Anthony Wilson
Texas is coming off a 12-2 season highlighted by its first College football Playoff appearance. It was a banner season for coach Steve Sarkisian, who went 5-7 in 2021 and 8-5 in 2022. Now entering his fourth year, Sarkisian faces a new challenge as Texas enters a 16-team SEC that is also adding Red River rival Oklahoma.
After going on the road and defeating Alabama 34-24 in Week 2 of the 2023 season, the Longhorns can enter their new conference with confidence after accomplishing something few other SEC teams have accomplished during the team’s legendary coaching career. Nick Saban’s 17 years with the Crimson Tide.
“I laugh when everyone says Alabama isn’t the same anymore,” Sarkisian told Josh Pate during an extensive interview for the “Pate State Speaker Series.” “Well, they were in the College Football Playoff again and were one step away from playing for the national championship. So, year after year, this is the consistency that Coach Saban has achieved with this program. for.”
Maintaining the upward trajectory in 2024, or even improving, will be difficult for Texas. The schedule features a Week 2 trip to defending national champion Michigan and a Week 3 home game with Group of Five power UTSA. Back-to-back games with Oklahoma and Georgia highlight October ahead of a relatively manageable November marked by the program’s renewed rivalry with Texas A&M to close out the regular season.
The Longhorns were ranked fourth in Dennis Dodd’s rankings Top 25 post-spring, putting them squarely in the preseason national title conversation. Texas ranks 25th in production return, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, even after losing 11 NFL Draft choices. Those 11 selections were the most Texas has ever produced in a seven-round NFL Draft.
But the Longhorns’ offseason was marked as much by who stayed as who left.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers passed up the draft to return for another year after passing for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns, completing 69% of his passes. With former No. 1 prospect Arch Manning second on the quarterback depth chart, Sarkisian is embarrassed to be rich at what he described as “the most important position in sports.” Four-star freshman Trey Owens rounds out what is arguably the best quarterback room in college football, even after experienced backup Maalik Murphy transferred to Duke.
“Having Quinn back for a third year is huge,” Sarkisian said. “Watching her grow and mature over three years has been incredible. Just look at Arch from Year 1 to Year 2 and then we have a young player, Trey Owens, who we think will be a very good player as well. the room. Knock on wood, you hope you don’t have to go to all those guys on the depth chart, but a year ago, we did, and we managed to win a few games with a backup quarterback starting.
With Saban retired, LSU and Oklahoma seeking advancements under third-year coaches, Texas A&M transitioning to new head coach Mike Elko, and historically strong programs like Auburn and Florida trying to find their way after losing seasons, the door is open for the Longhorns enter the SEC with a declaration.
Last season’s win over Alabama and CFP appearance was an impressive prelude. Now comes a new type of work for the Longhorns, one in which they will need to bring the precision they had at Alabama last season on an almost weekly basis.
“I think it was a huge milestone in our journey for a lot of people to look back at that game and it was like, ‘OK, now we’ve put together the team and the culture that can achieve this,’” Sarkisian said. “Now, how do we find that level of consistency to do this year after year?”
