Texas Football: Why Steve Sarkisian must win the Big 12

The 2021 Red River Shootout will be one that fans of the Texas football program will remember for the rest of their lives, and not for a good reason. While the Longhorns set the world on fire in the first half, looking nearly invincible on offense the fires were put out in the second half and Lincoln Riley left the Cotton Bowl with his characteristic grin while new head coach Steve Sarkisian looked like Christmas had been canceled.

Not the first time that Lincoln Riley had found a way to win when there was no way that he should have (think Baylor 2019), and not the first time that Sark had lost a game at the last minute (recall Arizona St. 2014).

It is not my purpose here to recount the numerous mistakes that were made in this game; others have done that either in print or in tweets. What needs to be analyzed now is what the Longhorns’ expectations are going into the second half of the season.

While fans are understandably angry and disappointed, there is good news. The Longhorns have an exciting and explosive offense, something that was never around during the combined seven years of Charlie Strong and Tom Herman. Bijan Robinson is a Heisman candidate and will be around for one more year after this one.

Xavier Worthy looks like a blend of Jerry Jeudy and Devonta Smith and is proving to be nearly impossible to cover. Casey Thompson is quietly having one of the best starts to a career that one can have.

But football seasons are not measured in stats; they are measured by wins. In particular, they are measured by wins against schools like Oklahoma and berths into the conference championship game. In their seven years on the 40 Acres, Herman and Strong went a combined 2-6 against Oklahoma (Matt Campbell has beaten OU twice at Iowa St in the same time), and Herman made the championship game only once, which ended in a loss.

Texas football needs to win the Big 12 this year under head coach Steve Sarkisian

Sark is aware of that; it was no coincidence that his first comment in the post-game presser was that he wanted another crack at Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game.

On one hand, it is very good that Sark said that. It shows that he is a competitor and that he knows the expectations of him as head coach run through Dallas. However, it won’t be enough to merely make the game.

Before the season, I wrote that making the game would be sufficient, but after letting the game slip away in historical fashion it won’t be enough to just make it to Jerry World at seasons end; to atone for that loss Sark must leave the stadium as the first coach since 2009 to bring a Big 12 title to Texas.

Will it be easy to do? Certainly not. Texas will have a tough game on Saturday against Oklahoma St., two tough road games against Iowa St, and Baylor, and the Kansas St. game will not be easy either. But Texas is more than capable of winning all of those games and making it to the title game. One game at a time of course, but winning out is more than doable.

Do not misunderstand. If Sark makes the title game, even if he loses it, he had a very successful first season. Making the game with a roster not of your making after making multiple adjustments throughout the season is something that deserves to be applauded. But, if he wants to wash the bad taste out of his, the teams, and fans’ mouths, beating Riley and ending his streak of reigning the Big 12 unchecked is the only way to do it.

Sark wants to be the best. To be the best you have to beat the best. And as of right now, Lincoln Riley is the best. In the next seven weeks, Sark has a chance to face his nemesis again. And if they do meet, he needs to be the one at the final whistle soaked in Gatorade and wearing a 5 million dollar grin.

Just do it, Sark.