Texas and Oklahoma were officially welcomed into the Southeastern Conference on Monday morning, after leaving the Big 12.
Texas and Oklahoma were officially welcomed into the Southeastern Conference on Monday morning, after leaving the Big 12.
It is no secret that SEC football is the sport’s superpower, having topped all other conferences in NFL draft picks for the past 18 years.
Texas head coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian understands the disparities between the SEC and all other leagues, and he believes it will be difficult to earn a berth in the new 12-team College Football Playoff structure as a result.
“We need to build a team that come January can beat Alabama, LSU and Georgia, and I’d throw in Ohio State and Clemson, too, because those are the teams that in some shape or form are in the playoff just about every year,” Sarkisian said, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.
Sarkisian and Texas finished 11-1 last season, including a 34-24 win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Longhorns defeated Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship, but their season ended one game later in the coveted College Football Playoff against second-seeded Washington.
Although an SEC school did not win it all this season, Michigan of the Big Ten did, Sarkisian recognizes that depth throughout the field is a big reason why an SEC team has been declared national champions more than any other league in the CFP history.
Alabama has won the most CFP national titles, and Sarkisian served as offensive coordinator for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Sarkisian believes that depth in the front five, among other positions, was a key element in the Crimson Tide’s success during his time in Tuscaloosa, and that he will apply it to his Texas club this season.
“I think back to that offensive line we had at Alabama in 2020,” Sarkisian told the crowd. “We had excellent skill individuals as well, but the number of guys we had up front was something you don’t see very often. I know that is where we have worked so hard (in Texas). When I arrived at Texas, it wasn’t so much the defensive line as the offensive line. We needed to perform a total redesign.
Alabama supporters were perplexed early last season when, after losing to Texas in Week 2, the Tide emerged victorious 17-3 over USF in Week 3 despite being 34.5-point favorites. However, Alabama figured things out and earned the fourth and final slot in the College Football Playoff. Sarkisian discussed how SEC teams improve as the season progresses, adding to the challenge.
“We can’t get enamored with just building a team to win the Big 12,” Sarkisian told the crowd. “We’ll have to construct a team capable of defeating Alabama in January. I’m not talking September, but in January, be prepared to defeat the teams you’ll need to beat to win a national title.”
