Steve Sarkisian is already talking like a man bracing for the punch before it lands.
Texas has dropped back-to-back games to Ohio State, and Sarkisian’s latest comments only added to the sense that he’s still searching for explanations. The Buckeyes beat Texas in 2024 to reach the national championship game, then won it all.
Last season, they handled the Longhorns in the Shoe to open the year. In both matchups, Texas was the team walking off disappointed.
Ahead of a Week 2 meeting, Sarkisian has started laying the groundwork for what sounds a lot like another excuse. He’s also still revisiting the losses from the last two seasons, and his latest reasoning for the 2024 defeat drew plenty of attention.
While appearing on a podcast with Josh Chambers, Sarkisian said Texas was worn down when it faced Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
“I felt like the year we played Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, we were tired, and not necessarily physically tired. We were mentally fatigued as well.
That’s a long season. We had so many big games.
So I think managing it this time around, how we manage their energy level, is as important as how we manage their legs and the physicality.”
It’s a tough sell. Ohio State had its own grind heading into the College Football Playoff after the loss to TTUN, and the Buckeyes still had to survive four CFP games.
That’s a brutal path in its own right. And the result wasn’t some coin-flip finish, either - Ohio State won by 14 points, with the Jack Sawyer touchdown swinging things quickly.
Sarkisian may be focused on energy levels, but Ohio State keeps giving Texas bigger problems than that. The Buckeyes enter this season as the top-rated team in the country, and there’s a real chance they end up with the best offense in college football.
Jeremiah Smith has been quiet in the last two meetings with Texas, including just one catch in the CFP game, but he believes Arthur Smith’s system will suit him better this season. The expectation is that he’ll get more opportunities on the move, where his yards-after-catch ability can really take over. That approach should matter for the entire receiver group, especially against a Texas defense that was 97th in pass defense last season and has since dismissed a starting linebacker.
If Ohio State beats Texas again, Sarkisian may have another explanation ready. The difference this time is that fans might not be in the mood to listen.
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