Steve Sarkisian is staring at a different kind of test this weekend, and Texas brought it on itself.
The Longhorns entered the season with the warning that they would need time to find their stride. Eight weeks in, that growth still hasn’t shown up the way Texas expected. The record sits at 4-2, the offense remains shaky, and now Ole Miss arrives with real momentum and a roster built around a Heisman Trophy candidate and one of the best running backs in the country.
That makes Saturday feel like a pivot point. Texas can still talk about the College Football Playoff, but the margin is gone.
With Colin Simmons likely out, and with the Longhorns still searching for rhythm, this matchup looks like a steep climb. A 9-3 finish would be tough to sell as playoff-worthy, and if that’s where the season lands, it would read as a major letdown.
The bigger question hanging over Austin is what that means for Sarkisian himself.
Texas is not a place where patience runs long. The administration has never been shy about making a move, and the expectation is always the same: win a national championship.
Everyone in the building is working on a timeline. That’s been true for a long time, from Mack Brown’s eventual “resigned” departure to the bleak Charlie Strong years and then Tom Herman’s run, which produced one New Year’s Six bowl win but still fell short.
Sarkisian has outlasted both of those coaches and done more in less time, restoring Texas to national relevance. He came in with the reputation of an offensive mind from the Nick Saban coaching tree, the kind of coach who was supposed to push the program all the way to the top. Now it’s year six, and the pressure is starting to match the expectations.
There’s also a growing feeling that if he can’t get it done with this roster, it may not happen at all.
That said, it’s not as simple as declaring he isn’t the answer. Texas has been close enough under Sarkisian to remind people why the belief was there in the first place. At times, the Longhorns have been one catch away from reaching a national championship picture with a roster that feels comparable to this year’s group.
But this team clearly needs more than a pep talk and a belief statement. Sarkisian may need to make real changes - hiring an actual offensive coordinator and giving up playcalling, making hard roster choices, or moving on from position coaches.
After the latest loss, he said he was evaluating everything. That’s a start, but evaluation alone doesn’t change anything.
What comes next against Ole Miss will tell us a lot about him. The players have to perform, of course. But Sarkisian is still the one steering the whole thing, and this weekend will show what kind of head coach he really is.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Is Showing Texas Something Different At A Crucial Time
Arch Manning has been drawing a different kind of attention around Texas this week, and Steve Sarkisian noticed it during practice. After a rough stretch and a two-game losing streak, the Longhorns are looking for a spark from their quarterback, and Sarkisian said Manning has looked edgy in practice as the team tries to steady itself before Ole Miss.
Sarkisian sounded optimistic that Manning can turn that edge into production when it matters most. He also pointed to backup KJ Lacey as a steady presence behind the scenes, praising the freshman's solid play and coachability this season, a small but meaningful reminder that Texas is still trying to sort out its quarterback room while the pressure keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Legend Sparks SEC QB Debate With Arch Manning Shot
David Pollacks latest SEC quarterback rundown landed with some weight, especially in Texas circles, because it came with a clear endorsement of Georgias Gunner Stockton and a sharp critique of Arch Manning. Pollack, who has long had a strong feel for the leagues biggest quarterbacks, stuck with Stockton even after a rough outing, framing the Georgia signal-caller as someone he still trusts as the games get bigger and the pressure rises.
For Texas, the more pointed part of the discussion was the Manning evaluation. Pollack pointed to an underwhelming performance and issues in key games during Mannings second full season as a starter, a reminder that the scrutiny around the Longhorns quarterback is only growing. With Texas always measured against the SECs best, comments like that add another layer to the conversation about how Manning stacks up when the spotlight is brightest. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Must Face A Recruiting Miss At The Worst Time
Kewan Lacys path to this point carries a little extra sting for Texas. The Dallas native and Ole Miss running back was a three-star prospect who had long wanted to play for the Longhorns, but Steve Sarkisian and his staff never extended a scholarship offer. Now Lacy has turned into a productive piece for the Rebels, and Texas is set to see him up close in a matchup that arrives with plenty on the line for both sides.
The Longhorns meet Ole Miss on Oct. 24 in a game scheduled for ABC, and the timing could hardly be worse for Texas. Its defense is already dealing with injuries to key players, which puts even more pressure on a unit trying to hold up against an offense featuring a runner it once passed on. For Texas, it is the kind of recruiting miss that can feel much bigger when the calendar finally circles back. [Read more 🡒]