Oklahoma made its SEC Media Days debut yesterday, but today was all about Texas. Head coach Steve Sarkisian announced that the 2024 Longhorns are the deepest and most talented he’s had in Austin, which bodes well for their outlook in a new conference. What were some other notable comments the head coach gave at the podium?
Three Takeaways From Steve Sarkisian Talking at SEC Media Days
1) Longhoorns’ Offensive Identity Is Not Changing
When it comes to Sarkisian’s offense, don’t expect much change this season.
“From an offensive perspective, if you haven’t ever seen us play, we believe in balance, we believe in trying to make it hard on the defense with multiple personnel groupings, formations, motion shifts. We love to run the football. We love to play action pass. We love to RPO. That’s not going to change.”
In his last 12 seasons calling plays, Sarkisian’s teams have only thrown more than they have run just once, which was his first year as Wahsington’s head coach in 2009. That season, the Huskies averaged 33 passing attempts per game to 32.5 rushing attempts.
Even as the offensive coordinator at Alabama in 2020, when QB Mac Jones threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only four interceptions, the Crimson Tide averaged 36.6 carries to 32.7 passes per contest.
Sarkisian has benefited from future NFL backs Bijan Robinson and Jonathon Brooks over the first three years at Texas and will have another deadly duo this season. CJ Baxter, who was the starter before an injury knocked him out last year, and Jaydon Blue will split the workload and should have no issue picking up yardage behind one of the best offensive lines in the country.
2) Red River Rivalry Is Greater Than the Iron Bowl
Yesterday, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables said that playing in a new conference won’t affect the program’s Red River Rivalry with Texas. “It’s as deep-seated and hate-filled and emotional of a rivalry as there is in all of college football. So I don’t see how the conference affiliation will make a big difference.
Sarkisian shared a similar sentiment, even comparing the rivalry to some of the biggest in the sport.
“I’ve been part of the Iron Bowl. I’ve been part of the Apple Cup in Washington. I’ve been part of SC-UCLA. I’ve been part of some great games.
“This is the most unique game for sure that I’ve ever been a part of. … You get in those locker rooms, and the locker rooms literally are 20 feet apart, and you’re staring at each team, and one goes first, the next one goes next, and it can get a little contentious in there, but that’s OK.
“Both teams play as hard as they possibly can play in that game, and again, that’s to take nothing away from any other great game that I’ve been part of, but this one is uniquely special.
The Red River River Showdown was first played in 1900, making it one of the oldest-standing rivalries in the sport. Although the Sooners have won 17 of the last 25 matchups since 2000, the Longhorns hold the series lead at 63-51-5.
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The contest featured the Big 12’s two foremost competitors, with Oklahoma owning the most conference championships (14) and Texas coming in as a distant second (4).
However, the Longhorns are the clear favorite in 2024, as Sarkisian’s squad holds the second-best odds of winning the SEC title, while Venables’ program sits at ninth in their first year in the conference.
3) Keeping Arch Manning Hasn’t Been an Issue
After former No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning spent the 2023 season as the third-string QB and starter Quinn Ewers announced his return, fans worried the star prospect would transfer out. Sarkisian, meanwhile, wasn’t worried at all.
“Part of recruiting is your track record, and we’ve been fortunate to coach some pretty good quarterbacks. We’ve been fortunate to do it for decades now. We’ve been fortunate to have some pretty good quarterback rooms, and I think the Manning family is pretty well aware of that.
“I think they trained Arch to try to put himself in the best position and play in the best conference in America, and ultimately, put himself in the best position to further his career and play in the NFL. With that, I think Arch’s development has been important to the family, and he’s reaping the benefit of those things. [Keeping him in Austin] hasn’t been difficult at all — I think it’s been pretty simple.”
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