As the Texas Longhorns prepare to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl, it isn't the first time head coach Steve Sarkisian has been to the postseason game.
Just under 30 years ago, Sarkisian was playing college football himself for the BYU Cougars and his team played the Kansas State Wildcats in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
In 1996, Sarkisian was the BYU starting quarterback and he led the Cougars to a 14-1 overall record, a WAC Championship game victory over the Wyoming Cowboys, and an appearance in the Cotton Bowl where they defeated Kansas State 19-15.
Just a few days before the Longhorns kicked off against the Buckeyes, ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe shared a picture of her and Sarkisian on the sidelines of the Cotton Bowl Classic from all those years ago.
Steve Sarkisian played in the @CottonBowlGame for @BYUfootball and I was a young reporter covering him. With my son 😆 We cover it all on this week’s Call Your Mom Podcast. https://t.co/NOVTJKwDU2 pic.twitter.com/40wd5BgVEt
— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) January 8, 2025
In the game, Sarkisian threw two touchdowns during the fourth quarter to lead BYU to the victory and to cement himself as a legendary player in the Cougars' history books.
This time around, Sarkisian is relying on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers to do something along with same lines – with a little more on the line. As the Horns and the Buckeyes prepare to clash, the two teams are fighting for a spot in the National Championship game.
The Cotton Bowl, during the 2024-25 postseason, is one of the two semifinal games in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoffs.
Ewers may be new to the Cotton Bowl game but he is no stranger to the postseason and fighting for the Longhorns. Not to mention, Ohio State is the team that Ewers started his collegiate career with before he transferred to Texas.