Longhorns Country

'Long Road': Steve Sarkisian Reveals His One Goal For Texas Longhorns in 2024

The Texas Longhorns are after only one thing in 2024.

Matt Galatzan

April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian watches the play in
April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian watches the play in / Sara Diggins/USA Today Sports via

HOUSTON - The Texas Longhorns are going to be held to a high standard in 2024.

Heading into the new season, Texas is expected to be one of the top teams in the nation, with most preseason projections having them landing in the top five.

However, after elite transfer and recruiting hauls, and a successful spring football camp, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is placing his goals quite a bit higher than just a top-five ranking.

April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian watches the play in
April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian watches the play in / Sara Diggins/USA Today Sports via

"We're going to get back to work in June," Sarkisian told the media at the Houston Touchdown Club on Wednesday. "My goal is that we're playing on January 20th. That's a long road."

January 20th, of course, is the date of the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and will be the the culmination of the new 12-team playoff format being introduced next season.

In order for the Horns to get there, however, they will first have to navigate their inaugural season in the SEC, which is set to be a major challenge in and of itself with the conference set to be as competitive as ever next season.

"We're going to be just fine. We've got a very good football team," Sarkisian said. "It's finally here. We finally get to go to the SEC."

That move will also inevitably bring a palpable amount of outside noise and distractions to the program's doorstep - something Sarkisian recognizes and is preparing for.

"We definitely recognize it. We're excited about it. It's a great league," Sarkisian said. "At the end of the day, let's acknowledge it like we do and then, what do we need to do? What are we doing today to ensure that we put our best foot forward when the opportunities present themselves?"

The Longhorns will kick off the season on August 31 against Colorado State, before their first big test of the season in Week 2 when they head to Ann Arbor to take on the defending national champion Michigan Wolverines.

"This is an awesome schedule, and one that we're looking forward to," Sarkisian said. "It's going to be a heck of a run."

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Matt Galatzan

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration.  Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network.  When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later.  Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered.  Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys.  You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com