It’s one thing to make it to the Playoffs and it’s another to do it with swagger and a point to prove. The Texas Longhorns stormed past the Clemson Tigers 38-24 in a gritty first-round clash, showing off a newfound balance that critics had been begging for all season. But while the scoreboard told one story, Steve Sarkisian and his postgame presser added an entirely different layer to the Longhorns’ playoff push: a subtle yet unmistakable flex aimed at the giants who didn’t make it.

Entering the game with the intention of leaning on the running game which they were missing and were criticized for a little bit. Coach Sark met with the media following the win in the post-game presser as we saw it on the Texas Football channel. While giving tactical answers about his players who were on the team last year to keep that momentum going, he probably, with a cheeky flex and jab that sounded involuntary, back of his mind couldn’t resist pointing out an undeniable fact.

“Like I told them last night,” he began, “Last year was a four-team playoff. This year it got expanded to 12. But we’re the only team of those four teams that made it back into the 12-team playoff. So it’s not easy to get on this stage.” It was a mic-drop moment, a reminder that while powerhouses like Michigan and Alabama fell short this year, Texas stood tall. The message was clear: getting here isn’t a fluke—it’s the result of earning it, week in and week out.

The game itself was a masterclass in adaptability. For weeks, Sarkisian had been under fire for leaning too heavily on the passing game. Against Clemson, though, he flipped the script. Texas pounded the rock, something they hadn’t done consistently in recent outings, and it paid off. The Longhorns racked up a jaw-dropping 292 rushing yards. Jaydon Blue was a man on a mission, dashing for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

“We all know what the end goal that we have and that we want,” Steve Sarkisian explained. “But that can’t happen unless we focus on what’s right in front of us, and I thought our guys did a really good job of that this week.”

Quarterback Quinn Ewers, returning to form after battling injuries, looked as composed as ever. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown, complementing the ground attack perfectly. What the stat doesn’t capture is Ewers’ perfection in the first half. Every pass was delivered well, proving that the Longhorns’ QB1 is finally seeing the field, a thing he didn’t have against the Bulldogs. It helped that the Tigers didn’t have an answer to the run game. Imagine conceding 295 rushing yards? Two running backs collecting over 100 yards each.

“I thought they did a really good job of handling that,” Sarkisian said, emphasizing the team’s ability to focus on the immediate task. This wasn’t just a victory; it was a demonstration of how a team evolves when it matters most.

But Sark wasn’t just looking at the past or the present—he was setting the stage for the future. By highlighting Texas’ consistency amid the expanded playoff chaos, he subtly called out programs like Michigan and Co., who tried to use that expansion as an excuse and stumbled despite the extra wiggle room. “It’s not easy to get on this stage, and they earned it, and they played really good all year,” he said, driving the point home. For Texas, this playoff berth wasn’t about luck or circumstance; it was about grit, preparation, and execution. And the former Cougars QB wasn’t done he has plenty to add on TNT.

Steve Sarkisian on TNT about Texas’ run game

The Texas HC don’t just run his mouth in the post-match presser, he can run the football on the field too. After the game, TNT’s Taylor McGregor caught up with Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian on the field, diving straight into the team’s impressive commitment to the ground game. When asked about the emphasis on running, Sark kept it real. “Well, we committed to it,” he admitted, even adding a bit of self-blame. “That’s probably halfway my fault before this. But we committed to it. I thought we blocked things really well. The runners trusted it, and they were hitting it.”

Switching gears to quarterback Quinn Ewers’ performance, McGregor pressed for Sark’s thoughts. Sark didn’t hold back on the praise. “Well, he made a lot of plays for us when they were ‘on time,’ and he made a couple plays for us ‘off schedule,’ which were critical for us as well,” Sark said. He highlighted Ewers’ game management, calling it “beautiful,” though he did acknowledge some tough luck on the interception.

His bold postgame comments were indications and shots that ‘Hooked Em’ the complainers.