No Excuses Left for Texas, Time is Now to Cash In For National Championship

Since taking the Texas football job six years ago, coach Steve Sarkisian has placed the Longhorns firmly in the national title conversation.

This fall will be 21 years since Texas defeated USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl to claim the 2005 BCS National Championship. Ever since then, the Longhorns have failed to recapture the magic of Keith Jackson's "Fourth-and-five, the National Championship on the line right here."

The potential has always been there for the Longhorns to find a return to the spotlight.

Top recruiting classes.
Best transfer portal classes.
Impact freshman.
Top facilities.
Most loyal fanbase in college football.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) rushes with the ball for a touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Camping World Stadium. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The list could go on until the screen is full of reasons why this job has all the built-in reasons to be a consistent factor in the title scene.

2026 is the year of Arch Manning.

Yeah, the guy who had the weight of the world on his shoulders just for carrying the name "Manning" on his back. Expectations were sky high for the former No. 1 recruit, but could never quite beat out a steady Quinn Ewers at any point in his first two seasons.

Then, when he finally earned the starting job, a publication wanted to label him college football's biggest 5-star flop midway through his redshirt sophomore season. That article sparked something in him, as he finished the season on fire by completing 60% of his passes for 1,846 yards, 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

His emergence in the latter half of the season put him in firm position as a favorite in the Heisman race. The Longhorns' late season surge also put pressure on the program to win big in 2026 as one of the favorites to not only make the College Football Playoff, but win the whole thing.

Why Texas Could Win It All

Texas doesn’t just have one talented quarterback, he has stockpiled elite prospects behind Manning with veteran passer MJ Morris, KJ Lacey and 5-star true freshman Dia Bell.

As long as Sarkisian is at the helm, Texas will not lack at the position which is a huge shift since he took over in 2021. The quarterback room is probably the strongest it's ever been in Austin, and the Longhorns' coach knows exactly what NFL scouts are looking for in arm talent and provides them NFL-level concepts to manufacture explosive plays and wide open space for skill players to work.

But in a league dominated by Georgia, being finesse through the air isn't going to win a national title. It's all about what a team can do to physically maul an opponent that matters most.

This is Texas' year to take advantage with a restocked group of receivers, but a rushing attack that could be one of Sarkisian's deepest he's ever assembled.

Former Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brow — Arizona State Sun Devils running back Raleek Brown (3) celebrates during their game with the Iowa State Cyclones at Jack Trice Stadium. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

After fielding one of the worst rushing attacks in the country last season, Texas completely revamped its running back room with a blend of impact transfers, true freshmen and intriguing returnees.

Headlined by Raleek Brown (Arizona State), Hollywood Smothers (NC State), the Longhorns should field a much more versatile attack. There are some younger options behind them who can spell them a few snaps such as the No. 1 running back in 2026 Derrek Cooper, and former 4-star recruit James Simon.

It's obvious this is the Longhorns deepest roster, layered with talent in a time when that's really hard to do for any program.

An offensive line that, on paper, looks capable of holding up against the nation's best front sevens. And with a veteran play caller who understands how to scheme with the best of them, there's plenty of reasons to bet on Texas based on offensive ingenuity alone.

There's no question about the defense either as Texas is expected to be an elite unit once again.

All the pressure will be on quarterback play. If Manning can finally breakthrough, then Texas has a real path to playing "The Eyes of Texas" deep into the month of January with a national championship on the line.

Why Texas Might Not Get There

What could hold the Longhorns back from competing for a national championship is the 9-game SEC gauntlet ahead of them.

For the first time ever, the league will play an additional conference game which could possibly allow the first three-loss team to earn a playoff bid. That was nearly Texas' case in 2025, but were ultimately hindered by a slow start before figuring things out toward the end of the regular season.

Sarkisian knew when he transitioned the Longhorns to the SEC that there weren't going to be any breathers. Every Saturday tests the depth, physicality and durability of a depth chart which separates the pretenders from contenders.

Texas looks the part up front, but looking the part and surviving four quarters against the likes of non-conference opponent Ohio State, road game in Knoxville against Tennessee, Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout, Florida team led by new coach Jon Sumrall, and a showdown with long-time friend Lane Kiffin at LSU.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on prior to a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Then, if the Longhorns can figure out how to come away unscathed from that stretch, heated rivalries between Arkansas and Texas A&M present upset opportunities that can derail a season.

That’s the reality Texas is living these days. While one loss is forgivable, Sarkisian's team can't withstand to pick up another two or three.

Can Texas take a hit in October, avoid a stumble and still look like a contender in November? It's all about staying healthy enough at key positions and keeping their minds between the navigational beacons to make a playoff run instead of settling for a New Year's Six bowl appearance.

Margin for error in the current day of college football is a tad bit more forgiving than it was in the past.

But that's something Texas must avoid as this is Sarkisian's best shot ever at winning his first national championship as a head coach.

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