Steve Sarkisian Calls Texas 'Big Game Hunters' as He Makes the Longhorns' Playoff Case After Missouri
Texas was a road favorite at Missouri, but Steve Sarkisian coached Saturday like an underdog — and then said so, laying out a playoff resume he says no other team in the country can match.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Steve Sarkisian's playoff campaign for Texas now has a slogan. After the Longhorns' 34-20 win at No. 19 Missouri on Saturday, the Texas coach described his team as underdog 'big game hunters' and laid out the case he wants the College Football Playoff committee to hear.
'Nobody believed we'd win the game. Nobody thought we were going to come here and win the game,' Sarkisian said, according to USA TODAY's report. 'Nobody thought we were tough enough at the line of scrimmage. Everyone thought we'd get pushed around. And, you know, the DNA of this organization is mental, physical toughness. I think that poured out of our pores today in this ballgame today.'
The underdog framing comes with an asterisk the same report notes: Texas was at least a 2.5-point road favorite as of Monday, according to BetMGM odds. The win itself was real enough — Arch Manning completed 28 of 38 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions — though it was not without controversy, as Missouri fans and neutral observers questioned whether officials had improperly called several plays in Texas' favor.
Sarkisian's closing argument was arithmetic. 'I think that's six straight top-25 wins for us. I think the next-closest team in the country has two. Our second top-25 win on the road,' he said. 'So, like we say, we're big game hunters and we showed up again today.' Texas is 7-2 (4-2 SEC) and opened at No. 7 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings; the committee's second rankings arrive Tuesday night, and Texas travels to LSU on Saturday.
