It is only the third year that the Texas Longhorns have been in the SEC, and they have already made one trip to the conference championship game, but they have yet to win the SEC title.
While the ultimate goal is to win the National Championship, a conference title has a nice ring to it too, but the Horns may be running out of time to secure one in their new-ish conference before it's too late.
The College Football Playoff committee is nearing an agreement to expand the bracket from 12 teams to 24 teams, a move that would get rid of conference championship games.
The expansion would take effect in 2027, meaning that the 2026 SEC Championship game could very well be the final one. In other words, it could quite literally be now or never for the Horns and head coach Steve Sarkisian.
According to Pete Thamel's initial report on the nearing expansion, "the CFP is finalizing a deal with ESPN to purchase the additional games through the 2031 college football season, which is the same length as ESPN’s current deal."
That means the world of college football could go without conference title games for at least five years, and if the expansion is viewed as a success, for the rest of eternity.
Steve Sarkisian has to win the SEC Chapmionship while he still can
Since taking over on the 40 Acres in 2021, Sarkisian has led the Horns to just two conference title games: the 2023 Big 12 Championship and the 2024 SEC Championship.
While Texas won the Big 12 title, defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys, it felt more like a throwaway victory or a swan song than a genuine accomplishment. Then, when Texas lost to Georgia in the SEC title game, it felt more like a solidification of the fact that Kirby Smart runs the conference than just a loss on the Longhorns' record.
Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have been Sarkisian's kryptonite over the last six years, with Texas going 0-3 against the Dawgs. That SEC title game to cap off Texas's first year in the conference was a nail in the coffin.
Yes, the standard at Texas is one of a National Championship-winning program, but that isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
However, it's past time for Sarkisian to prove that he can win the big games, and that includes the SEC Championship game. So, before time quite literally runs out, the Longhorns may want to get that bucket list item checked off.
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