“I hope that we can find balance and I think that we’re more than equipped to do that,” Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian’s confidence knows no bounds as his team stands face-to-face with a January 10 Cotton Bowl clash against Ohio State. While the coach acknowledges that Ryan Day has built a “heck of an opponent”, and that the Longhorns are “massive underdogs”, there’s no denying that Sarkisian is leaving no stone unturned to take his team’s record to a comfortable 14-2. But if you ask ESPN SportsCenter‘s Rece Davis, that’s easier said than done…

And that’s despite Day coming under heavy scrutiny this year—especially after Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to its longtime rival Michigan Wolverines on November 29. Amid calls of firing him, for the ones who doubted his team, weren’t their big wins against the Tennessee Volunteers and Oregon Ducks enough to change your mind?

On New Year’s Day, Dan Lanning’s program couldn’t replicate any of its magic and was soundly beaten (42-41) by the Buckeyes. The Rose Bowl Game was over before halftime. Yes, Day’s boys just needed one quarter to prove themselves. They already came up 7-0 after the first minute and once the first 15 minutes were over, Ohio State was at a 14-0 lead. What killed Oregon were the big plays.

On the other hand, the Buckeyes crushed the Ducks’ defense, and their first four touchdowns were all at least 40-yard scores. Now that’s enough warning for Sarkisian’s program, which was further confirmed by Pete Thamel and Davis on the  ESPN College Football podcast. “Ohio State and Texas will play in the Cotton Bowl. I think home state advantage for Texas, [but] I’m not sure anyone has any type of advantage over the Buckeyes, the way they’re playing right now,” Davis said.

“I look at this game in Ohio State…if it plays the way it has in the first two games, [they’re] going to win the National Championship. And we’re going to be robbed, in all likelihood, of any dramatic endings in either of their games if they play the way they have in the last two games,” he added, and said, “The one caveat I would offer is I still think Texas is capable of that type of performance, for lack of a better way to describe it, an Ohio State type of performance. And they haven’t done it, and they really haven’t come close to it yet. Maybe they won’t. Maybe it’s one of those years where it just never happens for them…But Texas hasn’t flipped the switch the way Ohio State has been able to do post Michigan.” 

But the issues with the team don’t end there, which was further pointed out by Thamel: “At this point for Texas, which is an excellent team that has played very well this year, you have to wonder if they’re capable of that ‘everything come together’ performance. The place where I’ve been disappointed…they haven’t been able to dictate the game as the offensive line.”

“Again, individually, very talented. I think Cameron Williams will be back starting that right tackle again, which is good news. Obviously, Kelvin Banks Jr at left. They’ve got experienced guys at the guards and a very experienced Center. But just for some reason the sum hasn’t been able…to be greater than the parts yet this year. And I would think that considering the way Ohio State’s defensive line has played in these playoff games, they’re going to need to do that. And they are going to need to come together.”

“I think teams have shown—and Georgia obviously showed this—you can rattle Quinn Ewers if you pressure him some. He’s generally a cool customer, but teams that have flustered him have had some success in slowing him down. [The Texas Longhorns] just haven’t executed consistently on offense, red zone issues.”

Top Comment by TxAngie

What a pile of hot garbage. Sports writers may as well be gossip columnists.

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Well, it’s true. Sarkisian and co.’s red zone struggles proved fatal against the Georgia Bulldogs. They entered their opponent’s territory on seven different occasions, but managed just one touchdown. In two games against the Bulldogs, the Longhorns are  3-for-5 in their red zone attempts. That’s when analyst Rece Davis added another major turndown for Sarkisian’s Longhorns: “And turnovers too, man. I mean, they create a bunch of them but they give a bunch of them away.”

Case in point? During the Peach Bowl, Texas gave up two sacks and only managed 30 first-down rushing yards on 10 carries. You must be aware of the fact that Sarkisian’s defense has forced more turnovers than any other team in the country with 29.

Plus, now that they are going to face Ohio State, Thamel raised another warning, “So they faced they faced one team really this year with the type of players that Ohio State has. It’s Georgia and they lost both…clearly the best team in the field. But the best team doesn’t always win. It’s the team that plays the best that wins.”

Meanwhile, the Ewers drama is thickening.

Isn’t Steve Sarkisian 100% sold on Quinn Ewers?

Well, Sarkisian needs to be fully prepped up now that they will be facing off against the Buckeyes, who are no.1 in total defense and scoring defense. In that case, his QB Ewers should be the rescuer. Sadly, chances are dim there! Against the Sun Devils, the QB came up with 322 passing yards, and four total TDs and a walk-off game-winning drive in double OT. However, that did not mask his weak points. We know how his running game has been a mess. 

Six carries for ONE yard. Well, if you think it was just one game, you must take a look at his stats for the season. The quarterback racked up 52 carries for negative 64 yards. Concerning much, right? On top of that, injuries have been his biggest foe this season. That, in turn, affected his mobility and improvisation ability, giving rise to accuracy problems and unfortunate interceptions.

But stats aside, it’s safe to say that the HC is still fully convinced on his player’s abilities…“When he went to Ohio State early on, [Ewers] should have still been a senior in high school. When we got him back, he was in our eyes a freshman at that time. So there’s been a lot of development. I would say physical development, but I would also say mental and emotional development.”

“To watch him grow into the leader that he’s grown into for us, his ability to have the poise and composure he has not only on the field, but off the field and to look into the face of adversity, and come out on the other side of it time and time again whether it be injuries, whatever that looks like, to be at his best when his best was needed similar to the Peach Bowl there at the end of the game in overtime,” Sarkisian said during a pre-Cotton Bowl Zoom meeting with reporters on January 2.

Having said that, Quinn Ewers has shown enough signs that he is not the biggest X-factor on the side of Texas. So, is HC Steve Sarkisian looking for someone to take the reins? Well, there’s one key weapon who can rise as the x-factor against Ohio State. It’s none other than Isaiah Bond. But why him? The WR will be part of Texas’ plan to cover Matthew Golden. Let’s see how this new plan turns out!