Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian isn't backing down after his Longhorns fell to 0-1 in SEC play. Following the shocking 29-21 upset loss to the Florida Gators on October 4, Sarkisian made it clear he's not interested in dwelling on what went wrong in Gainesville.
When asked if the loss forces him to reset his season goals, Sarkisian didn't hesitate. “No, not at all. We're a one loss team in the SEC. There's a lot of football left to be played. We've got 7 conference games to be played. I'm not going to sit here and give the poor me's and the woe is us,” per Inside Texas.
His focus was already on what's next. “We'll get back ready to go. Obviously got a big, pivotal game next week against a rival opponent in the Oklahoma Sooners. Very good football team. We need to get ourselves ready and focus on next week.”
This comes after a rough day in Gainesville, where Texas got beaten in all three phases. Quarterback Arch Manning completed 16 of 29 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw two costly interceptions and got sacked six times by Florida's aggressive pass rush.
Manning's struggles exposed questions about Texas's offensive line protection and the sophomore's ability to handle pressure against elite SEC defenses. For a program that entered as the preseason number one SEC pick, sitting at 3-2 overall and 13th in conference standings wasn't part of the plan.
Texas turns focus to Oklahoma
Texas doesn't have long to recover. The October 11 game against fifth-ranked Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl is next, and Sarkisian knows his team needs to bounce back quickly. The 121st Red River Rivalry gives the Longhorns a shot at redemption, but it's also a tough spot for a team still reeling from an upset.
Oklahoma enters at 5-0, unbeaten, with impressive wins over Michigan and Auburn already under its belt. The Sooners are a completely different team from the one Texas demolished 34-3 last season. That makes this year's matchup much tougher for a Longhorns squad still trying to find its rhythm in SEC play.
A second straight loss would damage Texas's College Football Playoff hopes and raise questions about its ability to compete in its new conference. Sarkisian knows it, which explains his refusal to entertain any talk of lowered expectations or season-long adjustments.
