Steve Sarkisian Warns ‘Horns to Guard Against Complacency
Texas wasn’t a national championship contender in 2022, but it took Alabama down to the wire, shut out Red River rival Oklahoma 49-0 and was in the Big 12 Championship mix until the last week of the regular season. Ultimately, the Longhorns finished 8-5, a three-game improvement over the year before, and they’re looking to build on that as spring football is in full gear.
“I liked the energy today,” said head coach Steve Sarkisian, per 247Sports. “It was intentional, the way they practiced. I thought it was good today. We had some elements. There was a mist and the ball got slick. You have to learn how to play in the different elements and in that aspect of it it, it was positive. I think one of the key messages we’ve talked to the team about as we evaluate the first week is that you cannot get complacent. Regardless of who you were a year ago…you can’t just say, ‘This is who I am and this is where I am supposed to be.’
“We have to continue to strive and work for more, and not fall into the same habits. We are always trying to create new habits to try and raise our level of play.”
That’s a key for any team, but Texas is especially under the microscope considering it’s a football blue blood that has still yet to make the College Football Playoff since its inception back in 2014. In fact, Texas hasn’t been a true national championship contender since losing to Alabama in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game (2009 season). For that matter, it also hasn’t won a Big 12 Title since that very 2009 season.
So, one can understand why Sarkisian is wanting to keep the energy up.
“I am proud of our guys,” Sarkisian told 247Sports. “Hey, they are in college and they need to enjoy their spring break. Being a D-1 football player and a Power Five football player at the University of Texas, we ask a lot of them as athletes and students. When they have opportunities to enjoy being in college, I welcome that. But it’s making good choices and decisions. I think our guys did a really good job of that last week.”
We’ll see exactly where the Longhorns stack up when all the preseason polls come out here in a few months. But fresh off finishing No. 25, they’re seeking the next step.
