Steve Sarkisian Urges CFP Committee to Reward Ohio State for Nonconference Road Test
AUSTIN, Texas — Following a dramatic 24-23 comeback victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that the Buckeyes should be rewarded for scheduling a marquee nonconference matchup.
“I hope Ohio State does not get punished for that game Saturday night. They played a heck of a game. I mean, it’s 24-23, they lose to us scoring with 25 seconds to go in the game,” Sarkisian said. “I hope if they end up being a 9-3 team, the committee can appreciate the fact that they came to Austin, Texas, in September when it was 100 degrees and played us in that environment and played a heck of a game.”
Sarkisian referenced last season, when a College Football Playoff spot hinged on Texas’ early 14-7 loss to Ohio State in Columbus.
“Ohio State should be rewarded for playing in this game against us,” Sarkisian said Monday. “Time will tell. And this isn’t crying over spilled milk. I don’t think we got rewarded for going to Columbus last year in Week 1. Hopefully, this year they reward Ohio State for coming and playing in this game with us.”
Ohio State fell to No. 6 in The Associated Press Top 25 after the loss. Sarkisian acknowledged the conversation becomes moot if the Buckeyes finish 11-1, but emphasized his program actively seeks high-stakes games. He noted the Texas brand attracts national television interest and that his roster is built for these moments.
“That’s why you come to Texas, to play in these big games,” Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning said Monday. “I think it helps our team, builds confidence that we can win in any way. We can be down, we can be not playing well, but we can find ways to win. I think that’s what builds confidence in those big games.”
After Texas scored 21 points in the final quarter to secure the win, Manning sprinted across the field in celebration as the clock expired.
“That was the most fun ending to a game I’ve ever had,” he said. “I did not know what to do. I was just running around.”
Sarkisian: Heavyweight Matchups Must Be Valued, Not Penalized
Sarkisian framed the broader issue: marquee nonconference games should strengthen a team’s resume rather than damage it.
“Everybody loves those matchups,” Sarkisian said. “Well, if we want to continue with those matchups, we’ve got to reward the teams for playing in those games … because if they don’t reward them for playing in the game, then all of us start playing FCS, [Group of] 6, and then I don’t think that’s the product that we want in college football.”
He contrasted college football’s subjective selection process with the NFL’s objective criteria.
“We’re not the NFL where it’s all based on, ‘What’s your record? Who did you beat?’” he said. “You make the playoffs based off of opinions of others, essentially, unless you win your conference.”
Texas Reaches No. 1 in AP Poll; Sarkisian Preaches Focus
The victory propelled the Longhorns to No. 1 in this week’s AP poll, marking the third consecutive season Texas has held the top spot. Sarkisian downplayed the ranking two games into the season.
“A week ago, the narrative was we can’t win the big game,” Sarkisian said. “How are we going to beat Ohio State? What are we going to do? Now we’re the best team in the country allegedly and everybody’s patting us on the back. Two polar opposites of where we are. We need to stay right here, and we need to stay enamored with what we need to do.”