Saturday’s game versus Ole Miss may be the most consequential of the Texas Longhorns' season to date. A win would not only snap the Longhorns' two-game losing skid, but also keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. A loss, however, would all but eliminate Texas from the playoff for the second straight season and put even more pressure on head coach Steve Sarkisian.
Yet, while noise and pressure are at their highest since he hired Sarkisian as head football coach, nothing has changed in the eyes of Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte.
In a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello, he described his football program as “phenomenal,” despite mounting questions, as Texas looks to avoid another season that underdelivered after showing great promise.
Business as Usual
"Rome is not burning. Expectations should be high. They're high for us, too,” Del Conte said. “That's why you come to University of Texas. But the noise is a lot greater outside than it is in our building, than it is on the Forty Acres."
A two-game losing streak after a historically thrilling come-from-behind win over Ohio State in Week 2, which catapulted the Longhorns to the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll, is a long way from the feelings and pure jubilation inside Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on that fateful night.
Similar to last season, Texas went from being billed as the best team in the country to falling in the poll after two humbling defeats. Now they're backed into a corner for the final five regular-season games.
Yet, the losses to Oklahoma in Dallas and Florida in Austin, both of which came despite the Longhorns taking first-half leads, aren’t cause for panic.
"We all expect to win every single game," Del Conte said. "They got good players. We got good players. Things happen within a game."
The focus goes straight to the offensive struggles this season and in each loss. Yet, Texas could have won each one if not for critical late-game turnovers.
Quarterback Arch Manning, like his head coach, is under fire after throwing two back-breaking interceptions that helped Oklahoma score, before a fumble ended any chance of a game-winning drive for Texas against Florida.
Texas will look to get back on track Saturday against the Rebels, who are flying high off a 31-3 win over Missouri. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.
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