Sark warns Texas: Avoid 'Notre Dame scenario'

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that he has cautioned his team against the “Notre Dame scenario” and reminded his players that “we’re entitled to nothing” following Saturday’s 31-12 win over then-No. 10 Michigan that moved the Longhorns to No. 2 in the AP Top 25.

Texas’ 19-point victory over the Wolverines at Michigan Stadium represented an early statement victory in the Longhorns’ pursuit of a second-consecutive College Football Playoff appearance this fall. Led by 246 passing yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Quinn Ewers, Texas notched its largest road win over a top-10 opponent since 1979, handing Michigan its first home loss since 2020 and the program’s first defeat since the Wolverines fell to TCU in the 2022 College Football Playoff.

The Longhorns’ win came hours before then-No. 5 Notre Dame suffered a monumental upset Saturday afternoon, falling as a 28.5-point home favorite in a 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois — seven days after the Irish’s 23-13 road win over then-No. 20 Texas A&M.

As Texas (2-0) began preparations for a Week 3 visit from UTSA, Sarkisian directed his players’ attention to Notre Dame’s stumble as a warning to the surging Longhorns.

“Human nature is human nature,” Sarkisian explained. “So what did I do this morning? I walked them through the Notre Dame scenario of [the Irish] going into College Station a week ago and winning that game and being anointed a top-five team and in the College Football Playoff, then a week later losing to Northern Illinois.”

“I showed them that clip of [Kanon Woodill‘s game-winning] field goal and I showed the clip of Northern Illinois storming the field this morning as a good reminder that we’re entitled to nothing,” Sarkisian continued. “We’re capable of anything. We’ve got a really good team. But we’re entitled to nothing. We’re going to earn everything. And we’ve going to have to earn the victory here Saturday night.”

Texas’ rout of Michigan helped the Longhorns leapfrog Ohio State for No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25, the program’s highest ranking in AP poll since 2009. Texas’ remaining schedule includes meetings with only two teams currently ranked inside the AP Top 25. The Longhorns will face No. 15 Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 12 before hosting No. 1 Georgia on Oct. 19 in a potential matchup of No. 1 vs No. 2 in Week 8.

More imminently, Texas hosts UTSA at 7 p.m. ET Saturday night on ESPN. The Roadrunners visit Austin after suffering a 49-10 defeat to Texas State in Week 2. No different from the warning Sarkisian issued on Notre Dame’s upset, the Longhorns’ coach is cautious about overlooking Texas’ Week 3 opponent, as well.

“The worst opponents or the toughest opponents to play are the ones that are wounded; that are backed into a corner,” Sarkisian said. “… We’re going to get their best version. We’ve got to prepare really well this week like we have the previous two weeks knowing that we’re going to get their best shot. We need to ensure that they get our best shot.”