Everythign at stake for Texas in Big 12 champ game-ZoomTech News

At apply on Monday morning, Steve Sarkisian delivered a message to his staff:

“We did not come this far simply to return this far,” the Texas coach informed his gamers.

That is as a result of the No. 7 Longhorns are on the cusp of a few issues: profitable their first Large 12 championship since 2009 and making their debut within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. The latter objective is sensible, however not sure, even when Texas beats Oklahoma State on Saturday at AT&T Stadium for the league title, as a number of different dominoes (i.e. the leads to the Pac-12 and SEC title video games) should fall of their favor.

After Texas dominated Texas Tech by a rating of 57-7 final Friday to conclude the common season, the staff clearly celebrated. Movies of gamers dancing within the locker room went viral. The Horns had not received 11 video games since 2009, which was the final time this system received the Large 12 and performed for a nationwide championship.

Sarkisian allowed his guys to benefit from the second — with the sport performed on Friday, he even had the uncommon likelihood on Saturday to take a seat and watch the remainder of the weekend’s video games like a school soccer fan.

However when the staff convened to begin this week, Sarkisian wished to make one thing clear.

“There’s extra on the market for us to perform,” he informed his gamers, including that the commanding win over the Crimson Raiders was “simply one other checkpoint within the journey.”  

“Not each faculty do you actually get these alternatives,” Sarkisian continued. “And I really feel like [this is] one of many locations the place you possibly can. Nevertheless it would not need to be a one-time factor. This is not, ‘Hey, this 12 months we [were successful] and I do not know what is going on to occur within the subsequent 5-10 years.’ 

“If we are able to do it proper, I do not wish to say it is routine, however hopefully it is a bit of bit extra constant the place we’re in these discussions, the place we’re competing for convention championships, that we have now the items in place not solely from a roster administration standpoint but additionally a facility standpoint, a training employees standpoint, a assist standpoint, from the administration to the place that is what Texas soccer is.”

Saturday’s championship recreation would be the Longhorns’ closing Large 12 recreation ever. The SEC awaits in 2024, and making routine journeys to that convention title recreation means having to beat the likes of Alabama, Georgia and LSU often. However first, Oklahoma State stands in the best way. The Cowboys beat Oklahoma earlier this month as a convention parting present, they usually hope to do the identical to Texas.

Whereas the Longhorns have had their very own points this season — struggling to attain within the purple zone, accidents to high playmakers, a failure to place groups away within the second half — they’ve additionally managed to win video games in numerous methods, have an enviable quantity of depth and boast among the best defenses within the nation.

Mike Gundy’s Cowboys have been a bit of extra perplexing. They misplaced to South Alabama — at house — within the third recreation of the season. And later, after upsetting a then-No. 10 OU within the closing Bedlam, it turned across the following weekend and misplaced to UCF, 45-3. Oklahoma State has received seven of its final eight video games, together with wins over Kansas and Kansas State, however virtually missed an opportunity to play for the Large 12 title as a result of it wanted double-overtime to defeat convention beginner BYU in Stillwater over the weekend.

It may be difficult to arrange for a staff that is been so up and down, however Sarkisian mentioned he is aware of “they’re able to being a really harmful staff and one that may play at a really excessive degree and match the opponent.”

The Cowboys’ biggest weapon is sophomore operating again Ollie Gordon II, who leads the nation with 1,580 speeding yards this season. He is averaging 131.7 yards per recreation, has scored 20 touchdowns (second behind Michigan’s Blake Corum, who has 22) and in line with Sarkisian, is “one heck of a participant.”

“He actually signifies who their staff is,” Sarkisian mentioned. “I really feel like he will get stronger as the sport goes on, like loads of large, bodily backs do. Lots of his greatest runs come within the second half when groups put on down.”

Gordon II can grind out yards between the tackles and likewise has the flexibility to make explosive performs. He has extra speeding performs of 40-plus yards (seven) and of 70-plus yards (two) than every other participant within the nation.

“And so they’ve bought quite a lot of schemes with him and do a heck of a job out of the pistol formation the place they’ll get to all their runs and loads of them look the identical,” Sarkisian mentioned. “So your defensive linemen and linebackers need to do an important job of becoming these issues, and then you definately’ve gotta deal with.

“And usually, with a man like him, one man isn’t sufficient.”

Texas, in the meantime, has the fifth-best run protection within the nation. It is holding opponents to 85.0 speeding yards per recreation and has solely allowed seven speeding touchdowns by 12 video games. It is also ranked No. 1 in getting off the sphere on third down and in holding opponents scoreless within the purple zone. That begins with veteran defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, who’re two of the perfect at what they do and will likely be taking part in within the NFL a 12 months from now.

Texas is aware of all it could possibly do to make sure it lives as much as Sarkisian’s message is to deal with Oklahoma State on Saturday. Solely then will Sarkisian enable himself to think about discuss of reaching the CFP for the primary time in his head teaching profession.

“Why would not I?” Sarkisian mentioned when requested if he thought-about the Longhorns a playoff contender. “We’re in an important place. However what I additionally know is we have now to deal with our enterprise. 

“Then if that occurs, there’s one other dialogue available. The mud goes to settle the place it is imagined to. So we’ll see what occurs.”

Laken Litman covers faculty soccer, faculty basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA At present and The Indianapolis Star. She is the creator of “Sturdy Like a Lady,” printed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Comply with her on Twitter @LakenLitman.

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