Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian took a shot at a former conference rival on Thursday, in what could also be interpreted as an opening argument to the college football playoff committee. Sark used Texas Tech as an example of a school that doesn’t strong opponents. Of course, Sark believes the Longhorns difficult 2025 schedule should have been given more respect by the CFP committee last year.
There is now a perception, based on the CFP committee’s choices, that teams now benefit from scheduling easy non-conference slate. That’s not great news for Texas, who have the toughest 2026 schedule in college football. Coupled with a new nine-game SEC schedule, Texas also plays Ohio State. Next season, Texas will play Michigan and then home-and-home with Notre Dame in 2028 and 2029.
That is probably why Sark is taking aim at teams and conferences whose schedules don’t reach even a median quality level. Per Anwar Richardson, Sark was asked by a fan at the Touchdown Club in Houston if there is any way to get the College Football Playoff Committee to factor in the strength of schedule in its decision-making.
“There’s a team in our state that plays in another conference that has a schedule that I would argue if I played with our twos and our threes, we could go undefeated, and they’ll probably make the CFP this year,” Sarkisian said.
Sark didn’t mention Texas Tech by name, but 1 + 1 = 2. The Texas coach is planting an early seed to the playoff committee, some schedules are better than others and when judging similar records. If you play Texas’ schedule, you should be given preference over a team that plays the Red Raiders schedule.
Of course, Tech super-booster Cody Campbell took the opportunity to beg the Longhorns to schedule the Red Raiders again in the future.
Texas Tech was the biggest loser in many ways (along with Oklahoma State) when UT and Oklahoma moved to the SEC. Tech lost its most prestigious annual opponent and its biggest rival. But a mid-tier rival is exactly the type of conference foe Texas was trying to get away from when it left the Big 12.
It never benefitted Texas when it beat Tech. On the rare occasions the Red Raiders won, it was celebrated in Lubbock like a national title. Something former Texas QB Chance Mock pointed out online.
Texas might. be re-thinking how it schedules in the future. The Longhorns dropped a future series with Arizona State. Many theorized that was a move towards easier scheduling. And that could be the case. But there’s an argument to be made that Arizona State is just a Texas Tech without familiarity. It does UT very little benefit to play ASU, who are now in the Big 12.
For a long time, Texas has had a scheduling philosophy where they book an elite team, a mid-major or low Power 4 conference team and a cupcake. Texas (for now) is one of the only programs (certainly in the SEC) that don’t schedule FCS (formerly Division I-AA) opponents.
Which bucket did Arizona State fit in? When scheduled, the Sun Devils were a mid-tier Pac-12 team.
While Sark’s jab at Texas Tech is humorous and definitely stirred up the desire of Red Raiders fans to find themselves back on the Longhorns future schedule, the UT coach’s real message was to the CFP selection committee.
“Everyone talks about NIL. But my biggest gripe is the selection committee,” Sarkisian said last week. “There’s no transparency on what exactly the committee is doing. We have to figure that out.”
Sark is building his case now … if he needs it in December.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Why did Longhorns coach Sarkisian REALLY take a shot at Texas Tech?
Reporting by Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire / Longhorns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
