Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is fully aware of the ultra-high expectations that come with leading the Longhorns’ storied football program.
After falling short in the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, Sarkisian is determined to deliver for Texas fans as the team prepares for a pivotal Cotton Bowl matchup against Ohio State later tonight.
“The history of what a place is and how it became what it is, is the very reason you want to work here, but there is a balance in using that past to push into the future instead of resting on laurels,” Sarkisian said of the high expectations.
Texas, the only team to return to the CFP this year after making the 2023 playoff, is on a quest for redemption.
Last season, the Longhorns suffered a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Washington. This go-round, they narrowly survived a thrilling double-overtime quarterfinal against Arizona State.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers, and in particular his incredible heroics on that 4th-and-13 play, helped keep the dream alive for the Longhorns.
Reflecting on the weight of the program’s legacy, Sarkisian said the pressure comes not just from fans but from honoring the history of Texas football.
“People ask me about the pressure from the fans, the people who have loved the University of Texas their whole lives, but to me, it comes from doing right by the names on the buildings and the statues and paintings you see of the coaches and players who were here before us,” Sark said.
“I tell our guys that we have a chance to be one of those people. Forever. But only if we take care of the here and now.”
Sarkisian and the Longhorns enter tonight’s semifinal showdown looking to return to the national championship game for the first time since their historic 2005 victory over USC.
Ewers has been a driving force for Texas, throwing for 3,189 yards and 24 touchdowns despite battling an early-season injury.
In so many ways, Ewers has been underrated and underappreciated by a small portion of the Texas fanbase.
Sure, the Longhorns depend greatly on their strong defense and running game. But at the end of the day, it’s Ewers who answers the bell much more often than not whenever he’s called upon.
And he will surely be called upon tonight…
This season marks Texas’s first in the SEC after their move from the Big 12.
The Longhorns made last year’s playoff as Big 12 champions but enter this year’s CFP as SEC runners-up, having lost to Georgia in the conference championship game.
However, somewhat humorously, it’s Texas who is standing tall as the last remaining SEC team.
And as Sark pointed out, these Longhorns have a chance to make their own personal mark on Texas history.
What are your thoughts on tonight’s massive showdown? … Do you think Sark and the Longhorns will pull off the upset???
