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Steve Sarkisian drops ‘disservice to our sport’ take on Texas Longhorns’ playoff chances
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- Steve Sarkisian drops ‘disservice to our sport’ take on Texas Longhorns’ playoff chances
The post Steve Sarkisian drops 'disservice to our sport' take on Texas Longhorns' playoff chances appeared first on ClutchPoints .
No. 16 Texas delivered one of the most impactful results in college football's final slate on Black Friday, knocking off No. 3 Texas A&M 27-17 in Austin. The win marked Texas A&M's first loss of the season, snapping the Aggies' unbeaten run just as they were positioning themselves for a potential SEC Championship Game appearance .
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The atmosphere at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium reflected the magnitude of the moment, and the victory provided Texas with a late-season jolt of legitimacy, both for the rivalry and for the Longhorns' long-shot CFP pursuit . Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian turned attention toward the playoff almost immediately after the win.
"That team is undefeated, they are the No.3 team in the country, and a lot of pundits out there think that they are the No. 1 team, we just beat 'em by 10," said Sarkisian after the game to ESPN.
The postgame interview for ESPN turned out to be strategic, as Sarkisian deliberately framed Texas' scheduling aggression and narrow Ohio State defeat as defining evidence of a true playoff-level roster, directly addressing that it influences perception ahead of committee voting.
"I think this — if you really look at the body of work," Sarkisian said. "If you look at the Southeastern Conference and what we have to go through every week. You look at the non-conference schedule we played, to go to Ohio State in Week 1 and lose by seven when we outgain them by nearly 200 yards, we have a really good football team. It would be a disservice to our sport if this team's not a playoff team when we went and scheduled that non-conference game." Sarkisian added.
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Sarkisian's message continued to hammer the same beat that ambition of schedule should outweigh perfection of record. He concluded firmly, pressing the core of his message.
"Because if we're a 10-2 team, it's not question. But we were willing to play that game, so is that what college football is about? Don't play anybody and just have a record? Or play the best put best team playoff, and we're one best team," he concluded.
Though the Longhorns will close the regular season at 9-3 and lack a path to the SEC title game's automatic bid, the win strengthened their argument for one of the playoff's at-large slots when the committee gathers to reshape its rankings.
Texas now awaits a pivotal ranking refresh ahead of December 2's next CFP assessment, followed by Selection Sunday's bracket release on December 7. However, it's clear that this game was more than rivalry theater; it was a referendum.
Related: LSU football rumors: Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge gaining steam
Related: Ohio State football's Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate expected to play vs. Michigan
