Steve Sarkisian dismisses ‘disservice to our sport’

no. 16 Texas delivered one of the most influential results in college football’s final slate on Black Friday, knocking off No. 3 Texas A&M 27-17 in Austin. The win marked Texas A&M’s first loss of the season, ending the Aggies’ undefeated streak just as they positioned themselves for a potential appearance in the SEC Championship Game.

The atmosphere at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium reflected the magnitude of the moment, and the win gave Texas a late-season jolt of legitimacy for both the rivalry and the The Longhorns’ long-running CFP chase. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian turned his attention to the playoffs almost immediately after the victory.

“That team is undefeated, they’re No. 3 in the country, and a lot of pundits out there think they’re the No. 1 team, we just beat them by 10,” Sarkisian told ESPN after the game.

The postgame interview with ESPN turned out to be strategic, as Sarkisian purposely set it up Texas’ schedule aggression and tight end Ohio State loss as definitive evidence of a true playoff-caliber roster, directly speaking to affect perception before the committee votes.

“I think this — if you really look at the body of work,” Sarkisian said. “If you look at the Southeastern Conference and what we have to go through every week. You look at the non-conference schedule we’ve played, to go to Ohio State in Week 1 and lose by seven when we outgain them by almost 200 yards, we have a really good football team. It would be a disservice to our sport if this team doesn’t go to a playoff team that isn’t scheduled to play.” Sarkisian added.

Sarkisian’s message continued to beat the same beat that schedule ambition should trump record perfection. He concluded firmly, pressing the heart of his message.

“Because if we’re a 10-2 team, it’s not out of the question. But we were willing to play that game, so is that what college football is? Don’t play anybody and just have a record? Or play the best team in the playoffs and we’re one of the best teams,” he concluded.

Although the Longhorns will close the regular season at 9-3 and are out of the running for an automatic bid to the SEC title, the win strengthened their case for one of the at-large playoff spots when the committee gathers to reshape its rankings.

Texas now awaiting a crucial ranking refresh ahead of the next CFP assessment on Dec. 2, followed by the release of the Selection Sunday brackets on Dec. 7. However, it is clear that this game was more than just a rivalry; it was a referendum.

“It would be a disservice to our sport if this team is not a playoff team.”

Steve Sarkisian made his case for why No. 16 Texas should be on the list College Football Playoff 😤 pic.twitter.com/bMjcBv5vaf

— ESPN (@espn) November 29, 2025