Sarkisian: Mishandled ESPN interview, knows Manning owns his mistake — SkimNews
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- Steve Sarkisian said he should have handled his postgame ESPN interview with Holly Rowe better after Texas beat Ohio State, noting his halftime and postgame interviews were delayed and he had wanted to join his team's celebration.
- Sarkisian acknowledged the testy exchange led directly to the creation of AI-generated fake videos and Arch Manning's public apology.
- Arch Manning joked Monday about an AI-generated video depicting Sarkisian slapping Rowe, calling it "hilarious," drawing quick and widespread public criticism directed at one of college football's most prominent players.
- Manning apologized on social media Tuesday, writing "my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people," and Rowe posted that she accepted his apology after the two discussed the comment.
- Sarkisian said "In no way do we condone domestic violence or violence against women" and that Manning "at his core…knows what he believes in and what he stands for," adding that Manning did not intend anything malicious.
Why it matters: Sarkisian effectively conceded his own rushed handling of the ESPN interview triggered the chain — the article notes that some criticism of Manning explicitly blamed Sarkisian for not pausing to do the interview. By publicly owning that lapse, the coach absorbs blame while shielding his star quarterback from the most damaging framing.
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