As the Longhorns argue their way into the postseason, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has been a huge advocate for his team deserving a spot in the College Football Playoff, despite the Horns' 9-3 overall record.
A big part of his argument has been that, unlike many of the teams that are likely going to receive a berth in the Playoffs, the Horns didn't schedule a cupcake to kick off the season.
Instead, Texas played the now No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes and held them to just 14 points (even though the Longhorns ended up losing). Sarkisian has said that if Texas is left out of the Playoffs, it will disenchant the rest of college football from scheduling difficult non-conference opponents.
Sarkisian isn't backing down from any opponent
Of course, Sarkisian's argument has garnered a lot of hate for the Longhorns' head coach, saying he's only using it as an excuse to not schedule these big-time non-conference opponents in the future.
However, the game against Ohio State was part of a home-and-away series, as was Texas's early-season matchup against the Michigan Wolverines last year.
Earlier this week, Sarkisian ensured the world that he wasn't intimidated by the idea of playing Ohio State or Michigan again, no matter what it meant for his team's record or its chance at the Playoffs.
"We're going to honor Ohio State and Michigan. We went there, we went to Ann Arbor, went to Columbus, and we're gonna honor those return trips," Sarkisian said. "For the next two years, we know what our non-conference schedule's gonna look like."
Sarkisian leaned into the fact that his program will lean into the commitment it made to play the series against the two Big Ten teams.
He did, however, concede that he isn't sure about what the Horns' non-conference schedule will look like beyond those two seasons, especially as the SEC changes to nine conference games per year.
#Texas HC Steve Sarkisian says the Longhorns will honor their non-conference commitments to Ohio State and Michigan.
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) December 3, 2025
“I think anything beyond that is up for discussion.” @ontexasfootball pic.twitter.com/bnljHQYh8h
At the end of the day, the goal is to win all of your regular-season games, earn a berth into the College Football Playoff, and claim the National Championship.
For now, it's up to the Committee to decide Texas's postseason fate. Then, it is up to Sarkisian and the Longhorns athletic department (largely athletic director Chris Del Conte) to determine what is the best route moving forward.