Texas Football: Sam Pittman thinks Horns are ‘great’ for the SEC

To say the very least, No. 15 ranked Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian did not get off to the strongest start on the night of Sep. 11 on the road against the upstart Arkansas Razorbacks and head coach Sam Pittman. Texas looked like a different team (and not in a good way) in the first half against Pittman’s Arkansas team that was much more prepared and motivated in this game out of the gates.

But this matchup between the Longhorns and Razorbacks had a lot on the line not just due to the circumstances for each team this season. With the likes of the Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners bound to leave the Big 12 for the SEC by 2025, this was a matchup worth watching for future conference foes.

And the Arkansas head coach Pittman spoke on the Longhorns and Sooners joining the SEC ahead of their meeting with Texas this weekend. He reportedly stated that he thinks Oklahoma and Texas will be “really great” for the SEC upon the move to leave the Big 12 within the next three or four years (at the most).

Texas needs to show more in the second half against Arkansas, though, to prove that they belong in the SEC. This was not a great day for the Big 12 as a whole. The No. 9 ranked Iowa State Cyclones were downed by their in-state rival and No. 10 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. At halftime, the Texas Tech Red Raiders are losing to FCS Stephen F. Austin.

And other key teams around the Big 12 like the Oklahoma State Cowboys and TCU Horned Frogs were pushed to the brink that they were favored to beat in the betting lines by at least two-possession margins.

Sam Pittman likes what Texas football brings to the table for the SEC, despite the slow start vs. Arkansas

All in all, Texas can help save face for itself and the Big 12 as a whole this weekend by coming out with a strong effort in the second half to better push Arkansas and actually challenge for this win. Texas was down 16-0 heading into the locker room at halftime, which is not a great look ahead of the move from the Big 12 to the SEC.

Pittman and the Razorbacks looked very physical in the first half, playing that brand of Arkansas football that the team had throughout much of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Meanwhile, Texas took a step back since the big season-opening win over the No. 23 ranked Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.

Texas and Oklahoma could make the move from the Big 12 to the SEC as soon as 2023. It does appear that 2024 would be the latest year that the two would actually start competing in the SEC.