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...
BYU Faces A Dangerous Spot With Its Big 12 Hopes Rising
Week 7 kept reshuffling the national picture, and the Big 12 came out of it looking even stronger. Five of the top 10 teams in the country lost, yet the league still has three programs sitting inside the top 10 as the season turns toward Week 8, with BYU at No. 2 after its win over Notre Dame and Texas Tech and Utah also firmly in the mix.
For teams chasing the same upper tier, the margin for error is getting smaller by the week. BYUs rise has brought real playoff-level attention, but the road ahead can turn quickly in this league, and the same goes for teams like Arizona as they try to navigate the next stretch against ranked opponents and the pressure that comes with a suddenly elevated Big 12 race. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Change Everything
The next big checkpoint for Houston comes Oct. 24, when the No. 14 Cougars are scheduled to meet No. 10 Utah in a Big 12 game that could reverberate well beyond one night. Utah enters under first-year head coach Morgan Scalley and has built its identity around quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker, while the Cougars bring a strong rushing attack and a run defense that has held up well enough to keep them in the league race.
What makes this matchup especially intriguing is how neatly the styles line up: Houston wants to lean on the ground game and control the line of scrimmage, while Utahs defense has been one of the conferences toughest groups to deal with. For the Cougars, the stakes are obvious, because the outcome could go a long way toward shaping their path to the Big 12 Championship Game, and this is the kind of test that tends to reveal whether a contender is ready for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Is Earning The Kind Of Respect Fans Have Been Waiting For
Houstons rise under Willie Fritz is drawing the kind of attention that usually follows a team with real staying power, not just a hot start. The honors have started to pile up in-season, with senior tight end Patrick Overmyer, kicker Jonathan Dimas and Fritz all earning recognition from around the sport while the Cougars continue to make their case on a bigger stage.
Patrick Overmyers inclusion on the AP Midseason All-American Second Team reflects how much national notice Houstons offense is getting, and the line play has been just as important to that momentum. Shadre Hurst and Anthony Boswell landing on the AP Midseason All-American First Team gives the Cougars another sign that the respect is no longer limited to the local level, even if the full measure of where this season is headed is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]