The Texas Longhorns have to find answers quickly. With back-to-back losses to unranked teams, Texas finds its season on the ropes as they host the Ole Miss Rebels.
A third loss to Ole Miss would put the Longhorns' College Football Playoff aspirations on life support. They cannot afford another loss at this point in the season.
Former Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach Urban Meyer is worried about where Texas is headed.
Meyer Sends a Warning to Texas
Meyer and FOX analysts Rob Stone and Mark Ingram previewed Texas-Ole Miss on their college football show, The Triple Option.
"This will be the most important game of Steve Sarkisian's career," Meyer said. "He's had a helluva career, but this is a Rubicon. If they lose this one, you are in serious trouble. I don't think it's his job [on the line]; it's your legacy, though. You're that guy who couldn't get it at Texas, because he's been there and there."
The Longhorns are used to outside noise. It comes with the territory. Sarkisian has heard these statements over the last several years, but his team is only focused on what they can control.
"Because it's easy to listen to the outside noise and the sky is falling and the season's over and what are we going to do next year," Sarkisian said on Monday. "Hey man, we're 4-2. Okay, let's be a part of the solution. Let's go 1-0 this week and let's get to 5-2. There's a lot of football left to be played."
Sarkisian also complimented his players and coaches for being receptive to constructive conversations. Everyone is under the microscope and needs to be re-evaluated. The Longhorns are underperforming, and the last two weeks were unacceptable.
So is Meyer right? Is this week's matchup with Ole Miss the most important game of Sarkisian's career? I would say no. If Meyer believes one loss eliminates Texas from the CFP, then every week for the rest of the season is the "most important game" by his standards.
Three losses would endanger the Longhorns' CFP hopes, but they wouldn't be completely gone. Texas would have to run the table and get some help from other teams. The SEC's new nine-game conference schedule could pave the way for a three-loss team in the CFP this year.
Ultimately, the Longhorns shouldn't get to that point. If they want to be viewed as a contender, Texas has to make a statement on Saturday night. Anything short of the CFP would be a massive disappointment given the roster and high expectations.
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