For most first-year head coaches, the pressure is taken off with low expectations.
Attempting to rebuild college football programs is a long winded process and takes a lot of time. For Steve Sarkisian and Texas, there are no low expectations. Wins are wanted by fans, staff, and administration and they are wanted right away. Anything less than eight or nine wins would be viewed as a failure.
With the schedule back to normal, the Longhorns will be playing three nonconference and nine Big 12 games. Looking up and down the calendar, there are plenty of matchups to circle.
Despite what coaches will tell you on a week to week basis, some games are going to be viewed as more important than others. The wins will feel better than most, while the losses will be soul-crushing.
Here are the five most important games on Texas’ schedule this season: