Texas Longhorns Steve Sarkisian: 'Everything We Want Is Still In Front Of Us"
Steve Sarkisian elects to be an opportunist rather than a pessimist heading into Texas' bye week.
Good, it's the attitude the Longhorns will need if they hope to end the season undefeated to force a potential rematch against Oklahoma at AT&T Stadium to kick off December.
Sarkisian would be the first to admit that Saturday's 34-30 loss in the Red River Showdown might be the most crushing juncture in recent Longhorns' memory. Bert Auburn drilled a 47-yard field goal to take the lead with just over a minute remaining.
Oklahoma's Dillon Gabriel needed five plays and roughly a minute to go 75 yards before connecting with Nic Anderson with 15 seconds remaining.
The No. 5 Sooners (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) now sit atop the Big 12 rankings heading into their bye week. They've earned it after second-year coach Brent Venables gave the program a much-needed makeover, headlined by fixing the defensive flaws that were pushed down the pecking order under then-coach Lincoln Riley.
But Sarkisian isn't ready to throw in the towel. Neither are the No. 9 Longhorns.
"Everything we wanted out of our season is in front of us right now," Sarkisian said Monday. "We gotta go take care of our business. ... Those goals still remain because they're reality. Now more than ever. "
Most programs head into a bye week looking for rest. Texas is looking for a wake-up call to spark a rejuvenation for the season's second half success.
The Longhorns (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) still control their path to Jerry World as a potential early Christmas gift to those on the Forty Acres. The top two teams from the conference will advance to the Big 12 title game.
Even with the conference expanding to 14 teams this offseason, commissioner Brett Yormark elected not to add divisions as in year's past. Should Texas' lone loss come to the Sooners, it would grab the second seed for one more shot at the conference title.
"The two best teams go to play for the championship and we control that," Sarkisian said. "Naturally no one likes to lose a game, but we gotta handle our business, and we're more than capable of doing that."
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel (No. 8) walks into the end zone for a touchdown against the Texas Longhorns defense during the first quarter of the Red River Showdown.
USA TODAY
With six games remaining, the Longhorns face five teams with at least two losses. Only 4-1 BYU poses a threat to claim a spot in the Big 12 title game as a one-loss program.
Kansas, which also holds a 5-1 record, would lose the tiebreaker to the Longhorns thanks to its 40-14 defeat in Week 5.
Revenge often controls the Red River Rivalry rematch. Last season, Texas sucker-punched Oklahoma out of the Cotton Bowl in a 49-0 blowout. A year later, it was Venables donning the Golden Cowboy Hat and walking off the field on Cloud Nine.
Another memorable rematch moment? Try 2018, when Cameron Dicker drilled a game-winning field goal to sour Kyler Murray's lone season as the Sooners' starter. It didn't matter in the end. Oklahoma won out, Murray balled out and took the Big 12 crown back to Norman with a 39-27 victory in the rematch.
The win also secured Murray the Heisman Trophy and Oklahoma a third College Football Playoff berth. Texas was forced to play against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl days later.
The Longhorns begin their new path to AT&T Stadium next Saturday against Houston. Kickoff from TDECU Stadium against the Cougars is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
