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The Texas Longhorns qualified for the playoffs of university football during each of the last two seasons.
Longhorns should once again be run in the playoffs of this next season, but head coach Steve Sarkisian does what he can to temper some of these high expectations. Sarkisian also threw cold water on the idea that any team is crowned as national champions will end the season with a perfect record of 16-0.
“I do not think we will see an undefeated champion”, during the Spring of the SEC Spring.
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Head coach Steve Sarkisian of Texas Longhorns speaks during the days of dry football media at the Omni Dallas hotel on July 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Images Tim Warner / Getty)
Sarkisian underlined the difficulty of maintaining an entirely healthy list throughout the prolonged university football season. “It is so difficult to stay healthy for so long. This idea that someone will go 16-0 in university football? If so, put a statue.”
The format of the 12 team playoffs made its debut last season. After a team played their full slate of 12 games in the regular season, they could qualify for their conference championship. In the format of last year, the champions of the Power 4 conference obtained a bye. The 13-0 team should then win a quarter-final, a semi-final and a championship match to finish at 16-0.
2025 CFP Championship Odds: OSU, Texas remains favored after the format change
Sarkisian then recalled the major differences in the current sport landscape and his stay in coach staff in southern California in 2003.
“Then we became playoffs to two teams, and we have become playoffs to four teams, and now we have become where we are today,” he continued. “I think that at the end of the day, we all want the best teams to have the opportunity to compete for a championship. The duration of the season last year, we played 16 games and it was just to arrive in the semi-finals. It was 17 to win a championship.”
Head coach Steve Sarkisian of Texas Longhorns reacts during the second quarter against the Bulldogs of Georgia at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
Sarkisian also discussed the noted expectations of Texas and the quarter-Arrière Arch Manning will face the 2025 season. Manning sometimes saw the action last season, but the jump from Quinn Ewers to the NFL opened the door to become a full-time starter.
“Arch is a great player, but I hope for everyone here that we do not act too far on ourselves,” said Sarkisian. “Let this guy go to play this year. Let him have fun finally get his opportunity as a quarter-back leaving for the Texas Longhorns. It was a dream for this guy to do it.”
Longhorns suffered a 37-31 defeat against Washington in the 2023-2012 qualifiers. After beating Clemson in the first round, Texas survived a thriller in double extension against Arizona State in the quarterfinals. However, the Longhorns could not exceed possible champions – the Ohio State – in the semi -finals.
