Texas went from No. 1 to crisis mode in a matter of days, and Steve Sarkisian is now the face of the fallout.
A week ago, the Longhorns were headed into the Oklahoma rivalry game as the country’s top-ranked team and a solid favorite. That trip went sideways fast. Texas fell 27-24 after blowing a 17-7 lead, and Arch Manning was at the center of the collapse - first with an Oklahoma pick-six in the fourth quarter, then with another interception that helped set up the Sooners’ winning drive.
The formula looked familiar this Saturday against Florida. Texas built another cushion, leading 17-3 in the first half, and again had a chance to close things out late.
Again, Manning couldn’t deliver in the biggest moment, this time losing the football with 1:58 left. Again, Texas lost 27-24.
The quarterback questions are going to follow Manning, including whether he should be benched. But the bigger spotlight is squarely on Sarkisian.
With a championship-caliber defense and a quarterback who was supposed to be championship-level, the head coach is the one taking the heat for back-to-back collapses. That has Longhorns decision-makers checking the buyout numbers, which have been reported as either $36 million or $50 million if they decide to move on.
There’s also no shortage of speculation about who might be next, with Nick Saban’s name floating in the background.
At the same time, Sarkisian’s body of work at Texas is not nothing. His record stands at 52-22, and the season is not dead yet. One computer model has Texas’ College Football Playoff chances at 48 percent, with Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri and LSU still ahead on the schedule.
For now, Sarkisian is asking his team to stay together. "I just told the team downstairs what I need them to do is to hang together, stay tight.
Our culture is very strong. They need to hang together."
In Other News...
Texas May Be Getting A Very Different Florida Offense Than Expected
Floridas quarterback situation is suddenly a major subplot for the Longhorns, with Aaron Philo trending toward sitting out the upcoming game because of a shoulder injury. If he cannot go, Texas would be preparing for a different look entirely, with sophomore Tramell Jones lined up to make his first career start in a game that already carries plenty of weight for both teams.
Jones was a four-star recruit and has flashed efficiency in limited action this season, enough to draw praise from head coach Jon Sumrall as a potential starting quarterback. For Texas, that means the film and the plan may need a late adjustment, because the offense coming to Austin could be shaped as much by inexperience as by the usual Florida personnel. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Suddenly Has A Colin Simmons Problem Fans Will Fear
Colin Simmons gave Texas everything it could want from its star edge rusher before the game turned sideways against Florida. He had already piled up eight tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack when he went down with a lower-body injury early in the fourth quarter, a sequence that immediately changed the feel of the Longhorns defense.
Simmons was taken off the field for further examination, and Texas felt the effect almost right away as Florida moved ahead on a field goal while he was out. For a defense built around his disruption, the bigger concern now is how much time the Longhorns may have to manage without the player who had been driving their pass rush all game. [Read more 🡒]
Texas May Have A Colin Simmons Problem They Can't Afford
Texas got a scare in the fourth quarter against Florida when Colin Simmons, its star pass rusher and the nations sack leader, went down with an apparent leg injury. He was helped off the field and taken for further evaluation, leaving the Longhorns with an immediate concern about one of the most important players on their defense.
Simmons has been central to everything Texas wants to do up front, giving the Longhorns the kind of edge pressure that can change a game in a hurry. Any absence would put extra pressure on a defense that leans on him to disrupt opposing quarterbacks, and it adds another layer of urgency as Texas waits to learn more about the extent of the injury. [Read more 🡒]