Longhorns Daily News: Is Steve Sarkisian’s seat really ‘warming’ after missing CFP?
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The way of the college football world today breaks down to this: coaches don’t get many opportunities to screw up, and anything short of a national championship is considered a screw up. So, given that current logic, it’s no surprise that the Houston Chroniclerecently published a column noting that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian sits atop a steadily warming hot-ish seat after the Longhorns missed the College Football Playoff last season.
From the Chronicle: “Steve Sarkisian is not on any hot seat by a long shot. Not after going 35-8 the past three years (with two of the losses in the College Football Playoff semifinals and three other losses to Georgia and, oh yeah, Florida). He reached the CFP two of the previous three seasons and barely missed this past season. But he’s on the warming seat. And he’s got company. Sarkisian is preparing for his sixth season at Texas after seeing 26 of his players transfer out and 19 transfer in, including the portal’s top-ranked wide receiver, two outstanding running backs and two elite linebackers. The big number of those leaving suggest Texas badly missed its evaluations on more than two dozen players or drastically upgraded all of those positions. Actually, both of those premises could be true. Sarkisian at least grasps the sense of urgency among Longhorn Nation because this isn’t a place where you want to miss the playoff two years in a row. But he’s not alone. I’d say the top five coaches with the most heat on them, in order, are Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Sarkisian, LSU’s Lane Kiffin and USC’s Lincoln Riley. None of these obviously are in a must-win situation like some others. … Those on the hottest of hot seats are Baylor’s Dave Aranda (three losing seasons in the past four years), Florida State’s Mike Norvell (coming off 2-10 and 5-7 seasons), Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell (16-21 over three years), Maryland’s Mike Locksley (1-8 in Big Ten two straight years) and South Carolina’s Shane “Did you see our first half against the Aggies?” Beamer. … Of the group needing to break through and avoid slipping backward, they just need to win big and dispel the notion that they have hit a wall and have to get past it. DeBoer, it says here, is the best coach in the nation not named Kirby Smart, Curt Cignetti or Ryan Day, yet a large percentage of Crimson Tide fans think his days might be numbered if a third year isn’t more successful after missing the CFP in Year 1 and winning one CFP game over an average Oklahoma team in Year 2. Lanning has been a borderline disaster in the CFP, getting squashed by Ohio State in 2024 and mauled by Indiana in 2025 (after dominating Texas Tech). Kiffin may or may not have a honeymoon in his first season at Baton Rouge, but he’s still not been on the sidelines for a CFP game yet in his career. Riley can sure develop a quarterback or two with Caleb Williams and Jayden Maiava, but when is the breakthrough season coming? Lots of urgency in 2026.“
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS
Austin American-Statesman: Golden: Why depth is key for Jim Schlossnagle, 2026 Texas baseball
Austin American-Statesman: Texas Longhorns: 5 stats UT must improve to win championship
Austin American-Statesman: Sean Miller, Longhorns earn average marks with midseason grades
Austin American-Statesman: Why Texas basketball coach Sean Miller has kept the faith in his bench
Inside Texas: Texas’ likely preference for outside zone is perfect for Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown
Inside Texas: Bijan Robinson: Three years into the NFL
ICYMI IN BURNT ORANGE NATION
Texas holds off South Carolina in 84-75 win
No 4. Texas shuts down No. 10 Oklahoma in Red River Rivalry, 78-70
Adrian Rodriguez, Ethan Medoza lead reloaded Texas infield
Three-star LB Cade Haug commits to Texas
2026 DT Elijah Ali commits to Texas
RECRUITING ROUNDUP
Austin American-Statesman: A Texas basketball recruit was just named a McDonald’s All-American
247Sports: Texas rolls out the red carpet for 2027 LB Jhadyn Nelson, lands June official visit
247Sports: Texas women’s basketball has three incoming freshmen selected as McDonald’s All-Americans
SEC SHOWDOWN
Associated Press: Dallas-area products and unheralded stars who could make big impact on Super Bowl LX
247Sports: 247Sports’ MBB SEC poll: Texas picks up a much-needed win, while Florida and Texas A&M lead the way
Inside Texas: Future College Football Playoff sites and dates set for 2026, 2027
Good Bull Hunting: Aggies hoops ranked 25th in latest Coaches Poll
Rock M Nation: Study Hall: Mizzou 84, Mississippi State 79
And The Valley Shook: No. 6 LSU Demolishes No. 24 Alabama 103-63
Rocky Top Talk: Tennessee moves back into AP Poll, checks in at No. 25
Roll ‘Bama Roll: Florida, Todd Golden still own Nate Oats, Bama lays an egg, 100-77
A Sea Of Blue: Amid the chaos of the ‘Wild West,’ Kentucky’s coaches are choosing discipline over desperation
WHAT WE’RE READING
SB Nation: James Harden trade grades for Darius Garland swap with Cavs-Clippers
SB Nation: These NFL teams seemed destined to make Super Bowl 2026 but fell short
SB Nation: Bryce Young and Rico Dowdle believe in the Carolina Panthers
NEWS ACROSS LONGHORN NATION AND BEYOND
- Not bad, ladies.
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