Texas football has a rare opportunity — it will not last forever

As I sat on the couch of my West Campus apartment watching Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti lift the national championship trophy in January, I turned to my roommate and said the first thing that came to mind. 

“Well, I guess there’s no excuse for Sark anymore.”

She thought I was being a bit dramatic, but now eight months later and a day away from the season opener, I do not think I was. 

Advertisement

At this time last year, Texas entered its season with sky-high aspirations. With the Longhorns as the preseason No. 1, the expectation was a national championship appearance. 

Instead, a week one loss to Ohio State shifted the conversation entirely. It was clear that Texas was not quite ready. And for pretty much the rest of the season, the Longhorns were viewed through the lens of what could happen next year.

Senior quarterback Arch Manning needed more time to develop. The running game struggled and the offensive line was shaky. There were reasonable explanations for why Texas fell short of expectations.

The sentiment remained: “It’s okay, next year should be better.”

Well, next year is here. 

Manning mania has calmed down, but the pressure surrounding Texas has not. In fact, it may be greater than ever. 

Head coach Steve Sarkisian has spent the offseason making it abundantly clear that the program intends to win at the highest level, adding elite depth from the transfer portal and making major changes to its coaching staff by bringing in defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. 

The Longhorns have added running backs senior Raleek Brown and junior Hollywood Smothers, senior linebacker Rasheem Biles and, most notably, junior wide receiver Cam Coleman. All of the coveted pieces around Manning are ready. 

Now Sarkisian has to put them together because Texas’ window to realistically win a championship will not stay open forever. 

In college football, a team can spend years building toward a national championship only to see its opportunity disappear overnight. Stars leave for the NFL, seniors graduate and transfers move on. A roster that looked nearly unstoppable one season can suddenly find itself rebuilding the next.

Texas cannot take this moment for granted — this is the best opportunity the team has had in years, dare I say in decades. 

The Longhorns likely have this one shot to maximize Manning’s potential, to utilize the talents of junior edge Colin Simmons, junior offensive lineman Trevor Goosby and Coleman, whose time in Austin is fleeting. After this season, the program could be looking at a significant roster reset. 

Still, football is far more complicated than simply assembling talent. Coaching a roster that “should” win a title can be disrupted by flukes, injuries and a lack of discipline. Sometimes, luck plays a role, but Texas cannot spend another offseason explaining why it fell short. 

The Longhorns have been too close for far too long. Sarkisian led them to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinals, both games coming down to a single play. But at some point, those postseason losses have to translate into getting over that hump.

So, if Texas does not win a national championship this season, is Sarkisian on the hot seat?

Likely not, but it definitely gets warmer. 

If Texas does not at least make it to another semifinal, Texas Athletics will have to ask itself what is keeping it from taking that final step despite having all of the resources.  

Sarkisian has done everything possible this offseason to give Texas that chance to reach the pinnacle once again. It is time for him and the Longhorns to finally capitalize.