Arch Manning's insanely high player rating is an EA Sports controversy

Cam Smith

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Arch Manning's insanely high player rating is an EA Sports controversy image

Arch Manning is a what?

That's been the collective reaction to EA Sports' decision to tag the Texas backup quarterback with an 87 rating. Yes, an 87. That's far higher than many (MANY) starting quarterbacks in the game. 

It would be one thing if Manning had earned that rating with a couple fill-in starts and solid minutes off the bench. Instead, his first season in Austin officially yielded just 30 yards on 2-of-5 passing. 

Naturally, social media had some takes: 

While the head scratching dominated the digital discussion, there is a darker conspiracy theory being postulated in some corners which -- it has to be said -- deserves at least a bit of consideration: 

Let's be honest, can anyone say there's no way that isn't what happened? While we're tempted to think this has a lot more to do with EA Sports doubling-down on getting Arch in the game -- and then retroactively concluding that if they were going to spend that much money, they ought to get something out of it. But could Arch or his family and friends be motivating factors themselves? 

Sure. They could be. Regardless, the final result is the same: Arch Manning has an 87 player rating in College Football 25. While this final commenter thought they were issuing a takedown of Manning's rating, perhaps they were actually issuing up a perfectly analogous historical precedent: 

Maybe that's a pipe dream ... or maybe it's not? Texas fans can hope. 

Cam Smith

Cam Smith Photo

Cam Smith is a 20-year sports journalism veteran whose career includes time writing for Yahoo Sports, The Washington Post, USA TODAY and contributions at The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, the Associated Press, Boston Herald and many others. He was born and raised in Texas, but later went to college in the Northeast and never moved back. Now based in Boston, he returns home to Austin as often as he can.