Texas has already done something it never wanted attached to its name: after reaching No. 1 in the AP poll, it has now lost back-to-back games to unranked opponents, the first program to do that since 1961.
The latest setback came Saturday in Austin, where Florida - with backup quarterback Tramell Jones leading the way - erased another Texas first-half cushion and walked out with the win. That followed the Red River Rivalry loss to Oklahoma, another game in which the Longhorns let a lead slip away. Now the frustration around Steve Sarkisian is getting louder.
That reaction makes sense, because Sarkisian was hired to do two jobs. First, he was supposed to lift Texas into reliable, year-in, year-out relevance.
He has done that. Texas has gone 35-8 over his last three seasons, a run that established a much sturdier foundation than the program had before.
The harder assignment was the next one: turning Texas into a true annual championship threat. That part still hasn’t happened. Even after reaching No. 1 in the AP poll at different points in each of the last two seasons, Texas now sits at 4-2 and looks headed for another year outside the sport’s top tier.
If Texas ever decided to make a change, the financial hit would be massive.
Sarkisian signed a new deal in 2025 that runs through 2031 and pushed his pay into the upper crust of college football. With this season included, the contract covers six more years and just over $70 million. The buyout clause says he would be owed 85% of the remaining balance, which would leave Texas responsible for $50.15 million after the 2026 season.
That number wouldn’t set the all-time record, or even the record in Texas, but it would still land among the five largest buyouts ever. For Texas to pay that kind of money, boosters would need to be convinced not just that Sarkisian has stalled out, but that he simply cannot take the Longhorns to the top.
And even then, they would need a successor ready to go. Texas has the resources to chase just about anyone, but there is no obvious answer sitting in plain sight.
For now, the Longhorns are not eliminated from the College Football Playoff picture. Their win over Ohio State gives them some room to breathe, and they could even become the first team to make the field with three losses. Still, if Texas were to miss the playoff altogether after being positioned where it was following Week 5, the online complaints might finally move from venting to something more serious in Austin.
In Other News...
Cowboys Lose Another Key Piece In A Night They Couldnt Afford It
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Jerry Jones still sounded encouraged by where the team is headed, pointing to the progress he sees despite Dallas sitting at 2-3. But a game like this serves as a reminder of how fragile that optimism can be when key pieces keep disappearing, especially on special teams, where Turpins speed and field-flipping ability are part of what makes this roster harder to defend. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Turn To Rookie As Pressure Builds On Struggling Defense
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Brian Schottenheimer has seen enough from Lawrence recently to make the move, and the coach signaled that more opportunities should follow. For a defense trying to steady itself, the decision gives Dallas a new look up front and a chance to see whether its young edge rusher can bring some needed energy into a difficult spot. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Sit Atop An NFC East Mess That Just Got Worse
The NFC East has spent the last few weeks looking like a division stuck in reverse, and the Cowboys loss to the Packers only added to the mess. With the Commanders set to enter Sunday as underdogs against the 49ers, the leagues most unpredictable division is suddenly staring at a stat line nobody wants attached to it: a chance to go winless in back-to-back weeks when every team played, something that has not happened since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.
For the Cowboys, the bigger frustration is that the standings are still wide open even as the losses pile up. The Giants are sitting atop the division for now, but the upcoming slate could reshuffle everything again, leaving Dallas, Washington and the rest of the East to sort out whether this is a temporary rough patch or a much deeper slide. [Read more 🡒]