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...
Texas Tech Just Watched A Huge Big 12 Win Turn Complicated
No. 8 BYUs 28-24 win over No. 2 Notre Dame looked like the kind of result that can ripple well beyond one stadium, the sort of victory Big 12 fans would circle immediately as a statement from the league. For Texas Tech, which is watching the conference race and every national impression that comes with it, the result had all the makings of a headline moment for the Big 12 until the final minutes turned it into something messier.
The conference later acknowledged that one second should have remained on the clock after the final play, a detail that technically could have handed Notre Dame another snap. There was also no flag on a possible pass interference on that last sequence, leaving the finish surrounded by officiating questions rather than settled certainty and making a marquee Big 12 win feel far less clean than it first appeared. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Has A Week 8 Poll Problem Fans Will Hate
College footballs rankings conversation has taken another turn, and Texas Tech is right in the middle of it. The Red Raiders are one of several teams, along with BYU, Oklahoma State and James Madison, that continue to draw plenty of attention for how they are being viewed in the latest AP poll. It has become a familiar October frustration for fan bases that believe their teams are being undersold, especially when the numbers in the coaches and writers polls do not quite line up.
For Texas Tech supporters, the annoyance is less about one specific spot and more about the pattern around it. The debate is still centered on how voters are sorting out strong starts and where those teams belong in the bigger national picture, with different ballots telling different stories. For now, the argument is as much about perception as placement, and it is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Fans Just Got A Clearer Look At The Big 12 Race
Texas Techs 6-0 start has changed the shape of the Big 12 conversation in a hurry. After Week 7, the Red Raiders moved ahead of Utah to become the conferences highest-rated team in ESPNs Football Power Index, landing at No. 9 nationally after their win over Arizona State. Utah slid to No. 13 after a narrow escape against Colorado, while BYU stayed just behind at No. 14 even after its win over Notre Dame.
For Houston fans, the updated numbers offer a clearer view of the league race and where the Cougars fit into it. Houston checked in at No. 18, which puts them in the mix but still with work to do if they want to climb toward the top tier. With Texas Tech setting the pace and the rest of the Big 12 packed closely together, the next stretch should reveal a lot about how real each contenders case is. [Read more 🡒]