Steve Sarkisian and the handful of Texas Longhorns players who spoke to the media after the game were clearly disappointed in the 14-7 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. But they showed a sense of maturity and understanding that this one loss, a painful one, isn't going to upend their season.
Steve Sarkisian and the handful of Texas Longhorns players who spoke to the media after the game were clearly disappointed in the 14-7 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. But they showed a sense of maturity and understanding that this one loss, a painful one, isn’t going to upend their season.
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“We’re competitors at the end of the day,” Ethan Burke said. “This one hurts as much as others. We never want to lose a game. We want to be perfect. Today, it’s hard to be perfect. Today, we were far from it. We’ve just got to keep fighting and get better. Like I said earlier, there’s so much more time. We’re going to play 15 more games and we’re going to be fighting for the top spot in the country in a few months.”
The second-straight loss to Ohio State, this one in the regular season instead of the College Football Playoff semifinals, does still sting. The Longhorns wanted to make another road statement after starting the 2023 season with a win in Alabama and embarking on their 2024 season with a win at Michigan. They were unable to do so, and much of it had to do with Arch Manning‘s struggles.
Manning’s stat line was a pedestrian 17-for-30 for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Only one receiver had more than 50 yards, and it was tight end Jack Endries. CJ Baxter was the only player with five or more catches.
Manning probably wore his disappointment on his sleeve more than any other player after the game in media settings. After all, he struggled quite possibly more than he’s ever struggled on a football field. It reached a level where the Ohio State student section at the south end of The Horseshoe changed “overrated” over and over and over.
But while he expressed plenty of disappointment in himself in his play, he also knows there’s a lot left on the table. And it starts next week with San Jose.
“I thought we beat ourselves a lot,’ Manning said. “It starts with me. I’ve got to play better for us to win. Can’t wait until the second half to get things going.”
Manning was the subject of ridiculous expectations levied by media both in the local sphere and from national outlets. Sarkisian called those expectations “out of control” during his press conference, and noted there’s still room for Manning to grow. When talking about his quarterback, he said…
“I’d say, let’s finish the book before we judge it,” Sarkisian said. “This is one chapter. We’ve got a long season to go play.”
What he said about his quarterback applies to his whole team. The 12-team playoff creates a margin for error that didn’t exist the last time Texas went to Columbus in 2005. A loss in the two-team BCS era? Well, that ended your national championship hopes. Even a defeat in the four-team era made things tenuous.
In the 12-team era? There’s a lot of room for error. And Texas made some errors on Saturday it will work to correct during the non-conference.
“I sat at SEC Media Days and said I think the days of a national champion being undefeated are over, especially when you play in games like this and you play in the conference we play in,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got an opportunity here over the next month to really clean some things up and to get ourselves in a great frame of mind to get ready for SEC play.”
That’s what had Texas’ players maybe a bit more upbeat compared to previous losses. The last time Texas lost a regular season game, it was to Georgia in the 2024 regular season. Even with that loss, they knew there was a chance they’d get another crack at the Bulldogs somewhere down the line in the postseason.
The same possibility exists for this Texas team against that Ohio State team, though it would have to be in the CFP and not in any sort of conference title. Sarkisian knows there’s plenty more to play for, even if it won’t be part of an undefeated season. So too do team leaders like Michael Taaffe.
Taaffe was eloquent speaking about his faith, saying that his teammates are able to play with a freedom and a looseness brought on by their devout Christian belief. His confidence and his belief was eloquently put postgame.
“I saw different cultures and how they took different losses, and I could tell we had a winning football team when I walked in that locker room 30 minutes ago when we lost our first game and the media is making it the biggest season opening football game in history,” Taaffe said. “To have that competitive edge that we have? We’ll be alright.”
The next game is in seven days. Texas’ home opener is Next Saturday against the San Jose State Spartans. Texas won’t be able to pursue a perfect campaign, but they can pursue a championship campaign. That’s part of why Sarkisian and company were decently upbeat. The season’s not over. It’s just begun.
Category: General Sports
