Steve Sarkisian Believes It Is 'Fitting' That Texas Longhorns Are Facing Oklahoma State Cowboys in Big 12 Championship

The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma State Cowboys are set to face off in the Big 12 Championship on Saturday.

The Texas Longhorns are set to face off vs. the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday in Arlington, in what will be the Horns' last ever shot at a Big 12 Championship. 

It will also be the last scheduled non-bowl matchup between the two programs, with Texas set to head to the SEC in the summer of 2024.

And if you ask Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, the matchup between the Cowboys and Horns is a fitting one. 

“At this point, at this stage, we’ve been on this kick all year, we’ve been focused on what we need to do and being enamored with what we need to do," Sarkisian said. "I think in a unique way it’s kind of fitting that we’re playing Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game knowing we didn’t get an opportunity to play each other in the regular season."

Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive end Collin Oliver (30) puts pressure on Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Texas
Texas vs. Oklahoma State in 2022 :: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN-USA TODAY NETWORK

That said, it was not the matchup that the majority of Texas fans were coveting, as most wanted a rematch with the Oklahoma Sooners, in order to get revenge for the Horns' lone regular-season blemish. 

Knowing that the Sooners will remain on the schedule as they head into the SEC, however, Sarkisian is excited about taking part in one last Big 12 Championship.

“With us leaving the Big 12 and some of the great games and the matchups that have gone on over the years and historically, for us to be able to play in the Big 12 Championship Game is kind of fitting knowing we’re going to be playing OU every year moving forward," Sarkisian said.

Conveniently enough, the Cowboys are also the lone team (outside of UCF and Cincinnati which the Horns never faced in conference play) that Sarkisian has yet to beat in the Big 12.

A fitting way for the Longhorns to spend their Big 12 swan song.

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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.