In a game filled with head-scratching moments, Washington’s miscues initially seemed to offer Texas a glimmer of hope for a coveted spot in the national championship game. However, Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns ultimately fell short of seizing the opportunity.
The tension reached its peak when Texas found themselves with four attempts from Washington’s 12-yard line to seize the lead. Despite the stakes, Sarkisian’s play-calling couldn’t engineer the desired outcome.
Sarkisian’s initial decision to call for a questionable dump-off pass to Jaydon Blue resulted in a one-yard loss, leaving fans less than impressed.
As the critical moments unfolded, Quinn Ewers and the Texas offensive line found themselves caught off guard by a corner blitz, leaving them with just one fleeting second for a potential game-changing play.
Ewers’ last-ditch pass to Adonai Mitchell held a glimmer of hope, but it was ultimately swatted out of bounds, extinguishing Texas’ chances.
Steve Sarkisian, what were those play calls????
— Jorge (@JMunoz23_) January 2, 2024
In the aftermath, as the clock officially ran out, the college football community took to social media to express their disappointment in Sarkisian’s play-calling, making their feelings abundantly clear.
For Texas, the offseason will be filled with reflections on missed opportunities and what might have been.
Absolute ATROCIOUS play calling from Steve Sarkisian from the 10 yard line with everything on the line #sugarbowl #TexasLonghorns pic.twitter.com/qfc4sHxiKQ
— David Bousquet (@Djbousquet) January 2, 2024
That was an absolute choke in play calling for Sarkisian. No idea what he was thinking, but it didn’t work by a mile. #SugarBowl
— JoeSnoopy 🇺🇸 (@JoeSnoopy99) January 2, 2024
4 plays to get 12 yards. 4 plays to win (potentially). 4 terrible play calls from Steve Sarkisian
— Jacob Stephens 🇵🇸🇵🇸🐪🐪 (@jacobcs23) January 2, 2024
On the other side, Washington’s journey continues, as they secure their spot in the national championship game against Michigan, scheduled for next Monday night with a kickoff time set at 7:30 p.m. ET.