Steve Sarkisian Has a Chance to Make a Statement Against Oklahoma

Steve Sarkisian has already shown he knows how to beat Oklahoma. And how to beat the Sooners badly.

There was the 49–0 shutout in his second season as head coach, followed by another 34–3 blowout two years later. Even last season, Texas entered the Cotton Bowl searching for answers to its disjointed play, and Sarkisian still came out of Dallas with a 23–6 win.

Now, it seems the script has flipped on last year's matchup. Texas enters the Cotton Bowl undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country, while the Sooners come in as the two-loss, unranked team looking to turn their season around.

On paper, Texas is the better team. But for a team with national championship aspirations, simply being better on paper isn’t enough.

On Saturday, Sarkisian has a chance to make a statement to the rest of the college football world, one that shows just how far he’s taken Texas since arriving in Austin.

A Lot Can Change in a Few Years

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian sings “The Eyes of Texas” with his team after a college football game between Tennessee and Texas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sept. 26, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When Sarkisian took over in 2021, Texas was still searching for the consistency that had eluded it for much of the past decade.

He didn't find it in his first season, finishing 5–7.

Five years later, the conversation around Texas has dramatically shifted.

Sarkisian has led the Longhorns to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinal appearances, restored the program to national prominence and instilled championship expectations that certainly aren’t as far-fetched as they may have been a decade ago.

The question is no longer whether Texas can compete with the nation's best programs — Sarkisian proved that in Week 2 against Ohio State. It's whether Sarkisian can deliver the national championship that has eluded the Longhorns since 2005.

And although Saturday's matchup won't answer that question on its own, it offers an opportunity for Sarkisian to reinforce the standard he's established.

A Chance to Make a Statement

Despite its shiny No. 1 ranking and undefeated record, Texas hasn’t necessarily played like the dominant No. 1 team week in and week out.

In victories over Ohio State and Tennessee, the Longhorns needed narrow wins and relied heavily on their defense while the offense struggled to find consistency.

That hasn’t stopped Texas from winning, but it has left questions about what this team can become.

For Sarkisian, those questions fall directly on his shoulders. For a head coach known for his offensive play-calling, Saturday presents an opportunity to prove his offense can live up to the championship standard he's established.

Oklahoma's defense presents the perfect test.

It’s no secret the Sooners have struggled offensively; it’s been a major reason for their 2–2 start. But defensively, they still have one of the best units in the nation. And that’s what makes Saturday so interesting for the Longhorns.

A convincing victory doesn’t necessarily mean running up the score against a very talented defense. It means controlling the game, preventing the mistakes that have plagued Sarkisian’s offensive unit over the past few weeks and showing that Texas can actually complement its dominant defense with a consistent offense.

That kind of performance would only strengthen the argument that Texas has what it takes to win a national championship.

Of course, Sarkisian knows just as well as anyone that records don’t always matter in rivalries — just look at one year ago.

But Sarkisian has done it both ways. He’s proven he can win as the underdog and dominate as the favorite.

On Saturday, he has another chance to show what those victories represent: a Texas program that expects to compete for championships, not simply celebrate beating its biggest rival.

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