Buckle up CFB fans! The much-awaited game is here! Jay Norvell’s Colorado State Rams and Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns are all geared up for the head-on. But wait! Not everything looks good in the Longhorns hood. Before their match-up at the Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on August 31, injury reports have plagued Sarkisian’s tribe. While the HC had high expectations, particularly after his $2.4 million power era, his players getting injured left him with a worry wrinkle. Among the concerning reports, there are certain locker room issues that enhanced the chances of showing Sarkisian the exit door.

During the pre-season camp, Sarkisian and Co. experienced a handful of injury issues. While the program still lived by the hope that the players would recover before the season’s opener match, here the HC confirmed their absence during the SEC Coaches Teleconference. As CFB Insider CJ Vogel tweeted on August 28, “Aside from the two RBs out for the year, Steve Sarkisian says everyone will be available for the season opener Saturday during the weekly SEC Coaches Teleconference.”

And who are these players? The Longhorns have lost key RBs including Christian Clark and CJ Baxter Jr. Baxter boarded on Sarkisian’s squad as a freshman last season. Playing 13 games, he managed to tally a total of 659 rushing yards that came with five rushing touchdowns. But poor Baxter! During the practice, he suffered a leg injury and was spotted leaving the field with the help of crutches and will undergo a season-ending knee surgery. 

Sarkisian’s RB room got hit with another injury, when RB Christian Clark suffered a torn Achilles during a practice on August 12. This too has been a costly loss for the Longhorns losing a player who finished with 135 carries for 801 yards and six touchdowns. This remains critical since the back-to-back injuries would have a direct impact on the depth management and the game strategies overall. However, besides the injuries, there are certain factors that are giving the program headaches.   

Pressure mounts for Steve Sarkisian

Going by the reports delved by 247Sports insider Carterr66 there are some issues in the Longhorns squad that have landed Sarkisian’s job as HC in trouble. The insider wrote, “I would expect the drama to start coming out mid year like the 2020 season. Get your popcorn ready.” But what’s the hoopla all about? As per the reports, Sarkisian is often distracted from his coaching duties which left the NIL efforts hit a nosedive.

Besides, it has been also found that coaches under Sarkisian fail to arrive at the same point, often chaos prevails on the grounds of differences of opinion. Now that the Longhorns will be stepping into the SEC setup for the first time, the pressure just got real leaving the HC at the crossroads of either performing well or losing his head coaching ticket.

However, Steve Sarkisian seems to be soaking up in confidence. “They’re really in it together, and they know they need one another to make it happen, and so that’s probably the special ingredient for this team, which is different, maybe than the past couple years back,” claimed the HC. The Longhorns will now rely on a three-man of Jerrick Gibson, Jaydon Blue, and Tre Wisner.