Steve Sarkisian Warns Texas Longhorns of 'Desperate' Oklahoma Sooners

Rivalries aren’t played on paper in college football for a reason. When rivals meet on any given Saturday, you can expect the unexpected. Records, history, and everything else you think you know go out the window once both teams take the field.

That is no different than the Red River Rivalry, where this year’s edition looks like a complete mismatch. The Texas Longhorns roll in riding high, ranked No. 1 in the nation, after a marquee early-season win over Ohio State. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Sooners are down on their luck, with two early-season losses, each to the toughest opponents they’ve played: Michigan and Georgia.

The Sooners will arrive in Dallas as this year’s version of the preseason contender who didn’t live up to the hype. They are unranked through just four games, and many are already asking questions. Yet, the Longhorns still know the dangers of that narrative.

Don't Overlook the Sooners

Steve Sarkisian Oklahoma — Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian celebrate after the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I can promise you nobody’s overlooking anybody in this game,” Sarkisian said to the media on Monday. “Our guys watched [college football] Saturday. They know what it’s about. The guys that have been part of this game know what it’s about.”

Not only are upsets just part of college football and rivalry games in general, but Sarkisian also has recent history to inform his approach ahead of Saturday.

“We were in the same situation a year ago. We were just coming off of losing to Florida. We were a two-loss team. We were a desperate football team and found a way to win and played a really good second half. So we know what it is.”

Texas was in a very similar spot heading into the Cotton Bowl last season. The surprising 29-21 loss to Florida dropped the Longhorns to 3-2 and set up a scenario where a loss in Dallas to the Sooners would effectively end their College Football Playoff hopes.

Texas wasn’t playing its best football and was a far cry from what the preseason expectations built the team up to be. The Longhorns entered the season ranked preseason No. 1 fell completely out of the top-25 right before facing Oklahoma.

Despite the Sooners being the better team on paper and entering the matchup undefeated at 5-0, Texas emerged victorious with a 23-6 win, which proved to be the starting point of a late push back into playoff contention.

Texas won four straight games, starting with Oklahoma, including a pair of ranked wins, before falling to Georgia in Athens.

Sure, last season’s win over Oklahoma didn’t have playoff implications, as the Sooners made the field while Texas didn’t. Yet it set the stage for Texas to play games in November, with a playoff trip on the line.

Texas learned the power of a desperate team twice last season, first when they lost to Florida in Gainesville, and then again when they beat Oklahoma. Now, they’ll look to apply those lessons again with another win in the Red River Rivalry.

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