Steve Sarkisian has turned Texas into a program that expects to win the big one, not just chase respect.
That’s the shift in Austin. The Longhorns spent years trying to claw their way back into college football’s top tier, and now they’re sitting there with the kind of résumé that demands national-title talk. Texas has the roster for it, and Sarkisian has spent a few seasons building the kind of culture that makes those expectations feel real.
Saturday’s 20-17 win over No. 14 Tennessee was the latest proof.
It was Texas’ second ranked victory of the season after knocking off No. 1 Ohio State in Week 2, and it pushed the Longhorns to 16 Top-25 wins since 2023, the most in the FBS.
That run has been spread across three seasons and filled with heavyweight results. In 2023, Texas beat No.
3 Alabama, No. 24 Kansas, No.
23 Kansas State and No. 18 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game.
The next year brought wins over No. 10 Michigan, No.
18 Oklahoma, No. 25 Vanderbilt, No.
20 Texas A&M, No. 12 Clemson in the CFP First Round and No.
4 Arizona State in the CFP Quarterfinal. This season has already added No.
6 Oklahoma, No. 9 Vanderbilt, No.
3 Texas A&M and No. 18 Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
The Alabama road win in 2023 marked a major turning point for the Sarkisian era. But the victory over Ohio State stands out as his signature moment so far.
Even with all that success, Texas still has two glaring items left on the list: a win over Georgia and a national championship appearance. The Longhorns do not see Georgia in the regular season, but the path to an SEC title will likely have to run through Kirby Smart’s team.
And the schedule ahead is no joke. Based on the current AP Poll, after Texas plays Oklahoma, Sarkisian’s team is set for five straight ranked opponents: No.
8 Florida, No. 9 Ole Miss, No.
16 Mississippi State, No. 25 Missouri and No.
11 LSU.
Those rankings could change, but the message is clear enough. The SEC is loaded, and Texas is heading into the kind of stretch that leaves no room for shortcuts.
The Longhorns will go into the bye week as the highest-ranked team, and that means the spotlight only gets hotter from here. That’s the burden that comes with being back at the top. Texas waited long enough to be treated like a true contender, and Sarkisian has made sure the program is answering the call when the stakes are highest.
In Other News...
Texas Escaped Tennessee But Arch Manning Still Has A Serious Problem
Texas got out of Knoxville with a 20-17 win over Tennessee, but the box score did not do much to ease concerns about the offense in front of Arch Manning. The Longhorns were beaten up enough to allow six sacks, and the ground game never found traction, finishing at just 1.7 yards per rushing attempt. For a team that invested in offseason help up front, the performance was a reminder that name value on the depth chart has not yet translated into steady protection.
Steve Sarkisian acknowledged the issues after the game, pointing to problems that stretch beyond one player and touch the quarterback, the center and the rest of the blockers. Texas has enough talent to survive a night like this and still leave with a win, but it cannot lean on that formula for long. The schedule will keep asking the same question until the Longhorns show the offensive line can hold up with more consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Gets A Huge Florida Weekend Chance With Elite In-State RB
A marquee October weekend at DKR has taken on extra recruiting weight, with four-star running back Jayshawn Mitchell set to be in Austin for Texas game against Florida. The San Antonio Brennan standout is one of the more intriguing names in the 2028 class, and the Longhorns are trying to use a high-profile home-state visit to strengthen their position with a prospect who already has plenty of big-time attention.
For Texas, the appeal starts close to home. Mitchells local ties give the Longhorns a natural edge in the chase, even with other major programs involved, and this trip should give the staff a chance to sell both the setting and the fit in person. The October schedule also gives Texas a timely opening to make a strong impression before his recruiting picture gets even busier. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got A Warning About Floridas Ground Game
Florida has spent the early part of the season making a case as one of the SECs more difficult problems, and the reason is obvious enough even before the schedule toughens. Under first-year coach Jon Sumrall, the Gators have played unbeaten football and backed it up with a bruising running game that has already turned heads, including a physical performance that drew praise from College GameDay host Rece Davis for the way Florida leans into opponents.
For Texas, the warning is less about flash than about style. Floridas offense has shown it can control a game on the ground, even if the defense still sits lower in the national rankings, and the upcoming road tests will tell more about how real this surge is. Still, the Gators have enough physicality to enter the conversation with teams like Texas and Georgia, and their trip to Austin later this season already looks a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]