Steve Sarkisian Has Let Texas Become Its Own Worst Enemy

The Texas Longhorns punched back on Saturday when they had their backs against the wall. The 34-27 win over Ole Miss didn’t just end the Longhorns' two-game losing streak; it also kept Texas’s season hopes alive as it heads into the final five regular-season games.

After a week of intense criticism and scrutiny, the Longhorns offense bounced back with an impressive first-half performance, scoring 24 points to build a 21-point lead. While Texas surrendered that margin in the second half as Ole Miss scored 24 unanswered points, Texas still found a way to win.

They tried several times to give the game away, as they had in the previous two games.

It’s Not Just Turnovers

Nov 28, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Head coach Steve Sarkisian argues with an official during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas proved on Saturday that it can beat just about anybody. The Longhorns boast a roster many believed was among the best in college football entering the season. That same group of players helped engineer that miraculous fourth-quarter comeback against Ohio State.

Texas has the talent to wade through the rest of a difficult SEC schedule and clinch a berth in the College Football Playoff. Yet, their biggest hurdle isn’t a singular opponent. Rather, the Longhorns’ biggest issue is themselves.

Turnover issues have been well documented. Even in Saturday's win, quarterback Arch Manning committed another untimely fourth-quarter turnover. Luckily, though, for Texas, it didn’t come back to bite the Longhorns as it had versus Oklahoma and Florida.

But turnovers aren’t the only problem. Penalties are part of the equation, too, and arguably the biggest issue holding Texas back this season.

On Saturday, the Longhorns surrendered 134 yards in penalties to Ole Miss. Texas committed 14 penalties, nearly double Ole Miss's. Texas kept shooting itself in the foot offensively, backing up drives, while the Rebels extended drives on the flip side.

Penalties on Texas helped Ole Miss on both touchdown drives. The first drive in particular was egregious: Texas gave Ole Miss free yardage with two defensive pass interference penalties and a roughing-the-passer penalty.

Unfortunately for the Longhorns, this issue is nothing new. Rather, it appears to be a recurring trend under Steve Sarkisian. Just last season, Texas finished 132nd nationally in penalty yardage per game, averaging 69.7 yards.

Meanwhile, this year the ranking has improved to 105th nationally, but penalty yardage hasn’t changed much, at 65.7 yards per game.

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