Steve Sarkisian delivered a stern message to Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns ahead of the home stretch of the year. With crucial matchups left in the college football season, the head coach in Austin didn’t leave anything to chance, reminding his players of what’s in store for them.
The phrase ‘Any given Satudary’ might sound as a cliché, but it’s still true in the NCAA. As Manning and the Longhorns gear up for a series of decisive showdowns in college football, Sarkisian made something clear to them about the competition they will be going up against.
Texas knows its season is on the line as it walks into Sanford Stadium. Facing the Georgia Bulldogs is not for the faint of heart, and beating them in Athens is a task reserved for college football’s elite. Manning, Sarkisian, and company believe the Longhorns can be just that—but they’ll have to prove it. Saturday’s clash in The Peach State might be the perfect chance to do so—and to silence the critics once and for all. However, if there’s something Sarkisian knows, it’s that anything can happen on the gridiron.
“This conference is grueling,” Sarkisian admitted, via On Texas Football. “Literally anybody in our conference – it doesn’t matter who they are – can beat anybody else in our conference on any given Saturday. That is what makes our conference so difficult. It’s a great league to be a part of, it is challenging but you have to grow up and have to grow up quickly.”
First time Texas visits Georgia in Athens
Though the Longhorns and Bulldogs have met seven times in college football history—with two games played in Atlanta—the two sides have never played in Athens. When Manning and Texas walk into a hostile environment in Athens, it will be the first time the burnt orange pays a visit to The Classic City.
For both schools, it’s an unsurpassable opportunity to make a statement in the NCAA. Georgia is 8-1 (6-1 in the SEC), so a win over Texas would virtually punch its ticket to the College Football Playoffs. Meanwhile, the Longhorns (7-2, 4-1 SEC) must win out to stay alive, as another loss to a direct opponent could be all she wrote for Manning, Sarkisian, and company.
Saturday’s showdown has all the ingredients for an instant classic, with the eyes of the nation fixed on the action at Sanford Stadium. In more ways than one, the NCAA landscape will come into sharper focus after the game. Will Manning and the Longhorns survive another setback against a top-tier opponent? Or will Georgia drop yet another crucial contest at home? Those questions won’t be answered until Saturday night.