equal amount of critics that would tell h

Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns are back in the latest AP Poll, which was released Sunday, at No. 21 following Saturday's rivalry win over Oklahoma. At the same time, Bryce Underwood and the Michigan Wolverines fell out of the rankings entirely with Saturday's road loss to USC.

It wasn’t artistic. At times during the first half, it bordered on unsightly. But Arch Manning kept dinking short, accurate passes and as Saturday afternoon progressed, his performance became increasingly more effective.

"There was a lot of sh— getting talked about our team, and I think they responded," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

Peyton ultimately decided to stay in school and play out his remaining year of eligibility. When asked whose advice he listened to, he said it wasn't from a former quarterback or even an ex-NFL player.

Texas’ results under Sarkisian in ADOT outlier games are also noteworthy. When the Longhorns’ starting quarterback spends a game targeting receivers seven or fewer yards down the field, on average, Texas holds a 14-2 record. When Texas’ QBs post a single-game ADOT greater than 12 yards, the Longhorns are 4-4 in Sarkisian’s tenure.