Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has led Texas to their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoffs, but it hasn’t stopped him from voicing his opinion on the showpiece event.
The Longhorns face the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Sugar Bowl, and Sarkisian shared how difficult a month December has been for head coaches across the nation.
What Did Steve Sarkisian Say?
In a joint press conference with Sarkisian and Washington HC Kalen DeBoer on December 31, the Texas head coach spoke his mind when asked about the relentless schedule in December, where bowl season, recruiting, early signing day, and the transfer portal all take place.
Texas beat writer, Eric Henry, shared that Sarkisian said, “I think the (offseason/bowl) calendar was great for the old model, but I’m hopeful they can find a better mechanism to get this worked out.”
“I think the (offseason/bowl) calendar was great for the old model, but I’m hopeful they can find a better mechanism to get this worked out,” said Steve Sarkisian in relation to the overlap between recruiting/portal/bowl season. https://t.co/Uw5osYR9mi
— Eric Henry (@EricCHenry_) December 31, 2023
The college football calendar has been jam-packed in December. Not only have coaches had to prepare for their relevant bowl games, but they have also had to deal with recruitment classes and managing the transfer portal.
The transfer portal opened on Dec. 4, giving players 30 days to decide if they want to enter the portal. It closes on Jan. 2. The portal has become a huge aspect of the ever-changing college football landscape and is difficult enough for head coaches to manage on its own.
What makes the job more difficult for head coaches is that they are preparing for a potential bowl game, while their own players are entering the transfer portal.
By using the College Football Network Opt-Out Tracker, we know that Texas has nine players missing for the Sugar Bowl. While the only starter to have entered is safety Jalen Catalon, the Longhorns have also lost backup QB Maalik Murphy and depth in the wide receiver room.
This is on top of working the relentless recruiting trail with Early Signing Day on Dec. 20. The early signing day was a strong one for Texas, who signed up five-star recruits in EDGE Colin Simmons, OT Brandon Baker, and Safety Xavier Filsaime.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian: “This has been a lot this month, so it’s finally fun to be a day away from the ballgame. I know our players are excited to play the game. They’re looking forward to it. They feel like they’ve earned this opportunity to be in this position and they’re…
— Inside Texas (@InsideTexas) December 31, 2023
The Sugar Bowl can’t come soon enough for Sarkisian, who went on to say, “This has been a lot this month.” Sark continued, “So it’s finally fun to be a day away from the ballgame. I know our players are excited to play the game. They’re looking forward to it. They feel like they’ve earned this opportunity to be in this position, and they’re excited for it.”
For the full game preview and prediction: Sugar Bowl Prediction – Washington vs. Texas Odds, Spread, DFS Picks, and More
Texas enters the Sugar Bowl as a -4.5-point favorite. The game kicks off at 8:50 ET in New Orleans on January 1.
Miss any action from the top college QB Rankings during the 2023 football season? Want to track all the movement with the college football’s transfer portal? College Football Network has you covered with that and more!