One team that’s bound to kick up a storm this season is Texas. Steve Sarkisian is approaching the 2025 season in hopes of achieving a rare feat. He is looking forward to booking a playoff spot for the third time in a row. The HC has done it twice before, and there’s no reason for him not to repeat it this year, too. He has a team that seems primed to win the National Championship. But that’s only if they don’t stumble at the hands of their old enemy–the semi-finals. Experts also fear that one very underrated aspect of the Longhorns’ campaign can brutally derail their efforts.
The Longhorns kept their heads up after failing to go past the semis last year. Sarkisian must be frustrated to see his campaign end at the same place for the second time in a row. This season, too, the zeal is just the same, probably more with Arch Manning Madness taking over Austin. ESPN ranked Texas as the No. 1 team ahead of the season, and its Football Power Index gives the Longhorns an 83.9% chance of winning the National Championship. All the cards are lining up for Steve Sarkisian, but will it be a smooth sail this season? Not really.
In a June 11 episode of the Cover 3 Podcast, Tom Fornelli pointed out that Texas has one of the toughest schedules among programs. In fact, he ranked the Longhorns to have the second-most difficult timetable. And, it can prove to be a major hurdle for Sarkisian to clear. “They’ve got to play, you know, their typical SEC schedule, which is difficult on its own,” he noted. But the game-changing points in the schedule are away games. And, they all feature some major programs.
“You’re on the road for Ohio State, you’re on the road for Florida, you’re going to be on the road for Georgia,” Fornelli said. The OSU matchup is the season opener for Texas and is one of the most eagerly awaited games of the season. Texas will then play Florida after a non-conference game against San Houston. And then comes SEC juggernaut Georgia, which defeated Texas twice last season. These three are unmissable games for Steve Sarkisian, because of another concerning stat.
Sep 7, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
“When you look at how things went last year, 3-loss teams were left out of the college football playoff. 3-loss SEC teams. This is a team that’s coming in, and we’re talking about it as maybe it is the favorite to win the national title,” Fornelli said ominously. Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina sat out of the playoffs. Lane Kiffin thinks he was snubbed unfairly. South Carolina, which returns this season with one of the best QBs in the sport at the moment, also missed out on a spot. When it comes to quarterbacks, Texas is finally bringing in one of the best in the game. Arch Manning might be CFB royalty already, but he has to deliver upon the heaps of expectations placed on his young shoulders.
Arch Manning has to be the X factor for Steve Sarkisian
Texas fans are finally getting what they wanted: Arch Manning will finally start as quarterback after two years. They got a glimpse of his brilliance briefly last season, as he produced 939 yards, 9 TDs, and a completion percentage of 67.8%. Already touted by many to go as a top pick in the draft, Manning is yet to face an entire season as the Longhorns’ QB1. Now that he has the crown, he has to carry it through these make-or-break games. These will be his biggest tests in the season, claimed Fornelli.
“There’s not much room for error here. There’s a lot of games that this team could lose, especially if Arch Manning doesn’t come out and isn’t great right away. Like, they could get killed by Ohio State. They could lose on the road to Florida. They could – they probably will lose on the road to Georgia, based on what we saw him playing Georgia last year. So they’ve got to be perfect in a lot of pretty difficult games,” he declared. It’s going to be all or nothing from Texas this year.
Georgia didn’t let up on Manning in their first matchup last year. After benching Quinn Ewers, Steve Sarkisian sent the famed backup to try and shake things up. Manning, however, was ill-prepared for the Bulldogs’ attack. He ended up getting sacked in his second drive, and lost possession in the next play with Jalon Walker recovering a fumble. After that loss, Sarkisian and Co. lost once again to Georgia in the SEC Championships game. Now that Manning will play a bigger role in the season, all eyes will be on how he fares in these turbulent games. They are in the best position this season to finally end the 20-year Natty drought; Manning just needs to let that magic in him shine.
Steve Sarkisian stands at a crossroads ahead of the season. He has a great team and an even greater QB. But the Longhorns will have to cover a rocky schedule in their run-up to the National Championship. Will the third attempt be the charm for the HC?
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