The new conference logo is on the field. The summer campus party was a success. New chants of “S-E-C, S-E-C!” are spot on, and a historic rival is back on the schedule. Now it’s time for No. 4 Texas to get to work.
The Longhorns are now officially part of the Southeastern Conference and are entering the new league with confidence, like a new student who believes they can be the top player right away.
And why not?
Texas won the Big 12 last season, made its first College Football Playoff, and has a lot of talent returning from a 12-2 team that finished the year ranked No. 3.
In Coach Steve Sarkisian’s fourth year, Texas is not just hoping to win but is “obsessed” with it after coming close to playing for the national championship last year.
The offense could be very strong, led by quarterback Quinn Ewers, a seasoned offensive line, and a receiving group strengthened by talented transfers.
“They got a taste of what it can taste like, of being a Big 12 champion, playing in a College Football Playoff, and we fell short,” Sarkisian said. “They couldn’t wait to get back to work. They couldn’t wait to get back in the weight room.
“When I took the job, I don’t know if I could have said that. It was almost like kind of prodding cattle to make sure that what they were doing day in and day out to get them to that point. Now we’ve got a team full of hungry players,” Sarkisian said.
