Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian gave an eye-opening reaction to his team's beatdown of the Florida Gators. The Longhorns lived up to the predictions of a blowout with a dominant performance that was over by halftime. Quinn Ewers led a terrific offensive showing with five touchdown passes on 19 completions for a team squarely in the College Football Playoff hunt. The head coach at “UT” summed up Texas football's effort with a blunt statement.

“This was probably our most complete game as a football team,” said Sarkisian to University of Texas beat writer for LoneStarLive, Josh Newman. This is a stunning statement from the head coach of a team that's dominated most opponents this year.

Texas football's stellar season continues

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) looks to pass the ball during the Longhorns' game against the Florida Gators, Nov. 9, 2024 at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas football came into this week ranked fifth in the country. That ranking was enough to give the Longhorns the sixth seed in the first ranking of the twelve-team College Football Playoff bracket.

Despite dominant past performances against the Michigan Wolverines and Oklahoma Sooners and an 8-1 record, Steve Sarkisian's team has faced some adversity. That roadblock came from a quarterback controversy between starter Quinn Ewers and backup Arch Manning during the Longhorns home loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.

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But after the setback, Texas football has rebounded from that loss as a true championship contender should. Quinn Ewers led the program to a gritty win over Vanderbilt on October 26, followed by this performance against Florida. To briefly recap how dominant this 49-17 win was for Texas, it was 35-0 at the half, and the Longhorns outgained the Gators by over 200 yards of offense.

Going forward, Texas football has three more regular season games. The first matchup is against Arkansas, followed by a Senior Day game at Kentucky, and then a rivalry showdown in College Station against Texas A&M. The Longhorns are currently third in the SEC. Should they win out, Texas would book a trip to the conference championship game, which is something they might need to do to guarantee a College Football Playoff berth.

The Longhorns do not have a win over a team currently ranked in the top 25. With two-loss SEC teams like Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, and Alabama breathing down their neck, losing to Texas A&M on the road might put Texas in a tricky spot come selection day. Overall, these next three games will reveal much about the Longhorns' ability to prove their doubters wrong.