'Be Present': Longhorns Focused On Each Day In Alabama Preparation
Every coach has emphasized the age-old adage of "taking things one game at a time," but what happens in the time between then?
No. 11 Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, as opposed to being so focused on the daunting challenge of facing the No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide Saturday, is worried more so about the process beforehand.
“When we got done with that Rice game on Saturday night, everybody in their mind thought ‘I want to win at Alabama next Saturday night,'” Sarkisian said. “OK, what are you going to do Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday to put yourself in position to have an opportunity to win that game?"
The day-by-day mantra is something Sarkisian continually reminds the team of to play in the moment — something that is crucial to winning games and certainly important when the game is against the No. 3 team in the country.
While the excitement to step onto the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium is to be expected, Sarkisian said he's had to temper the Longhorns' excitement a little bit.
“Our whole message this week was be present," Sarkisian said. "Be present today. Let’s focus on today, and Saturday will be here soon enough. Let’s focus on today, and that allowed me to really look at each day through a straw and just focus on that day. That gave me a good gauge of where we were at.”
But, talk is cheap. What has Texas put on the field in practice each day?
The Longhorns showed deficiencies against the Rice Owls in their 37-10 Week 1 win, which will not result in a road victory against a fundamentally sound Crimson Tide team with a budding star at quarterback and a next-level defense. Have they corrected those?
Sarkisian thinks Texas has practiced the right way — a teaching point for the Longhorns in their quest for a Big 12 title before their Southeastern Conference move.
“This week was the way we’re supposed to practice," Sarkisian said. "We stepped up our level of intensity from last week. Now, moving forward throughout the season, we have to have the ability to sustain that.”
Texas' chance at revenge against Alabama will kick off at 6 p.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium on ESPN.
