Steve Sarkisian entered the SEC with a bang, and Paul Finebaum believes he could be next in line to win the national championship. He came close to winning the title several times but unfortunately exited the College Football Playoff before being able to do so.
After Ryan Day, who just won his maiden championship, Finebaum believes Sarkisian has what it takes to win. The program already boasts high-profile athletes and holds the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. So, a title shouldn’t be a distant dream but rather something that Texas should target.
Paul Finebaum Makes Prediction for Steve Sarkisian and Texas Longhorns
This season, Texas finished atop the SEC leaderboard with a 13-3 record and managed to make the College Football Playoff semifinal against Ohio State. However, they lost the Cotton Bowl showdown 29-14 and got kicked out of contention.
Things were quite similar the year before, when Sarkisian and Co. were part of the Big 12 and made the four-team CFP. But a 37-31 loss against the Washington Huskies ended their natty aspirations. Finebaum believes the scenario is expected to change in the upcoming season.
“I would pick Steve Sarkisian,” Finebaum told Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic on their morning radio show, per On3. “I think he’s probably set up the best of any of those who don’t have a title. We’re still getting used to Ryan Day being a national champion. It changes the narrative a little bit, doesn’t it?”
Finebaum also raised eyebrows with his comments during the Cotton Bowl matchup this season. He equally praised Sarkisian for his consistent efforts to build a formidable roster.
“I’m very proud. I told these guys in the locker room — they need to hold their heads high,” Sarkisian said to the reporters after the loss. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of for what they did this season, the work that they put in, the challenges that we were faced with. Everybody’s got their own unique challenges. We had ours.”
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He added, “But never did anyone complain; we never got the ‘poor me’s.’ They just worked. They came back to work. As a coach, that makes you proud……We’ve got a great deal of pride. We’ve got a great deal of pride in this helmet. We’ve got a great deal of pride in being Longhorns and playing the game of football the right way.”
Next season, Sarkisian will have Arch Manning in the pocket with Quinn Ewers leaving for the 2025 NFL Draft. Expectations should be sky-high for the program.
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