While style points aren’t usually a major factor in college football, the Texas Longhorns showed they can make a difference on Saturday afternoon. After a commanding victory at the Big House over the Michigan Wolverines, Texas has climbed to the 2nd spot in the national rankings, surpassing the Ohio State Buckeyes in the AP Poll.
Even though the Longhorns just achieved their biggest road win over a top-ten opponent since 1979, don’t expect Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian to let his team take it easy before their Week 3 game against the UTSA Roadrunners. Sarkisian has made it clear that he’s using recent results as a cautionary tale for his players.
In a Monday press conference, Sarkisian referenced Notre Dame’s recent stumble as a warning. “Human nature is human nature,” Sarkisian noted, according to Eli Lederman of ESPN.com. “So what did I do this morning? I walked them through the Notre Dame scenario of them going into College Station a week ago, winning and being praised as a top-five team and a College Football Playoff contender, only to lose to Northern Illinois the following week.”
While it’s still early in the season, Northern Illinois’ surprising win over Notre Dame—considered a major upset since the Huskies were four-touchdown underdogs—could be one of the biggest upsets of the year. Sarkisian used footage of the game-winning field goal and Northern Illinois celebrating as a reminder to his team that success isn’t guaranteed. “We’re capable of anything, but we’re entitled to nothing,” he emphasized. “We need to earn everything, including Saturday night’s victory.”
Sarkisian is determined to ensure Texas avoids a similar downfall against the Roadrunners, who are currently about 32-point underdogs. Fortunately for Sarkisian, his team appears well-prepared to handle any upset attempts better than Notre Dame did.
Leading the charge for the Texas Longhorns is their junior quarterback Quinn Ewers. Following a standout performance against a formidable Michigan defense—where he threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns—Ewers has overtaken Carson Beck and Dillon Gabriel as the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.
Ewers, who was a redshirt freshman at Ohio State in 2021, had previously visited the Big House, and he credited that experience with aiding his performance on Saturday.
“I understand how significant this moment is,” Ewers said after the game, as reported by Blake Toppmeyer of the Austin-American Statesman. “Having been here before and knowing what the atmosphere is like helped me.”
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