There’s no doubt that Steve Sarkisian’s first year at Texas was underwhelming.
While Sarkisian wasn’t expected to come to Austin and immediately compete for championships in his first year with the program, surely no one expected a 5-7 record that included a historic losing streak of six games.
Since then, Sarkisian has lived by his words and completely revamped the roster. Texas has brought in over 30 new players, including the No. 5 recruiting class in the country and several of the top players in the transfer portal.
When you combine the underwhelming record from last season with the success on the recruiting trail that followed, expectations are now higher than ever for Sarkisian.
ESPN recently conducted a round table where each staff member chose a head coach that has the most to prove next season. Jimbo Fisher, Chip Kelly and a few others were mentioned, but Alex Scarborough zoned in on Sarkisian.
Steve Sarkisian’s first season at Texas did not exactly go according to plan. After starting 4-1, the Longhorns went into a nosedive, losing six straight games, including a home loss in overtime to perennial Big 12 cellar-dweller Kansas. Beating Kansas State to end the regular season did little to clean up a disappointing 5-7 record. The offense was good at times but never great, and the defense was downright terrible, allowing 31.0 points per game.
While recruiting went relatively well, there are two ways of looking at that fifth-place finish: It was four spots below rival Texas A&M, and it heightened expectations for a roster that still might not be ready to compete for a conference title. Sarkisian, who enters the second year of a six-year, $34.2 million guaranteed contract, needs the addition of Ohio State transfer quarterback Quinn Ewers to pay off in a big way. Bringing in former TCU legend Gary Patterson as a special assistant spoke to Sarkisian’s confidence, but you have to wonder if things don’t improve how it will look to have a future Hall of Fame coach in the same building.
While Texas likely wont compete for a national championship this year, they are certainly talented enough to contend for the Big 12 Championship. Four or more losses could be cause for concern.