The villain arc kicked off long before stepping into Kyle Field for the Texas Longhorns and their hype-master HC, Steve Sarkisian. The only antidote to the boos and hisses from Texas A&M? A 17-0 lead by halftime. That shut things down quickly and even got some high-profile mic guys to throw a “Hook ’em.” And it’s none other than former punter-turned-ESPN analyst Pat McAfee. He had to swallow a late Thanksgiving humble pie, freshly baked and served by none other than Quinn Ewers and Sark.

McAfee was quick to share the taste of it on X from his The Pat McAfee Show’s account. “Man.. this Texas team is playing great football. I thought the atmosphere was gonna rattle ‘em a little bit.. I thought they were going to be tight. UH-UH. Sark’s got the boys HUMMIN in the middle of all of the hate thus far,” the former Colts punter turned analyst said.

After boldly predicting an Aggie victory on College GameDay, McAfee was left eating his words as Steve Sarkisian and his boys ultimately got the 17-7 win. The comment was a stark contrast from his pregame bravado, where he declared, “What if Texas A&M wins today?” But as the Aggie boos grew louder, he quickly corrected himself, saying, “WHEN Texas A&M wins today.” However, the former BYU QB turned Texas HC, remained unfazed by the jeers, and led his team to victory.

The man orchestrating this symphony of dominance, Steve Sarkisian, was ready for the noise, as he said, “You need to embrace the hate,” right before entering the game. “It’s okay to be the villain. We’re the villain in this movie this week.” And they did embrace it! Quinn Ewers, playing through a high ankle sprain, had a fine first half, completing 11-of-17 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. But his Arch Manning, the young quarterback, turned heads with a bold 15-yard rushing touchdown on fourth down. In fact, he just replaced the starter Ewers for one play. And one play was all it took. Texas’ defense suffocated the Aggies’ offense, ensuring McAfee’s prediction fell apart faster than the Aggie faithful could groan.

Pat McAfee wasn’t the only one forced to reevaluate. The Longhorns’ win was an 11-1 statement—not just in rekindling this fiery rivalry game but in asserting their national playoff credentials and securing the road trip to Atlanta for the SEC title game against the Bulldogs. And little did people know that this Texas rivalry game is quite a personal thing for head coach Sarks.

Steve Sarkisian forgot he is a record holder against his in-state rivals

His history with Texas A&M goes beyond coaching—he holds a pretty unique bragging right in their rivalry. As Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle shared, Sarkisian still stands as the Aggies slayer, “all-time single-game passing leader.” Back in 1996, while quarterbacking for BYU, Sarkisian torched Texas A&M’s defense for a jaw-dropping 536 yards in one game. That performance remains unmatched, a remarkable feat considering the decades of talent that have gone head-to-head with the Aggies since.

When reminded of the record, Sarkisian responded with humility and a touch of humor: “I didn’t know that was still true, but thanks for reminding me.” It’s a playful nod to a game that’s now part of college football lore. The accomplishment serves as a reminder that Sarkisian’s offensive mind started long before his coaching days, proving he’s been making defenses sweat for quite some time.

If McAfee knew about this stat, he surely would’ve picked the Longhorns over the Aggies in his prediction.