The Texas Longhorns are very close to making history in the SEC Championship. First year in the conference, and they are one step away from winning it all. But while we look towards the game, let’s take a moment and talk about the man who’s like the guiding light for the team-Steve Sarkisian. Of course, a big win means more bragging rights for the Longhorns. It could mean a seriously sweet bonus. So, how much are we talking about here if Texas grabs that SEC title?

Well, Sarkisian’s got some pretty nice performance bonuses built into his contract. If the Longhorns win big, he could be looking at a bonus anywhere from $300K to $1.25 million, depending on how far the team goes. And let’s be real, winning the SEC would definitely land him on the higher end of that spectrum. So yeah, it’s not a bad gig for the guy calling the shots.

Now, the Texas time with Steve Sarkisian isn’t all smooth sailing. There have been a few bumps, but this season? It’s pretty amazing, to be honest. Under his leadership, the Longhorns are looking like pretty solid contenders and winning the SEC Championship will be a cherry on top. At 11-1, the season has been nearly flawless. However, that single entry in the losses column comes from a team they are going against in Atlanta on December 7.

Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs came to Austin in mid-October and gave Coach Sark a taste of what it feels like facing a big SEC program. Georgia is as big as it gets in the SEC. Despite an iffy season, the Bulldogs overpowered the Longhorns, exposing their offensive frailities. So much so that Steve Sarkisian had to bench his starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers, after he forgot to throw the ball in the first half. Even having Arch Manning didn’t help, and Ewers was brought back in the second half. So what’s at stake for Coach Sark? Well, plenty.

All to play for in Atlanta

Well, the College GameDay panel usually gives us an idea of where a game may be heading. For the 2024 SEC Championship game, a majority of the panel went with the Longhorns, including the guest Timothee Chalamet. Of course, Pat McAfee had sins to repent from in 2023, and he went with the Bulldogs. On the other hand, Kirby Smart went with Texas while underlining that it’s impossible for him to pick among his former coaches.

For Coach Sark, a headache could be the uncertainty around his potential All-American LT Kelvin Banks Jr. It’s hard to put into words how important Banks has been in the Longhorns’ O-line. Add to that a quarterback who is coming off an injury. Quinn Ewers looked better than his previous few outings in Week 14 against Texas A&M. However, even though he made some impressive plays, Ewers’ game froze when it came to the red zone. The Longhorns just couldn’t find a way into the endzone. Ultimately, Arch Manning was used by Coach Sark to add some freshness to the offense. That worked. Will he try it against the Bulldogs?

Many analysts have included Texas among the three teams with the highest potential to win the Natty this year. Coach Sark’s squad is usually referred to as a ‘complete team’. The defense has been amazing, but they need to be careful about how they approach the game in a stadium filled with a majority Bulldogs crowd. As Nick Saban said, focus on getting first downs, and go from there. Can they do it? What do you think?