Longhorns Coach Steve Sarkisian Confident in Big 12 Title Chances: 'We Mow Our Own Lawn'
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Even if some may not agree, there's been a clear and obvious mindset of positivity and growth for the Texas Longhorns this season, one that the players and coaching staff have reiterated time and again.
The team has consistently said that this season is a vast improvement from last year, even if a middling 5-3 begs to differ. Saturday's 41-34 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys certainly leaves an irritating taste in the mouth of Longhorns fans headed into the bye week, but Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is remaining steady in his belief that the renewed mindset of this team will carry them through the tough four-game stretch to end the season.
“Naturally for me, we have to continue to stay the course with what we’re doing and our belief in what we’re doing," Sarkisian said. "I don’t think we wavered a year ago when things got hard in October and November. We won’t waver this year.”
One could argue that the Longhorns did indeed waver in the fall last season, prompting Sarkisian and players alike to admit that last year's team wouldn't have been able to pull off the adversity-filled wins against the UTSA Roadrunners and Iowa State Cyclones that the 2022 squad did.
But he knows his team better than anyone, even if the brutal six-game losing streak last season showed a group that clearly lost confidence as the losses piled up.
Still, with already the same amount of wins at the end of October as they had all of last season, the Longhorns -- who currently sit in fourth place in the conference with a 3-2 record -- still have a real chance of snagging the second spot in the Big 12 championship game.
“There’s a lot that’s going to happen in our conference," Sarkisian said. "We’ve got to make sure we mow our own lawn and take care of our own business.”
However, Texas will need to win out to give itself a realistic chance. After the bye, the Longhorns will face the No. 22 Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Wildcats host the No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday and could easily fall below Texas in the conference standings with back-to-back losses.
The Longhorns don't exactly control their own destiny. But by "mowing their own lawn" and winning out (which will be easier said than done), they'll give themselves a realistic shot in a conference that has been anything but predictable this season.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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