College
Sarkisian's Defining Moment? Texas Claws Back Into SEC, CFP Discussions
Steve Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns earned a signature win over a Top 10-ranked Oklahoma Sooners squad in the Red River Rivalry, propelling the Horns back into the SEC, College Football Playoff picture.
DALLAS, TX – Steve Sarkisian’s record against Top 10 teams as the head coach of the University of Texas was beginning to raise eyebrows. He entered the Week 7 matchup against No. 6 Oklahoma with a 2-8 record against such teams since arriving in Austin ahead of the 2021 season. The two wins were at Alabama in 2023 and at Michigan in 2024. That Wolverines team finished 7-5 in the regular season.
Sarkisian and former players such as Jordan Whittington credit that road win over an Alabama team that went on to win the SEC in 2023 as the turning point for the Longhorn program. They ended up in the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2023 and 2024 after slaying the dragon and beating Nick Saban, one of Sarkisian’s mentors. It proved to the Longhorns that they could play with anyone in the country and it helped shed the label of perennial underachievers.
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