Despite Loss, Steve Sarkisian Thinks Success Coming Soon for Longhorns

Texas gives No. 1 Alabama all it can handle in down-to-the-wire loss

AUSTIN, Texas — Steve Sarkisian owes Nick Saban.

He owes him big.

It was Saban that gave Sarkisian a job when no one else would. That hiring led Sarkisian back from an embarrassing exit at Southern Cal to a national title with the Crimson Tide and eventually to his current job as head coach for Texas.

It would not have been surprising if Sark met Saban at midfield during pre-game warmups for Saturday’s game between the Longhorns and Crimson Tide and gave his former boss a Texas-sized bearhug.

He didn’t, but the sentiment was there. They did share another moment after the top-ranked Crimson Tide barely escaped with a 20-19 win. Sarkisian was in a familiar situation, being consoled by Saban after a hard-fought game.

Sarkisian is trying to get the Longhorns to where Saban and Alabama are now—top of the college football world. He got a taste of it while part of the Crimson Tide’s 2020 national title team.

He took a giant step forward in that direction Saturday, not backing down and going toe-to-toe with Nick Saban’s No. 1 Crimson Tide.

“That was a hell of a college football game,” Sarkisian said. “Our team played tough, overcame a lot of adversity and continued to battle and fight. In the end, that’s the best team in the country and we can feel pretty good about where we are at with the state of our program.”

In the end, Alabama is Alabama, and the Longhorns couldn’t pull off the upset.

It’s going to take some more work, but the possibilities are there. Texas is a premier program set to join the SEC in 2025, and in the middle of a state that’s a hotbed for recruiting.

“Great teams find a way. I thought we found a way to take the lead and found a way to win it,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t think we’re that far off.”

Texas held Alabama’s offense to 20 points and 374 yards in a game very few expected the Longhorns to compete in.

“Let’s call it like it is, nobody gave us a chance in this game. We believed in our locker room that we could win this game. “Our guys played our style of football. We played with great energy, effort in all three phases and played tough and physical against a quality team.”

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Courtesy of Alabama Athletics

Courtesy of Alabama Athletics

Courtesy of Alabama Athletics

Courtesy of Alabama Athletics

USA TODAY Sports

Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Courtesy of Alabama Athletics

Sarkisian’s career hit a brick wall in 2016 when he was fired from USC for issues with alcohol. No one was interested in his services, except for Saban, who hired him as an analyst.

He was offensive coordinator for one game, the 2018 national title game against Clemson, but immediately left for the same position with the Atlanta Falcons.

Sarkisian returned to Tuscaloosa in 2019 and a year later led Alabama to its 18th national title with a team loaded with talent and brilliant play calling.

Sarkisian was at UA for a brief stint, but his impact is still felt and his fingerprints are on this 2022 Crimson Tide team. Bryce Young was committed to Southern Cal when Sarkisian was offensive coordinator for Alabama in 2019.

Sark, who had connections to the west coast recruiting landscape from his time as USC coach, made a pitch to Young. It was a good one. Young flipped to Alabama and the decision has paid dividends for him and Alabama. Young led the Crimson Tide to an SEC championship and a national title game last season, and added another Heisman to the school’s already crowded trophy display case back in Tuscaloosa.

Maybe in a few years Sarkisian will have something similar in Austin.

“We are coming,” Sarkisian said. “We recruited well a year ago and we’re recruiting well right now. We are recruiting the players that fit our style. We are a young team and we have some hungry guys that want to play football. We are moving in the right direction.”

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