Steve Sarkisian is not here to cry foul or act like a victim; he is too busy letting the Longhorns’ performance do the talking. While Kirby Smart is busy voicing his concerns about the playoff rankings, Sarkisian adopts a mindset of accepting things as they are. He places his attention on the Longhorns’ challenging season as they make their debut in the SEC. Sarkisian is not interested in blowing smokes or chasing goody points, as their primary goal has been to prove their strength and determination in each tough matchup they face. As they approach important games shortly, Sarkisian’s approach remains clear—stay focused, play the game, and let the final score settle your arguments.

How can you think someone joins Paul Finebaum and doesn’t spark controversies? This is what happened on November 23 in the Paul Finebaum Show, where Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian joins him and criticizes Kirby Smart’s whole takeover of the playoff rankings, saying, “I think that the challenge that sometimes doesn’t get enough credit—every conference has their top one or two teams, right? And listen, your job is to win football games, not to be a politician, but you’ve also been subjected to this committee before.”  Well, this is the most sarcastic coach Steve could ever get!

Well, Dawgs head coach Kirby Smart has been vocal about Georgia’s tough schedule and rankings, saying they “played the toughest schedule in our league, and we still got two games left of tough teams.” But let’s be real, they’ve still lost two games, while the Texas Longhorns have only lost one—to Georgia. So, if we follow Coach Smart’s notion, then the Longhorns did face one of the strongest teams in the tournament, and including Michigan, despite struggles, they are still at five wins, and how can we forget Vanderbilt? They won against Alabama.

However, there is no end to this debate, so, just like Steve Sarkisian, let’s focus on their much-anticipated game against the Kentucky Wildcats, which will also define their future in this tournament.

Steve Sarkisian’s only chance to shine

The Texas Longhorns are raging with their extraordinary performance this season. Well, you name it, playoff rankings check, bowl eligibility check—what else does the team have to do to prove their strong standing in the season? Surely not blame how hard it was to go play against tough teams, just like Kirby Smart did. However, with just two games remaining in the regular season, a loss can really hamper their hopes of securing a spot in the SEC championship, and when you go up against a team like the Kentucky Wildcats with a 4-6 record this season, the expectations automatically increase. Well, even if it might seem like a one-sided dominating game to many fans, Steve Sarkisian doesn’t really agree with the notion. Interesting right?

It’s a known fact that the Texas Longhorns’ defense is one of their key strengths, but even the Kentucky Wildcats are no less than them in defense. Even coach Sarkisian fears that their defense can give them a tough run in the game, saying, “You turn on the tape of Kentucky, and if you don’t look at the record, you could argue that, on the defensive side, this might be the most talented defense we have faced all year.” 

That is true; only one team in the SEC has managed over 200 passing yards against the Wildcats this season, and that is the Ole Miss Rebels and Longhorns struggle to maintain a consistent offense, which is quite visible with their quarterback’s discomfort. The question remains: will the fear surrounding Steve Sarkisian materialize, or is it just speculation?