CFB Analyst Places Steve Sarkisian On Hot Seat

One college football analyst believes 2023 is a must-win year for Steve Sarkisian.

© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Year 3 often is considered the "sink or swim" season for head coaches in college football.

Will Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian rise to the occasion and conquer the storm's egregious expectations? Will he collapse under the pressure in the Longhorns' final year as members of the Big 12?

Should the latter occur, Sarkisian could be firing up the laptop to update his resume for future interviews this spring. If the former happens, the Longhorns enter this first season as members of the SEC with intentions of taking the conference by storm.

Either way, Year 3 is a must-see year on the Forty Acres surrounding Sark's status. At least that's according to one college football analyst heading into July.

“If anyone is on the hot seat, it’s Sark,” former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray said on the latest episode of the 'Three-and-Out Podcast' on The Volume. “If Sark has a seven, eight-win team this year, you do question — ‘okay, you’ve had the time and you can’t have success in your third year in the Big 12. What gives us any confidence you’re going to have success in the SEC?’ That’s a problem.”

Hired away from Alabama in 2021, Sarkisian has posted a 13-12 record in two seasons with the Longhorns. Year 1 culminated in a 5-7 finish, but the program sought to establish a longstanding culture to build a winning identity. Year 2 was about assembling the pieces to find the missing links for a championship-caliber season in Year 3.

Last season came with several heartbreaking losses, but from a roster standpoint, the Longhorns looked improved. Quinn Ewers' mixed play was met with criticism, but also praise in games against top opponents in Alabama, Oklahoma and Washington. Ewers missed three games, leading to losses against Alabama and Texas Tech in Weeks 2 and 4, respectively.

Ewers, who started 10 games in 2022, was on pace to give the Longhorns their first 10-win season since 2018. Would results have differed in Austin and Lubbock if not for a shoulder injury suffered in the first quarter against the Crimson Tide?

Few can argue Sarkisian hasn't built the program for the better over the previous two years. Texas finished third in the On3 recruiting rankings, landing five-star talents in quarterback Arch Manning, running back C.J. Baxter Jr., linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and receiver Johntay Cook. Defensively, the Longhorns drastically improved their production, allowing 9.5 fewer points (21.6) and 57.4 yards (368.4) in 2022.

Texas enters its final season in the Big 12 with the best odds of winning the conference this fall. With the additions of four new programs, the Longhorns avoid matchups with Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Cincinnati and UCF, but must face Big 12 reigning champs Kansas State and national runner-ups TCU.

On paper, there are few holes internally in the program. Sarkisian has built a roster ready to battle with the sport's biggest contenders. But every army needs the proper general behind the lines, pulling the strings to secure a victory.

Is Sarkisian the right commander-in-chief to bring glory to Austin for years to come? 

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